Anna Connors

@debbie_prest @Stevepatrick60 @RacingVictoria A lot could be automated if they wanted to invest in their IT infrastructure!!!!

@Stevepatrick60 @RacingVictoria They need to employ more staff, the poor buggers are under the pump.

Lodged doc’s on line for a recent yearling purchase 8 or 9 days ago at RA. Sent a foll up email because w/out ack’ment had no idea if it was received. Got the attached response from an unnamed boffin in Druitt St. No wonder people are leaving in droves. @RacingVictoria

Statement on RacingNSW Supreme Court Appeal.

Racing Reform Group calls on the state government to make Racing NSW accountable and set clear limits on its powers.

Full story: The NSW Supreme Court has found that Racing NSW acted beyond its powers in appointing an administrator to the Australian Turf Club over concerns about its financial condition and corporate governance. thestraight.com.au/racing-nsws-ap…

The Supreme Court of NSW judge, Honourable Justice François Kunc, has ruled the appointment of an administrator of the Australian Turf Club by Racing NSW was invalid on all counts. Costs have also been awarded to the ATC.

Independent Public Statement As the Supreme Court of New South Wales prepares to deliver judgment at 9.45am on Wednesday in the proceedings between the Australian Turf Club and Racing NSW, I place my position on the public record with unequivocal clarity, unflinching resolve, and uncompromising legal force. I express my unreserved and unequivocal support for the Australian Turf Club, its Board of Directors, a hybrid board of appointed and elected members, and the rigorous, principled reporting of Vicky Leonard in The Thoroughbred Report. Her article accurately identifies the legal, governance, and statutory questions at stake and provides an indispensable framework for public understanding of this dispute. This litigation is not a mere administrative matter. It is a test of statutory construction, the lawful limits of regulatory authority, and the preservation of governance integrity in member governed organisations. The question before the Court is precise and critical: may a regulator, under the guise of statutory power, assume control of a member governed entity absent express legislative authorisation? The answer is emphatically negative. The Australian Turf Club is a legally independent entity. It is not a subsidiary, it is not a puppet, and it is not subject to operational domination by a regulator. Its Board is entrusted by law and constitution with full responsibility for racing operations, commercial strategy, assets, and corporate governance. The assertion by Racing NSW that it may exercise such comprehensive authority is legally unsustainable. It constitutes an impermissible encroachment upon corporate governance, an attempted subversion of member rights, and a challenge to the rule of law. Acceptance of such an argument would erode the autonomy of every member governed club in New South Wales, substituting regulator discretion for constitutionally mandated accountability. Such a course is not oversight; it is unlawful usurpation. The ATC Board’s decision to seek judicial determination was both necessary and entirely appropriate. When statutory powers are invoked in a manner that threatens to displace a boards lawful authority, the Court is the sole arbiter of their legality and scope. Any failure to adjudicate these questions would fundamentally undermine governance, destabilise the racing industry, and compromise the rule of law. The Court is called upon to delineate boundaries that Racing NSW has brazenly sought to erase. Boundaries that protect elected and appointed directors from unlawful interference. Boundaries that preserve member governance and ensure accountability to members, not to a regulator wielding unchecked and expansive discretion. Let the record show: regulatory power is not absolute. Governance rights are not negotiable. The ATC Boards defence of both, accurately and meticulously reported by Vicky Leonard, exemplifies leadership, legal courage, and fidelity to statutory and constitutional principle. It demands recognition from all participants in the industry. On Wednesday morning, the Court will deliver judgment. Regardless of the outcome, the ATC Board will have fulfilled its highest duty. It will have stood resolutely against unlawful overreach. It will have demanded statutory powers be exercised strictly within the limits prescribed by Parliament. It will have defended the sovereignty of member governance with unwavering resolve. The law is unequivocal. The Board is correct. The ATC Board has acted not merely in defence of its own mandate, but in defence of principle, in defence of law, and in defence of every member governed club in New South Wales. The principles at stake are foundational. They are the pillars upon which the integrity of racing in this State rests. Let there be no misunderstanding: the ATC Board will not yield.

