Ascot has issued the stunning announcement that it will follow through with its threat to leave the Racecourse Association at the end of the year, raising major questions about the future of the body and the way British racing is governed.
Britain's most prestigious racecourse had been among the signatories to a letter to RCA chair Wilf Walsh in March calling for an urgent review of the organization's governance "to support industry change" and requesting a proposal for reform by the end of April.
The RCA is set to undertake a 12-week governance review, and the Jockey Club (of the United Kingdom) said it is committed to participating in ongoing talks. However, it too warned that it would not renew its membership of the RCA at the end of the year unless it is happy with the resulting proposals for change.
It is not yet clear whether the other signatories of the letter—Goodwood, Newbury, and York—as well as Chester, will follow Ascot by leaving their trade body.
The racecourses' ultimatum to the RCA came following the resignation of Lord Allen as BHA chair in March.
In a statement, Ascot chief executive Felicity Barnard 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 March 3, 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 rebel courses said their objectives were aimed at ensuring the RCA "board and voting representation is balanced and credible," that "significant views from key racecourses can influence outcomes," and that "the organization can act decisively on matters affecting the wider industry."
They also gave their support to "strong central leadership for British racing by the BHA, enabled by the establishment of an independent BHA board," and that they believed the present governance arrangements "prevent timely and effective decision-making."
An independent BHA board had been one of Lord Allen's conditions for joining the governing body.
At the time, Barnard warned: "We would be prepared to leave (the RCA), and that statement is not made lightly."
In its statement, Ascot said discussions since March had been "extensive and good-natured" but that changes in the RCA's voting structure and board representation had not been delivered to its satisfaction.
The RCA is one of the members, or shareholders, of the BHA, along with the Racehorse Owners Association, Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, and licensed personnel, which covers other participants. The RCA gets two of the four member-nominated directors on the BHA board, as well as a representative on the board of the Levy Board.
Under the articles of the BHA, the RCA is a member of the governing body until it ceases to be "the person most representative in Great Britain of the interests of owners of racecourses."
However, the RCA cannot be removed as a member unless the BHA can recommend an alternative representative group for racecourses.
Ascot is not the first racecourse to leave the RCA. Towcester was not a member when racing ceased at the venue in 2018, while Plumpton left the body at the end of 2024, with owner Peter Savill having accused it of not listening to smaller courses.
