Racing dignitaries criticised for attending exclusive all-male Derby Club dinner

New BHA chair Joe Saumarez Smith, who said he had been unaware it was an all-male event and "would not return if it remained in its current format", was among the record attendance of 360 guests at the 90th annual Derby Club dinner at The Savoy hotel on Wednesday, having officially taken over that day from Annamarie Phelps, who along with BHA chief executive Julie Harrington would not have been permitted to attend.

In May last year numerous key organisations in British racing signed up to the industry's Diversity and Inclusion Industry Commitment, which laid out five pledges to enhance a sport which was "proud to be one of the few where genders compete on equal terms".

They included "industry leaders ensuring and taking accountability for the creation of a more diverse and inclusive sport" and "showcasing the diversity that exists across the racing industry in order to create an inclusive sport where difference is embraced, and everyone is valued".

Alongside the BHA, signatories to the document include Arena Racing Company (Arc), Ascot, the National Trainers Federation (NTF), Newbury, the Jockey Club, the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) and Racehorse Owners Association (ROA).

A guest list for the Derby Club dinner, an unofficial event not affiliated with Epsom, featured Arc chief executive Martin Cruddace, Newbury chairman Dominic Burke, Jockey Club steward Teddy Grimthorpe, Ascot chairman and the Queen's representative at the course Sir Francis Brooke, TBA chairman Julian Richmond-Watson and several members of the NTF, including president Ralph Beckett.

Rachel Hood: critical of the Derby Club dinnerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Rachel Hood, former president of the ROA and owner of Classic winner Jack Hobbs, called the all-male dinner "damaging to racing" and an "embarrassing anachronism".

"I believe that racing is a forward-looking sport that rewards endeavour, talent and hard work whoever you are and the Derby Club completely undermines that perspective," she said.

Comment: Derby Club dinner left a sour taste - it's time for racing to fulfil its pledges

"It's wholly inappropriate and it's time people stopped and thought 'why on earth would I want to attend this dinner?'. It's damaging to racing and, personally, I find it disrespectful and, at best, inappropriate. For years we have had women trainers, women owners, women jockeys, presenters and executives as an integral part of racing – I've had a second in the Derby and won the Irish Derby with Jack Hobbs.

"It's a wonderful industry and a modern sport and then you have this complete, embarrassing anachronism. Why would you do it? It's unsupportable and wholly disappointing. Those in racing who think it's appropriate to attend such an all-male occasion should perhaps reassess the message it sends out."

Saumarez Smith said he had been unaware the event would be all-male, while other guests contacted by the Racing Post said they had been "shocked" and "disappointed" when they discovered women were not permitted to attend.

"I was invited to the Derby Club dinner by a friend a number of months ago – it is not an event I had previously been aware of or had attended in the past," said Saumarez Smith.

"The invitation did not refer in any way to it being an all-male event and I was not aware of this prior to attending. If I had been aware that it was a male-only dinner I would not have attended and I told a number of people immediately after the event that, if invited again, I would not return if it remained in its current format."

He added: "It is essential that we all champion diversity and inclusion in all areas of the sport and I am committed to ensuring the BHA and wider industry builds on the progress being made in this area."

Racing has shown an enthusiasm to embrace diversity and inclusion, according to Tallulah Lewis, the chair of Women In Racing whose partners include the Jockey Club, but she said all-male events such as the Derby Club dinner were not consistent with those efforts.

"From our point of view, we work very closely with industry stakeholders and many of those in attendance at this event," she said. "We do very good work with them, they have been keen to collaborate and this event would not be reflective of their position in general.

"However, this is something they should go away and look at. It's not helpful to have events like this attended by people within the industry that are not reflective of the sport and what it stands for.

"If there are people going to these events who are not involved in the sport, then we should be showing off the opportunity and involvement there is and not something where people are literally not getting a seat at the table."

Susannah Gill: hoping changes will be made to the Derby Club dinner

Susannah Gill, chair of the sport's Diversity in Racing Steering Group, echoed that call for change, saying: "We're all for tradition in racing, but that doesn't mean this event and any others like it can't evolve and modernise."

ROA board vice-president Chris Wright, a member of the Derby Club, said he had attended the dinner before but would welcome it being opened up to women.

"I’m not a big fan of all-male dinners at all," he said. "In general I'd much rather be in the company of women as well as men. I hadn't thought about it in terms of the Derby Club and there are clearly some things still like that about.

"It's not up to me to tell the Derby Club what to do, but I'm a great believer in diversity and have been a supporter of it in my business career. If the Derby Club decides to make the changes I would be a big supporter of that."

Comment was requested from the other named figures who were in attendance at the Derby Club dinner.

Guests were treated to a three-course dinner, while there was a sweepstake allowing those present to 'buy' a runner in the Derby and win a share of the total pot if successful, with the rest going to a racing charity.

It was confirmed to the Racing Post by the Derby Club that only men had been invited to the dinner and that there was no all-female equivalent.

In a statement, the Derby Club committee added: "The Derby Club dinner was set up in 1932 as an unofficial racing event to celebrate the Derby. The world has changed since then and people have the choice to attend the event, or otherwise.

"At the same time, we are always looking to move forward from this initial set-up and the time is right to review this. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there has not been the opportunity to do this prior to now."

The event was sponsored for the first time by bookmaker Fitzdares, whose chief executive William Woodhams said: "We support the Derby Club dinner, but we are also supportive of any evolution and review of the event that takes place."

Editor's note: Several Racing Post employees attended or have in the past attended the Derby Club dinner. Like all other invitees, they must decide for themselves whether attendance at the event, should it remain an all-male affair, is appropriate in future.

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