Racing Together Industry Day 2026: ‘A brilliant day full of inspiration and practical advice’

The fourth Racing Together Industry Day took place on 4th February at Lingfield Park Racecourse, welcoming guests and speakers from across British racing and wider sport. The event – sponsored again by Gallagher and supported by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the Racing Foundation and the Racecourse Association – centred on the theme: ‘Winning hearts and inspiring minds: the race that must be won’.

The agenda explored the breadth of social impact work, the importance of high-quality impact measurement, and the role of racecourses as year-round authentic community hubs.

Delegates heard from Lisa Wainwright MBE, CEO of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, who relayed a full career across sport at the highest level.  Preeti Shetty, CEO of Upshot, shared practical insights into evidence-based evaluation, and former rugby union star and forever Red Rose, Vickii Cornborough added a compelling perspective on building legacy in sport through collaboration and authenticity.

A highlight of the day was a preview of the launch of the British Horseracing Authority’s new equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, All In the Race, aimed at creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment across the sport. Rose Grissell, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the BHA, acknowledged that while progress has been made, there is more to be done. She emphasised that meaningful change depends on shared commitment and action across the industry.

Delegates also took part in a workshop led by Racing Together’s Community Engagement Manager, Lucy Gurney, exploring how Racing Together Community Week (the sport’s established employee volunteering week) can continue to evolve, strengthen cross-sector collaboration and widen its reach.

The day concluded with a panel on whether racecourses can be considered as existing at the heart of communities, chaired by Racing Together CEO John Blake, with contributions from Sandown Park, Hereford Racecourse, the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel, Arena Racing Company and East Park Riding for the Disabled.  Eric Berete, 23, Business Administrator at Arena Racing Company stole the show with his passion for the opportunity he’d been given via the Stephen Lawrence Foundation through an apprenticeship, having never considered a career in horseracing.

The day had a record number of sign-ups and more Under-25 delegates in attendance than at the previous three Industry Days.

John Blake said: “The purpose of Industry Day is to provide relevant but challenging speakers from outside racing and to challenge those colleagues within the sport to reflect on their work in this area, serving both their local beneficiaries and contributing to the sport’s consolidated efforts. This year’s early feedback encourages us that this event remains of great value as a springboard for action.

“Encouraging networking between our guests and speakers can start new beneficial connections, so important for our younger colleagues setting out in their careers.

“We are extremely grateful to our generous and energetic speakers and panellists, and to all our delegates – we’re very aware that being a national sport does not mean having a national centre and so compromises over travel are inevitable. We truly hope everyone thought it was all worthwhile.”

Racing Together Industry Day 2026 demonstrated that racing’s community engagement is one of the sport’s greatest strengths – and that its future success will be shaped by partnership, inclusion and a collective commitment to inspire and support people across the country.