'Give yourself an uppercut' – Chris Waller emphatically steps up against Rosehill closure

Champion trainer Chris Waller has led an extraordinary rebuke of the plans to develop and sell off Rosehill racecourse, calling out the leadership of Australian Turf Club chairman Peter McGauran and Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys at a members’ forum meeting on Tuesday.

Waller, Australia’s premier trainer of the past decade, and Rosehill’s most significant tenant, has remained largely silent on the Rosehill issue since it was announced in December that the ATC and the state government would close, develop and sell off the iconic western Sydney racecourse in a process to start in 2028.

However, in an 18-minute presentation at the ATC-convened briefing meeting for members obtained by The Straight, Waller clinically took apart the ATC’s business case and planning for the deal, which has been estimated to be worth around $4.8 billion.

Waller said he felt racing’s best interests were not being served by the plans put forward by the ATC and that McGauran, who led the meeting, was only presenting the positive part of the story.

He saved his strongest language for the proposal to create a training base at Horsley Park, in the far west of Sydney.

“You are talking about welfare of horses, then give yourself an uppercut, because horses shouldn’t be living in 40 degree temperatures,” the champion trainer said in reference to the perception of hot summers in that part of western Sydney.

Waller condemned the proposal to revamp Warwick Farm as ‘a lot of rubbish’ and said Canterbury’s importance to the Sydney racing landscape was being neglected by the ATC.

Waller then asked about the long-term commitment to the industry by the two significant figureheads of New South Wales racing, McGauran in his role with the ATC and V’landys at Racing NSW.

“You yourself, Mr McGauran. Are you going to be here in five years’ time when this mess starts to unfold?,” Waller asked.

“Is Mr V’landys going to be here in five years’ time, or is he going to be doing NRL or whatever else? Maybe he will be Minister Of Housing?

“Where is Mr V’landys? He’s been an amazing administrator, possibly the best we’ve ever had. And if this gets back to him, Mr V’landys you are the best administrator we have ever had, but this is not part of it. You will come down in a crashing heap with this proposal.”

“You yourself, Mr McGauran. Are you going to be here in five years’ time when this mess starts to unfold?”

Waller also asked the ATC board members present of their own role in the proposal.

“Are you representing us or just rolling over to political pressure?”

While he made his points strongly, Waller was measured in his address.

“Rosehill is going to be here forever and it’s going to be Sydney racing’s biggest asset forever,” he maintained.

Hall Of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse also spoke at the meeting and re-iterated her opposition to any closure of Rosehill. She called out the ATC board members, five of which attended the first of the briefing meetings and gave them the sternest of dressing downs.

“You are flogging this because you have got yourself into debt. You should be ashamed of yourselves!” Waterhouse said.

“You have allowed Peter (V’landys) to get you into a corner that you can’t get out of, you should be ashamed. And you expect us to get you out of that by selling off one of our greatest assets!”

The meeting began with a presentation on the Rosehill plans from McGauran, who described the issue as “emotionally charged”.

He insisted the value of the Rosehill project of $5 billion was a conservative estimate.