End Of An Era For Cheyne
(26/09/2004)
Nick Cheyne is officiating at the Ascot Finale meeting for the final time in his role as clerk of the course as he is about to leave Ascot to take up the newly-created position of client relations manager at Weatherbys.
"I am very much looking forward to my new job which will involve being Weatherbys' representative on all racecourse matters, in particular their sponsorship which runs to more than 80 races on 55 tracks, representing the firm at Newmarket and Doncaster sales and helping to organise open days for owners and trainers.
"And there will be a second role of recruiting business for their commercial ventures like banking, insurance and printing with clients inside and outside racing.
"I have worked at Ascot for 11 years and officiated at 10 Royal meetings and I have had a wonderful time. It is the top job in racing as far as clerks of the course are concerned and I was able to come here after six or seven years at Sandown.
"When I came to Ascot, Nicky Beaumont had been here for 30 years and I was expecting that I might do the same, but things change in racing and at my age offers of new jobs do not come along that often!
"I am sorry to be leaving Ascot at the time of the big new redevelopment plan, which is all very exciting, but that is just the way things have worked out. I shall be watching it with great interest.
"I shall leave Ascot with many great memories, especially of Frankie's "Magnificent Seven". That was an unbelievable day with the atmosphere building up all the time and the hype getting greater and greater. To do what he did on such a high profile day as that was quite remarkable.
"Part of my remit in the last three years has been to try to attract runners from overseas and it was really exciting when Choisir, the first horse from Australia to run here, won the King's Stand Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot last year and then followed up with the Golden Jubilee on the Saturday.
"I have also been trying to get the Americans to send over their middle distance horses - they had run some sprinters and milers in the past - and I was delighted when Hard Buck came and ran so well in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes this summer.
"I think we may have turned the corner with that; his connections are very keen to come back and run in the race again when it is at Newbury next year, and I would like to think that others from there will follow.
"And there have been some great days with the jumpers. I have seen some wonderful Victor Chandler Chases and I was delighted to be able to launch the new Grade One two and a half mile Ascot Chase when Martha's Son won the first running.
"I have been very fortunate to have been at Ascot for 11 tremendous years and shall leave with many happy memories when the course is embarking on its very exciting new development."
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