Costs ruling against V’landys in aspect of TTR defamation case

The NSW Supreme Court has dismissed a bid by Peter V’landys to overturn a costs order made in favour of The Thoroughbred Report and its co-defendants in ongoing defamation proceedings.

Justice Campbell rejected an application by V’landys seeking to vary a September 23, 2026 costs ruling arising from the defendants’ successful application to amend their defence.

The court had previously granted leave for the defendants to amend their pleadings to include additional particulars intended to support the truth of the pleaded imputations, ordering V’landys to pay the costs of that application.

Seeking a different outcome, V’landys’ legal team had argued that the defendants should instead pay his costs of the amendment application, or alternatively that the costs be costs in the cause.

Justice Campbell found the hearing resulted from a genuine dispute over substantive issues in the proposed amendments rather than a simple request for procedural indulgence by the defendants.

He also held there was little evidence of costs having been wasted by the amendments, noting the work undertaken for the hearing may remain relevant at trial.

The application was dismissed, leaving intact the earlier order that V’landys pay the defendants’ costs of the amendment application.

The underlying defamation proceedings remain ongoing.