Peter V’landys and Mark Latham trade barbs over Rosehill sale

Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys has challenged Mark Latham to make his claims outside parliament as the pair clash over the proposed sale of Rosehill Racecourse.

Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has called for maverick independent NSW MP Mark Latham to resign following his string of vitriolic attacks on Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys.

Mr Latham has used the cover of parliamentary privilege to accuse Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys of “megalomania” and called for him to step down.

The two are set to clash on Friday when Mr V’landys appears before the Select Committee Hearing into the proposed sale of Rosehill Gardens Racecourse which would provide a $5 billion future fund for racing and 25,000 critically needed new homes for Sydney.

Mr Beattie said he could not let the “personal character assassination for short-term gain” of Mr V’landys go unanswered by someone who knows both men.

“Real leadership is in short supply in Australia. Sadly there are too many politicians who want to destroy leaders who make a difference. V’landys is one of those leaders. Latham is not,” Mr Beattie said.

NRL commissioner, and former Queensland premier, Peter Beattie. Picture: Mike Burton

He has worked with Mr V’landys in his role as chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission and with Mr Latham when he was Federal Labor leader in the 2004 election campaign.

“V’landys is a real leader who has transformed rugby league for the better. Indeed, he is the most visionary leader rugby league has ever had. Latham mistakes vision and determination for ‘dictatorial behaviour’,” Mr Beattie said. “Latham is right on one thing — one of these two men should resign their position but it is not V’landys.”

Mark Latham called on Peter V’landys to resign. Picture: Christian Gilles

Mr Latham, whose own colourful past includes breaking a taxi driver’s arm in an altercation 20 years ago (with no charges arising from the incident), has filed multiple barbs in parliament over the past few days.

On Wednesday night, he called for V’Landys to “resign” for “the sake of a sport I dearly love” and also requested documents relating to possible dealings between racing officials and NSW Police.

On Thursday, he questioned Special Minister of State John Graham about free hospitality provided to media heavyweights and politicians at Royal Randwick.

Mr Graham responded that Racing NSW “is clearly independent from the government” and “does have an appeals and integrity process within it.”

Mr V’landys has challenged Mr Latham to repeat those allegations without the legal protection of parliamentary privilege.

In parliament on Thursday Mr Latham read from a letter written by Mr V’landys to Antony Thompson, the chairman of the horse breeders marketing arm Aushorse, in which he outlined the importance of hospitality to the racing industry.

Racing NSW CEO Peter V'landys. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Mr V’landys told The Sydney Morning Herald: “There is no doubt Mr Latham is running an agenda for some very wealthy breeders who don’t wish to be held to account for animal welfare.

“They have at all times resisted having their horses traced from birth to retirement.

“They are attempting a smear campaign on steroids.”

Breeders are at loggerheads with Racing NSW over a strict rule of racing that ensures the welfare of any racehorse from cradle to grave and forbids a horse be “euthanised or destroyed” for anything other than welfare grounds.

The Thoroughbred Breeders Association submission to the 2021 Thoroughbred Welfare Initiative report called for the continued use of abattoirs.

“If a horse can be killed in a humane manner at an abattoir or by a knackery operator, this should be a legitimate option for end of life,” it said.

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group report subsequently recommended “appropriate transport to a nearby knackery” for the humane killing of racehorses.

Thoroughbred Breeders Association chief executive Tom Reilly. Picture: LinkedIn

Mr Latham’s comments follow his involvement in ensuring a late-night vote to extend the chairmanship of Russell Balding at Racing NSW was overturned late last year.

Racing Minister David Harris was furious at the actions of Thoroughbred Breeders Association chief executive Tom Reilly, who was lobbying for the same outcome as Mr Latham.

He said Mr Reilly “was camped out on Level 11 of Parliament House, seemingly directing lobby operations to the crossbench and opposition, as well as accosting MPs and ministers as they went about their business.”

It is understood Mr Latham, who has over the years owned up to 15 racehorses, is aligned on the matter with broadcaster Alan Jones and prominent breeder John Messara, with whom Jones has shared a long partnership of horse breeding.

The first day of the Select Committee hearing last month heard from witnesses including trainer Gai Waterhouse who challenged the funding model of Racing NSW and said race clubs were not being funded.

However the chairman of NSW Country Racing Bob Pavitt said country clubs were seeing the benefits of increased prizemoney and spending on infrastructure projects by Racing NSW.

“The clubs’ financial reserves are probably the best they have been for some years,” he said.

Broadcaster Alan Jones. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Breeder John Messara. Picture Renee Nowytarger

Racing NSW board member Tony Shepherd said Mr V’landys had the “full support” of the board, and the focus of the inquiry “is supposed to be about the sale of Rosehill”.

Witnesses on Friday include Australian Turf Club chairman Peter McGauran, who used his submission to argue the sale would secure the future of racing in NSW and provide desperately needed new homes for Sydney.

Winx trainer Chris Waller, who stables his horses at Rosehill, is against the sale, but has said in his submission that parts of the racecourse could be redeveloped for housing.

Today’s select committee hearing will hear from witnesses who say they want to talk about the future of Rosehill.

Trainer Richard Freedman will also be appearing before the committee on Friday, and said he was not interested in being sidetracked by Mr Latham into a show trial of Racing NSW and its CEO.

“I will be sticking to what I believe is the purpose of this inquiry — and that is the issues surrounding the possible sale of Rosehill racecourse,” he said.

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Originally published as Peter V’landys and Mark Latham trade barbs over Rosehill sale