British racing risks damaging its future and its reputation if it is unable to convince Charles Allen to take up the role of BHA chair, leading industry figures warned on Sunday.

Sir Philip Davies, an owner and former Conservative MP, and Chris Wright, the business tycoon and longstanding owner-breeder, expressed concern at Lord Allen’s decision to delay his tenure as BHA chair while he further investigated racing’s governance model.

Allen, a Labour peer and City veteran, was selected as the new BHA chair last November and had been due to start on Monday, but the BHA announced on Friday that this had been pushed back to an unspecified date.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock

  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on 1 June 2025inBritain

Last updated 18:28, 1 June 2025