BHA chair Joe Saumarez Smith to step down with immediate effect due to ill health

Joe Saumarez Smith is stepping down as BHA chair with immediate effect due to a deterioration in his health, British racing's governing body said on Thursday.

Saumarez Smith, 53, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, first joined the BHA board in 2014 and was appointed as chair in 2022.

David Jones, the BHA’s senior independent director, is to act as interim chair until Lord Charles Allen takes over the role on a permanent basis on June 1.

The BHA said Saumarez Smith made the decision to resign following a diagnosis that his health had deteriorated. He will remain available to assist with the transition process to the next chair. 

Saumarez Smith said: “I am very disappointed to step down as chair of the BHA board but now the cancer has spread to my brain and I have been told that my lifespan is pretty limited, I feel it would be very unfair on horseracing if I did not hand over the reins immediately. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed both being on the BHA board for over a decade and being chair for nearly three years. It has been an immense privilege to have such a senior role in a sport I have loved since the age of eight.  

“I did not want to stay on and make decisions that were potentially open to later challenge if questions were raised about whether the cancer had impaired my abilities. David Jones will do an excellent job in the interim and I think Lord Charles Allen will do a fantastic job with his highly impressive track record and enthusiasm for the sport."

Joe Saumarez Smith (middle) with trainer William Haggas (left) and Godolphin's Hugh Anderson at the Cartier Awards in NovemberCredit: Dan Abraham/focusonracing.com

The BHA's acting chief executive Brant Dunshea said it was a great sorrow to all at the organisation that Saumarez Smith had had to step down so suddenly.

He added: "He has been an outstanding chair and board member of the BHA for more than a decade. But more than that, he has been a passionate, dedicated and powerful ambassador for the sport and British racing owes him a huge debt.

“Having worked with Joe for more than a decade, his wise counsel, personal support, and pure love of the sport will be deeply missed."

The Racecourse Association (RCA) paid tribute to Saumarez Smith's "dedicated and skilled tenure" as BHA chair.

RCA chief executive David Armstrong added: "I have been fortunate to work alongside Joe on the BHA board throughout my career in horseracing. Joe’s knowledge and experience in racing, particularly with regards to the sport’s relationship with gambling, are unrivalled, and we will dearly miss his leadership as chairman.

"Among other major workstreams, Joe has spearheaded the sport’s ongoing campaign for levy reform and notably remains a firm advocate against the implementation of affordability checks. I’m personally grateful for Joe’s ongoing support and friendship, and would like to wish him and his family the very best at this extremely difficult time."

Betting and Gaming Council chair Michael Dugher said he was sorry to hear the news, describing Saumarez Smith as "a talented, brilliant, lovely guy".

He wrote on X: "The patience of a saint, he has done a very difficult job extremely well. Dignity and integrity by the bucketload. A prince among men. The sport will miss him. Wishing him lots of love and luck."

Arena Racing Company Martin Cruddace also paid tribute to Saumarez Smith. He said: "I am incredibly sorry to hear of Joe's news and would first and foremost offer my best wishes to him and his family.

"Over his time on the BHA board and as chairman, he has worked to lay great foundations upon which this sport, for which he has such a passion, can flourish. 

"I have enjoyed a close working relationship with Joe throughout this time and very much hope that he appreciates the immense contribution that he has made to British racing."

Comment: British racing owes debt of gratitude to Joe Saumarez Smith

The seriousness of the health issues Joe Saumarez Smith has been facing has been no secret since his cancer diagnosis in 2023, yet there is still a sense of shock that he has had to step down so abruptly.

The reason for that is the sheer energy and effort and the tireless work he has put into the role of BHA chair over the last 18 months. It was only a couple of weeks ago that he was front and centre for British racing when speaking at a parliamentary reception in Westminster.

When the position of BHA chair was advertised last June, with Saumarez Smith's term coming to an end in May, it set out that candidates for the position would be expected to commit to two days' work a week. It would be a surprise if Saumarez Smith ever did less than five days a week. He was ever-present at major racedays and events both big and small.

Saumarez Smith took over as chair of the BHA in 2022 with the sport facing a number of major challenges, some of them existential threats. His knowledge of the gambling industry as a businessman, and his experience as a punter, meant he was well placed to recognise the threat to the sport posed by affordability checks and to push back against them.

Saumarez Smith was also heavily involved in British racing's attempts to bring about levy reform following discussions with the betting industry. It is a great shame that a deal came so close to being agreed only for it to be scuppered when prime minister Rishi Sunak called last year's general election with draft press releases reportedly ready to go.

British racing's leadership has also gone through a time of turmoil in recent months, with a number of chief executives – Julie Harrington at the BHA, Nevin Truesdale at the Jockey Club and Rod Street at Great British Racing – all stepping down.

Saumarez Smith provided much-needed stability and leadership during that time of transition, even when his own health was deteriorating and his time became so precious.

The sport owes him a debt of gratitude.

Read more:

BHA chair sounds alarm after being ensnared by gambling checks 

From 'upstart caterer' to 'consummate' chairman, Lord Allen will need all his skills at the BHA

BHA poised to announce Labour peer Lord Charles Allen as its next chair 

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