Irish racing must not be frightened of grasping a big chance to change

Next month will see a changing of the guard in Irish racing administration. After 20 years at the helm, Brian Kavanagh will be succeeded as chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland by the organisation's chief financial officer Suzanne Eade. And Denis Egan, who took over from Kavanagh when appointed chief executive of the Turf Club in 2001, will take early retirement from his position within the organisation now known as the IHRB.

In any business or organisation, succession provides challenges and opportunities alike. It can be fraught, but it can also be a powerful catalyst for fresh thinking and impetus.

It is vital that the IHRB's experience falls into the latter category, since Egan's yet-to-be-identified successor will take over with the regulatory body under greater pressure than at any time since its Turf Club incarnation faced an existential threat in the lead-up to the establishment of HRI in 2001.