Stony Creek Racing Club declared its recent appointment of former jockey Jason Benbow to the position of CEO as a racing industry first, with Benbow set to take over from Adam Olszanski in August.
Benbow has a strong connection to the Stony Creek racecourse that began at age six when he started accompanying his father, a Traralgon-based trainer, to the venue.
After becoming an apprentice jockey, Benbow celebrated the first race win of his career at the Stony Creek track in 2001 aboard Aileen Lawler trained Fabio.
“I think I led all the way and it was pretty exciting to get my first winner,” he said of his ride on Fabio.
As a senior rider he took out the 2021 Ladbrokes Stony Creek Cup on Skelm.
Born and bred in Traralgon, Cranbourne-based Benbow is a Gippsland boy at heart and sees his career move to Stony Creek as a homecoming.
Knowing racing industry participants in the area and more broadly, convinced him to throw his hat in the ring for the CEO position.
Benbow’s career in the saddle was ended by a race fall at Murray Bridge in November 2022 in which he sustained a badly broken right femur, leaving him unable to recover the range of movement required to resume racing.
“I didn’t think I’d want to work in the industry if I couldn’t be a jockey,” he said, explaining advice from Victorian Jockeys Association CEO Matthew Hyland was a turning point, convincing him to draw on his industry experience and contacts and pursue an administrative role in racing.
Delighted to have lived out his childhood dream of being a jockey, Benbow acknowledges it is daunting taking the next step but the support he has from the Stony Creek Racing Club committee fills him with confidence he will succeed.
“It’s just getting people to the races and having fun,” he said of what he and the committee will focus on, noting he will draw on his events background, having filled the role of events manager for the National Jockeys Trust when he was injured in the past.
That was something that stood out in the view of those on the Stony Creek Racing Club committee.
“The committee is very impressed with his ability to maintain a professional riding career whilst leading significant advancements for the National Jockeys Trust, a charity that supports injured and ill jockeys Australia wide,” the racing club’s president John Schuijers said.
A fundraising celebrity T20 cricket match between racing all stars and the National Jockeys Trust jockeys is an event Benbow is proud to have helped organise during his time with the Trust.
“That was really engaging with the communities that the game was played in and the racing community as well,” Benbow said, something that will apply equally to organising the five-race program for the upcoming racing season at Stony Creek.
As has been the case under Olszanski’s watch, there will continue to be a strong emphasis on ensuring a fun family experience at the track, with Benbow sure to draw on the thoughts of his three young daughters.
“I don’t think, taking the position, you necessarily want to reinvent the wheel,” Benbow said, making it clear that aspects of race days that are already working well will be retained.
However, he’ll be striving to identify new opportunities to engage with the community and boost attendances.
“Stony Creek, geographically, is probably a bit out of the way for a lot of things but we’re fortunate it’s close to a lot of holiday makers in places such as Wilsons Prom,” Benbow said, adding he looks forward to working with the club’s committee on ways to bring more of those people to the races.
As well as his event management experience, Benbow will draw on his 23-year racing career in which he rode over 750 winners, as he tackles a new challenge as CEO.
“Being a jockey is probably one of the hardest jobs you could face,” Benbow said, acknowledging it is very different to his new role but stressing that networking and communication are important aspects of both jobs.
As a jockey, riding a winner for renowned trainer Peter Moody during the 2004 Melbourne Cup Carnival was a highlight, achieving that on Sky Cuddle in the Emirates Stakes in his first Group 1 ride.
“That cemented my position and I based myself out of Caulfield for the next 15 years,” Benbow said.
President Schuijers is confident Benbow will seize his current opportunity in the same fashion, pleased with the successes he enjoyed at Stony Creek as a rider, and looking forward to seeing him apply his knowledge and skills off the track.
Benbow expressed his appreciation of the committee’s support and acknowledged the work of outgoing CEO Olszanski, noting his contribution has placed the club in a strong position and crediting him for the fact the Stony Creek racing season ahead will feature mostly weekend meetings, making it easier to attract quality fields, jockeys and trainers, and sponsors.
The pair will work closely together, with Olszanski sharing his knowledge during the leadership transition process.
