Ascot chief executive Vivien Currie quits after less than six months in the role

Vivien Currie has left her position as chief executive at Ascot after less than six months.

In a short press release, Ascot stated Currie had stood down from her role in order to return to Scotland for family reasons. Alastair Warwick, managing director at the Berkshire track, has been appointed acting chief executive.

Currie's departure leaves Ascot looking for a second permanent chief executive this year after she took over from previous incumbent Guy Henderson, who had been in the role since 2015 and retired at the end of June. The pair spent a short spell working together in the build-up to this year's royal meeting.

Currie's appointment was announced in December last year. She said at the time she was "looking forward to this new, very exciting chapter at Ascot".

She had previously worked as chief executive at Hamilton since 2008, with her tenure coinciding with the development of a £10 million on-site hotel. She was also a non-executive director at the BHA between 2016 and 2019 and served as vice-chair of the Racecourse Association for six years from 2010 until 2016.

Currie received an MBE last November for her services to racecourse management, business and charity.

Sir Francis Brooke, His Majesty's representative and chairman at Ascot, said: "We understand Vivien's decision and she leaves with our best wishes for the future."

The announcement comes just two days after the track hosted one of its major meetings, British Champions Day, in front of a crowd of 23,872. That is the event's lowest figure since its inception in 2011, although Nick Smith, the track's director of racing and public affairs, described the attendance on Sunday as "extremely healthy" given the ongoing cost of living crisis.

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