Latest news with #McGauran
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
After failed Rosehill deal, a battle for control of the Australian Turf Club
Two months since Australian Turf Club members voted to reject the $5 billion proposed sale of Rosehill Gardens Racecourse and stick a knife in the Minns government's housing plans, the moment still looms large over Sydney's politics. That night, Upper House MP Mark Latham, one of the fiercest opponents of the sale, ended his relationship with then partner Nathalie Matthews. Matthews has since accused Latham of a sustained pattern of emotional, physical and financial abuse and pressuring her into degrading sexual acts in an application for a private apprehended violence order. Latham denies the allegations. Right before Latham became the unwelcome centre of attention, ATC chair Peter McGauran, a former Nationals minister in the Howard government and one of the architects of the Rosehill sale, resigned. On Monday afternoon, the board will vote for McGauran's successor, a formality which has devolved into a messy proxy battle between supporters and opponents of the scuppered deal. On one side is McGuaran's protegee Ben Bayot, another champion of the deal, who has the presumed backing of Racing NSW and its mercurial chief executive Peter V'landys. But the failed sale, which enjoyed the joint support of V'landys and Premier Chris Minns, showed that not even the double-team of Sydney's most powerful person and the state premier can always get their way, particularly when faced with a wall of Boomer recalcitrance. Loading Standing against Bayot is Sydney silk Tim Hale SC, who ascended to the board four years ago with the backing of trainer extraordinaire Gai Waterhouse and former International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates. ATC sources say the vote will go down to the wire, with each camp having three definite votes each. So far, ATC board member Caroline Searcy is the swing vote, and both camps have offered her the vice-chair position in return for support. But one of Bayot's three votes is that of McGauran himself. Hale's supporters have legal advice, prepared by barrister Steven Finch SC, showing that McGauran has already resigned his board position and is ineligible to vote. Team McGauran has its own advice to the contrary.
Herald Sun
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Racing Confidential: The leading contenders to replace Peter McGauran as ATC chairman
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Australian Turf Club board will vote on a new chairman and vice-chair at the end of the month in the wake of Wednesday's surprise resignation of incumbent Peter McGauran. McGauran announced his decision this week to vacate his post as chairman and director on the board prior to the expiration of his term in January, 2026. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The decision comes in the wake of the ATC's failed bid to sell Rosehill Gardens racecourse, of which McGauran was a staunch advocate, following a members vote in May. McGauran labelled the decision 'a lost opportunity for the club' after 56.1 per cent of members said 'no' to the sale. It led to a petition from the Save Rosehill group calling on McGauran to resign – a fate which has now become a reality. Six directors will remain on the board including current vice-chair Tim Hale as well as Ben Bayot, Caroline Searcy, Natalie Hewson, David McGrath and Annette English. All directors will have the opportunity to contest for the chairman seat at their next board meeting, slated for July 28, with McGauran also set to get a vote before departing his post. Hale and McGrath are understood to be the leading candidates vying for the chairman role. It will be up to the NSW Government and Racing Minister David Harris to determine if another director joins the board and who that may be after McGauran departs. Tim Hale (left) and David McGrath (right) are believed to lead the race to replace departing ATC chairman Peter McGauran. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FORD IN DOUBT AFTER FALL Group 1 jockey Jay Ford escaped serious injury after falling at Canterbury Park on Wednesday but remains a 50-50 chance of riding at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Ford knocked his head when he came off Investment at the midweek meeting and had to be taken to hospital for further assessment. He released late on Wednesday night but had to forgo his rides at Gosford on Wednesday as he continued to deal with a headache. Ford has been booked for six rides on Saturday. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ KATSU WEIGHT CHALLENGE Victorian raider Katsu would equal a modern day weight carrying record in Sydney if he was to lug the monster impost of 64kg to victory at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The Lindsay Park galloper was given the topweight of 66kg as a 90-rater in The Agency Real Estate Benchmark 78 Handicap (1000m). The 2kg claim of star apprentice Braith Nock gets him in with a slightly more manageable weight. But history is against Katsu as no horse this century has carried 64kg to victory in a Sydney Saturday race. Katsu will attempt to win with 64kg, which no horse has done in a Sydney Saturday race since 1997. