Bittar, 42, has performed well, moving swiftly to meet as many faces in as many different corners of the sport as possible. His easy-going style was impressive and he looked comfortable at Ascot on Saturday. Crucially, he also displayed a grasp of the key issues in the sport, despite being only a few days at the helm.
He says that his top priorities are to find a solution to the whip issue, ideally before the Cheltenham Festival, and to resolve racing’s funding problems.
Nic Coward, his predecessor, was hardly ever seen on a racecourse – hence his nickname 'The Ghost’ – but Bittar will adopt a very different approach. “In Australia, I went racing between four and six times a month. It was no hardship. I love it, and I hope to go racing a lot here. My wife and son are not due here for a couple of months, so that will give me a chance to get around and meet everybody,” he said.
This is Bittar’s third stint working in the UK. “After my first day[at the BHA], I phoned my wife and said: 'I remember now why I love London so much. It has such energy’. It’s a great place to live and work.”
