Racing's latest review still leaves many questions unanswered

Informal Racing Review Group delivered their report to the British Horseracing Authority last week. Many great luminaries support the effort. The report highlights the drift of equine talent to other better funded jurisdictions abroad. It makes useful suggestions as to how the existing horse population could be better deployed to minimise small fields. There is no detail as how racing can "grow the cake".

Racing's latest review leaves many questions unanswered. Supporters of the proposal are hoping that rebranding the better flat meetings and offering them to ITV as a Premier League package will be a financial game changer. The proposal does mention that trainers will improve access to racing’s stars and develop racing's data.

The proposal for the BHA's Jump Racing is patronising. The current Levy system is a disaster. Racing needs help from politicians. The proposal is good for self-help but still leaves many questions unanswered. It should be changed to a Levy based on betting turnover. This is the only way to improve the current system. In the top ten biggest betting-turnover races, nine out of the ten races are Jump races. Only the Derby is in the flat top 10, two places behind the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle.