Jim Parker: Why Newton Abbot racecourse boss John is hoping to ride a winner with Torbay

John Baker comes across as quietly spoken and a gentleman. He is without doubt both of these things but he is also a man with a mission.
A determined man, determined to put Newton Abbot Racecourse on the map, at the heart of the community and into the 'Torbay fold'.
Yep, the racecourse may be six miles away and in Teignbridge but shouldn't it be included in South Devon's and the Bay's list of attractions and 'days out' offers when holidaymakers visit our shores? It has tried to fit in with the bigger English Riviera tourism picture but has never really pulled it off.
John wants to change all that, not for one minute playing down the importance of having the local community on side and making sure that they not only have a day to remember as race-lovers and goers, but can also look to the racecourse for other uses, fun and doing business.
John's background is, not surprisingly, mainly in horse racing but his career has also taken in the challenging yet rewarding world of regeneration so he knows how to reshape business and businesses for a brighter future.
His aspiration to get closer to the Bay will have been helped when the racecourse hosted the most recent breakfast of the Torbay Business Forum and he presented to a captivated audience.
John revealed how a close relationship with his 'hero' and well-respected Stockport policeman granddad first introduced him to the world of horse racing more than 50 years ago and the days of Red Rum.
He was a delivery driver for a while and wanted to be a sports journalist writing for the Racing Post.
He ended up for a short time working in accountancy but his sports writing dream came true when he ended up writing scripts for the racing team on Radio Five Live.
“They were great memories for me,” John told the breakfast meeting.
His career in running racecourses started at Carlisle and a seven-year stint as managing director.
He likens the Carlisle venue to Newton Abbot and his intention then as is the case now was to 'have some fun and make a difference'.
“We want to make things happen and do something different,” says John.
In Carlisle, for instance, history was made when 10,000 people watched a first-ever, all female jockey race.
Aintree and the Grand National was his next port of call — and having a personal bodyguard during the world famous races.
A complete career change followed, with regeneration becoming the name of the game.
John was appointed chief executive at Whitehaven Harbour in 2021 and went on to oversee a complete revamp of its 400-year-old harbour, including the restoration of the town’s much loved lighthouses and implementing a new rolling programme of ongoing maintenance, investment and improvements.
Again there were similarities with Whitehaven and South Devon with links with the community and some deprived areas vital.
He said: “It is important we embrace the community here and bring them into the racecourse. We have invested here and we need to invest more, but the most important is people. People here are amazing.”
He said he wanted the racecourse to be aspirational — an average of 2,500 currently attend meetings. He would like to see 5,000 and even 10,000.
“We want the racecourse to be aspirational. We will get there,” said John.
Some improvements have already been made. Staff have new uniforms, there are 'welcome hosts' and a new mascot in Blaze the horse.
Customer surveys are bringing the community closer to the racecourse, links with the local commercial world have been forged through a new business club, the chamber of commerce and the local Rotary.
The racecourse faces challenges just like any other business and is heavily dependant in the weather. It has 18 fixed meetings a year but lost six last year, which cost them a six-figure sum.
That is why diversifying and becoming a 365-days-a-year business is vital for the future, said John.
He said: “We have to diversify to grow with a year-round business.”
There are refurbishment plans, the racecourse big screen could be used at other events, the catering operations are theirs to open up more opportunities as well, with the use of the restaurant.
John said: “Experience is key with family days. The horse is important. We don’t see enough of the horses. We want the best calibre horses. We want to be punching above our weight. It’s about people making a difference.”
He said that is where Torbay can help and it can work both ways. John said: “Torbay can help us and we can put people in Torbay and South Devon. We will be a conduit.”
He emphasised: “We are more than just a racecourse. We want to be the best pound for pound racecourse in the UK but we also want to be at the heart of community, have personality, drive events footfall, work in partnership, put on a show all year round and have fun.”
Welcome to Torbay, John. I am sure the door is wide open..