Thoroughbred Racing NT ‘at arm’s length’ from damning ICAC report

THOROUGHBRED Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole has distanced himself and his organisation from the damning ICAC report on the controversial $12 million grandstand at Darwin Turf Club, which saw six of the nine DTC board members resign.

Thoroughbred Racing NT CEO Andrew O'Toole has distanced himself and his organisation from the damning ICAC report on the controversial $12 million grandstand at Darwin Turf Club. Picture: Elise Derwin

THOROUGHBRED Racing NT CEO Andrew O’Toole has distanced himself and his organisation from the damning ICAC report on the controversial $12 million grandstand at Darwin Turf Club, which saw six of the nine DTC board members resign.

It was revealed this month the Darwin Turf Club will call a Special General Meeting of members to elect a new board.

RELATED NT NEWS SPORT STORIES

‘Naughty boy’ Sanblas, with jockey Sonja Wiseman, wins 2021 NT Derby for Heather Lehmann

Angela Forster: ‘We were close to retiring him’ before Lotion’s stunning Buntine Handicap victory

The Captain impresses for Gary Clarke again, winning the Silks Darwin Weight-For-Age in Darwin

That meeting will be held on August 9, as part of a move to restore public trust in the embattled organisation.

It follows the devastating ICAC report into the tender process of the Darwin Turf Club’s grandstand, which found the board and its chairman Brett Dixon committed improper conduct throughout the process, a finding Dixon disputes.

“I won’t comment on it, and I’m sure the Darwin Turf Club also won’t comment,” O’Toole said.

“TRNT is at arm’s length from that stuff, and there was little mention of TRNT in the report.”

While six of the nine DTC board members agreed to Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s demand for their resignation in the wake of the ICAC findings into the NT Government’s awarding of the $12m grandstand grant to the DTC in 2019, three will challenge that demand.

They are Dixon, who has taken leave of absence from his position of chairman, Dale Bicheno who joined the board in August 2020, and Damien Moriarty.

Despite last month’s bombshell report being a major talking point of Territory racing, O’Toole said there were plenty of positives to focus on during the Darwin Cup Carnival.

“We’ve been getting good crowds, with a lot of families and kids in attendance,” he said. “And the racing has been tremendous.

“We’ve got more than 270 horses in Darwin at the moment – the numbers are solid.”

O’Toole said the Darwin Cup on August 2 was set to provide a thrilling occasion for both punters and racing fans.

“We don’t have horses like (past winners) Itsahymn and Lightinthenight this year, but it’s looking like it’ll be an even race,” he said.

“Garry Lefoe has two of the leading hopes in I Am The Fox and Budget King.

“Kym Healy’s I Am Impinge, Paghman (for Gary Clarke) and Handsome Return (Chris Nash) are also worth a mention.

“Nicole Bruggemann is on fire (her four-year-old Highly Decorated won the TAB ROANT Gold Cup over 1300m on July 3).

“She’s been a big success in Darwin.

“And Trident is looking good for Mark Nyhan, who is a very good horseman.”