Racing Post is marking its 40th anniversary today (15 April 2026) with the launch of RP40, an anniversary campaign focused on people, moments and stories from across the title’s history in British and Irish racing.
The publication was founded with the backing of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and first printed on 15 April 1986. Racing Post said its debut edition carried a colour photograph of Sonic Lady on the front page and the headline “We’re Off!”.
Racing Post said it has evolved from a daily newspaper into a multimedia platform across web, app, print and partner integrations. The company reported 2.5 million monthly web users, 430,000 monthly active app users and a print daily readership of 100,000, with distribution to more than 6,400 betting shops across the UK and Ireland.
As part of RP40, Racing Post has commissioned an anniversary logo that recreates its “R” from 40 years of front pages. The campaign is set to run throughout 2026, with editorial features and archive-led storytelling across digital, social and print.
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.”
