"Our biggest threat is not from outside, but within."
Around the grounds observing the current state of the racing nation.
Horse racing is a big industry, Australia’s third largest (behind mining and tourism if you need relevance to reference) some would submit.
Ever since Governor Lachlan Macquarie and Colonel Maurice O’Connell organized a race meeting, just 22 years after colonization in what we’d know now as Hyde Park in 1810, racing became embedded in our culture and fabric.
As the country grew, scattered towns and communities were built around settlements, pubs and then racetracks. Challenges always, but there are still more than 380 registered racetracks in Australia (and think how many we’ve lost), England (with Scotland thrown in) can barely muster 60 today despite getting going at Chester back in 1540.
Despite nature intervening with droughts, floods and fires, it survived them perhaps a touch easier than man-made dangers like economic booms and busts. Pandemics too. And dare I add for substance to this - moderate self-serving leadership.
But here’s a sober observation of where I think racing is right now.
Sure, there are many outside noises, some given megaphones louder than they deserve, but muffle that, our biggest threat is not from outside, but within. Or if you like, from itself.
Its leadership, its direction, its messaging. All seemingly living in a vacuum of its own making.
And who or how is it going to defend its own goals from its own?
Yes, that “social licence” is seemingly as readily required, whatever that really means, though it’s easily thrown around as if the industry needs to produce a vaccine for it. And quickly.
Cheats and undesirables, get them out of the game, rightly so Peter V’Landys said at that New South Wales Legislative Council theatre show that is supposedly doubling as in inquiry into a proposal to sell Rosehill.
And I’m not sure if we needed V’Landy’s offsider Graeme Hinton, without any subtle hint of irony, to raise the old “self-interest” stakes as a reference when despite possible best intentions for the future, these present and very important discussions descended quickly to farce. The final “act” is next month, before what if anything is done and what have we really learned?
Talk about dirty laundry? Wow, how much laundering do we need? And I don’t mean $1.6b or $23b, figures floated about the real worth of Rosehill before we think about where the money actually goes and what can be done with it.
As much as I’ve never heard of Raygun and Breakdancing as an Olympic sport before, nor had I heard of Sydney’s possible next racetrack which could go under the name “The Brick Pit”.
Ok, the V’Landys – Mark Latham stoush produced some Olympic medal like barbs, not that legitimate questions or credible concerns should have been dismissed as “smears”. Nor should they ever be. And it’s insulting to suggest otherwise.
We are though still waiting for the official transcripts from those appearances on August 9 to cross check notes but please let me drop this in for fun when Elio Celotto, affirmed as “Campaign Director”: Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, (which may not seemingly have much to do with selling Rosehill, though his argument was more where that money goes and more should go to animal welfare, even though V’Landys produced a page of notes that it was already being well served and serviced).
Anyway. Elio was talking, let’s go with that, to Latham during his appearance.
CELOTTO: I think you're not understanding what it is to be a horse.
The Hon. MARK LATHAM: Well, you're not a horse—Mister Ed.
ELIO CELOTTO: Horses don't want to be out there on racetracks.
There is no moral ground higher or lower here, so back to our state correspondents before we return here.
So, let’s whip around the grounds to nestle back in on my notion that racing’s pressing issues right now are from itself.
Victoria: (and let me add V’Landys in here who once described RV as (“dinosaurs, self-entitled, throw the toys out of the cot”) -this was the whip issue stuff which seems a lifetime gone, and rekindling that other chestnut of Racing Australia and its role which standby.....
So, is all Tickety-Boo in Melbourne as racing supposedly emerges from the football shadow for some spring sunshine?
*Updated: Aaron Morrison has now been anointed as Racing Victoria’s umpteenth Chief Executive Office this century. After the traditional world-wide search, they found the man down the hallway, and no doubt his seven years as Chief Operating Officer and his skills across all things wagering along with personal appeal and passion will stand him in good stead.
His mandate is to move swiftly, a good thing to be sure, there will be internal changes from today at RV and a clear focus is on the best use of its media assets which I will get to.
