Why who said what about V’landys is more stinging than what was said – Review leak fractures key relationships in NSW

COMMENT: Peter V’landys might feel aggrieved that industry participants have targeted him when provided with the opportunity, but given the mood of the NSW industry over the past two years, he shouldn’t be surprised.

The long-time Racing NSW chief executive, whose tenure will tick over 20 years next month, was the subject of personal attacks during last year’s bitter Upper House parliamentary inquiry into the proposed sale of Rosehill racecourse.

V’landys hit back in no uncertain terms, particularly towards Upper House MP Mark Latham as well as “wealthy breeders”, when appearing before the Select Committee at Parliament House. 

The inquiry triggered a subsequent review of the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Act and it has provided the opportunity for the CEO’s detractors to again push for a leadership change at Racing NSW and lessen the regulator’s power over the industry.

Revelations late last week that the NSW Trainers Association was among thoroughbred industry stakeholders who were highly critical of V’landys when fronting the review’s chief, former state Liberal Health Minister Brad Hazzard, has fractured relationships, possibly beyond repair.

NSWTA chair Richard Pegum, chief executive Richard Callander and leading NSW country trainer Brett Cavanough appeared before Hazzard and his panel last Wednesday.

While it has been suggested elsewhere that criticism was restricted to Racing NSW’s role, The Straight has been told that at least one of the trio who appeared before the Hazzard Review “canned the bejesus out of” V’landys. 

What is more concerning is that the NSWTA’s criticism reached V’landys’ ear within a matter of hours and was leaked to the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.

It is believed that phones were running hot late last week at Racing NSW shoring up support from stakeholders for the organisation and its CEO whose length of time at the regulator is a major bone of contention.

Many stakeholders have been careful to not make it personal, publicly avoiding discussing V’landys directly, but rather question the fitness of the Thoroughbred Racing Act and Racing NSW’s overarching control of the industry’s pursestrings.

But a NSWTA’s admonishment of the Racing NSW CEO, even behind closed doors, may come as a shock to many observers.

Formed in 2008 as a breakaway body from the national Australian Trainers Association, the NSWTA has been perceived as an ally of V’landys, particularly so since former CEO Glenn Burge was pushed out and Callander was appointed in 2020.

Whether that assertion is fair or not is up to others to judge, but the perception cannot be denied.

Pegum, a prominent racehorse owner and breeder, is an inaugural board member of the National Rugby League’s new Papua New Guinea franchise as well as executive chair of Pacific Lime and Cement, a company based in that country. He invited V’landys to a barbeque last week, but was rebuffed with the fallout of the NSWTA’s conversation with Hazzard said to be the cause. 

V’landys, of course, also serves as Australian Rugby League Commission chair in tandem with his full-time role at Racing NSW and is the most recognisable sports administrator in the country. It is not the first friendship that V’landys has broken up – there have been others previous allies who have felt his cold shoulder in recent months – and given his history, it won’t be the last.

Hazzard, who is paid $268,840 to conduct the review for the state government, has been conducting interviews since mid-October, meeting with industry participants and race club boards.

He denied he was the source of the NSWTA leak.

“I am conducting an independent review of the thoroughbred racing legislation and will be reporting to the NSW government next year,” Hazzard told the SMH.

“An essential part of what I am doing involves complete trust for people to speak to me. I would never break that trust. I stress, I am independent.”

Perhaps it was who was providing the feedback to Hazzard rather than what was said that had annoyed V’landys.

One of the administrator’s great strengths has been gaining the backing of government, both state and federally, and he will be counting on those relationships to navigate any changes once Hazzard’s review is handed down.

History shows that he won’t back down and he will be well-prepared to refute any suggestions that he and Racing NSW have too much power.