No shortage of issues for Nick Rust to tackle in remaining months of his tenure

News of Nick Rust's departure from the BHA this year will come as a bombshell for the sport, but he has chosen his own time to leave for both professional and personal reasons.

When he started the job at 75 High Holborn five years ago there would perhaps not have been many who would have expected him to be in the same role at the start of the next decade, such was the criticism at the time.

The appointment of the leading betting industry executive was compared to allowing a fox into the chicken coop, but Rust soon dispelled any misgivings about his previous employment as he proved himself to be a passionate advocate for the sport.