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images It was way back on October 26, 1997 that Anthems defied the heavyweight task to score in a 3YOs and Up Two Handicap (1500m) with Rod Quinn aboard at Rosehill Gardens. The John Hawkes-trained gelding was a two-time Group 1 winner as a juvenile. The last horse to carry 64kg in Sydney was My Truth at Warwick Farm on June 12, 2023. He finished last. On a Saturday, Mahagoni lumped the same weight to creditable sixth in the $500,000 Four Pillars at Rosehill Gardens on October 29, 2022. Zoushack carried 64.5kg to salute at the midweeks at Warwick Farm on October 19 of the same year. Katsu is a $4.60 chance to prevail this weekend. Originally published as Racing Confidential: The leading contenders to replace Peter McGauran as ATC chairman
Sydney Morning Herald
09-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Top Sydney racing figure resigns after Rosehill housing failure
The architect of the failed plan to sell off Rosehill Racecourse for a mini-city of 25,000 homes has resigned early as chairman of the Australian Turf Club, declaring in a parting shot that the abandoned $5 billion deal was a 'lost opportunity'. Peter McGauran was appointed to the ATC board in 2022 and has resigned before his term expires in January 2026, but said he would be judged as being on the right side of history for pursuing the controversial proposal. McGauran, a Howard-era Nationals minister who has had various roles in the racing industry, led the pro-Rosehill sale faction on the ATC board despite staunch opposition. His resignation comes just over a month after members voted 56.1 per cent to 43.9 per cent to scrap the plan. In a statement on Wednesday evening, McGauran said his decision was made while 'aware of the challenges for the ATC ahead', and his belief that a new chairman was needed to guide 'new initiatives' for the club. 'I remain convinced the potential sale of Rosehill Gardens was a lost opportunity for the club and the wider racing industry,' he said. Loading 'It was a fully transparent and vigorous debate, and I am grateful to the 44 per cent of ATC members who voted in favour of the proposal. I believe history will judge the decision to pursue the vision as having been the right one.' The plan, which would have cost the state government $5 billion, was meant to be a major part of Premier Chris Minns' solution to Sydney's housing woes. Minns said on Wednesday he would have 'loved' McGauran to stay on as chairman, and celebrated the man as a 'gentleman' in the face of the tough public debate.
The Age
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Top Sydney racing figure resigns after Rosehill housing failure
The architect of the failed plan to sell off Rosehill Racecourse for a mini-city of 25,000 homes has resigned early as chairman of the Australian Turf Club, declaring in a parting shot that the abandoned $5 billion deal was a 'missed opportunity'. Peter McGauran was appointed to the ATC board in 2022 and has resigned before his term expires in January 2026, but said he would be judged as being on the right side of history for pursuing the controversial proposal. McGauran, a Howard-era Nationals minister who has had various roles in the racing industry, led the pro-Rosehill sale faction on the ATC board despite staunch opposition. His resignation comes just over a month after members voted 56.1 per cent to 43.9 per cent to scrap the plan. In a statement on Wednesday evening, McGauran said his decision was made while 'aware of the challenges for the ATC ahead', and his belief that a new chairman was needed to guide 'new initiatives' for the club. 'I remain convinced the potential sale of Rosehill Gardens was a lost opportunity for the club and the wider racing industry,' he said. Loading 'It was a fully transparent and vigorous debate, and I am grateful to the 44 per cent of ATC members who voted in favour of the proposal. I believe history will judge the decision to pursue the vision as having been the right one.' The plan, which would have cost the state government $5 billion, was meant to be a major part of Premier Chris Minns' solution to Sydney's housing woes. Minns said on Wednesday he would have 'loved' McGauran to stay on as chairman, and celebrated the man as a 'gentleman' in the face of the tough public debate.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Doomed from the start: Why the great Rosehill sell-off failed
