How VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers is shaking up the Spring Racing Carnival
Former AFL executive Kylie Rogers has wasted no time leaving her mark on the 161-year-old club responsible for Australia’s most iconic horse race. And she’s only just getting started.
From a spick and span office overlooking the lush famous Flemington Racecourse straight, Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers pauses for the slightest moment before answering a tricky question.
The first female boss in the 161 history of a club responsible for Australia’s iconic Melbourne Cup, wanted to choose her words carefully.
Headhunted from an executive post in the AFL, Ms Rogers was tasked with bringing new crowds to a sport with its fair share of critics and rebooting an organisation bleeding money.
It’s a challenge the 14th CEO of the VRC is little more than a year and two months into as the Herald Sun sits down for an exclusive and expansive interview on the eve of the four day Melbourne Cup Carnival.
And it's a tenure that saw her ruffle feathers in a short space of time, notably a decision to axe 40 jobs three weeks before last Christmas.
Asked what her biggest challenge had been thus far, Ms Rogers took a deep breath before delivering a response tinged with an equal measure of business and emotion.
“Having to right-size the business pre-Christmas last year,’’ she said.
“Three months in, after delivering a stand out Carnival was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do personally or professionally.
“And we lost wonderful people who had dedicated their professional lives to this club.
“It was something we needed to do but that was very challenging and, frankly, I walked away from that heading to Christmas feeling like we’d broken the club.
“But we’ve rebuilt and we’re refreshed, we’ve had a great financial year and we’re ready to go.’’
That “refresh” has since seen the former AFL “Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial” appoint her own team to run the Cup Carnival in the Rogers era.
She says her plan is working — pointing to a significant turn around in VRC finances and strong ticket sales to this month’s Carnival on the back of the biggest crowds since 2018 last year.
Though only two months into the job when the roses bloomed and crowds flocked to Flemington last year, Ms Rogers said she: “deliberately observed, listened, watched and learned.’’
And while doomsayers have been trying to write off racing for years, the fact 54 per cent of those who found their way to Flemington were female and 45 per cent aged 35 or under offered hope.
“To see the youthful energy last year, it was something I didn’t expect,’’ she said.
“To be honest with you, in my first few months journalists would ask me time and again ‘how are you going to get youth back at the track?’
“And now if I ever get that question, I’m going to say ‘you obviously don’t go to the races’...
the youth are definitely back, and we are hoping for the same balance of patronage.’’
Finances and ticket sales are not the only challenges Ms Rogers faces.
In April the Herald Sun revealed one of the VRC’s major sponsors Penfolds was pulling out of Derby Day naming rights, leaving a gaping hole in Flemington’s famed Birdcage enclosure.
In September, her 17-year-old son was busted underage drinking inside the exclusive Committee Room at Flemington.
And NSW continues to march on Victoria’s previous domination of the lucrative spring racing market, with Sydney events ringmaster Peter V’landys and the popular Everest making serious strides into the hearts and minds of horse fans.
Penfolds’ exit raised eyebrows, given its parent company Treasury Wines had been a signature sponsor at Flemington for more than 40 years.
The VRC hastily signed an international insurance company in place of Penfolds and added much needed cash by making McDonalds naming rights sponsor of its new Elms Live Stage.
While time will tell if punters will ever be able to get a Big Mac trackside, pressed on whether she feared the Penfolds exit could spark a domino effect, Ms Rogers said: “Absolutely not.
“We’ve had an unbelievably successful year when it comes to corporate partnerships.
“We renegotiated a number of our current partners... and so we’re feeling very confident about our corporate support.’’
On her son’s slip with the law, Ms Rogers had to balance her role as mum and VRC chief.
“It’s a tricky one because it’s still under investigation,’’ she said.
“We are obviously directly in conversation with the Office of Liquor.
“As the CEO, I will say that we take the duty of care of our patrons very seriously.
“We take responsibility of our liquor license very seriously.
“And it’s a privilege to have a liquor license.
“And we will take that responsibility on into the Melbourne Cup Carnival and we’ll let the investigation play out.’’
Asked if she would enter enemy territory to attend the $20m Everest she said: “Well it’s tough because it’s on Caulfield Cup day and I want to support Victorian racing.
“I had a number of mates there and they had a great time and I take my hat off to Peter V’landys because quite frankly, it’s incumbent upon all of us to innovate in our sport and to bring in different patronage, which the Everest has.
“But I will say one thing: we are the original and we draw more crowds, more viewership and more gambling turnover than any race in Australia.
“In fact, the Lexus Melbourne Cup delivers three times the turnover of the Everest.
“We broadcast to over 220 countries in the world with a reach of 750m people and, as I said, nearly 300,000 patrons over the four days, 14,000 jobs are created, so we’re the original one. “We’re the best and we will continue to innovate where we can.’’
She was “not worried at all’’ the Everest drew more than 50,000 to Royal Randwick for “the world’s richest race on turf”.
“I think we all need to work together, to continue to innovate and attract more fans to our sport.’’
Work together is something Ms Rogers has had to do with VRC chairman Neil Wilson, chief executive of the club himself until November 2020 and now one of seven men on an 11 member board.
Ms Rogers was steadfast there was no tension between her and Mr Wilson, who she described as “a dear friend”.
“Not at all. He has the club’s best interests at heart full stop,’’ she said.
“And I know he’s pumped and refreshed by our new strategy and the energy that’s within this club right now.
“And we’re having fun together.’’
Far from the only racing identity under pressure, Ms Rogers admitted she was caught off guard by John Kanga’s sudden and unexpected resignation as chief executive of rival Melbourne Racing Club, citing “a series of public attacks”, by disgruntled former MRC figures.
“I was as shocked and saddened as I guess anyone else was when I read it a couple of Friday’s back,’’ she said.
Ms Rogers said calls for the VRC and MRC to merge were “not a new topic,’’.
“Mergers have been discussed across the metro clubs for decades and I imagine it will continue to come up,’’ she said.
“But I’m not focused on that right now.’’
Pushed on whether she saw any merit in the idea, she said: “Maybe if the work’s done and we can see the strategic benefits, but we’re not looking at that just yet.’’
Ms Rogers harboured no intentions of returning to the AFL should an opportunity ever arise to become the league’s first female boss.
“No — I don’t think about it at all,’’ she said.
“I miss my dear friends, some who have become family, who work there, but now I just enjoy going to the footy, wearing a scarf, having a beer and shouting out ‘Go Dogs’.’’
She could not say how long she wanted to remain in charge of the VRC.
“I don’t know, I’m not one of those people who have five year plans or 10 year plans,’’ she said.
“I had a good gut feeling about the opportunities at this club and that’s why I took on the role and I will stay here until I feel like I’ve done what I’ve needed to do.’’
In a nod to the importance of youth, fans will for the first time be allowed to spill onto the hallowed Flemington turf to party near the finish post with DJ Fisher after the last race on Stakes Day.
“To have the youth coming in droves to enjoy the day and to finish off dancing on our track, what a way to close a cultural phenomenon in this Carnival,’’ she said.
And what would it take to make her drive home with a smile on her face after the final race?
“Safe, world class racing,’’ she said.
“Wonderful stories that have come out of it locally and internationally.
“I want 285,000 plus patrons who have had a brilliant, fun time enjoying wide and varied experiences.’’
