But there was one occasion when the then tractor driver had the crowds clapping and cheering him.

"It was in 1968, not long after I'd started here," he recalled.

"I drove the tractor out of a shed and there was a high fence which meant I couldn't quite see what was coming along the road.

"A motorcycle came past and I pulled out after it. Then I realised what I'd done. I'd come out in between a police rider and the Queen's car that he was giving an escort to.

"The crowd thought it was hilarious, but I was just worried I'd been taken to the Tower!"

Dan tells this story, and many others, in a way that shows his genuine affection for the venue that's been his workplace since he was 18 – some 42 years ago.

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And as he prepares for what will be his penultimate Glorious Goodwood, he is every bit as committed to the job of keeping the site in pristine condition as he was back in the days of his unplanned part in the royal procession.

He spent 16 years as a groundstaff member before becoming assistant grounds manager – the job he still does today and one he took from his father Randy.

The Smith dynasty won't finish at Goodwood when Dan retires, either, for his son Kenny (37) is head chippy in the building department on the estate.

Clerk of the course Seamus Buckley paid tribute to his long-serving colleague.

"Dan is an inspiration to us all with his loyalty and devotion to Goodwood," said Buckley. "He is as enthusiastic today as he was when I first met him many years ago."

This is Dan and his team's busiest time of year with the five-day festival less than a fortnight away – and anyone who suspects all a racecourse's groundstaff have to do is keep the grass cut should talk to Dan.

"Although I do a lot of managing of the team, I'm still hands-on as well. I don't think you can ask people to do jobs to a high standard if you're not prepared to do the work and reach those standards yourself," he said.

"Our work is not just about keeping the surface in perfect condition through cutting, fertilising and watering and so on.

"For a start there's three miles of rail that needs cleaning and checking.

"There's the stands and all other public areas to keep clean and well-maintained, there's fencing and car parks to keep in order, signs, machinery, so many things to keep on top of. But we like to think we do keep on top of it all."

Dan, who has a home on the estate for life which he shares with wife Janet and youngest daughter Kimberley, does not have a holiday during the flat racing season, which runs from May to October.

Racedays themselves are as busy as anything for Dan and the staff, and while you might see him watching a race through his binoculars, it's not to see if the favourite has won.

"I'm responsible for the course, for all the gates and crossings being manned.

"And if a horse goes down, I must make sure all the procedures are put in place immediately and, of course, that safety is paramount. So I watch the horses go round from wherever I am."

Trundle Hill is his favourite spot on the site. "I love it up there. That's my place and I can look down and across my racecourse!" he laughed.

Dan is due to retire in 2010 and hopes before then to have his picture taken with Lester Piggott. "I'd say he's my jockey. He was in a class of his own, but I've never had the chance to meet him properly."

Will retirement be a wrench or a relief? "It'll be a sad day, but I'm looking forward to it too. I'll have more time for things I enjoy like shooting and fishing, and my old cars – I've got a 1937 Rover 16 which took me 12 years to restore. And I'll be able to have a summer holiday!"

As for the prospects for this year's Glorious, Dan says it should be fantastic.

"I think we've got the place looking just as it should. There's a hell of a lot still to do before it starts but it'll get done. We'll make sure of that."