ROA responds to latest Racing Digital news
From Racing Post, Friday 13 February
Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) chief executive Louise Norman has defended British racing's expensive IT overhaul, citing the current system as "not acceptable in a modern, responsive sport".
Norman wrote a letter to the Racing Post in support of Racing Digital, the IT project designed by the BHA and Weatherbys to replace the current Racing Administration website for entries, declarations and records.
While the project was announced in 2021, the development process has been far from smooth, with the launch date pushed back several years amid ballooning costs.
Last week, Racing Digital's chair Chris Batterham announced he had left his position due to "grave concerns" about the prospects of the project being completed on time and within budget, with Racing Digital projected to cost nearly £20 million by its revised estimated completion date in 2027.
However, Norman, who was initially critical of Racing Digital but joined the development process as an observer in 2025, has backed the project in the wake of Batterham's departure, pointing to "stronger in-house resource and leadership" and a "strengthening in financial oversight" as positive steps forward for the enterprise.
Louise Norman: 'The external world is moving fast - British racing must invest adequately and move with it'Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Norman said: "While progress has been made, including implementation of streamlined owner fees, the current system provided to the BHA by Weatherbys remains limited in its agility. That is not acceptable in a modern, responsive sport. Getting the platform right from the ground up will remove many of these structural frustrations and unlock wider digital opportunities.
"Crucially, engagement has improved. The Racing Digital team is communicating more openly with stakeholders and, most importantly, with its users – the owners and participants who will rely on this system daily.
"As we move forward, it is vital that the Racing Digital board continues to be led by individuals with genuine technical and data expertise. Racing has no shortage of industry knowledge; what drives change in a technology business is subject-matter competence."
While the BHA and Weatherbys rejected Batterham's claims made in the Racing Post last week, Racing Digital's chief operating officer Rob Glenister acknowledged the "frustrations and challenges" with the programme, which had cost a reported £11.8m by the end 2024.
Louise Norman's full letter regarding Racing Digital
When I was invited to join the Racing Digital board as an observer in early 2025, two things quickly became clear.
Launching a critical software engineering company requires having the right technical skillset and experience in place from the outset, and it must have robust engagement with its core users and stakeholders. In racing, if you do not bring your audience with you projects rarely succeed, and fear of failure cannot become an excuse for avoiding innovation.
I was openly critical of Racing Digital's early direction, as outlined in Owner & Breeder in 2024. When challenged, I responded by asking which part of my analysis was factually incorrect. There was no response from then chair Chris Batterham. The reality was that the project had drifted, leadership changes followed, together with the loss of Joe Saumarez Smith – a great advocate for this project. Costs escalated, and after three years the critical users had seen limited tangible progress.
Innovation in racing requires more than advocacy. It requires technical expertise, accountability and financial oversight. The lessons from NRAS – a decade long, costly and incomplete programme – should have reminded us of the complexity involved in modernising racing's administrative infrastructure. Building a technology company demands specialist capability; racing knowledge alone is not enough.
So what has changed? Most importantly, Racing Digital's structure and skillset now better reflect the scale of the task. Third-party arrangements lacking accountability have been replaced by stronger in-house resource and leadership.
Rob Glenister, as Racing Digital chief operating officer, is providing clarity and ownership, coupled with the BHA strengthening its strategic technology leadership bringing in Frankie Wicks to work alongside Rob and Racing Digital.
In addition, there has been a strengthening in financial oversight at RD board level in the shape of the BHA's Alan Switzer. The project brief is being realigned, and the team is building with long-term foundations in mind, not simply replicating legacy systems, but creating infrastructure fit for the sport's future.
From an ownership perspective, the urgency is obvious. Owners are British racing's single biggest investors, contributing more than £500 million annually, and many of the costs of these systems are ultimately borne by them in one way or another.
Yet in 2026, onboarding a new owner still involves excessive paperwork, complexity and friction – this is at odds with how nearly every other sector operates digitally.
While progress has been made, including implementation of streamlined owner fees, the current system provided to the BHA by Weatherbys remains limited in its agility – even a straightforward reduction we negotiated for jockeys' career-ending insurance from £4.50 to £4.00 can only be applied from the first of a clear month, resulting in unnecessary fees being collected in the interim.
That is not acceptable in a modern, responsive sport. Getting the platform right from the ground up will remove many of these structural frustrations and unlock wider digital opportunities.
Crucially, engagement has improved. The Racing Digital team is communicating more openly with stakeholders and, most importantly, with its users – the owners and participants who will rely on this system daily.
As we move forward, it is vital that the Racing Digital board continues to be led by individuals with genuine technical and data expertise. Racing has no shortage of industry knowledge; what drives change in a technology business is subject-matter competence.
I am optimistic about what Racing Digital could deliver by 2027: a simple, user-friendly onboarding process for owners, streamlined administration and a robust digital foundation that supports both regulatory requirements and future innovation. The external world is moving fast. British racing must invest adequately and move with it.