The Jockey Club of Great Britain announced Aug. 3 that it is quitting the Racecourse Association over fears the trade body will continue to "stifle" changes it believes are vital to the success of the sport.
It will join Ascot Racecourse in giving up its membership of the racecourse trade body at the end of the year, raising major questions over the governance of British racing.
The RCA revealed Aug.1 its two key recommendations following its review, which began in March, following a demand for change from some of Britain's most powerful racecourses.
The RCA said it would be moving from its one member, one vote structure to one based on a 25% share for each of its four main constituent groups—the Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company, the Large Independent group—which currently includes Ascot, Chester, Newbury, Goodwood and York—and the small independent tracks.
It also said it would no longer be responsible for appointing two members of the BHA board, which would instead be given to representatives independent of the RCA's board and executive.
However, those changes did not do enough to meet the Jockey Club's concerns, according to a statement released Monday morning.
Chief executive Jim Mullen said the Jockey Club had set out that the review needed to address the organization's role in representing racecourses politically through its 50% share in the BHA.
He added: "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."
The chief concerns cited by Mullen were that the RCA would vote against "substantive changes" to the fixture list and the introduction of an independent BHA board, both of which he said were essential for the long-term benefit of the sport.
He said: "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.
"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 organization plays and its ability to suppress reform."
The 15 influential tracks the Jockey Club is responsible for
• Aintree
• Carlisle
• Cheltenham
• Epsom
• Exeter
• Haydock
• Huntingdon
• Kempton
• Market Rasen
• Newmarket (July Course)
• Newmarket (Rowley Mile)
• Nottingham
• Sandown
• Warwick
• Wincanton
With the Jockey Club joining Ascot in leaving the RCA at the end of the year—Plumpton left in 2024—this schism is likely to increase scrutiny on the organization's position as a representative group for racecourses within the BHA.
Mullen said the Jockey Club planned to work with Ascot and "other like-minded industry partners to pursue a vision based on the long-term sustainability of the sport" and that it was pursuing the creation of a new organization to achieve this aim.
He added: "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."
