Hinton in the Hunter could be an early statement of intent

COMMENT: When this year’s Hunter Valley stallion parade weekend is held in late August, Graeme Hinton will have been acting chief executive of Racing NSW for just over five weeks.

Hinton, it was announced this week, will be parachuted into the top job in an interim capacity for at least four months from mid-July as a stand-in for Peter V’landys, Racing NSW’s CEO since early 2004.

V’landys has been seconded by the Australian Rugby League Commission to act as executive chairman when National Rugby League CEO Andrew Abdo departs the organisation on July 15.

Abdo has been appointed as Tennis Australia’s new CEO, prompting the shuffling of executive chairs at a time when V’landys and the NRL hopes to ink a $4 billion television rights deal.

In an unusual step, the Racing NSW board granted V’landys four months’ long service leave to focus on governing the NRL full-time.

V’landys has been ARLC chair since 2019 while simultaneously running the state’s thoroughbred regulator.

It’s not an unreasonable assumption to suggest that if V’landys and Hinton had their way, they would like the acting/interim titles to be made permanent if the current CEO chooses to leave when the four-month stint is up.

As understudy to V’landys since 2016 and at Racing NSW since 2012, Hinton it must be said spoke with authority and a relative (and welcome) openness in a radio interview on Giddy Up with Gareth Hall on Tuesday, covering numerous topics. 

He did not hide his ambition to be V’landys’ long-term successor.

“I certainly would covet the role. I’ve been in my job for quite a long time, and I’ve certainly done a good apprenticeship,” Hinton told SEN.

Being linked so closely to “PVL” could be perceived as a help or a hindrance for Hinton’s career goals.

But those who know Hinton say he is his own man and capable of independent thoughts. 

If he wants to publicly demonstrate that to stakeholders he would be wise to venture out from Racing NSW’s headquarters on Druitt Street on the eve of spring and instead spend a few days in the Hunter Valley when Australasia’s thoroughbred breeding farms throw open the gates.

Given the at times bitter divide and toxicity of relations between V’landys and sections of the breeding industry, particularly during the polarising and ultimately failed $5 billion proposal to sell Rosehill racecourse, an appearance by Hinton could be viewed as an olive branch that’s badly needed.

It could also be seen as walking into the Lion’s den considering V’landys’ statement at the Rosehill parliamentary inquiry attacking “wealthy breeders” who he accused of wanting to “get rid of me, so they can put horses into abattoirs because it’s no longer a commercial proposition to these people”.

However, Hunter Valley-based Coolmore, Godolphin, Yulong and Newgate Farm are all Everest slotholders as is Vinery and Kia Ora co-owner Steve McCann. 

The studs would undoubtedly welcome Hinton and perhaps Racing NSW board members such as the recently elected David Tierney and Olympian Jane Flemming, along with chair Saranne Cooke.

The Straight understands entreaties were already made to Flemming by representatives of the breeding industry to come and visit the thoroughbred heartland.

Tierney, meanwhile, has been an Australian Jockey Club/Australian Turf Club member since 1987.

It’s unclear when the last time V’landys visited Scone and the wider Hunter Valley region to attend the stallion parade weekend, but a search of the photo archives does place the Racing NSW CEO as well as then board member Russell Balding at Arrowfield in 2014.

More recently, Racing Victoria’s CEO Aaron Morrison and his predecessor Andrew Jones attended Victorian stud farms’ open days – the state’s version of the Hunter Valley parade weekend – including prominent breeding operations Yulong and Rosemont.

Hinton has little to lose by making the 280km drive north west of Sydney days out from the start of the breeding season and breaking bread with breeders who own more than 60 per cent of the racehorses in training.