Jockey Club Threatens to Join Ascot and Quit Racecourse Association

The Jockey Club has threatened to join Ascot Racecourse and leave the Racecourse Association (RCA), giving the RCA until the end of July to make a number of governance changes.

The Jockey Club owns 15 racecourses in the UK, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and Kempton Park. The Jockey Club wants the RCA to make several governance changes, including having a "balanced and credible" board and voting representation.

The Jockey Club also wants to ensure "significant views from key racecourses can influence outcomes and minority views can be recognised inside and outside of the RCA".

Previous request to RCA

In March, the Jockey Club was one of a number of signatories in a letter to RCA Chair Wilf Walsh, requesting a review of the RCA’s governance and for reforms to be made by the end of April. The signatories included racecourses Ascot, York, Goodwood and Newbury. The RCA has since proposed a 12-week review of its governance.

The Jockey Club has said in a statement:

"We're committing to continue to take part in ongoing discussions and support the 12-week governance review that has been proposed, with a view to the RCA board committing to reaching firm conclusions as to the changes that can be delivered by the end of July 2026. Should this prove too difficult, it will be with some sadness that we will not renew our membership in 2027.”

Ascot leads potential exodus

Earlier this week, Ascot Racecourse confirmed it is to end its membership of the RCA at the end of the year. The racecourse, which will host the annual Royal Ascot festival in June, was among the signatories in the letter to Walsh. Ascot also threatened to quit the RCA if demands were not met, and it has followed up on that threat.

Felicity Barnard, Ascot Racecourse Chief Executive, said:

“The decision to move away from the RCA was not taken lightly and was guided by our view that this is in the interests of the long-term health of the sport.

“In the period since 3rd March, we have engaged constructively with the RCA and remained clear and consistent with our request for governance reform; reform that we believe is necessary to reflect the evolving needs of our sport and its stakeholders.

“Regrettably, sufficient progress has not been made. We remain committed to working collaboratively within the industry to enable Ascot to continue to contribute to the shared success of the sport.”

The RCA is quoted as saying in a statement:

"As cited in media sources on Monday, the RCA is undertaking a thorough governance review at the request of a number of our members. This process is expected to conclude by July 31, at which point we will present the findings and recommendations to our board."

BHA turmoil

The letter to the RCA followed Charles Allen’s resignation as Chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after less than six months in the role, having failed to generate support for a fully independent BHA board.

A key issue for the BHA is race day data rights. The BHA supplies this data, including information such as ­non‑runners and off-times, which racecourses take in exchange for a nominal payment.

Having an independent BHA board would mean the BHA would no longer effectively be selling the race day data to its own members. This could then have an impact on how much the race day data could be sold for.