The Future of British Horseracing

British horseracing is the best in the world. We are spoilt with iconic venues, world-class trainers, and some of the finest horses and jockeys. 

As the nation’s second-largest spectator sport, like millions of people across the country, I have many cherished memories of heading down to the races. There’s something special about the buzz on race day: the thunder of hooves as the field turns for home and the roar as they charge towards the finish. 

It is part of our sporting and cultural heritage and there are very few, if any, areas that know this better than across Newbury and West Berkshire. 

Whether its Newbury Racecourse - 120 years old and still as popular as ever, with over 165,000 fans visiting last year - or Lambourn, the “Valley of the Racehorse,” where training stretches back nearly three centuries and accounts for one in three jobs in the area. 

Horseracing is not just a sport here. It’s an indispensable and enduring feature of everyday life for our communities, our local economy, and our rural heritage. 

That is why I closely followed the recent Westminster Hall debate on the future of British horseracing. Although I was unable to attend while continuing my recovery from a knee injury, the issues raised were ones that matter deeply to this constituency and the country.

On the same day as the debate, the Gambling Commission confirmed it will proceed with a phased implementation of financial risk assessments. In recent months, many residents have contacted me expressing concerns and I raised those with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. 

Betting and horseracing have always been intertwined, but it is a delicate relationship and as I wrote earlier this year, these checks must strike a tricky, but crucial balance.

Problem gambling devastates lives and I firmly support safeguards that protect those at risk.  After meeting with anti-gambling groups, it’s crucial that the social realities of gambling addiction remain at the forefront of any reform, ensuring that balanced measures shield vulnerable users from harm.

But equally, any shift that pushes more people towards black market gambling - where there are no consumer protections and no contribution to the Horserace Betting Levy - helps no one. Worryingly, a survey conducted by the British Horse Authority found that 40% of racing fans would consider using black market betting providers if the checks were introduced while evidence suggests that illegal betting has already grown substantially over the past five years.

As the checks are rolled out in a “very careful staged way” I will engage with the industry and Ministers to ensure these reforms work as promised – protecting those at risk without unintentionally damaging the sport and communities that depend on it.  

But another issue that will always remain at the heart of the industry is the welfare and safety of horses and riders. So, I was glad to hear my Liberal Democrat colleague Helen Maguire MP raise my Horse and Rider Safety campaign during the debate. Since 2000, British horseracing has invested £63 million into veterinary research and significantly improved racecourse safety. That same commitment must now extend beyond the racecourse and onto our roads, where nearly every hack seems to be becoming more dangerous and thousands of horses and riders are injured each year.  

My campaign continues, and as a member of the Horseracing and Bloodstock APPG and MP for one of racing’s heartland constituencies, I will keep advocating with equestrian organisations, trainers, riders, and colleagues from across the House to improve safety, preserver our rural heritage, and give the industry the support it needs to prosper for generations to come.