Three London racecourses to be grouped together in Jockey Club restructure

By Simon Jackson, London24’s horse racing correspondent
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
1:12 PM

Horse Talk: Top horse-racing tips and the latest news

Three London racecourses will be run by one regional director from the start of next year following the implementation of a new management structure by Jockey Club Racecourses.

Epsom Downs, Sandown Park and Kempton Park will now be grouped together under one of four new regional clusters that have been instigated in a bid to increase the collaboration between racecourses and promote a consistent set of values to further promote the sport.

The trio of London tracks will be managed by Rupert Trevelyan, the managing director of Epsom Downs for the past three years who will be based at one of the three tracks and will be supported by general managers at the other two.

“I’m delighted to have been made the London regional director after three years within Jockey Club Racecourses at Epsom Downs,” Trevelyan said.

“Racing is a real passion and I want to do everything I can to help promote the sport and our fantastic racecourses in the London region. By combining the resources of these three courses, we can grow the popularity of racing in and around our sports mad city.”

Meanwhile former Kempton Park boss Amy Starkey, who took over at Newmarket earlier this year, has been appointed regional director for the east region and she will now oversee Huntingdon, Market Rasen and Nottingham as well as Newmarket.

Starkey said: “A quarter of all the UK’s racecourses are part of The Jockey Club, so it makes complete sense to introduce a new operating structure that encourages close working between courses in your region.

“I’m delighted to be appointed regional director for the east and believe all four fantastic courses in our region can benefit from increasing collaboration, with British racing enjoying the results long term.”

The south west group, comprising Cheltenham, Exeter, Warwick and Wincanton will be run by Ian Renton, currently managing director for Arena Leisure. The northwest group of Aintree, Carlisle and Haydock Park is to be controlled by John Baker.