'We have constipation at the centre of British racing' - is the sport's governance structure fit for purpose?
In a two-part special report, Lee Mottershead explores the vexed issue of how British racing is run
Coming from the world's most influential racing administrator, it was hardly a ringing endorsement.
Speaking at the Asian Racing Conference in Japan last month, Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges claimed the unusual way in which British racing is run meant tackling serious and pressing issues would be an almost insurmountable task for the sport's leadership.
"Britain probably faces the biggest challenge when it comes to industry fragmentation," said Engelbrecht-Bresges. "I would not call it Mission Impossible for our colleagues in the BHA but it's close to it and even Tom Cruise cannot help you."
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Published on inSpecial reports
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- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- Skyscraper betting and soaring turnover: Japan's mind-boggling racing experience and the unlikely hero who sparked the boom
- It’s the number-one complaint from punters – so just why are some struggling to get paid out by bookmakers?
- A laid-back Equinox, a heaving toy shop and a bizarre mobile racing game: inside the phenomenon that is Japanese racing
- 'The status quo just isn't sustainable' - does British racing need a revolution in how it is run?