'I was swamped afterwards for controlling a meeting that saw the best of ATC membership, civility, construction … yes, there were strong points of view on a couple of occasions, there was a response from the audience, but it was minor over more than an hour of speaker after speaker.' V'landys isn't untouched by the defeat. Racing NSW supported the sale behind the scenes, and the power he wields has also come under scrutiny as the Rosehill controversy became a proxy battle in a broader conflict over racing's direction and leadership. A disappointed Premier Chris Minns singled him out after the vote, saying, 'Sydney could do with 10 Peter V'landys rather than one, and we'd be a more exciting, more dynamic city'. As the racecourse's owner, though, it was the ATC that devised and delivered the proposal, and it was behind the pace from the outset. Minns and McGauran announced the proposal 18 months ago, and just weeks later, in February last year, blindsided turf club members gathered at Rosehill at one of several forums. McGauran, a former minister in John Howard's government, addressed members, as did renowned trainer Gai Waterhouse, who has eight wins in the Golden Slipper, Rosehill's signature race, to her name. But it was the reaction that day of fellow trainer Chris Waller – the man behind champion mare Winx's record-breaking career – which turned the dial. 'Gai spoke up on social media nearly straight away, so you knew immediately that she was against it,' said Vicky Leonard, a member of the Save Rosehill group of trainers, owners and breeders, which challenged the sale process. 'Obviously Gai got up at that [forum] and was fairly aggressive, and she doesn't mince her words. 'But a lot of people didn't realise how upset Chris was until then. He's a very considered person, and he's also got a very close relationship to V'landys. So to have him speak out against anything that PVL endorses is pretty rare. That's why it was quite staggering.' Plans were then in their infancy, and it showed. Waller, whose stables are at Rosehill, reportedly said in a prepared statement that the designs presented looked like they had 'just been whipped up overnight'. The reception set the tone for what was to come, with opponents of the sale seizing on uncertainty over what the Sydney racing landscape would look like without Rosehill, and other unanswered questions. A split on the ATC board and a public slanging match between McGauran and vice-chair Tim Hale over what price the track could fetch was another setback, as was a referral to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, even though it quickly dismissed concerns over Minns' dealings with race club official and long-time friend Steve McMahon. Loading An entrenched distrust of racing's institutions also played its part in the 'No' vote win, as did the timing issues faced because of the urgency of deciding while a station could still be built on the new Sydney Metro West line. While the vote was twice delayed, proponents of the sale recovered ground in the weeks in the run-up to Tuesday's finish line as the ATC finally settled on a way forward. Warwick Farm Racecourse would be redeveloped into a top-line metropolitan track at a cost of $800 million, and a golf course at Penrith would be converted into a fourth track for the city. A loyalty scheme in which members would have their fees waived and receive $1000 food and drink credits for five years also seemed to hit the right note, despite being derided by opponents as a bid to buy votes. A new 'lifestyle club' was also to be built at Randwick. 'There is a demographic that exclusively uses Randwick and they're probably younger … I think the free membership and the $1000 [credit] has resonated,' said former ATC chairman and Macquarie Group executive director Laurie Macri. 'I've spoken to a lot of members … I was at dinner the other night with four of my mates, and they were all voting 'No'. But between the four of them, they had six kids, all under 30, all live in eastern suburbs, and five had voted 'Yes' and one had voted 'No'. ' Prominent industry figures such as trainer Richard Freedman and Charles Kelly of leading horse stud Newhaven Park also publicly backed it this month, and V'landys moved to allay fears that Racing NSW would scoop up the proceeds. In the end, it wasn't quite enough. Those who pushed for the sale point the finger at vested interests and misinformation for bringing it undone. Loading The role of Waterhouse, who fought it tooth and nail despite her bookmaker husband Robbie offering up land in western Sydney for a new track, was also significant. McGauran admits the lack of detail provided to members until last month wounded the Yes cause but says it was the 'nature of the beast'. 'Unfortunately, because it was an unsolicited proposal process, everything was back to front,' he said. 'It was a land deal, so we couldn't talk about it until the deal was done. 'We had nothing to show for months except those basic drawings. It was always the cart before the horse. I would have loved to have spent months planning it down to its final detail and then releasing it to members, but it was never possible under the confidential negotiations with the government.' While Minns' housing solution is out the window, racing will go on, the grandstands populated during carnival time and mostly empty at others. With the ATC reliant on Racing NSW for top-ups from betting revenue, tired facilities in need of a revamp and McGauran worried about the sport's declining social standing, the question for Sydney racing is whether it will regret knocking back a so-called deal of a lifetime. The members, however, have spoken. As they say, that's racing.
