Betsy is publishing its top ten power lists for both NSW and Victoria, detailing the key powerbrokers in racing and their key relationships.
Some on these lists will be household names – there are others that punters will have never heard of.
But they are all crucial players in an industry worth billions of dollars.
The list is not designed to highlight those in positions of power or roles that give them prominence, it’s created to have a look at those who actually have an impact, with the ability to shape crucial decisions on how racing in Australia is run, and crucially, how punters are treated as a result.
- EPSOM ROAD – Tim Eddy and Aaron Morrison
Traditionally, the chairman and chief executive of Racing Victoria have stood as the sport’s most powerful and visible figures. But these are not traditional times.
That’s not an insult to either chairman Tim Eddy or his CEO Aaron Morrison. The duo find themselves trying to lead a sport where the rules of power have changed.
Eddy is a friendly and engaging operator.
He has avoided the media and kept a much lower profile than his predecessors, but his power has waned as stakeholders make their mark and racing is more reliant on the performance of wagering operators than ever before.
Morrison’s road to CEO has been long and bumpy. He missed out on the top job to Andrew Jones in 2022, but sat patiently in the wings.
Betsy has lumped Eddy and Morrison together in the power list as the duo represent the power within RV.
Many view them as a team too – Eddy was adamant that Morrison should get the gig when the board was leaning in another direction. Short-lived Melbourne Racing Club CEO Tom Reilly almost got the job, but Eddy went into bat for Morrison and the rest is history [including Reilly who was booted from the MRC after a few months].
Eddy too was essentially the second pick for the job after Gil McLachlan turned it down. That’s no knock on Eddy, his business and racing background automatically make him a leading candidate.
Eddy, while keeping a very low profile, has managed to keep the peace on a board that now has more differing views than in recent times. That’s a significant achievement in itself.
Eddy’s board however could be set for upheaval. The departure of his vice-chair, Sharon McCrohan, is a significant loss for him and RV. Some believe Paul Guerra should consider his position considering his new gig as Melbourne CEO [who is apparently adamant he can deal with the MRC for land at Caulfield for a new training base, while others view it as untenable]. Regardless, more departures could also be imminent.
The main point of anger towards RV, and what is taking up Eddy’s time, is still the continuing soap opera around the pattern. It’s a topic that a vast majority of punters couldn’t give a flying fire truck about.
Eddy and his CEO Morrison did a deal in Peter V’landys’ corporate box at the State of Origin in 2024 that would have seen a number of Victorian and many more NSW races uplifted to Group 1 status.
The main issue for Eddy and Morrison, Betsy is told, is they didn’t properly check with their stakeholders first. Many were apoplectic when they found out.
While Eddy had some excuses for the lack of judgement as he was new to the role, the same can’t be said for Morrison, who had been around long enough to know better.
The reaction was swift and brutal, with RV walking the deal back to save all-out war – at least in Victoria. Fair to say NSW were livid and for once, RV couldn’t blame Racing NSW for the shit show they faced.
What happened next in Victoria has been well documented – Eddy missed a meeting on the pattern because he was on leave celebrating a significant wedding anniversary.
The fallout was savage, with The Age quoting unnamed sources saying Morrison was stunned with the reaction from stakeholders and some viewed Eddy’s position as untenable. Some privately said the same about Morrison. They both survived.
Since then Eddy has been notably quiet, if not silent, according to many in the upper echelons of the sport.
His position carries power and authority, which he still commands, but the low profile, especially compared to Brian Kruger, has left the impression to some that he too can’t control outside forces.
Sources inside RV say that decisions that are being made are still heavily influenced by powerful stakeholders which contradict the direction that many within the administrative body believe they should be on.
Prize money allocations are the obvious example. Betsy was told that many within RV were adamant they couldn’t afford to maintain or increase prize money.
Some were even suggesting cuts, Morrison is an accountant at heart after all.
But by the time stakeholders had their say, prize money stayed the same and RV had to pivot.
Morrison, meanwhile, finally has the job he has dreamt of and presents himself as a passionate and positive leader of the sport. Many in the racing bubble like it.
His media interviews feel like he is speaking solely to participant groups at times – mentioning prize money and breeder bonuses – Morrison is pragmatic if nothing else.
He understands the numbers of racing better than most, having been the sport’s chief financial officer for years.
Crucially, Morrison gets wagering [he once almost became PointsBet CEO] even if the bookies would like more cut-through with his administration.
Politically, Morrison is hamstrung. He faces a powerful and strong bloc in racing at the moment that make it near impossible for him to make decisions. Normally the RV CEO or chairman would be the most powerful figure in racing.
Morrison got the CEO job on the promise of making changes. