July Date For 48-Hour Declarations in Britain A system of 48-hour declarations is set to be in operation from July for all Flat races in Britain after the move was agreed in principle yesterday.British Horseracing Board members voted to implement a final two-day declaration stage subject to further discussions between the Horsemen’s Group and the racecourses.Those talks are expected to continue until the end of April, prompting the BHB to aim for a mid-summer start date.The Horsemen’s Group comprises of the Racehorse Owners’ Association, National Trainers’ Federation, Jockeys’ Association and Stable Lads’ Association with the organisation having an aim of maximising racing’s income.They need to reach a successful conclusion to their negotiations with the Racecourse Association on how and how much of the additional revenue generated would flow into prize money before the new system can go ahead.In the interim, the BHB will commence work on the logistical arrangements for introducing 48-hour declarations.BHB chief executive Greg Nichols said: “There has been a constructive discussion of this issue for a long period, and the arguments for and against are well known.“It is clear though that there is an acknowledgement that the overseas market represents a significant opportunity for British racing to increase its revenue substantially.“The Board was advised that discussions between interested parties had progressed recently and that agreement was considered to be a real possibility by the end of April.”Forty-eight-hour declarations are in operation during the all-weather winter season and for certain major races both on the Flat and over jumps.In November 2004, the BHB had agreed to scale back the number of races with 48-hour declarations, but expressed a firm commitment to considering the introduction of a universal 48-hour declaration system should there be strong evidence of significant financial benefits to the sport.Many trainers have argued the earlier deadline will lead to an administrative headache as well as a greatly increased number of non-runners.? PA Sport
