ThoroughbredNEWS publisher and journalist Robert Burnet remembered

Robert Burnet, the owner and publisher of the independently owned ThoroughbredNEWS, has died.

Burnet spent more than 30 years publishing international racing content, building relationships across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa.

A memorial issued by Racing and Sports credits him with negotiating early publishing and live-streaming contracts with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Racing and Sports said those agreements expanded the online audience for Hong Kong racing in Australia and internationally while commingled turnover was rising quickly, and that other international rights holders later adopted the strategy.

“Robert was always the best-dressed racing journalist in the media room,” Gary Crispe, executive director of Racing and Sports, said. “To say Rob was a dapper dresser is an understatement.”