JOCKEY CLUB RESPONSE TO OFT CONCLUSIONS

10 Jun 2004 Pre-2014 Releases

Jockey Club Response to OFT Conclusions

Published: 10 June 2004

JOCKEY CLUB RESPOND TO OFT CONCLUSION THAT THE CLUB DOES NOT INFRINGE COMPETITION ACT

The Jockey Club welcomed today’s announcement by the OFT that following representation from the Jockey Club it intends to close its four year investigation into the Orders and Rules of Racing by concluding that the Club’s position as regulator does not give rise to competition concerns.

Julian Richmond Watson, Senior Steward, said: “We have always believed that the OFT’s provisional views, issued in April last year, were wide of the mark. Most important of all, they failed to take into account the fact that racing is a sport, and that the Jockey Club is the independent regulator of that sport.

“There is no question of the Jockey Club ever having acted in breach of competition law. In our representations to the OFT we made the point that the Jockey Club in its regulatory role is not engaged in any form of economic activity and consequently is outside the scope of the Competition Act 1998. This is in accordance with the strong legal advice we have received from Leading Counsel.”

10th June 2004.