The Jockey Club has warned it will not renew its Racecourse Association membership in 2027 unless governance reforms are agreed by the end of July 2026, adding fresh pressure to British racing’s leadership dispute on the same day Ascot confirmed it will leave the RCA at the end of this year.
Key Facts or Race Details Summary
- The Jockey Club said the RCA must commit to governance changes by the end of July 2026
- If reforms are not delivered, the Jockey Club said it will not renew its RCA membership in 2027
- Ascot confirmed on Monday that it will leave the RCA at the end of 2026
- Ascot, Goodwood, the Jockey Club, Newbury and York had jointly called for governance reform in March
- The current dispute follows Lord Allen’s resignation as BHA chair and the failure to establish the independent BHA board he had backed
The Jockey Clubs Warns In Might Not Renew Their RCA Membership
The governance dispute at the top of British racing intensified on Monday, May 4, after the Jockey Club said it will walk away from the Racecourse Association in 2027 unless the body commits to meaningful reform by the end of July.
On Monday 4th May, the Racing Post reported that Britain’s largest racecourse group has issued the new deadline only hours after Ascot confirmed it will leave the RCA at the end of 2026.
The move turns what had already been a major governance rupture into a broader challenge to the organisation’s future shape and authority.
What the Jockey Club is demanding
According to Racing Post and Racing TV, the Jockey Club said it has been encouraged by recent discussions and will continue to support a proposed 12-week governance review.
However, it made clear that extra time should not be read as support for the status quo.
The group said it wants a board and voting structure that is balanced and credible, a system in which significant views from key racecourses can influence outcomes, recognition for minority positions inside and outside the RCA, and an organisation able to act decisively on matters affecting the wider sport.
If those changes are not delivered, the Jockey Club said it will not renew its membership for 2027.
Ascot racecourse 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.”
How The Dispute Reached This Point
Ascot’s decision to leave the RCA followed a March intervention from Ascot, Goodwood, the Jockey Club, Newbury and York, all of whom called for an urgent governance review after Lord Allen resigned as chair of the British Horseracing Authority.
On the same day Racing TV and Thoroughbred Daily News reported that the signatories had asked the RCA to produce a reform proposal by the end of April.
Ascot said that threshold had not been met and gave notice that it would depart at the end of the year.
Monday’s Jockey Club statement stops short of matching Ascot’s immediate exit, but it raises the stakes by setting a hard deadline for reform and by making clear that one of British racing’s most influential racecourse operators is prepared to leave as well.
Why It Matters
This is now more than a single-course dispute. The Jockey Club runs some of the sport’s most important venues, including Cheltenham, Aintree and the home of the Derby – Epsom, so any eventual withdrawal would deepen the split between major racecourses and the RCA.
The row also matters because it sits alongside the wider argument over how British racing should be governed, how power should be distributed between its bodies and racecourses, and how quickly the sport can act on major strategic issues.
