Simon Cox becomes permanent BHA chair from 1 October
The appointment lands as British racing navigates a governance rift and looming affordability checks.
Simon Cox takes over as permanent chair of the British Horseracing Authority from 1 October. He succeeds interim chair David Jones, who had held the role since Lord Allen’s resignation in March.
Who is Simon Cox
Cox, 58, spent more than three decades in the drinks industry, rising to become Molson Coors’ president and chief executive for Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
He has owned racehorses for more than 15 years, with four currently in training. His ten broodmares are based at Shade Oak Stud, also home to St Leger winner Logician, in whom Cox holds a share.
The background to the appointment
Cox was named as incoming chair back in July. “It is an honour to be appointed Chair of the British Horseracing Authority at such an important moment for racing and breeding,” he said at the time. The appointment came against a backdrop of growing concern within the BHA over the Gambling Commission’s planned affordability checks on bettors.
Arriving in the middle of a crisis
Cox’s start date comes just weeks after the Jockey Club and Ascot left the Racecourse Association, a governance rift RacingBetter has already covered in detail. He inherits an organisation navigating both that internal split and the wider question of how affordability rules will affect punters and racing’s income.
Who’s who at the BHA
Brant Dunshea remains chief executive of the BHA, which is headquartered at Holborn Gate in London.
Simon Cox’s first statement as BHA chair
Cox formally took up the role on 1 October 2026. He described himself as a lifelong racing fan.
He said his long-term priority is growth, not just “managing decline”, pointing to six consecutive quarters of attendance growth. His short-term aim is to move the sport away from internal-facing negotiations and towards presenting racing to its audiences. He named governance, a unifying vision and strategy, and defending and improving funding as the immediate matters.
A day later Regulus Partners published modelling on Machine Games Duty. It warned racing would lose about £92 million a year if the duty doubled from 20 to 40 per cent. The BHA urged the government to weigh that impact, as betting shop closures already hit racing’s funding.
The Horserace Betting Levy Board also approved a £2.2 million increase in prize money funding for 2027.
