The Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR), the racecourse arm of commercial racing’s UK governing body The Jockey Club, has announced that Paul Fisher will leave his role as its chief executive next month.Fisher has been with The Jockey Club for 19 years, starting as finance director at JCR – then known as Racecourse Holdings Trust – at the start of 2001.
After being promoted to the position of managing director of Kempton Park in 2005, Fisher went on to become chief operating officer of JCR in 2008. He was then made managing director of JCR in 2013 before moving into the role of chief executive in 2017.
“After 19 fantastic years at The Jockey Club, and more than ten of those running Jockey Club Racecourses, I’ve decided it’s time for a fresh challenge,” Fisher said.
“I’m proud of the commercial growth, record prize money contributions and significant improvements to our facilities and the overall customer experience we’ve been able to deliver around the country at our courses, large and small.”
The Jockey Club’s senior steward Sandy Dudgeon said that the organisation will set out the succession plan for the next phase of its future in due course. He also paid tribute to Fisher and the impact he has had on the body.
Dudgeon said: “On behalf of the Jockey Club stewards and members, I would like to thank Paul for the huge contribution he has made to the Jockey Club and to the evolution of British racing over a sustained period.”
Delia Bushell, group chief executive of The Jockey Club, added: “Paul has led an outstanding period of commercial growth and raised the bar on our Jockey Club Racecourses’ quality of service. I would like to thank him for his leadership, energy and the passion he has shown for racing in every aspect of our business.”
Bushell has only been with The Jockey Club since September of last year, after she was appointed as its new group chief executive, replacing Simon Bazalgette.
The announcement comes after it was also revealed this week that Nick Rust is to step down as chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority at the end of 2020, after almost six years in the role.
