Report claims Baroness Dido Harding is set to become the first female senior steward of the Jockey Club

The Jockey Club remained tight-lipped on Thursday following a report that Baroness Dido Harding is set to become the senior steward of the Jockey Club next year.

Sky News reported that Baroness Harding was in line to be the first woman to take the role, which is the chair of British racing's biggest commercial body.

Baroness Harding joined the Jockey Club's board of stewards in January 2018 along with current senior steward Sandy Dudgeon, whose five-year term in that role ends next summer. She had been appointed as a Jockey Club member in 2004.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for The Jockey Club said: “Sandy Dudgeon’s term as senior steward runs until July 2024 and we will announce his successor in due course."

Harding’s involvement in British racing has included more than 25 career wins as an amateur jockey and owning Cool Dawn, the winner of the 1998 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Her most recent winner as an owner came at Hereford on Wednesday through Hipop Des Ongrais after which she said: "There are a lot of positives in this sport and it's important we remember it. I'm here on a Wednesday at Hereford and have just had a winner, what could be better? I think the sport needs to look positively, reach out and think about how to attract broader audiences."

Baroness Harding has been a controversial figure due to her role running the government's Covid-19 test-and-trace programme in England, a scheme which was criticised during the pandemic. She had previously been chief executive of TalkTalk having also held senior positions at Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Jockey Club board appointments, along with new members, are elected at the body's winter meeting which takes place in December.

The Jockey Club is the largest employer in British racing, with annual turnover of more than £200 million. It runs 15 British racecourses including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom and Newmarket.

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