The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced the interim appointment of Sir Philip Davies to its board as the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Member Nominated Director (MND). This appointment, made on Tuesday, follows the RCA’s internal selection process and sees Sir Philip take over from Wilf Walsh, who has held the position since October 2021.
Sir Philip joined the RCA board earlier this year, having served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 2005 until 2024. He has been actively involved in both the racing and betting industries during his parliamentary career, notably co-chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming (APPG) and serving as vice-chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock. Notably, his tenure with the APPG included launching an inquiry that reviewed the 2005 Gambling Act and resulted in the 2023 white paper.
Currently, Sir Philip chairs both the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and the National Horseracing College located in Doncaster, and he is a former board member of the Racehorse Owners Association.
BHA chair Simon Cox expressed his enthusiasm about the appointment, stating, "I am pleased to welcome Sir Philip to the BHA Board. Throughout his time in parliament, he was a strong advocate for racing and betting, helping to ensure the interests of our sport were understood by his fellow politicians, and I look forward to working with him." Cox himself was appointed as the BHA’s non-executive chair earlier this year, starting in October. He also expressed gratitude to Wilf Walsh for his significant contributions over the past five years.
In a statement, Sir Philip said, "I am delighted to be joining the BHA Board to represent the interests of racecourses. Racing is a sport and industry for which I have long held a strong interest, and I look forward to working with board members and stakeholders across the sport to support its long-term success."
Sir Philip’s appointment comes at a time when concerns are rising about a potential increase in machine gaming duty (MGD) that is anticipated in the upcoming October budget. Industry experts warn that such a hike could severely affect the horseracing sector. Regulus has estimated that doubling the MGD could cost horse racing approximately £92 million annually, which would represent about one-third of the income derived from betting and could jeopardize essential funding and research investments. Greg Swift, the BHA’s director of communications and corporate affairs, stated, "We strongly urge the government to seriously consider the secondary impact on horse racing of a tax hike on betting shops, and also urgently explore measures to ensure that British racing – and the 85,000 jobs it supports – is put on a long-term and sustainable financial footing."
