POV: What Horse Racing Can Learn From Greyhound Derby (Abbie MacGregor)

In our DAILY column POV – Racing enthusiast and campaigns consultant Abbie McGregor discusses what horse racing can take from the Greyhound Derby….

Saturday’s Greyhound Derby Final wasn’t just a race – it was a statement. A crowd of 3,500 packed into Towcester to witness an underdog seize glory (a magical moment I experienced for the first time as a Crystal Palace fan at the FA Cup Final).

But beyond the result, the evening represented something far bigger: a sport on the rise, regaining its momentum and reconnecting with its identity. There was a buzz in the air, a sense of purpose and direction that few sports can manufacture without a clear vision behind them.

At the heart of this resurgence lies a lesson the horse racing industry would do well to heed: unity.

The newly formed Greyhound Racing UK was set up by lifelong enthusiast, Mike Davis, and provides a clear national voice that aligns breeders, trainers, tracks, and media. This centralisation makes it possible to coordinate major events, manage promotion effectively, and negotiate deals more successfully.

By contrast, horse racing remains stuck in its own labyrinth – split among numerous authorities and factions, each with a veto power that makes it nearly impossible to get anything done. As a result, horse racing is often slow to adapt and even slower to innovate. While other sports – like greyhound racing – are launching new media channels, building fan communities, and modernising their product, racing spends far too much time tied up in internal politics.

But the benefits of unity go beyond marketing and operations – they also matter in defence of the sport itself.

Our critics are well-financed, coordinated, and unrelenting. They campaign for an idealised world in which humans and animals exist in complete separation, untouched by one another, as though mutual benefit and shared experiences are inherently exploitative. Yet last night, it was noticeably absent…

In the lead-up to the Derby, the sport spoke with one voice. Jonathan Hobbs articulated the proud history and enduring value of greyhound racing, while Gail May of Greyhound Homing UK addressed welfare concerns with professionalism and passion. This proactive, joined-up media approach created a compelling, confident public narrative – and left no easy opening for protest or disruption.

Every sport has to fight for public attention and market share. Snooker and darts are great examples of sports that have been through significant lows but recovered with a will to peel away the layers of internal governance and act as one.

Barry Hearn led both revivals with a simple but profound understanding: you can’t grow a sport until you fix how it’s run. His reforms weren’t just about showmanship – they were about building solid internal governance based on a unified commercial strategy, and clear division of roles between regulatory and commercial bodies.

Before Hearn got involved, darts was mired in disorganisation: the sport was split between the British Darts Organisation and a group of top players who felt the BDO was failing to grow the sport. Events were poorly promoted, prize money was stagnant, and TV coverage was fading.

In the 1990s, Hearn helped form the Professional Darts Corporation with a small group of breakaway players. He unified operations under one leadership team with commercial, media, and player interests aligned, and unlike the BDO, where governance was bureaucratic and insular, the PDC was run like a modern sports business. Prize money surged from a few thousand to £2.5 million at the World Championship alone.

Greyhound racing is moving forward – fast. With a unified voice, a clear message, and a renewed sense of identity, it is proving that tradition and progress are not opposites.

Horse racing, meanwhile, remains at a crossroads. It has the heritage, the heroes, and the public affection – but not the structural clarity needed to thrive in the modern age. Without unity, it will continue to lose ground not just to rival sports, but to apathy.

Barry Hearn didn’t save darts and snooker by reinventing the game. He saved them by rebuilding the foundations – cutting through complexity, aligning interests, and giving each sport the kind of leadership that gets things done.

Horse racing doesn’t need a miracle. It needs a model. And it’s already out there – under floodlights at Towcester.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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