"The Boiler Room Boys: Racing’s Real Heroes as the BHA Board Sips Champagne"

When Richard Wayman, the BHA’s Director of Racing, delivers an update on British horse racing, it’s a bit like receiving a quarterly report from a beleaguered CEO. On paper, the graphs show promise: field sizes are up, prize money is flowing, and initiatives abound. But scratch the surface, and the picture is one of a sport valiantly battling to stave off decline with all the energy of a hurdler trying to clear fences in heavy ground.

With Wayman’s latest missive covering the halfway point of a two-year fixture trial, the BHA seems eager to position itself as the saviour of racing’s competitive integrity. Yet, for all the tinkering with race volumes, fixture schedules, and prize money allocations, the question lingers: is this genuine progress or just window dressing for deeper systemic issues?

Field Sizes: Bigger Isn’t Always Better

One of Wayman’s headline boasts is the increase in average field sizes for Flat and Core Jump racing in 2024. Through clever scheduling—cutting 300 Jump races and shifting Flat fixtures to autumn—field sizes have become more consistent, with fewer mid-summer dips. Bravo. But before the champagne corks pop, let’s not ignore the caveats.

For one, field sizes at Premier Jump fixtures—the supposed pinnacle of the sport—are down compared to 2023. The culprit? Wet ground early in the year, with 78% of fixtures run on soft or heavy conditions, up from the three-year average of 48%. This, we’re told, “will continue to have a massive influence on when and where horses will run.” A fair point, but it hardly inspires confidence in a long-term strategy if weather remains the biggest determining factor in field sizes.

The truth is, increased field sizes are only meaningful if the horses filling those fields are of sufficient quality. Which brings us to the real kicker: a shocking 11.5% drop in the number of Jump horses rated 130 or higher. Field sizes might be up, but if the quality is down, are we really winning?

The Decline of Quality Jump Horses: A Crisis in Motion

The steady erosion of high-quality Jump horses is arguably the biggest alarm bell in Wayman’s report. The number of 130+ rated Jumpers has fallen from 729 in 2023 to 645 in 2024—a damning statistic for a sport that prides itself on showcasing the best. The causes, as Wayman explains, are manifold:

• Fewer Flat horses transitioning to Jumps due to the rise of all-weather racing and overseas exports.

• A shrinking pool of sole owners and owner-breeders.

• Increased concentration of top-quality horses in the hands of a few elite trainers, particularly in Ireland.

In fairness, the BHA hasn’t been idle. Prize money has been boosted, especially at Jump Premier fixtures, with an extra £2.5 million injected this year. Initiatives like the Great British Bonus and Elite Mares Scheme aim to promote the breeding and retention of quality Jump mares. Junior National Hunt Hurdle races have been introduced to encourage younger horses to transition to obstacles earlier.

But despite these efforts, the trend remains stubbornly downward. It’s as though the BHA is bailing water out of a leaky boat without addressing the gaping hole in the hull.

A Fixation with Fixtures

One can’t fault the BHA for trying to use the fixture list as a lever for change. By cutting Jump races and redistributing Flat fixtures, they’ve managed to eke out marginal gains in field sizes. But this tinkering with the calendar does little to address the broader challenges facing the sport, but a tick for effort.

British racing’s over-reliance on the betting industry means every decision is seen through the lens of turnover and levy. Yet even the bookmakers are grumbling, their revenues squeezed by affordability checks and a dwindling customer base. It’s a vicious cycle: fewer bettors mean less money for racing, which in turn means less prize money and fewer owners willing to invest.

The BHA’s two-year trial might deliver short-term improvements, but it feels more like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic than steering the ship away from the iceberg.

The Boiler Room Boys and the Champagne Board

There’s an overwhelming sense that the BHA’s Racing Department—the lads in the boiler room—are running around desperately keeping the old ship afloat, tweaking field sizes and rejigging prize money allocations to stave off collapse. Meanwhile, the board upstairs, champagne flutes in hand, seems unwilling to take meaningful action to address the structural issues threatening the vessel.

And where, pray tell, is the captain? Julie Harrington, the BHA’s CEO, has been conspicuously absent from the bridge during this storm. Perhaps a helpful chart could track her whereabouts over the past four months—if only to reassure us that someone is actually steering this creaking vessel. Or perhaps she’s simply decided that it’s better to be a silent witness to this slow-motion shipwreck than take responsibility for its navigation.

Governance Gridlock: Racing’s Biggest Obstacle

Wayman’s report highlights one glaring omission: a coherent vision for governance reform. British racing’s fragmented structure, with the BHA trying to juggle the competing interests of racecourses, trainers, owners, and bookmakers, is a recipe for inertia.

Wayman mentions “patience” and “collected effort” as prerequisites for reversing the decline in quality Jump horses. But racing has been playing the patience card for years, and the results speak for themselves. Without bold, centralised leadership, the sport risks being paralysed by infighting and conflicting priorities.

A Sport on the Brink

Wayman’s blog paints a picture of a sport fighting valiantly against the tide, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that British racing is running out of road. The modest gains in field sizes are overshadowed by the stark decline in quality Jump horses, and while initiatives like the Great British Bonus are commendable, they feel like sticking plasters on a much deeper wound.

To truly revitalise the sport, the BHA needs to tackle the root causes of racing’s decline:

• The unsustainable economic model that relies on betting revenue while alienating punters through affordability checks.

• The lack of incentives for owners to invest in British-trained horses rather than Irish or overseas alternatives.

• A governance structure that prioritises short-term fixes over long-term strategy.

Final Furlong: Optimism or Delusion?

Richard Wayman ends on a hopeful note, expressing confidence that with “patience, perseverance, and a collected effort,” British racing can reverse its fortunes. But hope is not a strategy.

Unless the BHA can deliver meaningful change—not just tweaks to field sizes but real investment in quality horses, a reimagined fixture list that prioritises excellence over quantity, and a governance model fit for purpose—the sport risks galloping into irrelevance.

British racing has the history, the talent, and the passion to succeed. But without bold leadership and a willingness to confront its systemic flaws, it risks becoming a quaint relic—a sport forever chasing its former glory. If only someone could find the captain.