From 56 Pages to 2.5 million Monthly Readers: Racing Post Celebrates 40 Years at the Heart of Racing
Founded by the vision and backing of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, Racing Post first went to print on 15 April 1986, arriving in shops and on racecourses as a tabloid dedicated entirely to the sport.
After four decades at the centre of British and Irish racing culture, Racing Post is today celebrating its 40th anniversary with the launch of RP40, a campaign honouring the people, moments, and stories that have defined one of sport's most trusted media brands.
Founded by the vision and backing of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, Racing Post first went to print on 15 April 1986, arriving in shops and on racecourses as a tabloid dedicated entirely to the sport. From its very first edition, featuring a colour photograph of Sonic Lady on the front page and the headline “We’re Off!”, Racing Post distinguished itself with a bold editorial style and a focus on expert racing analysis.
In the years since, the brand has evolved from a daily newspaper into a fully integrated multimedia platform, delivering expert analysis, data, and editorial to millions of fans through web, app, print, and partner integrations.
Today, Racing Post reaches 2.5 million monthly web users and 430,000 monthly active app users, with its print edition achieving a daily readership of 100,000, delivered to over 6,400 betting shops across the UK and Ireland.
At the heart of the ‘RP40’ campaign is a specially commissioned anniversary logo: the iconic Racing Post "R", recreated entirely from 40 years of front pages. Each edition captured within it represents a moment in racing history: including a winner tipped, a story broken, a career launched. Together, they form a visual tribute to the journalism, expertise, and passion that has defined Racing Post across four decades.
The RP40 campaign will run throughout 2026, bringing together fans, colleagues, partners, and alumni around a shared celebration of racing. Across digital, social, and print channels, Racing Post will mark the anniversary with a rolling programme of editorial features, archive storytelling, and tributes to the people and moments that have shaped the brand over the past four decades.
Tom Kerr, Editor of the Racing Post, said: "The Racing Post was founded on the premise that racing fans deserved more and the belief of a pioneering crew of journalists that they could build something those fans would come to love. The newspaper survived, prospered and grew - and 40 years on we're still driven by the same instinct and love of horseracing as our founders.
"To celebrate this milestone we're inviting many of the legendary journalists, brilliant analysts and stars of the sport who have been part of our history to return to the fold in our anniversary year. This series, which will run through the rest of the year, is a celebration of the insight and innovative thinking that defines our future as well as our past."
