As the Governing Authority for Racing, we will promote the interests of our sport and industry in whatever way we can. Working alongside others within Racing and the Breeding and Betting Industries, we will build on Britain’s reputation for providing to our customers the most competitive racing in the world, run to the highest integrity standards, as efficiently as possible.

We will work to attract and retain more racehorse owners, racegoers and other customers. We will seek to maintain and promote horseracing as a competitive and attractive sport and betting medium. We also wish to see the best possible training and working conditions for those employed in the industry, and the highest possible standards of care for horses.

Building on Racing’s excellent self-help record with further creative initiatives, we will work for the injection into Racing of a higher level of income from horserace betting. In our drive to ensure that British Racing can compete internationally on equal terms with the racing product of other leading racing nations, we will aim to secure a significant increase in prize money, as well as world-wide recognition that the British Thoroughbred Breeding Industry produces animals of the highest quality. We want the future of Racing, which ultimately depends upon it meeting the needs of its customers, to be decided to a greater degree by the industry itself.

In our campaign to make our sport and industry even stronger we will aim to be open and accountable and strive to balance the interests of everyone in Racing. We want British Racing to be the best in the world in every respect.

Specifically, we will work:

1. To ensure that a sustainable and enforceable mechanism, by which betting operators using the British racing product can be required to contribute appropriately to the funding of Racing, is in place.

2. To progress implementation of the key principles of the Modernisation of British Racing, working closely with the Levy Board and others as appropriate; and to introduce, as part of those arrangements, a new Governing Authority combining Governance and Regulation responsibilities.

3. To maintain the increase over recent years in the proportion of racehorse owners’ keep and training expenditure met by prize money and other incentives, so as to allow more horses to come closer to covering their costs.

4. To work with racecourses and encourage investment in infrastructure and prize money and a continuing commitment to customer service.

5. To provide opportunities for new racecourses to acquire fixtures.

6. To make British Racing more competitive nationally and internationally.

7. To maintain close links with the Gambling Commission in order that British Racing’s interests are addressed in the new regulatory system underpinning the Gambling Act, while continuing to promote, when appropriate, the widening of the distribution of the horserace betting product beyond licensed betting offices.

8. To work with other stakeholders in the sport to secure the transfer of the Tote to Racing; and to continue to help enhance the Tote’s contribution to Racing.

9. To maintain support for the Levy Board’s priority funding of Regulation for the cost-effective protection of the integrity of Racing.

10. To develop and manage flexibly, with racecourses and in a manner which introduces greater competition, an annual Fixture List and competitive race programme which best meet the needs of racegoers, punters, racehorse owners, breeders, the Betting Industry and the media in a balanced manner which maximises Racing's income.

11. To implement, in co-operation with all interested parties, agreed strategic marketing initiatives including targeted consumer research to raise further the awareness of Racing in the minds of new and existing participants, ensuring its primary consideration as a genuine choice in a crowded and highly competitive sports and leisure market; and to continue to engage in regular dialogue with the broadcast and written media, including giving appropriate support to initiatives for ongoing dedicated terrestrial and satellite television coverage of Racing.

12. To ensure that Racing’s Governance and Regulation functions are delivered in a cost-effective manner and to a high standard.

13. To develop, co-ordinate and maintain, through its Recruitment and Training Division, and in co-operation with the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust, programmes of recruitment, retention, training and education for the Racing and Breeding Industries which promote high standards of work, safety and horsecare and encourage the Industry to invest in its workforce; and to continue to support initiatives agreed by the Stable and Stud Staff Steering Group.

14. To encourage, as part of a commitment to corporate social responsibility, the use of the significant infrastructure within the Racing and Breeding Industries to enhance learning opportunities within the National Curriculum; and to raise awareness among young people of horseracing and the leisure and employment opportunities offered by Racing and Breeding.

15. To provide a meritocratic race planning framework within which the breeding of quality bloodstock in Great Britain and the improvement of the thoroughbred are stimulated; and to help promote the quality of British bred and sold bloodstock, in order to compete effectively for a profitable share of the international bloodstock market.

16. To support arrangements for the welfare of racehorses, including former racehorses.

17. To assist with the implementation of the BHIC/Defra Horse Industry Strategy.

18. To maintain public support of, and investment by, key customer groups in Racing and Breeding by safeguarding and promoting Racing’s public image at home and abroad.

(June 2006)