48-hour declarations will be introduced on a trial basis for All Weather Track fixtures run from 10th November 2003 to 24th March 2004 as part of British Racin?_x0019_s strategy to enhance further the spor4_x0019_s international appeal.

The Board had agreed at its June 2003 meeting that representatives of BHB, owners, trainers and racecourses should as a group consider the feasibility of further expansion of 48-hour declarations. The Board has now approved a recommendation that the trial should take place.

BHB Racing Director Ruth Quinn, who chaired the group, said: “The view was put forward by attheraces that the extra 24-hour period would greatly enhance their potential to export British racing to overseas markets on the sport’s behalf. Their request for a trial was agreed, but the onus is on them to provide detailed evidence that the positives outweigh the negatives which trainers, in particular, believe will result from a reduction in flexibility in running plans.”

The BHB Board has also reaffirmed its decision taken in June 2003 to approve the recommendation of the Racing Review Committee that 48-hour declarations should be extended, with effect from 2004, to all Flat Heritage Handicaps, all Group Races and all Grade 3 Jumping Handicaps. In addition, the Board has also now approved the conversion of Grade 1 non-Novice National Hunt Races to 48-hour declarations. Those decisions were made primarily in the interests of assisting domestic media coverage rather than for the potential international benefits identified by attheraces.