VRC appoints Vin Cox as next chairman as Neil Wilson prepares to leave after 14 years

The Victoria Racing Club has appointed Vin Cox its 23rd chairman, with the handover to follow its December 15 annual general meeting.

Neil Wilson will not stand for election and will leave the board after 14 years, including six as chairman. He will remain in the role through the upcoming Melbourne Cup Carnival and work with Cox on the transition.

The board selected Cox after what the club described as a comprehensive succession process. The former managing director of Godolphin Australia and Magic Millions has been a VRC director since June 2020.

“I’m deeply honoured to be appointed Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club,” Cox said.

“As a member of the Club for more than 30 years, this is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly, and it is a privilege to help lead an organisation that means so much to so many people.”

Cox serves on the VRC’s Racing Sub-Committee and chairs its Masterplan Committee, which covers the long-term development of Flemington’s facilities and precinct.

“Our members will remain at the heart of everything we do,” Cox said.

He said his priorities included “ongoing investment in the facilities and precinct that make Flemington so special”.

The VRC says Cox will lead its next phase, with membership at a record of more than 36,000 and the club returning to net profitability in 2026.

The club recorded 286,746 attendees across the four days of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, its largest crowd since 2018.

The VRC’s 2025 annual report recorded 35,371 members at July 31, 2025. For that financial year, the club posted a net loss of $7.2 million, down from $24.2 million in FY24.

Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was $12 million, a $17.9 million improvement on the previous year.

In June, VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said the club was forecast to return to net profitability in 2025/26, having not made a net profit since the pre-pandemic period.

Wilson joined the VRC board in 2012 and served as honorary treasurer and chief executive before becoming chairman in 2020. The club says he is the only person in its history to have held both the CEO and chairman roles.

The VRC credits Wilson with guiding it through the COVID-19 period, when the Melbourne Cup Carnival continued, and helping secure media rights partnerships with Tabcorp and Nine Entertainment.

“I will be forever grateful to those at the VRC who have supported me and had the conviction to believe in our direction at times when it mattered most,” Wilson said.

“This is a very special organisation, and it is important to preserve the VRC’s unique blend of history and tradition while embracing opportunity and progress.”

Rogers said: “Neil’s contribution to the VRC extends far beyond any one achievement. He has played an important role in strengthening the Club’s racing product, including supporting the expansion of Group 1 racing on TAB Champions Stakes Day, driving continued investment in Flemington and the Melbourne Cup Carnival, expanding the VRC’s media reach and building strong international partnerships through initiatives that drive our global brand and relevance.”

“While my role with the Club will come to an end, I will always be a proud VRC member,” Wilson said. “My passion for the VRC, the Melbourne Cup Carnival, and everything the Club represents will remain unchanged.”