Posted on 26 August 2011.
Darley to step down from PJA role.
Kevin Darley has confirmed he is stepping down from his role as Chief Executive of the Professional Jockeys Association. The former Champion Jockey has decided to relinquish the position, as he believes the job should be carried out by someone based at the PJA Headquarters in Newbury, and he will leave his current post at the end of November.
Darley had previously been Industry Liaison Manager before taking over from Josh Apiafi as Chief Executive, after the latter left his post 2 years ago.
In a statement, Darley said:
“It has been a privilege to work on behalf of all the PJA Members over the last 2 years. Working within a different sphere of the sport has been a tremendous learning curve, and I am obviously very keen to remain working within the industry.
“The PJA has taken large strides forward in recent years in relation to Welfare and support availabel to our jockeys. The Association has a very dedicated team based in Newbury, and I’m confident that the progress we have made will continue.”
The PJA’s Joint President Tony McCoy said:
“Jockeys are very sorry Kevin has decided to step down as Chief Executive of the PJA. He is a man who has earned great respect amongst jockeys, and we thank him for all the efforts he has made on behalf of PJA members, and we wish him all the best for the future.
“On a personal note, he was not only Chief Executive, but also a very good friend, and I have always found his advice most helpful.”
Posted on 22 August 2011.
Guy Henderson appointed Chairman at Wincanton Racecourse.
Guy Henderson is the new chairman of Wincanton Racecourse, replacing Mark Woodhouse who will stand down on December 31st after a ten-year association.
Henderson joined the board in January 2010 and, in conjunction with the Wincanton Racecourse executive team, is already planning fresh developments and innovations for the regularly voted Best Racecourse in the South West.
Nicholas Wrigley, Senior Steward of The Jockey Club, which owns Wincanton Racecourse and 13 other leading racecourses, said:
"I'd like to thank Mark Woodhouse for the excellent job he has done as Chairman at Wincanton Racecourse and continues to do until the New Year.
"Guy Henderson is a very popular member of the board at Wincanton and I have every confidence he will prove a superb Chairman, guiding the executive team under the leadership of General Manager Steve Parlett."
Discussing his appointment, Guy Henderson commented:
“I feel honoured to be appointed to chair the Wincanton board. It is a great racecourse with real heritage and fabulous facilities. I look forward to working with the executive team to develop our offering to become the ultimate go-to leisure day out with jump racing in the South West.”
Posted on 17 August 2011.
Pat Keogh appointed Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse
Horse Racing Ireland today announced the appointment of Pat Keogh as Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse and Golf Centre. Pat will replace Tom Burke, following his retirement at the end of September.
A native of South Dublin, Pat is currently Head of Corporate Affairs with the Cosgrave Property Group. He has experience of the racing and bloodstock industry having previously been Finance Director of Coolmore Stud and prior to that worked for AIB in senior positions both in Ireland and overseas.
Since 2009 he has been a member of the advisory committee of Tote Ireland.
Brian Kavanagh, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland stated:
“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Pat Keogh as Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse and Golf Centre. He will bring a wealth of management experience and a strong knowledge of the industry to the position and I look forward to working with him. In welcoming Pat, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tom Burke for his wonderful contribution to Leopardstown and to Irish racing for over 40 years and wish him a long and happy retirement.”
In a statement, Pat Keogh stated:
“I am very much looking forward to my new position in Leopardstown which is a racecourse of wonderful potential. While the primary focus will be to further the development of racing at Dublin’s only racetrack, I will also be looking to maximise the potential of the wider commercial activities in Leopardstown.”
Posted on 12 August 2011.
Craig Robertson the new Tote Ireland General Manager.
Craig Robertson has been appointed as General Manager of Tote Ireland with effect from 08 August 2011.
Craig hails from Scotland and has extensive commercial and HR experience. He has worked in Ireland since 2003 most recently as Head of Support Services in St. James’s Hospital. Prior to that he was Operations Director/Head of Development at CBS Corporation and also General Manager for Compass Group at Dublin Airport. Previous to this his work in the UK included a number of senior positions within the Retail and Leisure industries.
The Chairman of Tote Ireland Mr Jim Nicholson commented:
"On behalf of the Board of Tote Ireland I welcome Craig as our new General Manager. He brings a wealth of commercial experience with him having worked in both the private and public sectors. We are looking for Craig to drive forward the business and ensure that the Tote is producing a maximum return for racing. The Tote contributed €1.5 million each year to racing between 2005 and 2008 before experiencing two difficult trading years when the economic downturn hit. Nonetheless, despite the very challenging financial background last year, the Tote’s bottom line improved by €1.1 million in 2010 compared to 2009, returning it to profitability. The key challenges now are to improve the on-course offering and to get the Tote product into multiple distribution channels off-course so as to grow the exotic pools both domestically and internationally. The pending legislation of off-shore betting operators will allow this critical part of the business to progress.”
Craig Robertson, new General Manager of Tote Ireland, stated:
“I am looking forward to the challenge of managing the Tote with the simple objectives of increasing its profitability and thereby maximizing its return to the racing industry. I was thrilled to see a Jackpot pool of €226k at Sligo last week which demonstrates the popularity and immense potential that large Tote Jackpot rollovers still have. I also took many positives from this year’s Galway Festival including the attendance figures, the performance of our exotic bet range and the commitment and enthusiasm of the Tote staff. I look forward to working with the Tote’s management team and staff, as well as our many business partners to develop and grow our service to both new and existing customers.”