The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced that, as of Jan. 19, 2018, racecards in the U.K. will be able to note when a horse is racing for the first time after having undergone a wind surgery.

This has been introduced with the needs of the sport’s betting customer as the focus and in the interests of openness and transparency. A Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF) survey recently found that information on wind surgeries is the piece of information most requested by the betting public.

As well as enhanced data for betting customers—and the beneficial impact this will also have on the integrity of betting markets—this development will also allow the BHA to collect research data on the nature, frequency, and impact of wind surgeries on racehorses.

“Wind operations are routine surgical procedures which are designed to assist a horse with its breathing,” said David Sykes, BVSc, MRCVS, BHA director of equine health and welfare. “We have identified a list of five of the most relevant and frequent surgeries, which we are asking trainers to declare