Australian Racing Tours founder John McGauran nominates for VRC board

John McGauran has nominated for the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) board, with the Australian Racing Tours founder pitching a candidacy built on members’ feedback.

McGauran announced his candidacy on Saturday, saying he will lean on more than a decade spent taking Australian racegoers to major carnivals at home and overseas.

A VRC member for almost 20 years, McGauran will contest one of four available board positions. The four spots consist of the one left by chairman Neil Wilson’s retirement, alongside the seats held by Vin Cox (chairman-elect), Glenn Carmody (treasurer) and Michael Saadie (a director), all of whom are seeking re-election.

Cox, selected by the board to become the club’s 23rd chairman, must retain his seat before taking the role. A ballot is expected to go to members in late November, with the result to be announced at the annual general meeting at Flemington on December 15.

McGauran established Australian Racing Tours in 2012 and says that work has given him an understanding of what commercial success looks like at major overseas carnivals, which he wants to bring to Flemington.

“I’ve also had many conversations with VRC members about what they love about the club and the things they would like to see improved. I want to bring that perspective, along with the relationships I have built across the racing world, to the VRC Board, for the benefit of the membership,” McGauran said.

He said he wanted to help the VRC continue its positive momentum.

“The club is clearly on a positive path, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to its future. I will listen to our members and help address the things that frustrate them,” he said.

The VRC returned to profit in FY26 with a $5.4 million net result, its first since FY20, while reporting a record 36,148 members and repaying $15 million in bank debt. This month’s Melbourne Cup Carnival drew 307,889 attendances across four days, the largest total since 2017.

Member experience is also the platform of former Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga, who is standing as an independent on food and drink prices, membership value and the race-day experience at Flemington. Another prospective candidate, Justin O’Kane, had his nomination ruled invalid, while Nicholas Tzaferis and Andrew Lewis also withdrew their candidacies.

In his announcement, McGauran said he grew up on a Gippsland farm, where his father was a hobby trainer, and spent much of his youth at Flemington, where his great-aunt worked at the TAB windows. He has shares in more than a dozen horses with trainers across Australia, and has invited members to contact him directly about his nomination.