Save Rosehill
Do not support the sale of Rosehill
Our Position: NO has not changed.
Although repackaged in a shiny new document with personal incentives designed to distract from the flaws, the ATC has delivered yet another proposal that fails to address members’ concerns about the sale of Rosehill.
What is still clear is this: the Club’s leadership has lost sight of why the ATC exists.
The Constitution of the ATC states that the object of the Club is racing – not building health centres, gyms or social clubs.
1. Selling Rosehill means sacrificing top-level racing and the future of Sydney’s thoroughbred industry.
Losing Rosehill would leave Sydney with only one premier track; a direct contradiction of the Club’s core racing purpose.
2. The ATC may not even control the funds or the Proposal.
NSW Government Cabinet Office minutes dated 17th November 2023 quote Racing NSW seeking control of “all sale revenue for the benefit of the whole industry.”
At the 2024 ATC Annual General Meeting the ATC Chairman stated that Racing NSW had engaged a consultant on the proposal.
The ATC may receive only a fraction, with no legal protection.
3. The ATC is breaking a key promise made during the 2010 AJC/STC merger.
Members were assured that both Randwick and Rosehill would be retained as Sydney’s two premier tracks. This sale abandons that commitment.
4. There is no secured, viable alternative to Rosehill Gardens. Warwick Farm is not a suitable replacement.
It sits on a floodplain between the Georges River and the Hume Highway.
It lacks the space, infrastructure, and public access required for a top-tier venue.
There are no approved plans for the $802 million upgrade, no development applications, and no flood mitigation strategy that is likely to secure the essential authorities approvals.
Substantial construction cost increases over the past five years highlight that these funds may be inadequate to finance the developments proposed.
Cabinet Office minutes confirm Racing NSW itself told the NSW Government Warwick Farm was unsuitable.
5. There is no transition strategy or impact assessment for racing or training during redevelopment.
No plan for where horses, trainers, or midweek racing will go.
No modelling of wagering impacts. No operational logistics.
6. The $5 billion is not guaranteed and not what it seems.
Only $1.9 billion is proposed to be received in the first five years. The remaining $3.1 billion is staggered over 10 years, with no secured payment plan or present-day valuation.
There are no disclosed deductions, taxes or liabilities.
No transparency. No guarantees.
7. A $522 million training centre is being promised, but no land is secured.
A proposed site for a state-of-the-art training centre in greater Sydney region has failed to be identified. There is no timeline, no site, and no clarity on where it fits in the broader racing strategy. Like other racing infrastructure upgrade plans, there is a major risk it will be continually delayed or abandoned.
8. The “Member Loyalty Program” is a $57 million gimmick.
Inducements designed to entice votes impinges on the principles of freedom of choice and the long history of members rights espoused by the ATC and its forbears.
It is an inappropriate incentive to mask the ATC’s failure to answer the members concerns. The proposal should stand on its own merits without any enticements.
9. Voting YES permanently removes your right to decide Rosehill’s future.
The resolution reclassifies Rosehill as “non-core” property.
That means if the deal changes or falls through, members no longer have a say, ever again.
10. This is a betrayal of Western Sydney.
Rosehill has been a racing icon since 1885 and is home to the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest and most prestigious two-year-old race.
It’s a cultural and sporting landmark that cannot be replaced.
The vote was deferred to provide members with greater transparency and certainty. Instead, the delay has been used to repackage the same flawed proposal with sweeteners rather than substantive answers.
These critical requirements have still not been met:
No secured or viable alternative to Rosehill with Group 1 capability, flood planning, access, and facilities.
No confirmed relocation plan for horses, trainers, or midweek racing during redevelopment.
No wagering impact analysis or transition strategy.
No written guarantee of the full $5 billion or schedule for payment.
No legal confirmation that funds will be held and controlled by the ATC.
No costed delivery plan, financial modelling, or strategy for approvals and risk mitigation.
No comparison showing that a sale is better than alternative fundraising strategies.
No protection of member voting rights if the sale falls through.
This is not a vision for racing.
It is a risky proposal with permanent consequences.
Until these questions are fully answered to the Members’ satisfaction, the only responsible vote is NO.
HOW TO VOTE
We are urging ATC members to vote NO to the sale of Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday, 27 May 2025.
You should have received a Notice of Meeting from the Australian Turf Club Limited on May 6th. To register your ‘NO’ vote, please follow these steps:
Step 1. Scroll to the bottom of the email received on May 6th where you will see the button for ‘APPOINT YOUR PROXY’
Step 2. Above it is a 5 digit PIN number which is unique to you, insert it to proceed
Step 3. Go to the Voting Preferences section
Step 4. Remove the Chairman as the default proxy option by selecting ‘Other appointee’:
Fill in either Julia Ritchie, or alternatively David Walter
Note: Gai Waterhouse will be overseas and unable to be a proxy.
Scroll to bottom of the page
The resolution: Tick NO to not support the resolution
Step 5. Submit
Your proxy must be in attendance at the meeting.
If your proxy doesn’t show, your vote doesn’t count. If you choose another person to be your proxy, please confirm with your appointed proxy that they will be attending on the day.
To avoid any challenge to the validity of your Proxy Form ensure the person you nominate is a Voting Member of the ATC. Licensed persons such as trainers are not Voting Members.
ATC Notice of Meeting
Some ATC members have said that Tuesday’s Notice of Meeting was still not balanced in presenting both sides of the argument. They have included a ‘no case’ in the Notice of Meeting but because it starts at page 41 it is understandable that some may not have seen it.
For ease of reference, we re-produce it below.
Petition to remove Peter McGauran as ATC Director
If you have, please share it with other members who care about the future of racing.
We are more determined than ever to ensure that decisions about our racecourses, our memberships, and our community are made
with integrity, and genuine consultation – qualities that the current leadership has proven itself incapable of delivering.
Unite our industry against the sale of Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
Please register your details below and show your support of the campaign to Save Rosehill.
When sharing your details below you can also raise questions and we will endeavour to seek appropriate advice.
We welcome all supporting comments, you can contact us by filling in the box below. We will acknowledge your comments and reply in a timely fashion.
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