His first job is to fly to Sydney today for a Racing Australia board meeting where, dare I suggest, the long hibernating Pattern Committee may arise from its sloth and again dare I say, common sense, yes common sense, could see an overdue compromise and The Everest gets Group 1 status in Sydney and the All-Star Mile in Melbourne (with an expected prizemoney haircut.
Morrison has the qualified support for agitating TROA (Owner’s Boss Jonathan Munz), who gleefully played the main role in bringing down his predecessor Andrew Jones.
But as good as Morrison promises to be and all the smoke signal right now are floating in the right direction, it would be remiss of me not to say my understanding that although a majority of the selection panel which was new chairman Tim Eddy and new board members Tim Rourke and Mark Player, sided with recruitment firm Heidrick and Struggles (no I didn’t make that up), for Tom Reilly, from Aushorse and Thoroughbred Breeders
It’s just that some will see that with Eddy from board to the chair and Morrison to the CEO, the status quo virtually remains at Epsom Road, after the turbulent times, rightly or wrongly assessed that way of Jones and a management team that included Ben Amarfio (supposed head of Customer - gone) and unproven Matt Welsh as head of racing, now confirmed as gone as the first casualty of the Morrison era.
Nicely cute came the statement he had resigned. Clerically yes, but no-one believes such shallow babble. Expect Grace Forbes, as manager, veterinary services, to soon follow Welsh's path out the door.
And could Munz yet return to his widely stated position that RV is, let’s just put it down this way, in need of a clean-out and re-invigoration and if not happy, as he did earlier this year and would track all clubs and shareholder in. But for time being there is a friendly truce to let Morrison swiftly make his mark.
So, to the Victorian clubs. Each is facing their own challenges alone as racing struggles together.
At Flemington, new CEO Kylie Rogers (the club’s 14th only), officially starts September 1 but has been working the grounds in preparation, some which may seem tougher than any faced at her healthy AFL days.
It’s no secret the serious financial burdens faced despite it being the “the headquarters” of Australian racing, and passionately led by its accomplished chairman Neil Wilson (himself a former CEO).
But it’s understood that the VRC went to RV recently to outline their financial position and possibly seek some monetary assistance in underwriting its immediate future heading into spring.
It is rumoured to have lost Kennedy as an Oaks Day sponsor, the iconic Melbourne Cup Day parade will not proceed again this year, put down officially to organisational issues around the Metro Tunnel project.
Over to The Valley, where that off-track redevelopment powers on, while Flemington seems favoured to take its showpiece and the nation’s best race the Ladbrokes Cox Plate in 2026.
It too has been to Epsom Road with an update on financial status around the track rebuild after next year’s Plate festival and the plans for the grandstand to compliment it and shoot back across that magnificent city vista.
The apartments and quickly growing new local community is selling well and the racing plans looks spectacular, but more expensive
Not surprisingly like all building projects, “blow-outs”, have seen the original costs spiral but club CEO Michael Browell assures all is on track, so to speak.
But then do race clubs need to carry enormous debt essentially to cater for once or twice a year crowds, when for much of the season the crowds don’t go or need the world class, state of the art, whatever words you need to make it warmer or fuzzier. And function centres abound all cities.
Which is why Caulfield’s grand plan to knock down the Rupert Clarke grandstand as part of a “masterplan” with a Grand Pavilion is unlikely to happen.
Well, the club, without a CEO, Chairman, a widely divided board, couldn’t even get a positive response to a new mounting yard and jockeys and trainer’s area. It not only failed the participants and member’s test, but it has also failed the pub test. But accountability?Things will happen sooner than later at Caulfield, than any band-aid solution to put horses back in front of the members before we are into spring.
So there goes another $1m, after a pool table or so was removed from the bunkered jockey’s room, to allow the little stars of the sport get a little more space. What, they don’t want is to now parade their horses again in a hastily reconvened lane so lazy fans, or those cherished members can have a look at them.
A board meeting is scheduled this Thursday, that will be colourful (“pass the salt”) if not some robust meandering prior, an Annual General Meeting September 26, perhaps nothing more important in the short term, and that rationalisation issue of Melbourne race clubs, remains slightly sidelined but as always relevant.
