Nicholas Wrigley pays tribute to Rose Paterson as he is named Aintree chairman

Nicholas Wrigley paid tribute to the "outstanding" Rose Paterson after being announced as the new chairman of Aintree on Wednesday.

He is looking forward to being in charge of next year's Grand National, which he described as "the greatest jump race in the world", after the 2020 running was lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wrigley, 65, who was the senior steward of the Jockey Club from 2009 to 2014, succeeds Paterson, who died earlier this year.

He has been chairman of The National Stud since last year, has also chaired the York race committee and is a director of Pontefract racecourse.

Currently chairman of investment bank N M Rothschild & Sons Limited, Wrigley is also a successful owner/breeder, notably winning the Ayr Gold Cup with Don’t Touch.

On being announced as Aintree chairman, he said: "I would like to start by paying tribute to Rose, who displayed such outstanding leadership and passion during her tenure as chairman of Aintree racecourse. It was a great honour to serve on the Aintree committee with Rose as she showed huge enthusiasm and commitment to Aintree and the community.

"The Randox Health Grand National is the greatest jump race in the world and I look forward to supporting the Jockey Club team at Aintree to deliver a thrilling three-day festival in April 2021 and build on the outstanding work that has been achieved with the local and racing communities."

Sandy Dudgeon, senior steward of the Jockey Club, said: "I would like to thank Nicholas Wrigley for agreeing to become chairman at Aintree at such a sad time, following the death of Rose Paterson. Rose was a wonderful woman who contributed greatly to the racecourse and its community. It is only fitting that she is succeeded by a person with Nicholas's vision, knowledge and track record."

Dickon White, north west regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses, added: "It has been a challenging year for Aintree racecourse, with the cancellation of the 2020 Randox Health Grand National Festival due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the very sad loss of Rose Paterson in June.

"However, Aintree's new chairman, Nicholas Wrigley, brings with him a wide breadth of experience of the racing industry and a passion for the sport. We're working extremely hard to deliver the best ever Randox Health Grand National Festival in 2021 and I am sure having Nicholas on board will prove invaluable."

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