The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has responded to concerns about race starts at the Cheltenham Festival, confirming that measures had already been implemented ahead of the 2026 event following issues experienced the previous year.
After similar hiccups at the ongoing edition of the festival, it seems more needs to be done.
According to the regulator, discussions were held after several false starts during the 2025 festival involving the Professional Jockeys Association and race organisers including The Jockey Club.
As a result of those discussions, adjustments were made to some starting positions and additional work was carried out with jockeys to ensure all participants clearly understood the rules and procedures governing race starts.
The BHA said these changes were intended to reduce disruption and improve consistency at the start line during one of the sport’s most high-profile events.
Race starts at the 2026 festival have continued to draw scrutiny however, following incidents during multiple races, prompting this new BHA retort.
New CEO of the BHA, Brant Dunshea, commented: “It has been a tremendous two days of racing so far at the Festival, but we share the frustrations of jockeys, trainers and punters regarding the starts.”
He added: “There are clearly several factors unique to Cheltenham which make the starting of races at the Festival extremely challenging, despite the measured changes made ahead of this year in collaboration with the jockeys and racecourse."
The authority has said it will continue gathering feedback from jockeys, trainers and race officials to evaluate the effectiveness of the current procedures.
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