The British Horseracing Board is to restrict the increase in the majority of fees and publication prices for 2000 to 3.0 per cent, compared with 3.5 per cent the previous year.
Due to firm control over costs, this is only the second time in five years that owners’ registration fees and entry handling charges have increased. It remains BHB policy that fees should be kept at the minimum consistent with the need to provide adequate funds for cost-effective racing administration.
Increased Field Force staffing requirements for the expanded programme of Sunday racing in the 2000 Fixture List, the introduction of the EU Working Time Directive and additional measures to enhance risk management have resulted in an increase in the Fixture Fee from £4,502 in 1999 to £4,830 in 2000.
BHB’s investment in direct marketing in 2000 will be £646,000 (1999: £480,000), including £65,000 which relates to expenditure which was scheduled for 1999 but which has been deferred to 2000. The total includes an additional £50,000 in marketing support payments to racecourses as a result of the expanded Sunday racing programme.
The Board will contribute a guaranteed £192,000 to the Animal Health Trust’s key diagnostic service in 2000, up from a guaranteed £187,000 in 1999.
Provision has also been made in the Budget for 2000 for the protection of the Board’s copyright on pre-race data, income from which is currently budgeted to rise next year from £1.17 million to £1.3 million, and for professional advice in connection with the consideration of new racecourse applications.
The Racing Administration Fund, which covers the costs of BHB (including its contract with Weatherbys) and the Jockey Club, provides for operating costs of £16.20m in 2000 (1999: £14.93m) while income is set to increase to £15.89m (1999: £14.76m).
Finance Committee Chairman, Rhydian Morgan-Jones, said:
“”Through prudent management, the Racing Administration Fund will have accumulated reserves of some £1.2m by the end of this year. This will enable us to absorb a budgeted deficit of £310,000 in 2000 and thus to restrict fee increases to the levels proposed.””