The BHA has today written to racehorse owners in Britain to thank them for their continued loyalty during an enormously challenging period for our sport, and to outline the planning underway to ensure owners will be back on the racecourse in the very near future.

Written by the BHA’s Chief Operating Officer, Richard Wayman, the letter highlights the invaluable role owners have played since the suspension of racing in March – supporting horses in training and contributing constructively to resumption planning.

It also confirms that the racing industry is focused on continuing to develop a workable plan to ensure owners are welcomed back onto the racecourse in a safe and risk-managed way.

Commenting further, Richard Wayman said: “I want to thank owners for your continued patience and understanding during an incredibly difficult period for our sport. You’ve shown incredible loyalty and I know how disappointing it is that you haven’t been able to watch your horses run.

“In the early stages of resumption, we have had to limit racecourse attendance to only the very minimum number of attendees with essential functional roles. This has enabled us to embed the new safety protocols in raceday operations and give participants time to adjust to different ways of working. 

“Nonetheless, we have stated repeatedly that owners are integral to racing, and that getting you back onto the racecourse is an absolute priority as soon as it is safe and practicable to do so.

“We’ve been working on a phased, risk-managed plan, that adheres to the necessary safety protocols, including social distancing. We expect to have specific proposals ready to share very soon – and look forward to welcoming owners back onto the racecourse.”

The letter can be read in full here.