The Co Kilkenny based breeder Harry McCalmont takes over as senior steward of the Turf Club on New Year’s Day when racing’s integrity will be overseen by a new limited company, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.
Details on the new company – set up by the Turf Club and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee to legally protect its members – have been finalised in what officials describe as a "more appropriate structure" for racing's regulation.
Both the Turf Club and the INHSC will continue to exist as private clubs. Each will nominate three directors to the new IHRB board and their members can continue to act as stewards at race meetings. All staff will transfer to the IHRB and will be employed by that company.
The head of the INHSC, Peter Allen, will be chairman of the IHRB with the incoming Turf Club senior steward, Harry McCalmont, his vice-chairman.
McCalmont will replace Meta Osborne as senior steward. He has been a Turf Club member since 1985 and is a well-known breeder, owner and vendor. He has had a number of high-profile roles in racing including with the introduction of Irish Champions Weekend.
In other news, top English trainer Colin Tizzard has indicated his veteran star Cue Card will have three more runs this season before being retired.
"We probably won't run Cue Card in the King George. Talking to Jean Bishop [owner] we will just mind him. The King George is red hot," he said.
"We just want to have three runs in the Spring, then retire him. I think that's what we will do. We will go to the Ascot Chase, then either the Ryanair or Gold Cup and then on to Aintree. Then I will have him as my hunter," added Tizzard.
