The Racing Digital Hub: making it easier for participants to interact with our sport
Steve Gibson, Racing Digital Managing Director
From early 2025, the BHA’s Racing Administration site will start to be replaced by a brand-new platform called the Racing Digital (RD) Hub. Racing Digital’s Managing Director, Steve Gibson, explains what this change means for Racing Admin users and how the RD Hub will help improve how participants interact with British horseracing.
Like most areas of life, British horseracing relies on good systems, processes and the latest technology to help ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Racing’s administration has evolved over the centuries and in recent years has become a far more digital experience, making it increasingly easier for those who own, train, race and look after horses to take part in our sport.
The next stage on this journey is the Racing Digital (RD) Hub – a new online platform that will help transform the sport we all love using the power of digital technology.
Replacing Racing Admin
From early 2025, the RD Hub will gradually replace the BHA’s existing Racing Administration site. Most people who work in racing or own a racehorse will be familiar with Racing Admin – better known to some as NRAS.
It’s where you make entries and declarations, record employer information about stable employees, manage all aspects of ownership and carry out various other transactions that support involvement in our sport.
Why is it being replaced? Well, anyone who uses Racing Admin will know that while it does the basics, it undoubtedly needs an upgrade. That’s why the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Weatherbys made the decision to invest in a new system.
Why the Racing Digital Hub?
The RD Hub will improve the way people complete racing-related administrative tasks that allow everyone to participate in our sport, simplifying processes and making things easier for all users.
But it will also allow us to make better, more intelligent use of racing’s data, keep up with the relentless pace of digital innovation and help ensure we are better able to anticipate future developments.
This does mean that everyone who currently uses Racing Admin will at some point need to switch to using the RD Hub. But the move will be in several stages to support a smooth transition and make sure that everyone can carry on doing the things needed to keep the industry running while the transfer takes place.
Taking our time, getting things right
Developing new systems and redesigning processes is never straightforward, especially when dealing with decades-old racing data and trying to fulfil the varying requirements of different users.
The Racing Digital team has spoken extensively with Racing Admin users over several years to make sure the new RD Hub meets your needs, while retaining or simply building on the aspects of the current system that work well.
It is fair to say that it has taken us time to get to this point – and certainly longer than we’d initially planned. But the important thing is that we get it right, so the RD Hub does what racing needs it to do.
Indeed, some parts of the system are already live and being used by the BHA and racecourses to manage fixture programming, with the site allowing this to be done in a much more agile way.
An initial focus on racehorse owners
But the major rollouts for participants will start in early 2025, beginning with services for racehorse owners – part of the sport’s wider commitment to continually improve the ownership experience.
Owners, trainers, racing yards and anyone with horses in training will start using the RD Hub for key activities such as registering as an owner, managing ownerships, horses and sponsorships, and registering for VAT in a more streamlined way.
Some features of ownership administration won’t be available immediately in RD Hub, so Racing Admin will still be needed for the time being. But we’ll make it clear what is and is not available, and help you move seamlessly between the two sites.
Race entries, declarations and other releases
The second major release will follow later in 2025, when all entries and declarations move to the RD Hub, alongside other financial aspects of running a racing business, such as invoicing and VAT summaries.
Finally, we will complete the transition when horse naming, racing colour management, all aspects of licensing and the stable employee register are made available on the new system.
By that point, everything you used to do on Racing Admin will be done on the RD Hub and we expect to be able to turn off Racing Admin, safe in the knowledge that everyone is set up – and hopefully enjoying significant improvements.
What’s the next step?
This is an exciting development, one which will help us respond faster to change, use data in a much more intelligent way, make the mundane much more manageable and, fundamentally, support you to interact with the sport much more easily.
We’ll soon start contacting users, with more detail about what you can expect from the RD Hub and specific information about what’s needed to make the switch from Racing Admin to the RD Hub as easy as possible.
If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you: info@racingdigital.co.uk. Otherwise, if you’re a regular Racing Admin user, we’ll be in touch soon.