'He was great fun' - former Jockey Club security chief Jeremy Phipps remembered

Tributes from across racing have been paid to former Jockey Club head of security Jeremy Phipps, who died earlier this month at the age of 78.

Phipps was recruited by racing's then ruling body in 2002 to succeed Roger Buffham to oversee integrity issues but his tenure came to an abrupt end following an interview on the BBC's Panorama programme in October that year.

A highly decorated soldier who rose to the rank of major general, Phipps was initially a cavalry officer and later served as director of the UK's special forces. He was married for 46 years to the celebrated equine and portrait artist Susan Crawford.

Phipps was instrumental in planning the SAS raid which ended the 1981 Iranian Embassy siege in 1982 and also cut a heroic figure during the 1979 Fastnet Race yachting disaster, braving 40 foot waves to cut a rope that had fouled the propeller on his own vessel Sigmania as it raced to aid a stricken French boat.

On leaving the forces Phipps worked for the security consultancy Control Risks, through whom he was seconded to the Jockey Club.

After launching a number of raids on training yards across Britain in search of doping materials, Phipps agreed to meet Buffham, who was assisting Panorama, in a London wine bar to discuss whether he should co-operate with the BBC producers, although unknown to him the meeting was covertly filmed.

'He was unlucky'

Having been presented with evidence on camera at Newmarket's July Course that he had openly criticised the Jockey Club's "backbone" during the meeting with Buffham, Phipps resigned on a matter of principle just eight months after being made director.

"He was a larger than life character and much liked by his team in the security department," said Christopher Foster, executive director at the Jockey Club and Phipps' direct boss.

"He came initially as a consultant from Control Risks when we were looking into what improvements we could make on the security side and then he took over as director. He was unlucky. I remember him as being great fun and it was unfortunate."

Fellow Jockey Club director and the organisation's head of media John Maxse vividly recalls the episode.

"He will rightly be remembered for his illustrious military career, rather than the relatively short time he spent working for the Jockey Club," Maxse said.

"Ultimately, I don't think the role suited his talents and that is probably apparent by the fact his successor came from a police background, rather than a military one."

Phipps maintained his connection with the sport and served as a non-executive director at Salisbury racecourse until he and his wife returned to the Scottish Borders ten years ago.

Salisbury clerk of the course Jeremy Martin said: "He was invited by the then chairman Michael Wates and he had four years on the board. He was very good talking to the sponsors and the owners up in the directors’ box on racedays.

"He was a great character and extremely welcoming to guests. One of his ideas that we implemented was a very early pilot of free admission racedays."

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