At Government House in Melbourne with John in November 2009.

With the New Year comes a changing of the guard at the venerable Irish Turf Club as former Curragh chairman John McStay has succeeded Nick Wachman as Senior Steward.

Thoroughbred fans worldwide know the Turf Club as the be-all and end-all of Irish racing. It dates back to the dawn of time – 1790 to be precise – and in addition to serving as the regulatory body for horseracing in Ireland, it is responsible for flat, national hunt racing, and point to point racing in all Ireland.

In assuming his new post, John stressed the need for Irish racing to widen the tax base on betting in order for the industry to survive the current economic downturn.

“We face a challenging environment for all involved in the industry,” he said, before adding, “I am essentially an optimist as I look at the future of Irish racing, provided government and the industry work together, through widening the scope of the betting tax base. This would provide a welcome revenue boost for the government while at the same time ensuring much needed long-term funding for racing.”

One other thing Irish racing needs: a great movie featuring one of its greatest trainers!