Peter V’landys is being hailed as the most “successful administrator” in the history of Australian sport after announcing he is stepping down as Racing NSW chief executive.
Racing NSW chair Dr Saranne Cooke said V’landys was “the most effective and successful administrator” in the history of Australian sport, while famous trainer Chris Waller said he he will “go down as one of the best, if not the best, sporting administrators in Australian history”.
It is high praise for V’landys who has been in the horse racing industry for 22 years.
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“Naturally, this is a very sad day for me. I put heart and soul into racing for 22 years,” the 64-year-old said.
“I was just a member of a dedicated team of professionals who were able to generate outstanding outcomes for Racing NSW.”
V’landys made billions for Racing NSW, with his most famous money-spinning battle coming in the High Court in 2012, which ruled that corporate bookmakers had to pay the racing industry a 1.5 per cent tax for the use of its product.
There are claims he’s created $3.5 billion in new funding for the racing industry, with about $375 million coming in annually.
Of course, the first running of The Everest in 2017 (the world’s richest turf race) came on his watch and is now a huge on the racing calendar.
“His contribution cannot simply be measured by the extraordinary growth of racing in NSW during his tenure,” Dr Cooke said.
“Peter has fundamentally changed the trajectory of racing in this country and made NSW one of the world’s leading racing jurisdictions.”
But V’landys’ time in the industry has not all been wine and roses, though, and multiple legal scraps have dogged his tenure.
Now, V’landys is set to be announced as the NRL’s new executive chairman, a new role created when .
It is a controversial role with many wondering how much power he will have and who will challenge him if things turn bad.
It is similar to what the Americans have in the NFL with commissioner Roger Goodell and was created by the defection of CEO Andrew Abdo to Tennis Australia.
V’landys time at Racing NSW will officially be over when a period of long-service leave ends in November.
Since taking over as ARL Commission chairman in 2019, V’landys has become the increasingly dominant figure in rugby league.
But this move will see his role grow even further, effectively replacing Abdo while remaining at the head of the commission.
When Abdo announced his resignation as NRL CEO in May, V’landys had said only “Superman and Jesus added together” could possibly replace him.
At the time, V’landys refused to enter into speculation if that figure could indeed be him, but signalled he would take leave from Racing NSW in July to be able to dedicate time to the NRL.
In the months since, the 64-year-old has garnered the support required from both the clubs and the states to allow him to take on the role.
Fellow commissioners have also approved the move, with the appointment now expected to be made official as early as Thursday.
Since the creation of the independent ARL Commission in 2012, no person has held the role of chairman and excutive on a full-time basis.
V’landys had been CEO of Racing NSW since early 2004, after previously spending 17 years as boss of NSW Harness Racing.
He also led the racing industry through the equine influenza outbreak, managing to secure a healthy rescue package from the federal government to help keep the industry afloat.
Tabcorp boss and former AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said V’landys was “a winner” and “without peer”.
“Peter is who he is because he’s a winner. He wins because he is relentless, tough, turns up every day and makes stuff happen for racing,” McLachlan said.
“We are defined by how we leave and Peter’s legacy is secure.”
– With AAP
