Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Save Rosehill group has confirmed that a petition calling for a General Meeting to vote on the removal of Australian Turf Club (ATC) Chairman Peter McGauran has been formally submitted to the Club.
The petition, backed by more than the required five percent of voting members, seeks to hold ATC leadership accountable for its handling of the proposed sale of Rosehill Gardens.
Under the Corporations Act 2001, ATC directors must convene a meeting within 21 days of receiving the request and hold it within two months. This timeline places the meeting ahead of the scheduled special general meeting on April 3, where members are slated to vote on the future of Rosehill.
This follows the November election of Tim Hale and Annette English as ATC directors, both candidates against the sale who called for more strategic and inclusive dialogue about the club’s future. Hale secured a second term, while English - endorsed by the Save Rosehill lobby group - replaces the seat that will be vacated by the departing Angela Belle McSweeney in February.
Save Rosehill argues that the findings of the NSW Legislative Council inquiry into the sale have shattered member confidence in McGauran’s leadership. The group is also demanding that the ATC abandon its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the NSW Government, calling the entire process flawed and lacking transparency.
ATC Chairman Peter McGauran | Image courtesy of Australian Turf Club
The release mentions the Upper House inquiry raised serious concerns, including “conflicting evidence and uncertainty with the financial assumptions behind and the financial viability of the proposal to develop Rosehill Racecourse.”
Save Rosehill also asserts that the ATC had no justification for entering into an MOU to sell Rosehill Gardens.
“No-one disputes that two first-class racing tracks in metropolitan Sydney are necessary to sustain a viable thoroughbred racing industry in NSW,” said Save Rosehill spokesperson Julia Ritchie.
“It is therefore beyond comprehension that the ATC Board entered into an MOU to sell Rosehill Gardens, without first having itself identified and secured a viable alternative and putting that proposal to members for approval.”
“It is therefore beyond comprehension that the ATC Board entered into an MOU to sell Rosehill Gardens, without first having itself identified and secured a viable alternative and putting that proposal to members for approval.” - Julia Ritchie
Further controversy arose when it was revealed that Racing NSW had plans to oversee the majority of proceeds from the sale. According to minutes from Racing NSW’s 21 November 2023 board meeting, which were disclosed during the inquiry, the organisation intended to take control of the funds, leaving only a 'reasonable sum' for the ATC. However, at the ATC’s AGM on 28 November 2024, McGauran insisted that 'the bulk of the money will come to us.'
Save Rosehill maintains that the inquiry has exposed the MOU process as a “stitch-up job” designed to disenfranchise ATC members.
“There is overwhelming evidence that the best interests of members and the wider racing industry can only be served by a change in leadership at the ATC and the board withdrawing from this highly flawed, controversial and biased process. The Club must regain control of our own destiny and end this charade now,” Ritchie said.
“The Club must regain control of our own destiny and end this charade now.” - Julia Ritchie
“The members can have no faith that any proposal emerging from this MOU process, concerning either the potential revenue the club would receive or the viability of an alternative to Rosehill Gardens in metropolitan Sydney, will have any foundation in reality and that is why the process should be halted now,” Ritchie added.
Julia Ritchie (left) with Gai Waterhouse | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Save Rosehill campaign is backed by prominent racing industry figures and ATC members, including former ATC Chair Matt McGrath, former STC Vice Chair Greg Kenny, and high-profile owners Debbie Kepitis, Neil Werrett, Frank Cook, Jason Abrahams, and Annette English. Several leading Sydney trainers have also publicly supported the campaign.
The Thoroughbred Report reached out to ATC Head of Media and Broadcast Brett de Vine who declined to answer questions to him regarding the member petition.
