BHA’s Mid-Year Performance Review Highlights Progress and Challenges in UK Horseracing

Evaluating Betting Turnover

The BHA’s initiatives included introducing a “protected window” on Saturdays, aiming to optimize betting turnover. According to the report, Saturdays with three fixtures staged between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. showed an average turnover per race 10% higher than other Saturdays.

Additionally, during the summer, six Saturdays followed a model of three afternoon fixtures, one at 4 p.m., and two evening fixtures. These Saturdays achieved a 13% higher turnover per fixture compared to those with four afternoon and two evening fixtures.

The BHA noted:

“The betting companies continue to support the concept of a protected window and spreading races more evenly across the day on Saturday, and there is data available to back that up.”

However, the report acknowledged challenges in making direct comparisons due to differences in the number of meetings staged.

Attendance at Premier Racedays

Attendance at Premier Racedays remains a concern. The BHA had set a target to increase attendance by 5-10% by 2025 compared to 2023 levels. However, attendance during the first three quarters of 2024 was down by 2.9%, equating to 48,400 fewer attendees.

Progress on Reducing Race Clashes

Reducing clashing races on Saturday afternoons was another target. By the end of October, race clashes had dropped from 7.9% to 5.7%, bringing the BHA closer to its goal of reducing clashes to 5%.

Horse Participation Trends

The total number of horses racing in Britain has slightly declined, down 0.4% compared to the same period last year. The BHA noted a rise in Flat racing participation by 1.2%, while Jumps racing saw a decline of 3.2%.

Commenting on this, the BHA stated:

“This target is in relation to 2025 but the total number of horses that, up until the end of October, have appeared at least once on a racecourse has declined by 67, or 0.4 per cent.”

Shaping Future Fixture Lists

The data from 2024 will inform the BHA’s plans for the 2026 fixture list. While acknowledging a mixed performance across key areas, the BHA emphasized the value of lessons learned during this trial.

“Whilst it is a mixed picture and clearly some significant areas of concern exist, there are also grounds for optimism when considering the data from the first nine or ten months of our trial.”

Leadership Transitions and Policy Focus

In leadership updates, the BHA announced Lord Allen of Kensington CBE as its new chairman, effective June 2025. Lord Allen brings experience in finance, sports, and government and is expected to play a key role in shaping the BHA’s future direction.

The BHA is also seeking a replacement for outgoing CEO Julie Harrington, who departs at the end of 2024. Meanwhile, the organization remains focused on pushing for reforms to the UK betting levy, with policy head Victoria Morgan raising concerns about the Labour government’s stance on key issues, including affordability checks and levy adjustments.

In her blog post, Morgan wrote:

“It is still unclear how the new Labour government views racing’s key issues, including the betting levy and affordability checks.”