Racing Victoria boss threatens Peter V’landys that he will stop being nice to him
Racing Victoria boss Andrew Jones told his Racing NSW counterpart Peter V’Landys that he would stop saying nice things about him if he didn’t call off the lawyers, it can be revealed.
NSW
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Racing Victoria boss Andrew Jones told his Racing NSW counterpart Peter V’Landys that he would stop saying nice things about him if he didn’t call off the lawyers.
The ultimatum is revealed in court documents which show how the relationship between the two major racing states is in tatters as Racing NSW fights for its future amid claims rival racing bodies led by Racing Victoria are planning a breakaway body that would exile NSW.
Racing NSW has taken civil action against racing bodies in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, claiming they have acted in an anti-competitive or “otherwise unlawful” way by plotting against Racing NSW.
As part of their case, Racing NSW has subpoenaed the other organisations for documents including emails about the alleged plot.
After asking Racing Victoria for internal documents and communications, in November last year Mr Jones sent an email to Mr Vlandys and Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding.
“As you know in legal matters if you have a case, which you don‘t, the onus is on you to make it,” Mr Jones wrote in the email.
“We have no obligation to assist you. So we won’t indulge in fishing expeditions at any time including now. If you want documents you’ll need to file a claim in court. As (again) if you don’t have a case, it will be unsuccessful.”
“I get asked a lot about the RV-RNSW relationship. I’ve been publicly complimentary to date. That obviously will not be possible if you continue this (in my view) misguided strategy.”
The email has been tendererd to the NSW Supreme Court as the court decides whether to order the racing bodies to produce documents under the subpoenas about “a new entity or joint venture for the provision of services relating to thoroughbred racing in Australia”.
In the Supreme Court last week, Justice James Stevenson found there was evidence that one or more of the interstate racing bodies had retained high-profile PR firm Cato & Clive to prepare a strategy to win public and racing backing for a breakaway body.
The court documents reveal that Cato and Clive drew up Plans A and B. Plan A was to threaten a breakaway body as they warned such a campaign could “get very personal” and they had to be prepared to follow through with it.
“Has this been modelled and war-gamed?” the “Technical Communications Plan”, which has been provided to Racing NSW anonymously, asked.
Plan B was for the other racing bodies to “simply go it alone. Wherever possible they would ignore NSW”.
Racing NSW told the court that its representative on the national body Racing Australia, Mr Balding, had not been told of any meetings between the other members of Racing Australia about the breakaway plan and knew nothing about it until he received the Cato and Clive documents.
The bombshell breakaway plans, revealed by The Daily Telegraph last month, stem from the spectacular success of Mr V’landys to introduce mega prizemoney races including the $15m The Everest at the expense of Melbourne’s coveted Spring Racing Carnival.
The court documents show that since the first Everist race in 2017, there had been a 110 per cent increase in wagering in NSW.
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