BHA makes five recommendations to fix ‘shambolic’ starts at Cheltenham Festival

The British Horseracing Authority is introducing measures before next year’s Cheltenham Festival to tackle a significant rise in false starts. The percentage of affected races climbed from 18% in 2022 to nearly 40% at the 2026 meeting, contrasting with a 4% rate across jump racing. Following a review of these shambolic starts, the BHA has made five recommendations, which include potential track layout changes and the use of bugging devices for stewards to resolve the issues.