So, Racing Victoria didn’t get their messiah (Gil!).
But do they still - after all this time and with a just slightly redressed board - have a mess?
As incoming chair Tim Eddy, who says:” I don’t play games, it’s not me”, was mouthing the expected platitudes, you know, “engage with our stakeholders” and let’s “focus on the opportunities and challenges ahead that unite us,” Mike Hirst was charging towards his new chair at AMP, slamming the door behind him at Epsom Road leaving little hint that “Kumbuya” could be sung there anytime soon.
Not surprisingly the Eddy mantra is that oft tossed term, “growing the pie”, but there is some cooking going on right now, the recipe still a little untested.
Hirst of course had an impressive corporate CV: Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Adelaide Airport, GMHBA, etc, and now leaving RV after nine years, acting chair since Brian Kruger left, to chair banking and financial services giant AMP.
Relatively quiet publicly, Hirst, who remains an avid industry breeder and owner, strangely chose yesterday to send a stinging farewell letter, reported by the industry’s media arm racing.com as “highlighting the sport’s growth and investment”, but with an underlying personal attack on Thoroughbred Racehorse Owner’s Association (TROA) chairman Jonathan Munz.
Sure, Hirst was right to point out RV’s navigation of COVID times, the $70m infrastructure investments, wagering turnover growth from $5.3b to $8.8b in his time with associated prizemoney increases and so on, the future proofing via the Oaklands land holding, negotiating past the Tabcorp JV (joint venture) and so on, that’s what you do in positive spin press releases, but as his replacement was talking “success can only come if we work together” Hirst was fanning flames of division.
Was this the time? Not that Munz would shrink with virtue.
“For some reason the TROA Chairman (Munz), can’t find a positive of constructive thing to say about the performance of RV,” Hirst penned.
“Once again with trademark bluster, Munz claims to represent the views of the industry when in reality he speaks for nobody but himself.”
It went on calling Munz’s behaviour “appalling”, the vitriolic attacks, almost a failed coup of the board in February, and ended a little oddly with a rare tweet from trainer Pat Carey, who has trained for him, and a rare tweeter generally, who called out Munz to “find the courage and conviction and time to get on the RV Board like everyone else does etc.”
“I don’t want to waste much time responding to the comments of Mike Hirst, who has no credibility among serious racing people. Thankfully, he is now gone, and we can hopefully get some better performance from RVL in his absence,” Munz said.
Munz has been on the three-member advisory board to Racing Minister Anthony Carbines in the long-drawn-out process that led to the recent appointments of highly respected Tim Rourke and Mark Player that followed the departures of long-term board member Greg Nicholls, along with Kruger and Hirst.
Rourke was scuppered somewhat as the preferred direct new chair by incumbents that led to Eddy with ‘unanimous’ consent, having been on the board since 2019, Sharon McCrohan (since 2017) being deputy and now the CEO role progresses and not surprisingly current acting in that role Aaron Morrison is short odds to be confirmed, given he is part of the old team, nevertheless his own excellent credentials. (We are awaiting opposing or interested opposition.)
One doubts though Munz could have recommended himself to the board as Carey suggested, no matter how ‘self-centred’ some thought he was.
I understand other quality candidates were put to the Minister, perhaps current The Valley committeeman David Kobritz as one, when there was a view that with Greg Nicholls, Kruger and Hirst departing, there was a chance, as the Minister alluded too, for a thorough revamp of the board.
It now sits with just seven members, Paul Guerra (appointed 2022), Ross Lanyon ((2017), Kate Joel (2017) plus Rourke and Player under the new chair and deputy.
Much is made of Munz’s “spill” in February on the board at that stage when their appointee Andrew Jones was the CEO and “growing the pie” his priority, albeit with some thought “fanciful” ideas under his leadership.
The spill “failed”, but Jones departed soon after and he suggests the latest developments are “back to the future.”
Eddy becomes the seventh chairman this century at RV, Graham Duff inaugural in 2001, Michael Duffy, Rob Roulston, David Moodie (both leaving under a cloud of their own making) – Hirst filling the chair either side of Kruger.
As for stability, the CEO role has been more musical - Brian Beattie into Neville Fielke, into Robert Nason (remember he was going to shut down the spring carnival if Betfair got a toehold in – he didn’t), Stephen Allanson (remember the Jack Hinton betting affair), Rob Hines (who coming in and going out described racing as “the most dysfunctional industry he had worked in), Bernard Saundry (before heading to New Zealand and back to a comfy chair at struggling industry media entity RSN).
Next, Giles Thompson now at Vic Roads, Andrew Jones (from Sale Of The Century, a bit of Netball re-invigorating, Big Bash cricket changing to be sure, then some unabashed bold ideas to the racing table, that were just as boldly dismissed.
