British papers voice worries over racecards

Racecards will continue to disappear from regional evening newspapers without a major reform of declaration times, the British Horseracing Board was warned today.

A report compiled on behalf of all 72 evening newspapers in the UK shows that earlier publication deadlines have had a serious impact on editors’ ability to carry overnight cards.

Seventeen evenings now carry no or virtually no racecards and another 11 warned that without change they might soon have to drop them altogether.

A total of 51 newspapers cannot carry final racecards in some or all of their editions because of timings – and the situation is getting progressively worse, editors warned.

The report, handed over to the BHB today, shows that regional newspapers want 48-hour declarations – the system used for Sunday racing and trialled this winter for all-weather Flat cards – to be extended to all British racing.

Editors make clear that they would also support a system which allowed them to receive final declarations at the end of the afternoon two days before racing or early in the morning on the day before racing.

Evening newspapers, which have a total readership of more than nine million, said earlier cards would allow them to rebuild racing coverage, boost sales and therefore increase the sport’s exposure to the public.

Gavin Bargate, who compiled the report, said newspapers were fed up with letting down their racing readers and desperate to give them a better service.

“The message coming over loud and clear is that newspapers need the BHB to respond to their appeals for action – then they in turn will promote racing through heavily increased coverage.”

The report will now be studied by senior BHB executives and the board’s communications director Alan Delmonte said: “We have already introduced 48-hour declarations for Sunday racing, major Flat Group races and, from this year, major jump races and Flat heritage handicaps.

“We will now fully review all aspects of the trial of 48-hour declarations at all-weather Flat meetings which ends today.

“The views of the media, like those of other sectors of the sport, will be important to us as we assess the advantages and disadvantages of 48-hour declarations before deciding on any future developments.”