Horse racing-BHA apologises after horse's name sparks outrage

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has apologised after a runner was allowed to compete under a racially offensive name at the weekend and said it would review the process by which names are approved.

The three-year-old filly's name, "Jungle Bunny", a derogatory term for a Black person, was missed by the BHA and sparked uproar on social media ahead of the race at Wolverhampton on Saturday.

The BHA later said the name had since been changed and they were reviewing their procedures for filtering out offensive names.

"Racist language is not tolerated in our sport, whether intentional or accidental," a BHA spokesperson was quoted as saying by British media.

"We have taken steps to ensure the horse was renamed immediately. It is now called Jungle Bells. This will be reflected in records of the race result and horse form.

"We are deeply concerned as to how this happened and are reviewing the processes for approving names of racehorses."

Assistant trainer Emma Folkes said she was responsible for the controversial name.

"I didn't have a clue," she said. "Nobody in the yard had said anything and I can only apologise.

"It was a totally innocent mistake."