HEREFORD Racecourse's Katie Stephens has become an accredited 'Clerk of the Course' in double quick time.

It usually takes applicants one year to achieve the necessary qualifications, but the 30-year-old has taken just five months.

In horse racing, a clerk of the course is responsible for the track at a racecourse, as well as planning the races.

A prospective clerk needs to pass three British Horseracing Authority exams - on raceday procedures, race planning, and racecourse husbandry.

Katie - the Hereford Times racing columnist - joined Hereford Racecourse just over four years ago as general manager before being promoted to estate manager last autumn.

She was accompanying Chepstow Racecourse's clerk of the course Tim Long at last week’s fixture at Hereford before taking charge on her own for the first time at the meeting on Sunday, June 22.

Katie, who is married to jockey Lee Stephens, said: "I'm delighted to have passed the exams, and am really looking forward to taking charge of my first meeting as clerk in June. It is also, of course, the biggest fixture of the year at Hereford."

Usually the summer is a quiet period at Hereford Racecourse. Not so in 2008. There are two Arabian racing meetings, and the first-ever harness racing.

The harness racing is on Sunday, July 13 and comprises eight races run under the auspices of the British Harness Racing Club.

If it is successful, there could be further meetings in the future. With the equestrian discipline being particularly popular around the Welsh borders, Katie is hopeful of a good crowd.

The races will be run over a little more than one mile starting near Hereford Leisure Centre. As this will be the first time that a harness racing fixture has been held at Hereford Racecourse and it is therefore a little bit of a novelty, there will be no handicapping on distance.

Northern Racing's Group managing director Tony Kelly said: "I'm delighted for Katie. “It's another string to her bow and one that I'm sure she will develop into an extremely successful career. “It was no surprise to anyone at Northern Racing that Katie passed in such quick time. “Her knowledge and all round understanding of the sport are fantastic."