Former APPG Chair Sir Philip Davies Joins BHA Board
Sir Philip Davies has joined the British Horseracing Authority board as the Racecourse Association's interim Member Nominated Director, the BHA confirmed, succeeding Wilf Walsh in the role.
Interim Appointment Replaces Wilf Walsh
The BHA said the RCA appointed Davies to the board on an interim basis, filling one of the two Member Nominated Director seats the RCA holds on the governing body's board.
Walsh had occupied the position since October 2021. Davies joined the RCA's own board earlier in 2026, shortly before stepping into the BHA role, and said in a statement that he was pleased to take on the position and represent racecourses' interests, pointing to his longstanding links with the sport.
Return To Racing Governance
Davies served as the Conservative MP for Shipley from 2005 to 2024 and chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming during his time in Parliament, alongside a role as vice chair of the APPG for Racing and Bloodstock.
He already sits as chairman of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and of the National Horseracing College in Doncaster, and previously served on the board of the Racehorse Owners Association.
The breadth of those roles gives him direct experience of both racing's on-course finances and the betting and licensing framework the BHA has to work within.
Fans and bettors tracking the governance shake-up can follow upcoming fixtures via UK horse racing betting sites.
Process Questioned Over Two Spurned Candidates
The appointment came with some behind-the-scenes friction.
According to the Racing Post, the RCA board had initially put forward two other names for its two BHA board seats, Arena Racing Company chief executive Martin Cruddace and York racecourse chair Bridget Guerin.
New BHA chair Simon Cox, in his first board meeting since officially joining the governing body, is reported to have pushed back on both candidates over potential conflicts of interest tied to their racecourse roles, clearing the way for Davies's interim appointment instead.
The BHA has not set a timeline to make the Member Nominated Director position permanent, and Davies's tenure remains interim for now.
The episode highlights the RCA's continuing influence over who sits on racing's governing board, even as the BHA pushes its own candidates for key seats.
