Cheltenham seeking new boss with Ian Renton set to change role within the Jockey Club

Ian Renton is to leave his post as head of Cheltenham racecourse after 11 years as the Jockey Club reshuffles its management team.

Cheltenham began advertising for a new boss on Wednesday as Renton will step back from overseeing Cheltenham but remain a Jockey Club managing director, responsible for the group's 15 racecourses, with Amy Starkey.

In the Jockey Club's advertisement seeking a director of Cheltenham racecourse, it outlined how decision making at the track would remain with Renton for up to two years due to the "complexities" of the job. The Cheltenham Festival is the racecourse group's biggest annual event with more than 250,000 punters in attendance, bringing in millions of pounds.

Renton has overseen a regeneration at Cheltenham since taking over from Edward Gillespie in 2012, including the £45 million transformation of the Princess Royal Stand in 2015. He was in charge when the festival came under review from the BHA three years later due safety concerns following six fatalities. The report led to 17 recommendations to significantly improve standards across jump racing.

The Cheltenham Festival also came under scrutiny in 2020 when allowed to go ahead just weeks before Britain went into lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, while the following year it was staged behind closed doors for the first time in its history.

The track's flagship meeting has surged in popularity under Renton's tenure and in 2022 the venue hosted a record crowd of 73,875 on Gold Cup day – it has since been capped at 68,500 to improve the racegoer experience.

In the spring of last year, the Jockey Club launched a public consultation into whether the Cheltenham Festival could be extended to five days, an idea that was rejected.

Renton said: “I count myself as extremely lucky to have worked with passionate racecourse teams in the south and north-west over the last decade.

“I’m looking forward to helping to guide the successful candidate to ensure Cheltenham continues to have the focus it needs while working closely with Amy Starkey to deliver a bright and sustainable future for all of the Jockey Club’s 15 racecourses in the years ahead.”

The Jockey Club said the new appointment would work "hand in glove" with Renton. The vacancy closes on November 9.

Cheltenham begins its core season on Friday and the 2024 Cheltenham Festival will celebrate the centenary year of the Gold Cup, the flagship race at the fixture. The Jockey Club has launched a Gold Cup community fund to raise money for projects in the local area.

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