The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced that Sir Philip Davies has been appointed to its board as the Racecourse Association’s Member Nominated Director (MND). This change follows an internal selection process by the Racecourse Association (RCA) and sees Sir Philip step in for Wilf Walsh, who has held the MND position on the BHA board since October 2021.
Sir Philip joined the RCA board earlier this year, having served as the Member of Parliament for Shipley from 2005 until 2024. Throughout his parliamentary career, he took on various roles that related to the racing and betting sectors, notably as joint-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming (APPG) and as vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock. During his time at APPG, Sir Philip notably spearheaded an inquiry into the review of the Gambling Act of 2005 and the subsequent white paper released in 2023.
At present, Sir Philip also chairs the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and the National Horseracing College in Doncaster, and he previously served as a board member of the Racehorse Owners Association.
Simon Cox, chair of the BHA, expressed his support for Sir Philip’s 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 joined the BHA earlier this year, beginning his role as non-executive chair at the start of October, and he also thanked Wilf Walsh for his considerable contributions over the past five years.
In his own words, Sir Philip addressed the importance of his new role: "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 occurs amid concerns regarding a potential increase in machine gaming duty (MGD) expected in the upcoming October budget, which many industry experts fear could have serious repercussions for the horseracing sector. Analysis from Regulus indicated that doubling the MGD could result in an annual loss of about £92 million for horse racing, which would represent around one-third of its betting-derived income and jeopardize essential funding for investments and research.
Greg Swift, the BHA’s director of communications and corporate affairs, urged the government to take into account the potential secondary impacts of such a tax increase on horse racing, emphasizing the need for measures that ensure the long-term financial viability of British racing and the 85,000 jobs it supports.
