Christopher Spence, Jockey Club senior steward and leading owner, dies aged 84

Christopher Spence, the former senior steward of the Jockey Club and owner-breeder of the high-class Celeric, died on Monday after a short illness. He was 84.

Spence was also a founder director of the British Horseracing Board but enjoyed his finest hour in racing when landing the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 1997 with the quirky stayer trained by his brother-in-law David Morley. Celeric was kidded to victory by Pat Eddery, who was at pains not to hit the front too soon and did not lead until well inside the final furlong.

Celeric raced for seven seasons and also won the Lonsdale Stakes twice and the Jockey Club Cup, Yorkshire Cup, Sagaro Stakes and Northumberland Plate. Spence also owned Frontier Goddess, who was trained by Peter Walwyn to finish second in the Oaks in 1969 and turned the tables on the winner Sleeping Partner by beating her in the Yorkshire Oaks.

His emerald green and black colours were carried with distinction by Sesame, who won the St Simon Stakes and Blandford Stakes.

Christopher Spence's Celeric beats Classic Cliche in the 1997 Gold Cup at AscotCredit: Smith Phil

However, Spence made an arguably even greater contribution to racing as an administrator.

Born in Clifton, near Bristol, in 1937, he became a member of the Stock Exchange after National Service and then a merchant banker.

His financial and organisational skills were utilised by the Jockey Club, to which he was elected in 1986, and in 1993 he was one of the founding directors of the BHB – the body that, under the guidance of senior steward Lord Hartington (now Duke of Devonshire), took over British racing's governance in one of the most significant milestones in the sport's history.

Christopher Spence: pivotal figure who transformed administration of racing

He was the inaugural chairman of the BHB's finance committee, effectively acting as racing's chancellor of the exchequer for a year.

Spence served as senior steward of the Jockey Club from 1998 to 2003 when that job was still among the most important in racing. In his last year in office the decision was made to delegate the Jockey Club's regulatory responsibilities to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, which was eventually subsumed in the British Horseracing Authority.

In loosening the Jockey Club from its regulatory role, Spence began the process of establishing it as a commercial operator that was completed by his successor Julian Richmond-Watson.

He was the chairman of Racecourse Holdings Trust (now Jockey Club Racecourses) from 1995 to 1998, and chairman of Newbury from 2010 to 2015, in which capacity he greeted the Queen on her visits to the course.

Spence was also chairman of the National Stud from 2008, when it was taken over by the Jockey Club from the Levy Board, to 2011. During that time the stud was turned from a loss-making exercise to a profitable one by pursuing a programme of self-sufficiency.

He held many other official positions over the years both within and outside the sport, including racecourse director at Epsom and high sheriff of Berkshire.

His son Johnno, a racing PR consultant, said: "Dad was a huge supporter of racing and he did a huge amount for the sport in his tenure as senior steward.

"The greatest day of his racing life was Celeric winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. That is every owner-breeder's dream and from two mares to breed the winner of the Gold Cup was an enormously special day for everyone.

"He loved his racing and was very passionate about the Jockey Club, and Epsom in particular. He loved his time as chairman and the Derby was a huge passion of his. He was also an amazing father, grandfather and husband."

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