CEO Nichols Resigns from BHB
Greg Nichols, CEO of the British Horseracing Board, announced his resignation last month and denied that he had been pushed to do so. His resignation will take effect in the summer when the governing body will be restructured, but he has agreed to stay on board until a suitable replacement has been chosen.
Nichols said the events of 2005, including the High Court defeat by William Hill over payment for racing data, had nothing to do with his decision.
"It was purely my decision to leave and I've come to that decision because I couldn't commit myself to the long-term project as I wasn't prepared to go beyond 2007," he said.
The BHB reportedly plans to appeal the December High Court judgment in favor of UK horse racing channel At the Races, which ruled that the BHB had abused its market dominance by demanding payments for the use of its pre-race data. The BHB contends that the decision to appeal was made for the sake of racing's future funding, which is expected to switch to a commercial agreement between the sport and the betting industry when the levy is scrapped in 2009.
Bookie IP Network in Development in Victoria
In Australia, Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) and the Victorian Bookmakers Association (VBA) are partnering to develop a non-betting exchange project called Bookie IP. Director of Racing Operations for RVL, Stephen Allanson, described Bookie IP as an Internet wagering channel that facilitates transactions between registered Victorian bookmakers and registered betting clients, but only those people. The distinction lies in the exclusivity of the betting service.
"More importantly," Allanson added, "the fixed prices that are offered by the bookmaker are the same odds that are available to patrons who attend the racetrack. Also a bookmaker who offers his service via the Internet must be in attendance on course offering a service to on course patrons."
Pending various approvals from the Victorian government, which may postpone the launch of Bookie IP, RVL and VBA hope to be fully operational by the 2006 Spring Carnival, which runs September through November.
Youbet.com Completes Purchase of United Tote
California-based online bookmaker Youbet.com announced Monday that it has closed on its $31.9 million purchase of United Tote. Youbet is also assuming $14.7 million in unsecured debt from the U.S.-based totalizator. Youbet's CEO Chuck Champion said United will operate as a fully independent subsidiary of Youbet and that Youbet management would not be directly involved in United operations.
Former Tote Head Joins At The Races
At The Races has appointed Nigel Roddis, former Managing Director of the UK Tote’s pool business, as International Director effective immediately. Roddis was also once a solicitor with law firm Olswang.
UK Jockey Clubs Bans Red Lancer Trainer
Former Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Shaun Keightley in December was fined £3,500, disqualified from all aspects of racing for three years and told he will be ineligible to train horses for a further two years, making him the first trainer in 16 years to be warned off from the UK Jockey Club after a disciplinary committee found him guilty of a string of offences linked to the performance of Red Lancer in a Wolverhampton Selling Stakes race in October 2003. The offenses include aiding and abetting a breach of the rules of racing; intentionally not running a horse on its merits; associating with previously warned off Christopher Coleman and intentionally misleading a Jockey Club official. The panel also suspended Red Lancer’s jockey Pat McCabe for 28 days.
Betfair Proposes to Determine Starting Price itself
Betfair wants its odds to be part of a new industry Starting Price (SP) should any changes be recommended by an independent review of how SPs are formed, which is being led by Labour peer Lord Donoughue.
"Betting exchanges are the purest model available which give an accurate representation of a horse's chance according to the market," said Stephen Burn, Betfair's head of media. "They can be used not only for racing, but any other sports product."