British racing in disarray as The Jockey Club hits out at Racecourse Association’s lack of reform and its role in representing racecourses politically
The Jockey Club has confirmed that it will leave the Racecourse Association (RCA) at the end of the year following the completion of the RCA’s governance review.
In its first review for 20 years, the trade association for racecourses in Great Britain examined three areas covering the association’s executive operations, nature of its voting structure, and representation within the British Horseracing Association (BHA).
The process began in March and was extended to allow for further consultation on key subjects, which was overseen by an independent review group alongside a specialist governance consultancy.
The review has led to two key recommendations which have been agreed in principle by the RCA board, but are now subject to further detailed work and ultimately will need to be approved by a vote of members.
The first recommendation is for the RCA to move from a ‘one member, one vote’ structure to an equitable voting system with a 25 per cent share for each of the four constituent member groupings.
The second relates to essential services provided by the RCA, and common to all racecourses, that are completely separate from commercial matters and the BHA fixtures and funding process which is currently being reviewed.
The RCA said that these operational services are highly valued and should be supported within a restructured organisation.
As part of fulfilling this commitment, the RCA will no longer be responsible for appointing two positions on the BHA Board. These positions will be apportioned to practitioner representatives who are independent of the RCA Board and Executive.
“The RCA believes that this solution answers the demands for change within the existing body to limit the power of voting veto and to ensure that all members have the ability to contribute constructively to the future direction of the sport,” said the Association. “However, some members of the RCA want to see further structural changes to how racecourses are represented within the BHA. This may not be possible within the current RCA structure.
“To this end, those members wish to explore the option to represent themselves directly within the construct of the BHA. In order to progress this, further immediate discussions are therefore needed with the new BHA chair and team, alongside wider stakeholders, to determine an appropriate framework for these representations.”
The Jockey Club, which owns 15 racecourses in Britain, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Epsom Downs, confirmed this week that it will be joining Ascot Racecourse in leaving the RCA at the end of 2026.
“While acknowledging the work that has taken place since March, we have consistently set out throughout the review that it needed to address not just the racecourse voting shares within the RCA, but the organisation’s role in representing racecourses politically through its 50 per cent holding of member shares in the BHA,” said The Jockey Club CEO Jim Mullen.
“This review has addressed the RCA’s internal arrangements, but not the constitutional arrangements through which racecourses collectively exercise their influence over the governance of British racing. The RCA’s proposals fail to address our fundamental concern that the RCA can continue to act to stifle the necessary changes needed in the industry.
“Nothing proposed would displace the RCA as the political representative of British racecourses and in our view, confirmed by recent discussions, the RCA would continue to vote against necessary changes such as the introduction of an independent BHA board and substantive changes to the fixture list.”
Mullen continued: “While recent talks have focused on the valuable operational services provided by the RCA to the wider racecourse community, it is our view that without change to the political representation, the price of maintaining those operations is sadly too high when judged against the political role the organisation plays and its ability to suppress reform.”
In stepping away, The Jocky Club said that it remains committed to participating in decisions related to British Racing’s future.
“We have therefore begun discussions with the British Horseracing Authority to explore the most appropriate framework for representing the interests of those within the industry who share a commitment to the long-term sustainability and quality of British racing,” Mullen explained. “As set out, the BHA articles aim to ensure ‘as far as is practicable that the membership and structure [of the BHA] remains as representative of Racing as possible’. It is our intention to work with Ascot Racecourse and other likeminded industry partners to pursue a vision based on the long-term sustainability of the sport and we are in the early stages of establishing a new organisation to do this.
“We accept that other racecourses may wish to pursue different avenues to reform the RCA and we respect their choice, but we believe that at the heart of this debate is the core principle that racing must be able to tackle the challenges it faces, free from self-interest and short-term priorities and this is best achieved by an independent BHA which is able to take input from all stakeholders but ultimately empowered to make timely and effective decisions in the best interests of the sport overall.”
The RCA is the trade association for racecourses in Great Britain, and currently represents 59 member courses.