But the Save Sandown group is understood to be splintered, that issue parked in the rezoning phases anyway. A Save MRC ticket will need fresh blood at those upcoming elections. Thankfully its Pegasus Leisure Group is firing as a revenue leader, but there is a $160m loan to the ANZ understood to be hanging over the club’s head for the new mounting yard redevelopment.
CEO Josh Blanksby left a year early, Matt Cain was due to end his term as chairman but may reconsider running for the committee again at the next elections. You can read what a challenge this is but almost all of its own making.
Sweeping to Brisbane, more so Eagle Farm, headquarters since 1865 when the first settlements, well settled in Brisbane.
There might be some integrity issues and government stonewalling on that pesky thing that affects racing like a long overdue Integrity Commission report that seems locked in a bottom draw, but Brisbane Racing Club has built a swish new hotel on the home turn corner at Eagle Farm, and it seems the horses don’t want to check in or the jockeys go anywhere near it.
Adelaide, well they still race there, just as they did when a Hayes or a Cummings or a Hawkes did, but without trying to be a little facetious, they all left, the lights remain on, the interest merely flickering. But well done to Racing SA’s project (led by Claire Lindop), to bring awareness to year 11 and 12 classrooms and industry pathways and opportunities from and through them. (Racing Queensland is involved in the project).
And Perth, their Ascot may seem closer to another Ascot in a royal UK at times, Belmont to an American triple crown version but there is always a Pike runner to back in the last.
But forgotten as much by their long-term media partner Sky Racing, now signing with Channel 7 and possibly racing.com, to get more eyes on their product.
Which takes us back to messaging, especially in Victoria, where it’s board over-arches its bloated Integrated Media Business, now named Racing.com Media, covering TV, radio (RSN) and print (Best Bets and Winning Post).
There is ample room for improvement in production and storytelling, simple maters like jump out and trial coverage remain Channel 31 style. Non live coverage of industry events for stream preference are inexplicable.
RSN seems next cab off the front in the Morrisson agenda. Why is a separate management structure needed, Bernard Saundry as its CEO, Andrew Bensley as "Program Director". on significant wages if they are part of the overall "integrated business".
It's breakfast host, Daniel Harford, on a station that barely rates half a percentage point of listeners, is understood to hold a significant six figure contract that is hard to wipe, hence hist= show may remain as everything after may be replaced by simply taking Sky Racing audio, some "talent" absorbed into the racing.com business, others not needed nor should they be.
The new board and new CEO need to finally re-dress, reassess and lead such an important vehicle that tells and showcases the best of racing, eliminate the fluff and wastage, improve the output, content and talent. And it too seems a swift Morrison ambition.
And this week the first Group I of the season is run in Sydney (mind you the horse of the year awards for last season are still two months away (work that out), Fangirl, appropriately named, can shine there.
Pride Of Jenni, is just over a week away from bringing Jennimania back to the tracks. In the week we tragically lost one of last great superstars in Black Caviar, we need those who make us swoon and those who allow it (like Tony Ottobre and Debbie Kepitis) to take us on the ride.
Not of which would have happened without Macquarie and O’Connell.
Just remember, this started with a tempered community who needed a “Bachelor’s Ball” between race days on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, to calm tensions and embrace a new community and settlement.
Apparently 11,000 attended, about all of Australia back then, from the landed gentry to those, referred to as “the insolvent” on “Shank’s Pony” (their own two feet).
Bookmakers took bets from everything from Indian currency, Spanish dollars, ducats, rupees, pagodas, guilders and English shillings.
Punch and Judy shows, Irish Jigs, hornpipes and corroborees kept the crowds entertained between races for fun. (Has that much changed today?)
“The threat of jail hung over any person found drunk and or swearing or quarrelling or fighting. The mind boggled at what ultimately awaited persons doing all four,” wrote Neville Penton in his voluminous “A Racing Heart”.
And therein lies the substance of from where the industry came to where it is today. And perhaps a subtle guide as to how it should get on with it.
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