Joe Saumarez Smith, British racing’s senior leader as British Horseracing Association chair from June 2022 until late last month, has died aged 53.

Saumarez Smith had been living with lung cancer since the summer of 2023 yet remained committed to working for the sport throughout his treatment, only stepping down Jan. 30 due to his deteriorating health.

In a statement released Feb. 11, the BHA said Saumarez Smith had died at home surrounded by his family and “will be hugely missed by us all”. 

The BHA added: “His wife Wanda and their children have asked us to pass on their deep thanks for all the messages of support they have received since Joe was first diagnosed with cancer and especially since he stepped down as BHA Chair Jan. 30 when his health worsened. They have asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.

“Throughout a long and distinguished career in racing Joe was a passionate and dedicated supporter of the sport, combining that drive with great diplomatic skills to promote racing at home and abroad.”

That dedication was evident in the serial entrepreneur’s efforts to persuade successive governments that changes to gambling regulation were both flawed and responsible for causing huge financial harm to racing.

Last month, Saumarez Smith shared his own challenges with punitive restrictions and overzealous bookmaker interventions, while he had been a speaker on racing’s behalf at a Jan. 17 parliamentary reception where he raised the issue of affordability checks.

David Jones, who stepped in to be interim BHA chair last month, described Saumarez Smith as “not just a personal friend to many of us but a great friend of racing.” 

Jones added: “Joe’s enthusiasm for the sport shone through in everything he did. He had such a deep knowledge of all aspects of the industry and I and other board colleagues will really miss his insight.”

Brant Dunshea, acting BHA chief executive, said: “It has been a great privilege to have known and worked with Joe, always providing wise counsel and tremendous support to the BHA team and to me personally, and for that we will be forever grateful. His commitment to advocating Britain’s interests on the global stage was unwavering, and for that British racing owes him a huge debt of gratitude. We will miss him terribly”.

Prior to becoming a BHA director in 2014, the former Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Express journalist had been a successful punter, including on racing, landing six-figure payouts when Kicking King and then War Of Attrition won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

While he became unable to bet on racing after joining the BHA, Saumarez Smith continued his punting prowess in other sports and poker.

After quitting journalism, Saumarez Smith co-founded online education platform Schoolsnet, which was sold in the early 2000s, and subsequently founded management consultancy Sports Gaming. He also went on to invest in more than 40 start-ups in sectors such as gaming, film, and clothing.

Saumarez Smith replaced Annamarie Phelps as BHA chair in 2022 and oversaw a number of significant initiatives during his tenure. These included the scrapping of the tripartite decision-making system and the elevation of the BHA board to be the final decision-maker, and the launch of the Premier racing trial.