'I had no racing background - but I don't need to be an expert to do this job'

When Brian Kavanagh made the short journey from Ballymany to the Curragh last autumn, it marked the end of a long stretch at the helm of Irish racing that servraed the industry well.

The nature of Kavanagh’s three-term tenure as chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland caused seismic ructions along the way, and you can never please all of your constituents all of the time, but from a helicopter view few would deny his influence helped to foster the environment from which the current rich yield has flourished.

An arch diplomat and savvy administrator with significant international clout, Kavanagh’s departure leaves a void that was never going to be easy to fill. It might not be quite the task of following Sir Alex Ferguson, but Suzanne Eade is the chosen one.