BHA decides against trainer limits in big handicaps

PA Sport Reporters
January 24, 2024 1:19 pm

However, ruling body pledges ‘to keep the issue under review’.

No changes are imminent to the handicap system in Britain in relation to capping the number of runners a trainer can have in a race, the British Horseracing Authority has said.

As had been suggested in reports at the time, the ruling body consulted stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of limiting the amount of runners a trainer could declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.

If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Gordon Elliott made headlines when saddling the vast majority of the field in the Troytown Chase at Navan in November, winning it with Coko Beach.

BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman said: “As we said at the time, on occasion the BHA will seek views of industry participants on a range of issues.

“In this case, prompted in part by the situation where one trainer saddled 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase in Ireland, we gathered opinions on a topic which is sometimes debated across the sport, regarding potentially imposing a limit on the number of runners one trainer can run in a major handicap. The issue was discussed in the context of sustaining the sport’s ongoing appeal to customers.

“Having considered the feedback and discussed the matter at the sport’s commercial committee and BHA board it has been agreed not to take any immediate action in regards to this matter, but to keep the issue under review.”