Penfold, 25, has been appointed chief steward for the Mid North Coast Racing Association and will be based at Port Macquarie.

A product of Tamworth High School, Penfold started out as a parttime steward under HNWRA chief steward Shane Cullen five years ago.

He then went to Sydney where he served a two-year cadetship with the Sydney stewards, and returned to Tamworth around three years ago to work under Cullen.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here working with Mr Cullen,” Penfold said. “He’s been tough but fair.”

Penfold had been unsure about what to do in life after finishing at school.

After his father introduced him to Cullen, the chief steward invited him to a Tamworth Cup meeting to see if he liked it. He did, and hasn’t looked back.

“I pretty much ran Taree last Monday and back to Kempsey on Monday and then the Coffs Harbour Cup meeting on Thursday,” Penfold said. 

He has had a steep learning curve, running non-TAB, once-a-year and picnic meetings.

“Quite a few interesting things have happened,” he said. “There’s something different happening every day at the races.”

That he has thrived and will now head his own panel is due to the education he’s received from Cullen.

Cullen has been chief steward for 20 years and in that time has overseen the development of talented stewards such as Cameron George, Todd and Drew Smith, Sam Woolaston, Dan Greer, Geoff Hausfeld, Tim Saladine, Josh Adams and Andrew Ray.

Penfold will replace Drew Smith at the MNCRA while George is now CEO of Warriors Rugby League in Auckland, and was formally CEO of Auckland Racing.

Todd Smith has been chief steward of the Central West Racing Association for a number of years, and Woolaston was chief steward of Far North Queensland before taking up a position on the Victorian stewards panel.