Caulfield board member resigns over removal of club’s chief executive

The Melbourne Racing Club board has been thrown back into turmoil following allegations of poor governance over the appointment of a $500,000-a-year chief operating officer without the role being advertised.

The MRC made a shock double-barrelled announcement on Monday night, revealing that it had “removed” Tom Reilly from his chief executive position and appointed Tanya Fullarton as COO.

Tom Reilly has been removed as the CEO of Melbourne Racing Club.

Reilly was called to Caulfield Racecourse at 7.15pm to be told by chairman John Kanga his position was “untenable”.

Board member Barbara Saunders resigned on Monday morning on learning Reilly would lose his job.

“I resigned because I had concerns about the lack of governance at the club and the removal of Tom Reilly from his position as CEO because, in my opinion, he was performing the role very well,” Saunders said.

Reilly declined to comment when contacted by this masthead but posted the following message on social media platform X: “While I’m disappointed to leave the MRC, I can say that during my time as CEO I always sought to act in the best interests of the club and its members.”

Kanga was contacted for comment.

Fullarton is vice-chairman of the Thoroughbred Racehorse Association Board, sitting alongside chairman and billionaire racehorse owner Jonathan Munz.

She runs her own marketing consultancy business and is a Geelong Racing Club board member.

Two sources not permitted to speak on behalf of the MRC told this masthead that her newly created COO role would have wide-ranging responsibilities such as overseeing track management and food outlets, and be paid $500,000-a-year, plus bonuses.

The sources claimed two other MRC board members had serious probity concerns regarding Fullarton’s appointment.

John Kanga was voted in as MRC chairman in October.Credit: Getty Images

The MRC said the club’s board voted unanimously to appoint Fullarton as COO.

Sources claimed the MRC had also negotiated a contract with Kenneth Neff to oversee the preparation of its racetracks on a $25,000 part-time contract for two months.

Neff is the manager of Pinecliff, a private training facility on the Mornington Peninsula owned by Munz.

The MRC released a statement on Monday night to say that the board had “removed” Reilly as CEO just months after he started because “sometimes things don’t work out”.

“Tom was only CEO for three months and when things don’t go as well as they should, it is best to pivot and move on,” Kanga said in the statement.

“Everyone can be assured that we have put a management structure in place to ensure a smooth transition and good working environment for employees.

“I will spend substantial time at the club as chairman, as I did before Tom Reilly was appointed and am pleased to announce that we have appointed Tanya Fullarton as Chief Operating Officer to work with me.

“Tanya has an excellent reputation and deep experience and relationships across the racing industry.”

Reilly was a night editor with the Sydney Morning Herald before leaving the print industry and becoming chief executive of the Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) and Aushorse.

He was announced as MRC CEO in December and started in the role earlier this year. He flew to Melbourne to help with the club’s clean-up efforts in January following a fire in the Norman Robinson Stand.

He made it down to the final two for the Racing Victoria CEO role last year before being overlooked by the RV board for current chief executive Aaron Morrison.

The MRC board was thrown into upheaval last August when Kanga filed a motion for a special general meeting to remove board members Matt Cain, Nick Hassett, Mark Pratt, Brooke Dawson, Scott Davidson and Jill Monk.

While the club ruled the motion was not “legally valid” at the time, former chairman Cain, vice-chairman Hassett, Pratt, Dawson, Davidson and Monk have since walked away.

Former CEO Josh Blanksby resigned at the end of August after seven years in the role.

Melbourne Racing Club no longer uses its new mounting yard before races.Credit: Getty Images

Kanga was voted in as chairman and seized control of the MRC board at a special board meeting in October.

His Save Our MRC movement followed through on its promise to save Sandown Racecourse from development, move the new Caulfield mounting yard back to its original position in front of the members’ stand as well as scrapping plans to build a new $250 million grandstand at Caulfield.

In Monday’s statement, Kanga said he had made it a priority to improve the club’s racetracks.

“We have engaged the manager of Pinecliff, regarded as Australia’s premier private training centre, as a consultant for the next few months to help us work out the best approach and protocols going forward, and he has brought on board the best team of outside agronomists available to advise on turf and soil maintenance and management,” he said.

“I am confident this will result in significant improvement.”

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