Proposal to ditch 300 races from calendar is shelved by racing's leaders

A BHA proposal to take 300 races out of the calendar has been rejected by racing leaders, who have decided against a "considerable" change to the 2023 race programme.

A joint statement from the sport's executive committee said the issue should instead be considered as part of a strategy review announced by stakeholders last week.

However, the committee, made up of the chief executives of the BHA and Racecourse Association (RCA) and a representative of the Thoroughbred Group, said the matter could be revisited later in the year should concerns increase over the competitiveness of British racing.

The proposal to reduce the race programme had been prompted by what the BHA had described as an "increasingly concerning trend" towards small field sizes. However, it had been controversial and caused splits among the members of both the RCA and the Thoroughbred Group.

A statement on behalf of the committee issued on Wednesday said that it had considered the proposals and the link to race competitiveness following "detailed data analysis" through the early months of the year.

It added: "All parties agreed that the competitiveness of British racing is critical, and that steps must be taken to ensure the sport delivers a compelling racing product."

Last week the leaders of the BHA, RCA and Thoroughbred Group announced they had agreed to work together to set a mid- to long-term strategy for British racing, which would include areas such as the race programme.

The committee's statement continued: "It was also agreed that the issue should be considered in the context of the racing industry strategy review, which was announced by industry leaders last week, which will take place over the coming months. It was agreed that a longer-term, strategic approach was the most appropriate.

"The decision of the executive committee therefore was to not recommend any considerable change to race volume at this time. However, monitoring of both the horse population and field sizes will continue whilst further analysis takes place that will feed into the industry strategy, and the matter can be revisited later in the year if deemed necessary."

Nevin Truesdale: Jockey Club chief executive had backed the plan

The decision not to remove 300 races will disappoint a number of racing's stakeholders including the National Trainers Federation, which had backed the plan saying it was necessary for the long-term good of the sport, while Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale had claimed "anyone with the best long-term interests of our sport at heart" could see the need for action.

However, the proposals had drawn stinging criticism from Arena Racing Company chief executive Martin Cruddace, who dismissed them as "hastily prepared knee-jerk plans" and who had described Truesdale's comments as a "thinly veiled attack on Arc".

Racehorse Owners Association president Charlie Parker had also questioned the proposals, asking whether it made sense "to identify a number of races to remove from racecards and call this a solution, without fully understanding the impact on revenue?".

A decision on how many races will take place next year needed to be made in order for funding discussions to then take place around next year's fixture list.

What is the executive committee?

The executive committee is part of the British racing industry's tripartite governance structure and was created as part of the members' agreement signed in 2015.

It is responsible for taking executive decisions and implementing the strategy set by the members' committee, to which it reports.

The executive committee meets eight times a year, with its membership made up of BHA chief executive Julie Harrington, Racecourse Association chief executive David Armstrong and Racehorse Owners Association chief executive Charlie Liverton, representing the Thoroughbred Group.

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday