Michael Buckley oversees last meeting as Tamworth Jockey Club general manager

It was Saturday afternoon - Ladies Day at Tamworth Racecourse - and Buckley was overseeing his last meeting as Tamworth Jockey Club general manager before heading to Sydney to become Racing NSW Country's senior executive assistant.

That night, the 33-year-old South Australian had dinner with a number of racing identities to mark the end of his 20-month tenure as GM.

Leading Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan was at the dinner. He said Buckley's contribution to Tamworth racing had been "huge".

"He's been such a good acquisition to the jockey club. It's sad to see him go," Morgan said, adding that Buckley's training background made him "very accommodating, because he understood the dynamics of training a race horse".

"And that made it so much easier. Nothing was a problem in his stay."

"And I have absolutely no doubt his next appointment won't be his last one up the corporate ladder," Morgan added.

Buckley immersed himself in the Tamworth community, augmenting his TJC duties with a committee role on the Tamworth Junior Chamber and a playing role at the Kangaroos.

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"I think the first thing that I wanted to do when I got here was engage with the community," Buckley said, adding that he had made "plenty of friends" in the region and it would be "sad not to see them".

"But hopefully the new job will require coming back to Tamworth pretty regularly," he said, adding that his partner will remain in Tamworth.

"So we're just working on the logistics of long distance at the moment," he said.

The TJC's incoming GM is Tamworth High alumnus Jack Penfolds.

"I think Jack's gonna do a great job," Morgan said.

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