A joint initiative between the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Flutter Entertainment has had over 100 entrants wanting to be a part of their Future Of Racing programme.
It is a collaboration between the BHA and the owner of Paddy Power and Sky Bet, launched last October.
Eleven of the applicants have been selected to present their pitches to potential investors and stakeholders in the betting and racing industries.
The Future Of Racing
The Future Of Racing programme was devised to encourage ideas on how to grow racing’s audience and encourage a new generation of racegoers.
A summit was planned for York racecourse next month at which startups could present their ideas Dragons’ Den-style.
This has now been switched to a venue in central London on February 10.
Brant Dunshea, BHA Chief Executive, expressed his delight at the response.
“It is extremely encouraging to have received so many applications for the Future of Racing Summit,” he said.
“This project represents a unique opportunity for the sport to embrace new thinking as we seek to secure future generations of fans, so to have such a positive response following the application phase is greatly encouraging.
“I am eager to learn more about the startups as this process continues, with the newly confirmed format providing us with the opportunity to understand how the sport could benefit from what they have to offer.”
Building On Project Beacon
This initiative built on the findings of the BHA’s Project Beacon survey announced in September last year.
The BHA carried out the biggest piece of customer research ever undertaken by the sport.
More than 7,500 people across the UK and Ireland took part as the BHA gathered intel on what fans want.
It assessed target audiences and identified six core areas on which the sport should focus to drive engagement.
From this the Future Of racing concept was born, with four key areas for focus:
- Horse welfare – Technologies to enhance equine safety and welfare
- Education – Simplifying the sport for newcomers through accessible tools
- Raceday Experience – Elevating the social and entertainment value of attending live events
- Behind the Silks – Offering fans immersive, behind-the-scenes access to the racing world
Seb Butterworth, Strategic Racing Director for Flutter, said: “Our Alpha Hub team at Flutter have been working on promoting the Future of Racing programme to a wide audience of startups over the past few months.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have received over 100 exciting applications.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to understand new ways to take forward British Racing, and answer important questions posed by Project Beacon.”
Flutter’s Sponsorships In Sport
Flutter is the brand owner of Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet in the UK as well as FanDuel in the US.
Its sportsbooks hold some of the most prestigious sponsorships within the world of sport.
Paddy Power’s association with the World Darts Championship is long standing.
Flutter announced the popular bookie had raised £1.25 million for charity through initiatives at the 2026 tournament over Christmas.
The UK and Ireland sportsbook has also established a strong footing within racing.
Its sponsors the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Other events backed by Flutter brands include Betfair’s sponsorship of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Another successful partnership has seen the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York Racecourse.
