HUNTINGDON Racecourse s managing director Amy Starkey — the youngest racecourse MD in Britain — is to leave her post. Ms Starkey, 27, will leave her position at the Brampton circuit after three years to become managing director of the famous Kempton Park

HUNTINGDON Racecourse's managing director Amy Starkey - the youngest racecourse MD in Britain - is to leave her post.

Ms Starkey, 27, will leave her position at the Brampton circuit after three years to become managing director of the famous Kempton Park racecourse in Surrey.

The process of finding a replacement for Ms Starkey, who will leave on August 1, is already under way, Huntingdon Racecourse's owners the Jockey Club said.

Ms Starkey told The Hunts Post: "It will be a wrench to leave Huntingdon, where I have enjoyed three memorable years, but the challenge of Kempton was too good to turn down.

"I am so sad to be leaving - I will miss the place immensely. You do get attached to the place and I find it is like showing people around your own home."

Ms Starkey added that her departure would not affect the £3million-plus development of the new South Stand at the racecourse.

She said: "Preparing a business plan and securing funding from the Jockey Club for the new stand must go down as my biggest achievement at Huntingdon. It will take the course to the next level.

"It is a racecourse with a huge amount of potential - it has a lot of land and is perfectly situated geographically and is being increasingly used for conferencing.

"I hope in the future the course will work even more closely with people and businesses in Huntingdonshire to establish itself even more."

Last year, Ms Starkey was invited to have lunch with The Queen, which she says was her personal highlight of her time at Huntingdon.

Brought up in Yorkshire, Ms Starkey developed a passion for racing when she went to school next to York Racecourse and later worked in a bookmakers while at University.

After finishing her degree she won a place on the British Horseracing Board's graduate programme and worked as commercial manager at Sedgefield before joining Huntingdon in June 2005.

Mike Street, chairman of Kempton Park, said: "Amy impressed us with what she has achieved in her career to date, and at Huntingdon in particular. With her energy and enterprise, she is tailor-made for Kempton."

Ms Starkey's last race meeting at the helm of Huntingdon will be Ladies' Night, on Tuesday, May 27.

INFORMATION: Visit www.huntingdon-racecourse.co.uk or call 01480 453373.