Rosehill trainers want to move on after ATC members reject sale proposal

Rosehill trainers have their say after a vote to sell the racetrack was rejected by ATC members, an issue which has divided the racing community.

Richard Freedman says he hopes ATC members have made the right call not to sell Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Trainer Richard Freedman says only time will tell if Australian Turf Club members have made the right decision to reject the Rosehill sale proposal.

“All I will say is I hope they have made the right decision,’’ Freedman told The Daily Telegraph.

“If they have made the wrong one, eventually we will pay the penalty.’’

• Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg Polson and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro!

At an ATC extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday, the “no’’ vote had 56.1 per cent of membership support, or 4413 of the 7864 votes received.

There are nearly 11,500 members of the race club.

Freedman, who trains in partnership with his son, Will, at Rosehill, said if the ATC had more time to prosecute the case for selling the racetrack, it might have changed the vote’s outcome.

In the aftermath of the vote, there has been calls for some senior ATC executives including board members and chairman Peter McGauran to resign.

The issue has divided Sydney racing but Hall of Famer John Hawkes, one of the all-time great trainers with a storied career spanning more than 50 years, said it is time for personal differences to be set aside.

“In some ways the result of the vote is good, in some ways it’s not so good,’’ said Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne.

“But whichever way the vote went, there was nothing we could have done about it.

“This is a great industry with great people in it and it would be better for everyone if we could just move forward from this now.’’

Trainer David Payne welcomed the voting result. Picture: Getty Images

David Payne, a former champion trainer in South Africa before making a success of his move to Sydney more than two decades ago, welcomed the members rejection of the Rosehill sale.

“I think it is a very good decision,’’ Payne said.

“When I was in South Africa, they sold three of the best racetracks and the sport has gone downhill there ever since.

“At least the Rosehill trainers can plan for their future now. This decision is not so much for me but the younger generation.’’

Gerald Ryan, who trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou, admitted he was “sitting on the fence” with the Rosehill sale proposal.

“I just wanted what was best for racing,’’ Ryan said.

“Actually, I thought the plans for Warwick Farm and Penrith were great but we only saw that about 10 days beforehand. If it had eventuated, it would have been terrific.’’

Ryan said he was relieved the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race, would remain at Rosehill.

Cherie Curtis, who trains with her husband Lee, said the decision of members to reject the sale proposal gives Rosehill trainers “some certainty” for the future.

“Before the vote, we weren’t sure what to do with our lives – do we buy a house here, where do our kids go to school, what would happen to our stable staff,’’ she said.

“It’s been a year and a half of instability but we have some certainty now.’’

Originally published as Rosehill trainers want to move on after ATC members reject sale proposal