Racing Reform Group respond to Racing NSW's chairman. Read more: reformnswracing.org/racing-reform-…

Great to see that at least one part of the media is prepared to mention the case of Vicky Leonard v’s PVL. Australia’s racing media are proving how weak gutted they are when it comes to true journalism - They’re probably better being script writers for the Muppets!

RT @vickyleo: A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to the Gofundme - $170k in ten days, which has us well on the path to defending…

Whilst PVL is again in court today chasing another vendetta, it’s wonderful to see everybody getting behind Vicky Leonard’s fight to stop the continual power plays from an uncontrolled regulator. The fact that so many people have stood up and financially backed this says it all!

Well done @zoesam93 and @FinancialReview for having the integrity of running the story about Vicky Leonard in today’s paper and giving it the focus that it deserves. Unlike your media peers you obviously place journalistic integrity above all and our industry thanks you!

Since the mainstream racing media in NSW are too scared/weak to report on the Vicky Leonard case it’s great to see some real journalists from the Financial Review write about it today. gofund.me/fd1dd16d9 Keep the donations coming people - This is about integrity!

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys is suing a little-known racing publication for defamation. Its owner, Vicky Leonard, is refusing to back down. ebx.sh/bHu4sk

Public Statement of Independent Support for Vicky Leonard To breeders, trainers, owners, jockeys, bloodstock agents, administrators and all participants across the thoroughbred industry, I write to express my unequivocal and unwavering support for Vicky Leonard in respect of the Supreme Court defamation proceedings brought against her following publication of an article in The Thoroughbred Report. This is not a matter of personal opinion or dispute. It is a matter of governance, accountability, and the integrity of the thoroughbred industry itself. The article in question posed a simple and entirely legitimate question: does a 21 year tenure as Chief Executive continue to serve the best interests of the industry, particularly at a time when the NSW Government is reviewing the Thoroughbred Racing Act? CEO tenure, succession planning, and oversight are core governance issues, and their discussion in the public interest is fundamental to any mature and responsible regulatory environment. Through the authority of Racing NSW and its role within Racing Australia, governance decisions in New South Wales affect the entire national framework, from prizemoney and programming to the Australian Racing Pattern, which underpins international bloodstock confidence. What happens here reverberates across the country and around the world. The stakes are profound, and so too is the need for transparency. Litigation of this scale is a strategic and costly instrument. It diverts resources from participants, from equine welfare, and from the future development of our industry. It sends a chilling message that legitimate questions of governance can carry personal, professional, and financial risk. That is not acceptable. A healthy, resilient, and credible industry demands open debate and accountability at all levels. Supporting Vicky Leonard is not about individuals or personalities. It is about defending the principle that governance can and must be examined openly. That industry resources are accountable. That responsible media scrutiny is an essential safeguard for every participant and for the sport itself. Strong leadership is strengthened by scrutiny; it is not diminished by it. If we do not defend these principles now, we risk an industry in which silence replaces transparency, and fear replaces accountability. The integrity, credibility, and future of thoroughbred racing depend upon it. Accountability is not antagonism. Transparency is not disloyalty. Debate is not a threat it is essential. Mr A J Knowler

Proud to support @vickyleo and the principles she’s standing for — transparency, accountability and open discussion in our industry. These conversations matter.

@TTARacing @vickyleo "Charny revealed the Racing NSW executive, which is headed by CEO Peter V’landys, has a delegation in place that legal matters of less than $1 million do not need board approval." thestraight.com.au/racing-nsw-boa…

Who in the racing media has the gumption to directly ask RacingNSW to categorically confirm that they are not funding any part of the legal proceedings taken by PVL today against @vickyleo All participants should be assured that industry funds aren’t being used for this.

It's only my opinion, but it looks a bit like Peter V'landys is a sensative soul who likes starting defo actions smh.com.au/national/nsw/p…

@TTARacing @vickyleo Something he wouldn’t answer when asked by the AFR!!!

It would be very interesting to know who is paying for PVL’s legal fees for all this. Keep fighting @vickyleo - We are all behind you!! smh.com.au/national/nsw/p…