Oaks day deadline for VRC board nominations

Nominations for three director positions on the Victoria Racing Club board will close on Thursday, with Ann Peacock and Allison Purdey likely to seek re-election.

In what is the busiest week of the year on the course for Flemington, it is also a significant moment in the boardroom, with director nominations to close at 5pm – 10 minutes before the feature VRC Oaks is run on Thursday.

The terms of Peacock and Purdey, who joined both the board in 2022, are set to end, and they will need to seek re-election.

Purdey, deputy general counsel at mining company MMG, was promoted to a casual vacancy in September 2022, and had her position ratified by a member vote at the annual general meeting (AGM) later that year.

Peacock, who has an extensive background in public relations, including a long tenure at Crown, stood for election to the board at that same AGM and was elected.

Peter Murray, appointed to the casual vacancy left by David Barham in September, will also need his position ratified by a member vote at the AGM.

That meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 16.

Sophie O’Kane, Michael Ramsden and Neil Werrett were re-elected at last year’s AGM, while fellow directors Glenn Carmody, Vin Cox, Michael Saadie and Neil Wilson received the members’ nod in 2023.

To stand for election as a director, which is an unpaid role, a candidate must have been a fully financial VRC member for at least two years and meet a host of background checks.