Horserace Betting Levy Board | Horse Racing Free Tips

RoR Showcase Returns on Apr. 23

The Retraining of Racehorses Showcase will return live at Hartpury University and College in Gloucestershire on Saturday, Apr. 23. Supported by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the RoR Showcase is dedicated to displaying the versatility of retrained racehorses. There will be a superb line-up of star former racehorses working with top equestrian experts, trainers and top riders, who will give visitors an inspirational day of live demos, close-up clinics, displays, advice and expertise. Tickets are £15 per ticket (saving £5), or car share special of three tickets for two at £30 (saving £10) until Apr. 22. After that date, tickets are available on the day at £20 per person. To purchase tickets in advance, please click here.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to come along and meet a host of experts and industry professionals all under one roof,” said RoR Chief Executive Di Arbuthnot. “We hope too that with tickets available to buy in advance for just £15, this is an affordable day out packed with inspiration and ideas for both those current and any potential new owners of former racehorses.”

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Byrne Named BHA Head of Racing and Betting

Tom Byrne has been appointed head of racing and betting for the British Horseracing Authority, a revised role that replaces head of racing and racecourses. That position was previously held by Paul Johnson, who commences his role as chief executive of the National Trainers Federation in January.

Byrne joins the BHA after four years with the Horserace Betting Levy Board as operations manager. He previously held roles with GBI Racing and Racing Post. He will begin in the role in February and oversee the management and development of the BHA's racing department including production and development of the fixture list and race programme and will liaise with the betting industry to support the growth of betting on British racing.

Richard Wayman, the BHA's chief operating officer, said, “This was a very competitive recruitment process, and Tom was appointed from an impressive field of candidates. Tom is a great addition to the BHA team. As part of his role at HBLB, he has been heavily involved in matters relating to the fixture list and race programme, and their funding. As a result, he has a deep understanding of these areas as well as also having strong relationships with many of racing's stakeholders, with whom he will continue to work closely. As well as looking to continue to develop the fixture list and race programme to ensure that our horses have the opportunities to fulfil their potential, we want to ensure that racing can grow its appeal to customers and investors. Tom's good relationships with the betting industry will also be an asset, with betting liaison now forming an important part of the job. I'm delighted to welcome Tom to the BHA and look forward to working with him.”

Byrne added, “To join the BHA as part of the experienced and talented racing team is an opportunity and challenge that I am thrilled to have been offered. I am passionate about British racing and look forward to working with my new colleagues and stakeholders across the sport to deliver an environment which produces the competitive and compelling horseracing that is so crucial for our long-term growth and sustainability. It has been an honour to work for the Levy Board and I would like to thank Alan Delmonte and the HBLB team for all their support, encouragement and guidance. I'm pleased we will continue to work closely together in my new role.”

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New Arrangements For Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance In England

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has announced the implementation of key steps towards re-establishing on a long-term basis the essential equine infectious disease surveillance provision that had been performed by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) until its closure in July 2020.

Acting on the recommendations of an industry-wide committee set up to assess options for the future, HBLB has concluded an agreement from August 2021 with Rossdales Ltd to provide the diagnostic microbiology testing capacity, arrangements that will work in conjunction with the epidemiological surveillance and monitoring unit that will now be based at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School.

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Since the closure of the AHT, the surveillance services have been provided by the former AHT team headed by Dr. Richard Newton on a temporary basis under contract to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). This team will be employed by Cambridge University under the new agreement and will continue to respond to disease outbreak incidents and to produce daily updates on infectious disease reports worldwide for the benefit of the health of all horses, Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred.

Over the past year, diagnostics have been available to Dr. Newton's team on an ad hoc basis from Rossdales Ltd, and funded by HBLB. Full coverage has therefore been maintained, meaning that the team was able to respond promptly and effectively to any incidents of disease.

The new arrangements will span an interim period of at least two years while options for the longer term are considered and developed.

Funding will be provided, as previously, by HBLB, racehorse owners and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA). Discussions are also being held with the sport and leisure horse interests regarding potential contributions in the future.

In addition, HBLB has formed a representative oversight committee, with HBLB Government Appointed Member Anne Lambert as its chair. The membership will include representatives from HBLB's Veterinary Advisory Committee, the TBA, the Racehorse Owners Association, the BHA and the non-Thoroughbred sport and leisure sectors. This committee will have responsibility for monitoring the service in its initial phase and for designing plans for future, with the paramount objective of safeguarding the national herd. Full engagement between the Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred sectors in respect of infectious disease management will underpin the work which includes the development of an epidemic risk management plan.

Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of HBLB, said: “This is an important milestone in putting in place successor arrangements to the services that had been carried out by the Animal Health Trust for a long time. A full evaluation of the current situation and the equine sector's requirements took place including through a tender process that was announced by BHA in 2020. Substantial work has been done by Stephen Atkin, who was retained to act as project manager of this complex area that has taken many months to consider. As well as now engaging the widely recognized expertise of Rossdales, it will be welcomed that it has been possible to retain the previous AHT team headed by Dr. Richard Newton. All in the equine sector are grateful to them for continuing to provide disease monitoring coverage and reaction to outbreaks given the challenging circumstances of the past year.”

Dr. Alastair Foote, director of Rossdales Laboratories, added: “We are delighted to have been awarded the tender, and to be able to provide continuity of the former AHT services that were critical to the equine industry, maintaining essential diagnostic testing and surveillance work. Our recent major investment in new laboratory facilities at our Newmarket site has meant we have been able to rapidly accommodate the required testing requirements, with new tissue culture and virus isolation facilities, and we look forward to working alongside the surveillance and research team at Cambridge.”

British Racing To Receive £21.5-Million In Government Aid

The Horserace Betting Levy Board has agreed a £21.5-million loan fund through the government's Sport Winter Survival Package to aid in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. British racing has suffered over £400-million in lost racecourse revenues since the start of the pandemic, with prizemoney down by £65-million (41%) and racecourses still significantly affected by the limited number of spectators allowed to attend.

A cut of £7.5-million will be utilized to enhance prizemoney for 12 months from July 2021, with 60% going to flat racing and 40% to jumps. On the flat, classes three, four and five novice and maiden races and over jumps, classes three and four novice and maiden races will receive an additional £3.5-million in support. Additional funding will be provided to black-type races (listed, Group 2 and 3 on the flat and Grade 1 and 2 over jumps) run above the minimum value, which could deliver an extra £2.5-million in prizemoney. An additional £7.5-million will be deployed to racecourses to assist with their raceday integrity costs, and £6.5-million will be retained by the Levy Board for now to provide flexibility across 2021 and 2022.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said, “British racing is grateful for this vital support from the Sport Winter Survival Package. We much appreciate the assistance of the Levy Board in agreeing to take on the loan and work with racing to agree how the money is best used and distribute using existing funding processes. Plans for the deployment of these funds have been designed to target the areas where we have seen a decline in horses in training and provide confidence in the future to our investors.

“Britain is rightly proud of its unique and world-leading racing heritage. But it is clear that with competition around the globe increasing, this is not sufficient to attract the best in the world to be trained and raced here. Ensuring that prize-money is competitive helps ensure that Britain has the best horses, which benefits everybody who loves the sport.

“It is also important that we recognise the contribution and sacrifices made by trainers and jockeys, and the loyalty of their owners, that have combined to keep racing going during the pandemic. Vital to the overall success of British racing are our unique racecourses, whose staff have also worked so hard since racing resumed to ensure we remain compliant with Covid rules and guidelines. Supporting their financial recovery is an important part of this plan and will help to ensure our races retain their place as being at the forefront of the global racing scene.”

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