“BHB Chairman Peter Savill said today:
“In BHB’s Future Funding Plan for British Racing, published earlier this week, it is clearly stated that we are looking for BHB to be recognised as the central funding successor to the Levy Board, with the maintenance of integrity and security as its key financial priority. There can be no clearer demonstration of the importance which the industry attaches to integrity, which will need to be maintained to the highest possible standards if we are to market our product successfully both domestically and internationally.

“Responsibility for those standards rests with the Jockey Club as the Regulatory Authority but it is now even clearer that if they are to continue to discharge that responsibility effectively there are two urgent priorities. First, the Stewards must press on with the review of their own Rules and procedures to ensure that they provide a sound framework for effective regulation in the modern environment. The Senior Steward has kept me and the BHB Board fully briefed on this review and I am satisfied that it is, in principle, thorough and properly focussed. I am sure too that Christopher Spence meant it when he said that the Stewards are already considering very carefully all the implications of the events of the last few days.

“Secondly, changes to the criminal law are definitely required. In its evidence to the Gambling Review Body, BHB has explicitly supported the Jockey Club’s proposals and I shall be reinforcing this when we meet Sir Alan Budd and his colleagues next month.
“The industry has taken a knock this week. We now need to ensure that all our efforts are applied to contributing constructively to, not detracting from, the various steps being taken to ensure that the integrity of our sport continues to be properly protected.””