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Hawkesbury Race Club’s long-serving chief executive Brian Fletcher has accepted a position as CEO of the giant Panthers Group of licensed clubs.

Fletcher, 62, moved from Coonamble in 1989 to start at Hawkesbury and has played a major role in developing the club into one of the most successful in Australia.

He joined the Panthers Board five years ago and recently was appointed chairman – a role he will relinquish with his new position.

“Having spent 26 years at Hawkesbury, of course it will be hard to walk out the door when the time comes,” Fletcher said.

“But I’m leaving the club in an excellent financial position, and I’m really looking forward to this new challenge.”

Fletcher will finish at Hawkesbury at the stand alone meeting on Saturday, April 30; significant because he worked so hard to get this day approved by Racing NSW in 2006.

This will be the 11th anniversary of the annual fixture – now firmly established as one of the feature days on the national racing calendar.

Significant also because Hawkesbury this year will offer record prizemoney of $1.165m for a nine-race program, which includes three Group 3 features ($200,000 Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup, 1600m, $200,000 Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas, 1400m, and $175,000 Darley Crown, 1300m).

Hawkesbury chairman Ken Quigley today said the club had begun advertising for Fletcher’s replacement, and hoped to have a new chief executive in place as soon as possible before he officially finished his duties.