"She travelled into it, was last off the bridle, and once she got nearer the front, she showed signs of inexperience. I guess that was the question mark, whether she was street-wise enough."
Max Kendrick ready for next adventure with Goffs Aintree-bound Magnifaik
Read more here 👉 bit.ly/3PVmNjg
The BHA is proud to be represented this week in Hong Kong at the @HKJC_Racing Equine Welfare Research Foundation conference 2025.
This global gathering of racing officials, participants, vets & researchers focuses on how we apply rigorous scientific research to the care of the Thoroughbred.
Dr Sally Taylor & Dr Amy Hawthorn from the BHA's equine regulation, safety and welfare team are presenting some of the vital work that British racing is leading to promote the care & wellbeing of our horses.
This includes a pilot study into the use of heart monitors to help us better understand a horse's cardiac activity on the racecourse, and research into how we can continually work to reduce the risk of tendon injuries.
Our thanks to our research partners @MaxKendrick, @FOBRacing, @SurreyVet & @RossdalesVets - and for the ongoing support for these projects from @WelfareBoard & @RacingGrants.
🔗britishhorseracing.com/heart-monitors…
🔗 hkjcewrfconference2025.com#BHAexpanded
ℹ️ Did you spot this @Ascot or @WindsorRaces over the weekend? 🤔
Manothepeople, Stoner’s Choice (@FOBRacing) and Gidleigh Park (@HarryFryRacing1) became the latest horses to wear heart monitors on the racecourse as part of a BHA-backed pilot.
Wearable devices have been used in yards and on the gallops for some time. But now we’re testing their use under race conditions.
Why? Because these 'equine fitbits' can track a horse’s heart activity and rhythm, giving us an insight into their health and performance.
This is valuable data that is supporting vital scientific research @UniOfSurrey into the cardiac activity of horses and how we may be able to identify those at greater risk of experiencing heart issues.
The early signs from the pilot are encouraging. We have established that the technology is safe and practical to use on the racecourse, and that we can gather accurate electrocardiogram readings under race conditions.
What started in May 2025 as a 10-race pilot has now been expanded to include more horses at more fixtures, with refinements to the kit and raceday processes.
The devices sit neatly in the saddle cloth and underneath the girth strap, so may only be visible in the pre-parade ring or unsaddling areas – you’d have to have been eagle-eyed to notice it 👀
The plan is to roll it out further in the months ahead so that the technology is used more widely 🏇
In the meantime, read more about the background to the pilot: britishhorseracing.com/its-exciting-a…#BHAexpanded
📸 Abbie Kyte / @focusonracing
"This is the sort of race that he deserves to be running in"
@FOBRacing has some nice horses heading to @Chepstow_Racing on Saturday and joined the channel to preview their chances...
When we describe ourselves as a ‘dual purpose’ outfit, some people suggest that we don’t take flat racing seriously enough
Nothing could be further from the truth
All Ravenswell residents have to pass a stalls test these days
@Nassauboard This’ll be my last reply. My point isn’t about defending summer jumping it’s about the claim that racing’s not doing enough. Just because the sport isn’t doing what you want or how you want it doesn’t mean nothing’s being done.
Couldn’t agree more. We’re so quick to crab our own sport instead of celebrating what makes it great. It’s not perfect, but there’s so much good going on that often gets drowned out by negativity, much of it media/social-media driven, chasing clicks and outrage. Let’s back racing
@Nassauboard We’re clearly not going to agree, and that’s fine. But if you’re going to call for major changes, it has to be based on evidence not just gut feeling.
@Nassauboard I’ve already laid out what’s being done, and I’m not going to keep repeating it. You’ve offered no data just a call to cut summer jumping halfway through the season based on incomplete figures. That’s not a plan, it’s just noise.
@Nassauboard Appreciate the list, but nearly all of this is either already happening, already in motion, or too vague to be useful. It just confirms the point shouting from the sidelines without understanding the work already being done helps nothing.
@MaxKendrick What would I like to happen?
1 - reduction in summer jumping
2 - accurate going readings
3 - transparent monthly data (should be weekly)
4 - more controls on horses running in summer after long injuries
5 - study into why faller % is lower but injury and fatality is greater….
@Nassauboard You keep saying nothing’s being done so what do you actually want to happen? What action would you suggest that isn’t already underway? Genuinely curious.