Rose to quit Levy Board for HKJC equestrian role

Levy Board head of operations Tasha Rose is the latest British racing administrator joining the exodus to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

She has been appointed to the new post of equestrian affairs project leader, assisting executive manager of equestrian affairs Amanda Bond at the club’s Beas River site.

Rose will leave the Levy Board at the end of July, around the same time that Arena Racing Company’s racing and property director Stephen Higgins exits Britain to become head of raceday operations, tracks and racing facilities at the HKJC, reporting to Tony Kelly, his former boss at Arc.

Kelly was recruited as executive director of racing business and operations in the summer of 2015, and his responsibilities include overseeing development of the new training centre at Conghua in mainland China, which is due to open in July 2018.

Other recent arrivals at the HKJC from Britain are former SIS stalwart George Irvine as co-mingling development director and ex-Channel 4 pundit Graham Cunningham as manager of the Hong Kong Racing Club.

Commenting on Rose’s appointment, HKJC chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: "Tasha spent some time with us recently and I'm delighted she's joining us.

"The role is purely on the equestrian side, of which she has great experience, but she also has expertise in horseracing and this may prove very useful in the future."

Rose said: "After seven fantastic years at the Levy Board I have decided to seek new adventures, but between now and the end of July it’s business as usual."

Higgins’ arrival in Hong Kong is intended to allow long-serving official John Ridley to devote more time to the final stages of the Conghua development.

Engelbrecht-Bresges said: "Stephen will run the raceday operations at Sha Tin and Happy Valley, but we're making a huge investment in reconstruction of the racecourse stables and Stephen’s experience in property management will be deployed in that area."