The RJC appoints a new track manager.

New Zealander Kent Lean has been appointed as the Rockhampton Jockey Club’s senior track curator to manage Callaghan Park’s racetrack and training facilities.

Callaghan Park will be Lean’s first position as a racetrack manager and both the RJC, and the curator are desirous to ensure a smooth transition into the important role.

Kent will initially share the role with the Club’s track 2IC Rob Burnell as he progresses to take full responsibility for the tracks later this year.

Qualified in horticulture, arboriculture, and turf management, Kent has worked as the senior ground’s person for the Waikato Thoroughbred Racing in New Zealand for almost three years.

In his current position he is responsible for preparing tracks for both racing and training, running trials, operating machinery, spraying herbicides, as well as liaising with trainers and riders, safety control and general maintenance.

RJC CEO David Aldred has decided to ease Kent into the new role as the Club invests in upskilling and preparing him for the top job.

“Upskilling employees is a strategic investment that can lead to significant benefits for both the employee and the Club,” Mr. Aldred said.

“Kent is ready to grasp the job with both hands, and he has an impressive resume, and a great attitude.

“We both agreed that he would benefit from further training and acquiring knowledge from his peers. “He will achieve this through networking with the Australian Racecourse Manager’s Association (ARMA) and guidance from top echelon managers such as Racing Queensland’s track expert Marty Synan.

“We are also confident that with Kent working in tandem with our existing senior staff he will adapt quicker to the new role, and we look forward to watching him grow professionally to meet the challenges ahead of him.”

Kent said he is eager to the move to Australia, something that he has aspired to achieve for some time.

“I am really looking forward to taking this opportunity to work at a senior level of management in Rockhampton, and Callaghan Park racecourse looks a terrific place for me to start my management career,” he said. “I think to properly establish myself in racecourse management, Australia is the best place for me to do it.”

Kent has a Bachelor of Science degree, graduating as a Botany major from Otago University in 2011. He was also a rugby player and team manager for New Plymouth Old Boys Rugby Club, managing the club’s championship team in 2013,  a volunteer surf lifeguard at Oakura Beach, Taranaki, and a volunteer at Dunedin’s Botanic Gardens in NZ’s south.

Mr. Aldred said that Kent will start at the RJC in the third week of February.