Lindsay Knox is prepared to go the extra mile as the new general manager at Chepstow Racecourse.
That’s in keeping, as she once raised thousands of pounds for charity by sledging 250 kilometres (155 miles) across the Arctic Circle.
That was in addition to four 100-kilometre (62 miles) walks, she did during the same period on behalf of Kidney Cancer UK.
So, putting in the hard yards shouldn’t be an issue for the woman now in charge of running Wales’ premier racecourse.
Those epic walks – non-stop, 20-hour endurance tests - were back in 2014, when Lindsay was working as a gym manager. She has since moved into leisure and hospitality management and arrives at Chepstow, from Tenpin, one of the largest tenpin bowling operations in the UK.
Running a racecourse might be a slightly different challenge to managing a team of huskies in temperatures of -30 degrees, but she’s unlikely to be found lacking in determination.
“I took on a challenge every month for 12 months that year and it was an amazing experience, although I’m not quite sure I could manage a 100k walk at the moment,” says Lindsay.
“I suppose I’m a determined person. I like to set my mind to tasks and accomplish them and I’m really looking forward to the challenges of this new role at Chepstow.
“I’ve been made to feel very welcome so far and it’s clear that I’m inheriting a very experienced and knowledgeable team here.
“It’s now about identifying the major challenges, seeing where we can make improvements, and working as a team to make the site and the operation run more smoothly.”
Achieving consistency and high standards will be her guiding principles, she says, whether that be on Welsh Grand National Day when the grandstands are packed, to the quieter, more low key meetings at some other times of the year, or the growing sphere of high profile gigs and hospitality events hosted by Chepstow.
“There are so many different elements here now to what we offer and so many different types of customers and guests,” says Lindsay.
“But from the owners and trainers, to the regular racegoers, to people coming to the races for the first time, or people attending for other events, the customer experience, the customer journey, has to be an enjoyable one.
“It takes hard work to get things right. But it’s very easy to get things wrong and very easy nowadays for people to make instant judgements, so we have to focus on doing the important things well so that people enjoy coming here and get value for money.”
Adding to the new general manager’s handy back story for running a racecourse is a long-standing love of horses.
“I was around horses a lot as a youngster and as someone raised in Reading, I was near enough to go to the racecourses at Ascot, Windsor, Newbury and Brighton.
“I think racing offers so much and there is an increasingly diverse range of people who attend.
“I hope to tap into those different demographics open to Chepstow. It might be that someone attends a non-racing event here, sees the size and scope of the place and the facilities we offer, and then decides to come back to go racing on a Monday night or on Ladies Day.
“I want to be able to make lots of those connections and build on that potential.”
