British horse racing is undergoing modernisation. The flagship technology, Racing Digital, has started replacing outdated systems and created a uniform platform for core operations. However, the program chair has recently been causing delays and concern across the industry.
What was planned to be a transformational upgrade turned out to be a test of leadership. The problem highlights a broader reality of racing sports. It’s time for the whole industry to embrace digital infrastructure and take advantage of its many benefits.
What Is Racing Digital and Why It Matters
Racing Digital is a joint initiative led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Weatherbys. Its goal is to modernise and digitalise the administrative backbone of the sport. The core of this process is Racing Digital Hub. That’s the centralized platform that handles race entries, ownership records, staff information, licensing, and other essential industry processes.
These processes currently rely on outdated, legacy systems, duplicated data entry, and manual workflow. Introducing a new platform should reduce errors, streamline the processes, and provide everyone with faster access to information.
This is especially important for those who use crypto sports betting sites to wager on races. They will be able to make better decisions and predict events with greater accuracy.
The Chair Departure: Dispute and Rising Concern
The program entered a period of turbulence following the departure of its chair, Chris Batterham. The board has stated that the change was needed for the program to move to its next stage. Batterham said he resigned and has grave concerns about the project’s ability to deliver on time and within budget.
Confidence has weakened across the industry, and since leadership has given conflicting explanations about the problems, key stakeholders are now having cold feet about the whole enterprise. Owners, trainers, racecourses, and other participants depend on the system’s eventual rollout, and all of them value stability and transparency.
The public is now focused on short-term risks of introducing a new system, rather than the long-term benefits of modernisation. In broad terms, the whole affair has had a negative impact on the sport.
Delays, Costs, and Operational Challenges
Racing digital has faced challenges in complexity and scale, as is often the case with projects of that size. It was planned as a multi-year overhaul, but it seems the project will take longer than expected to implement. The cost has also risen to around £5.9 million.
The platform has experienced issues integrating the needs of different stakeholders while updating all their outdated systems. The industry is highly fragmented, and creating a universal system has proven more difficult than anyone anticipated.
Governance has also become an issue. Digital systems such as this one require a clear accountability and decision-making structure. It’s not easy to build such a structure for an industry like racing. The whole process, with all its mistakes, goes to show that there are risks in digitalisation that the stakeholders should be aware of.
New Leadership and a Reset Strategy
After the leadership change, the program has entered a new phase, usually described as a stabilization phase. Operational oversight is now shifted to BHA Chief Operating Officer Rob Glenister. His main goals will be to improve accountability and to stick to new delivery deadlines.
Another important change will come from focusing on in-house engineering capability rather than external suppliers. The goal is to have greater control over the process and the development priorities. It should also reduce long-term costs and make the industry more responsive to immediate needs.
The updated timeline has moved the full launch to 2027, with testing throughout 2026. In the meantime, enhanced data features are expected to be introduced gradually.
What Success—or Failure—Would Mean
At this point, success would be completing the project on time and without additional cost. If this standard is met, the system should also improve the experience for everyone involved. Participants would gain faster, more reliable administrative processes. The system should also provide more opportunities for fan engagement.
However, if the system isn’t implemented on time, the faith in leadership will erode further and could damage the sport as a whole. British racing could also fall behind other jurisdictions that have already taken advantage of the latest tech.
To Sum Up
The departure of Racing Digital’s chair has exposed the pressures facing the modernisation effort of British horseracing. The delays, an expanding budget, and the change in leadership have caused concern among industry insiders. There’s obviously a need for modernisation and digitalization, so that British horse racing can catch up with other jurisdictions, but the process for implementing it isn’t going as planned.
The new leadership has already set new deadlines for completing the update, and everyone involved hopes that Racing Digital will be able to stick to the schedule this time and that horse racing as a whole will benefit from the new system.