Ex-BHA chief dies 12 days after stepping away from role after health worsened

Joe Saumarez Smith, who was 53, had been diagnosed with crab successful 2023 but continued to service equine racing up to the extremity of January

The erstwhile seat of the British Horseracing Authority has died 12 days aft stepping distant from the role.

Joe Saumarez Smith, who was 53, had been diagnosed with signifier 4 inoperable lung crab successful June 2023 yet continued to fulfil his relation until his wellness worsened past month.

The BHA broke the quality successful a connection saying, “It is with large sadness that the British Horseracing Authority tin contiguous corroborate the decease of our erstwhile Chair and person Joe Saumarez Smith.

“Joe, who was 53, died astatine location contiguous surrounded by his family. Our thoughts and prayers – and we are definite those of everyone progressive successful our athletics – are with Joe’s household and friends. He volition beryllium hugely missed by america all.”

Saumarez Smith, a erstwhile writer and palmy punter, joined the BHA successful December 2014 arsenic a non-executive manager and was appointed BHA seat successful March 2022. He led the BHA done immoderate challenging times establishing himself arsenic "one of the astir influential and distinguished figures successful British racing".

The BHA said helium had helped gully the racing and betting industries person unneurotic and raised the sport's lawsuit against the instauration of affordability checks with government.

The BHA said: “As BHA Chair, Joe steered a analyzable manufacture done a challenging restructure of its full operating system, creating a caller governance exemplary to present a much sustainable and dynamic economical future.

“Alongside this, Joe had a transformative interaction connected 2 vitally important areas for the athletics – its equine stars and the unit who nurture and attraction for them. Through Joe’s direction, British racing took an progressively proactive attack to equine welfare, the latest manifestation of which was evidenced successful the BHA’s HorsePWR campaign.

“Similarly, done the Industry Strategy work, Joe promoted the instauration of a caller Horseracing People Board (HIPB) to research and amended of each aspects of our workforce’s lives. And arsenic portion of this work, Joe was a large protagonist and passionate champion of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards."

The connection continued: “Joe’s thrust and committedness to racing successful the past 2 years is adjacent much singular erstwhile acceptable against his diagnosis of signifier 4 inoperable lung cancer.

“While undergoing debilitating attraction helium continued to beryllium ever contiguous connected British racecourses and undertook a gruelling play of planetary question to beforehand the athletics overseas, ensuring that British horseracing remains 1 of Britain’s top avenues for inward concern portion besides acting arsenic 1 of the Government’s most-effective brushed powerfulness levers.”

The BHA said Saumarez died not knowing that helium had been nominated by his colleagues and peers for an honour this year.

Paying tribute, BHA acting main enforcement Brant Dunshea said: “It has been a large privilege to person known and worked with Joe, ever providing omniscient counsel and tremendous enactment to the BHA squad and to maine personally, and for that we volition beryllium everlastingly grateful.

“His committedness to advocating Britain’s interests connected the planetary signifier was unwavering, and for that British racing owes him a immense indebtedness of gratitude. We volition miss him terribly”.