1 December 2023
SINGAPORE TURF CLUB ANNOUNCES NEW RACING LEADERSHIP
Industry veterans John Davidson and Heidi Lester respectively appointed as Chief Racing Officer and Vice President, Racing
Singapore Turf Club announced today that Chief Stipendiary Steward John Davidson has been promoted to the role of Chief Racing Officer Designate from 1 December 2023 and will take on the role of Chief Racing Officer from 1 March 2024. As Chief Racing Officer, Mr Davidson will oversee the Club’s racing operations. Mr Davidson will succeed Dayle Brown.
Mr Davidson is a longtime member of the Singapore racing community, having served as Senior Stipendiary Steward from 2007 to 2013 and then as Chief Stipendiary Steward from 2020 to now. A veteran of the horse-racing world, Mr Davidson worked as Chief Stipendiary Steward for the Canberra Racing Club in Australia from 2000 to 2007 and as Chief Steward for the Southern District Racing Association from 2013 to 2019, also in Australia.
In addition to Mr Davidson’s promotion, the Club has announced that Macau Chief Stipendiary Steward Heidi Lester will assume the role of Vice President, Racing from 8 December 2023. Ms Lester’s appointment coincides with the departure of Mr Zane Turner, Assistant Vice President (Racing Support). Ms Lester will succeed Mr Turner in overseeing the racing department, with a key role of managing the horse-exportation plans.
An industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience, Ms Lester began her racing career as a Stipendiary Steward with Racing Victoria, a role she held for nine years before moving to Macau to serve as Chief Stipendiary Steward there. She is currently in her second tenure with Macau Jockey Club.
Singapore Turf Club President and Chief Executive Ms Irene MK Lim said: “John's extensive experience, thorough understanding of racing regulations and demonstrated leadership in the Stipendiary Stewards' team make him a natural fit for the role. And we are excited to welcome Heidi to Singapore and to our team. We also take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Dayle and Zane, both of whom played key roles in overseeing the overall race operations.”
The Club is committed to running all scheduled race meetings through to the final race on 5 October 2024 for the benefit of the fans, owners, trainers, jockeys and horses that make up Singapore’s racing community.
About Singapore Turf Club
Founded in 1842, Singapore Turf Club (STC) is Singapore’s only horse racing club. A destination that has consistently been reinventing experiences and bringing fun and excitement to the communities, STC’s sprawling 124-hectare Kranji grounds featuring world-class horse racing tracks and a 30,000-capacity Grandstand, can support both large-scale and intimate sporting competitions and lifestyle events.
A proprietary club of the Tote Board, STC’s focus is on cultivating horse racing as a prestige sport and creating a first-class horse racing community in Singapore with integrity and professionalism. STC is also a learning hub for specialised equestrian skills, as well as a provider of impeccable stabling, horse training and horse event support. For more information about STC, please visit www.turfclub.com.sg.
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