Respected MRC board member Mark Pratt resigns in big loss for warring club

Amid a series of fiascos to strike the Melbourne Racing Club board comes a big loss for the warring club, with the resignation of a well-respected committee member – and now the legal letters have started flying.

Gentleman Roy ridden by Mark Zahra wins the Catanach's Jewellers P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse on August 17, 2024 in Caulfield, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos via Getty Images)

Amid a series of fiascos to strike the MRC board comes a big loss for the warring club, with the resignation of a well-respected committee member.

To say the shemozzle has broken into a gallop this week is putting it mildly and now the once highly regarded Melbourne Racing Club will see the back of long-time committee member and businessman Mark Pratt.

The former MRC vice-chairman on Friday decided to retire from the board after joining the club in 2008 and becoming elected to the committee in 2018.

No doubt sick of the politics, Pratt has decided not to stand for re-election at the MRC’s AGM.

And now the legal letters have started flying.

Pratt, incensed by some of the politicking going on, has engaged high-flying media lawyer Justin Quill of major law firm Thomson Geer who issued a formal concerns notice to fellow board members Alison Saville and Caitrin Kelly.

Saville and Kelly last week issued a letter to fellow committee members that there has been a “longstanding poor culture and toxic atmosphere within the MRC executive committee”, further alleging “there have been previous instances of bullying”.

Melbourne Racing Club board members Alison Saville (left) and Caitrin Kelly (right).

Legal letters seen by Page 13 have been issued to the two female board members on Friday over the “joint public statement” with the intention to commence defamation action.

“At the outset our client wishes to make clear that he has always enjoyed a good relationship with you and has great respect for you,” the concerns notice read.

“This is why your public statement is so perplexing and has left our client with no real alternative but to take action to redress the harm done to his reputation … To this end, our client currently intends to commence defamation action against you as soon as the offer to make amends period has elapsed, if you are unwilling to take steps to prevent further damage and vindicate his reputation.

“Our client has been extensively identified as one of the six members sought to be removed by John Kanga’s move for a special general meeting. As such, our client is a member of a limited class of persons against whom the highly defamatory allegation of bullying and coercion unfairly and falsely attaches to.”

The board is being torn apart over controversies including an upgrade of Caulfield Racecourse.

Things have become so bad the racing club was this week reported to have introduced a safe word –“pineapple” – for board members to use in meetings if they felt threatened or ill at ease.

The club’s board is being torn apart over controversies – the potential sale of Sandown Racecourse, a $250m plan to replace the glass-fronted grandstand and a $160m Caulfield upgrade that included an unpopular mounting yard.

Former Victorian racing minister Martin Pakula took to social media following last Saturday’s Memsie Stakes Day saying “lots of disinterested young people appear to be getting paid to hand out ‘Save our MRC’ cards” outside the race day: “Feels like someone VERY wealthy might be bankrolling this push.”

Pratt did not return Page 13’s calls on Friday.