Paul Bittar, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), said:

“We regret Philip Freedman’s decision to resign. He was advocating working constructively with other groups in the industry, and clearly constructive, collaborative discussion is the best hope we have to resolve a number of key issues.

“The BHA supports the concept of horsemen being collectively represented but, unfortunately, the Group’s current governance model is not proving fully functional. However, ultimately the issue of governance and funding of the Horsemen’s Group is a matter for their Members.

“In the meantime, BHA will continue to work directly with the Members of the BHA, namely the ROA, TBA, RCA and Licensed Persons, in order to progress discussions on a range of pressing matters, such as the 2013 race programme and the introduction of sustainable and enforceable race values.”