UK newspaper The Guardian reports that the 10 measures will be trialled in the first half of 2010 and will include presenting starting odds in decimal form, instead of the traditional fractions, as well as media training for trainers and jockeys.
A budget will be made available to pay fees to jockeys and trainers who make media appearances outside the traditional racing media. A free club for young adults will offer discounted admission to racetracks and the chance to buy shares in horses. A website targeting new fans with basic information about the sport will be launched.
There will be an attempt to introduce more excitement into photo finishes, with the outcomes being displayed on big screens as judges call the winner. The chairman of Racing For Change, Chris McFadden said the sport had to 'raise its game' if it was to "connect, as it did in the past, with the wider public.
"What [racing] requires is a clearer structure and better presentation of its strengths: its drama, spectacle and heritage as well as its equine and human stars." The RFC said it hoped the changes would signal a new mood in UK horseracing, which is set for more fundamental changes to the sport's structure to be announced in the coming months.
