Racing Media Academy Class of 2023 announced

The latest group of cadets has been chosen for the Racing Media Academy (RMA), which aims to broaden media opportunities for young people from all backgrounds.

Thirteen candidates were chosen from over 100 applicants to train at The British Racing School for a week and concluding at the filming of Luck on Sunday at the RacingTV’s Ealing studios.

A 12-week paid work experience placement with one of the partners: Arena Racing Company, Equine Productions, Great British Racing, ITV Sport, JockeyCam, The Jockey Club, JSC Comms, Nick Luck Daily, Racing Post, RaceTech, RacingTV and Sky Sports Racing. The RMA is jointly funded by the Racing Foundation and the twelve media partners.

Angie Lui who has been selected for a placement with Great British Racing said: “The Racing Media Academy enables me to combine the two areas which I am passionate about and gives me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of previously unexplored racing media sectors. I hope to gain professional knowledge and insights from industry leaders.”

Joseph Bell who has been selected for a placement with JSC Communications said: “I applied for the RMA because I saw it as a real opportunity that I never thought would ever present itself to someone like me. I come from nothing, my family are far from privileged and to break into a sport like horse racing, which for so long has had a reputation of being a closed shop unless you have wealth or connections, was an opportunity I felt I had to try and take and help in any way I can to break down those barriers and stigmas.”

The RMA is in its second year and has increased the intake to three more places from the original 10 graduates.

Josh Apiafi on behalf of the RMA said: “To see the programme grow in year two is fantastic; eight of the ten cadets from last year have been offered full time roles in the sport. For the sport to grow and be attractive to a broad demographic, it has to be reflective of society. The organisations and individuals behind the RMA should be rightfully proud that they are doing just that.”

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, which has funded the RMA since inception, said: “We were delighted to see the positive outcomes of the 2022 Racing Media Academy.

“The course brought a number of talented people into the industry who might not have had access to it otherwise, which would have been a huge loss to racing.

“We’d like to congratulate all of the cadets selected to join the Academy for 2023 and look forward to seeing their contributions to the future of the sport’s media.”