Now Aaron Morrison moves cross from Operating to acting the main role, and a short- priced favorite to nail it down.
Stability - Will that it be?
Carbines’ advisory panel recommended more candidates than Rourke and Player. The board rests as seven, it has been nine, it can sit with three.
It will be up to Eddy to put his words to action for the betterment of all the industry, and there is no question that is that right perception, it is delivering it in these times that will be of scrutiny.
It comes under the banner of the much-hyped Andrew Jones management team though now he is gone; Head of Customer Ben Amarfio has disappeared without ever being really seen to anyone let alone a customer and Matt Welsh, from a video trial viewer to television spruiker to head of racing, remaining on what might be a moveable chair.
The influence of Rourke and Player remains to be seen or what they can bring to incumbents for immediate growing that pie critical to impact in the short term and industry participant confidence in the long term.
Victorian race clubs face their own internal challenges, the Victorian Racing Club with RV, Melbourne Racing Club with a split board amongst many issues and with Sandown’s future over-riding it.
Can it. and The Valley build, and fund new grandstands and significant costs exposed redevelopment.
This is part of the Eddy challenge. And that’s all good. A Boar should want a challenge for positivised outcomes that indeed may grow that elusive pie.
Tim Eddy predictably says: “Success can only come if we work together. A strong and vibrant Victorian racing industry is in the best interests of every fan of the sport and the tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it.
“There are many items on the Board’s agenda. We will go after every one of them with a shared goal of ensuring Victorian racing is a leader that delivers jobs, economic benefits and, above all, enjoyment.
But to not allow a question or query against, or how that is best achieved, is naivety at best and ignorance at worst.
Munz is right to proffer: “Who are they trying to kid - everyone knows that RVL does not have widespread support for its failure to refresh the majority of the board and refusal to appoint a new outside chairman. I really hope that they do a better job, but the reality is that if RVL’s performance does not improve quickly and previous poor policies and decisions are not reversed, the industry will take action to remove further directors. In that case, all the spin and pretend unity in the world will not help them. Ideally, they immediately pivot and get it right, but time is ticking.”
Despite angst from Hirst, both Eddy and Aaron Morrison have contacted Munz since these developments, proving that the outcome in the long term is in the best-case scenario.
Gil McLachlan didn’t materialise despite the best intentions of Carbines and the slow cook of all those waiting for the best served dinner.
RV now has its immediate new team, awaiting a CEO yes, and perhaps opportunity, but with that comes real scrutiny as it should.
As Munz noted: "The things that need urgent fixing including reversing incorrect racing programming, eradicating the failed tenth race metro race (done during winter), cutting bloated RVL overheads, ending misallocations of prizemoney for foolish pop-up races like the All-Star Mile, reforming poor regulatory vet performance and getting rid of non-performing staff.
"Even more importantly, it also means consulting constructively with race clubs and industry participants who they have arrogantly disregarded."
Yet the "To Do" list remains the same and growing and immediate. You can add you own. You’re a participant or fan if reading this (and entitled to do so).
Yep, All Star Miles and unexplained investments and outcomes, the totally bland and underperforming "Integrated Racing Media" business and coverage via it’s costly and meandering racing.com and especially work experience like coverage on the unlistenable RSN radio network with expensive overheads, need to be addressed.
If the industry cannot manage its own message with its own media arm, what chance does it have to be creative and engaging where it matters more.
Will Flemington and Caulfield get night racing? The Valley has long and well carried the torch.
Cranbourne then Pakenham have supplied the fodder alongside to useful time zones (or when punters can lose more).
Flemington, which has endlessly campaigned for quality racing only and tried a little "rapid racing" was understood to be pushed by RV towards a night lights opportunity, but they make more from Cirque Du Soliel and possibly Abba Hologram "Voyage" show next year.
That's the challenge of RV backed race clubs, making them financially viable. The MRC loses money on core business. They have property and gaming to sustain the balance sheet but does lights and another intrusion into to evening racing circuit present a better viability?
Sandown, of course, is a longer-term issue, with RV supposedly sitting on a mutually accepted dollar return on any sale, but they also have their Oaklands long term project, which they would be well versed on and can share with Rourke and Player and perhaps give some guidance to the industry as to plans, with or without white and green papers.
So, what else can Rourke and Player bring and enhance to this board that Eddy boasts as ecumenical, and he will lead into more promised lands? (Without making promises.
And should they have played a more pivotal role from day one when many suggested they could in confirming the chair role, Rourke suggested by Munz as the obvious best candidate for one.
Anyway, back to that old thing of 'growing pies", Tim Eddy could espouse now how his board and his incoming CEO can lead the cooking.
In the meantime, ongoing Argy Bargy is a good thing and mixing all ingredients should be the recipe for the best of delivered meals on a rich racing menu.
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