LIMERICK Racecourse is again on the lookout for a new general manager after Tom Rudd announced he is to step down from the role at the end of this month.

The news means a turbulent period continues for the track in an administrative sense, with Rudd having only been appointed in July 2022.

He replaced Yorkshire native Emma White, who departed the role after just six months for “professional reasons”, while her predecessor Patrick O’Callaghan left the position in late 2021.

Limerick will now need a fourth new manager in the space of a little more than two years.

Speaking about the decision, Rudd said: “The time is right for me to make this announcement. I have taken this decision due to a change in my personal circumstances, and ongoing commuting to Limerick on a daily basis is not feasible for me. I have enjoyed my role at Greenmount, building on its past successes, and I believe I leave the racecourse in good shape for the future.

“Highlights of my time at Limerick have included ensuring that the track’s best races have grown further in terms of their reputation, building strong relationships with sponsors, making the venue a customer-friendly attraction both locally and nationally, and leading a small but dedicated team to greater heights.

“Helping spearhead the Racing For Change campaign to make the racecourse the first fully sustainable track in Ireland. I wish whoever takes on the role the very best in the future.”

Ideal choice

Rudd appeared an ideal choice for the role as general manager, given his lifetime involvement with racing and the greater bloodstock business. An accomplished jockey who enjoyed success at the highest level, he was later part of the bloodstock team at Tattersalls Ireland, helping the company to further grow its National Hunt business.

Rudd is also a respected racecourse steward and sits on the Licensing and Veterinary and Equine Welfare Committees with the IHRB.

“I am going to take a little time to consider my options now after my time as general manager at Limerick,” Rudd added.

“The experience I have gained while working here has given me invaluable business insights, and this, together with my other previous roles in the industry, has opened a number of possibilities going forward. I would like to thank the chairman and board of Limerick Race Company for the opportunity they gave me and also their help and support in the intervening period”.

Limerick Race Company chairman Mark McMahon said: “We are grateful for the good work Tom did for us over the last 18 months, particularly in building closer relationships with all stakeholders in the industry.”

Turbulent period

Limerick has found itself at the centre of multiple controversies in recent years. Following the 2022 Christmas Festival, the track was prompted to clarify an apparent discrepancy in the attendance figures of 17,500 provided by Rudd. That figure was much lower than the previous comparable reported crowd in 2019 when 40,000 were said to have attended that year’s Christmas Festival.

Limerick officials subsequently indicated to The Irish Field that the 2022 Christmas figures “didn’t include hospitality and industry people”, meaning the St Stephen’s Day attendance that year of 11,937 was almost 50% higher than the 8,000 originally reported. The revised four-day total was given as 36,474.

Under O’Callaghan’s reign in December 2020, Limerick were heavily criticsed when the Irish Stable Staff Association requested for the raceday stewards to address the lack of hot food available for workers on course. The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners also wrote to Horse Racing Ireland to flag concerns over how owners were treated at a fixture in July 2021, with multiple complaints having been received.

Last May, trainer Shark Hanlon expressed his deep upset over ground conditions at the track, believing the course was overwatered and not as officially described.

In better news for the track this week, Limerick Racecourse was announced as one of three Irish locations that will host the FIA World Rally Championship over the coming three years. Greenmount is expected to be the location for a 10,000 square metre service park, rally headquarters and international media centre.

Advertisement >>87