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Jockey Club and Levy Board Ignore ROA Concerns

Despite the ROA finally securing reassurances from the then new Senior Steward of the Jockey Club, Lord Leverhulme, that the Club would listen to the association, this ultimately proved hollow. As a result, the association realigned its aims towards direct representation of owners on the Levy Board, considering the current model of Jockey Club appointees as having failed. The association also started to take up the issues of proper racecourse maintenance, and better pay and conditions for stable workers, in an effort to head off a potential labour crisis in the industry.

The ROA's efforts during this period were also closely connected to the financial concerns of the whole racing industry. The introduction of VAT in 1973 posed a new set of economic pressures and the association, along with the rest of the industry, was deeply involved in negotiations with the Government and HM Customs and Excise over the whole issue of how VAT would affect racing and bloodstock.

The association also started pressing heavily for higher minimum prize-money values but, as this was largely ignored by the Jockey Club and Levy Board, the ROA turned to a deeper investigation into the financial state of racing. More>>