Harry’s Introduction…

What a thrilling month it has been on and off the track. Particular mention to Drama and Rhapsody who secured a double this weekend. It was a dramatic finish for Drama who got up when it mattered to claim the Sprint Series Final title for a second consecutive year. Followed swiftly by an eye-catching performance from Rhapsody returning back to form at York.

Off the track owners have been exploring racing of a different kind with a trip to the historic Palio. Do have a look at Mark Kershaw’s article as by all accounts it is a very colourful event and one that is certainly worth adding to the bucket list.

With the arrival of the long awaited rain we look forward to seeing more runners out on the track - starting off with Awaken in the Dick Poole (Gr3) this afternoon!

I was in London yesterday in Parliament Square along with many of the racing community as we as an industry came together to try to make the government aware of the folly of increasing online tax from the current 15% to 21%. If this happens it will simply be catastrophic for our sport. The BHA predict that it will cost racing over £60 million each year for the next five years - a staggering £300 million lost resulting in some 3,000 job losses.

If you haven’t already got in touch with your MP about this (click here for more information on how best to do so), I would urge you to do so as soon as possible ahead of the budget on November 26th. Yesterday was the first day ever that the sport had voluntarily cancelled itself as a show of solidarity to the government. I hear that the message is getting through but of course we will not know for sure until the Chancellor announces her budget and with little wriggle room her advisors in the Treasury will be hell bent on finding every penny they can.

Here is a message from Brant Dunshea, the British Horseracing Authority’s CEO:

‘Good afternoon,

On behalf of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), I want to say thank you to everyone who attended Wednesday’s campaign event in Westminster. 

I also want to express my thanks to those who were unable to attend the event itself, but have been supporting our collective efforts on this significant issue.

Despite the widespread travel disruption, we were able to welcome hundreds of people from across the racing and breeding industry to the heart of British politics.

It was particularly important and encouraging to see so many MPs and parliamentarians in attendance – and I am sincerely grateful for their support.

The cancellation of racing was an unprecedented step, but one that clearly articulates our strength of feeling on how devastating the Government’s proposals would be for the industry we love.

This is an issue that has galvanised and united British racing like never before, and our message to the Government is clear: back British racing and Axe The Racing Tax.

Wednesday was an important day for everyone involved in our industry. But our campaign is far from over; we need to harness this momentum and maintain the pressure.

There is still much more for us all to do ahead of the Budget on 26 November – and here are some of the ways you can help:

1. Write to your MP – you can find instructions on how to do this and a template letter here. Urge your members, colleagues and friends to do so as well.

2. Show your support on social media by reposting and sharing BHA content on the campaign using #AxeTheRacingTax.

3. Continue spreading the word with our key messages:

Jobs – British racing supports 85,000 jobs up and down the country. Harmonising online betting duties would put over 2,700 of these at risk in the first year alone. The Government can ensure this doesn’t happen by backing British racing and axing the racing tax.Growth – If the Government is serious about growing British racing, and the wider economy, harmonising online betting duties would have the very opposite effect. Our sport contributes £4.1 billion to the economy annually, but the Treasury’s proposal would cost the industry £330 million over five years, leading to potentially irreversible decline, putting this immense contribution at risk. Community - Racing is the country’s second most attended spectator sport, engendering local pride and acting as a key part of the social and cultural fabric of communities in many towns and rural areas. Without racing, many of these places would be stripped of a vital and historic community asset.Black market - Betting operators are likely to seek to offset any tax rises on horserace betting through giving worse odds to betting customers and cutting bonuses. This would make racing a less appealing sport to bet on and therefore drive customers to the black market, reducing the tax take for the Treasury and leading to increased instances of gambling harm.

The BHA, along with other stakeholders in the sport, and with the support of members of the Racing and Bloodstock All Party Parliamentary Group, will continue to make our case to the Government. While a lot of this will take place behind the scenes, for example at the upcoming party conferences, our public campaign will continue apace.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Thank you again for your support. 

With best wishes,

Brant Dunshea

Chief Executive Officer
British Horseracing Authority’

With my best wishes,

Harry Herbert
Chairman