Joe Saumarez Smith is stepping down as the British Horseracing Authority chair with immediate effect due to a deterioration in his health, British racing's governing body said Jan. 30.
Saumarez Smith, 53, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, first joined the BHA board in 2014 and was appointed as chair in 2022.
David Jones, the BHA's senior independent director, is to act as interim chair until Lord Charles Allen takes over the role on a permanent basis June 1.
The BHA said Saumarez Smith made the decision to resign following a diagnosis that his health had deteriorated. He will continue to remain available to assist with the transition process to the next chair.
'It has been an immense privilege'
Saumarez Smith said: "I am very disappointed to step down as chair of the BHA board but now the cancer has spread to my brain and I have been told that my lifespan is pretty limited, I feel it would be very unfair on horse racing if I did not hand over the reins immediately.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed both being on the BHA board for over a decade and being chair for nearly three years. It has been an immense privilege to have such a senior role in a sport I have loved since the age of 8.
"I did not want to stay on and make decisions that were potentially open to later challenge if questions were raised about whether the cancer had impaired my abilities. David Jones will do an excellent job in the interim and I think Lord Charles Allen will do a fantastic job with his highly impressive track record and enthusiasm for the sport."
The BHA's acting chief executive Brant Dunshea said it was a great sorrow to all at the organization that Saumarez Smith had had to step down so suddenly.
He added: "He has been an outstanding chair and board member of the BHA for more than a decade. But more than that, he has been a passionate, dedicated and powerful ambassador for the sport, and British racing owes him a huge debt.
"Having worked with Joe for more than a decade, his wise counsel, personal support, and pure love of the sport will be deeply missed."
The Racecourse Association paid tribute to Saumarez Smith's "dedicated and skilled tenure" as BHA chair.
RCA chief executive David Armstrong added: "I have been fortunate to work alongside Joe on the BHA board throughout my career in horseracing. Joe's knowledge and experience in racing, particularly with regards to the sport's relationship with gambling, are unrivalled, and we will dearly miss his leadership as chairman.
"Among other major workstreams, Joe has spearheaded the sport's ongoing campaign for levy reform and notably remains a firm advocate against the implementation of affordability checks.
"I'm personally grateful for Joe's ongoing support and friendship, and would like to wish him and his family the very best at this extremely difficult time."
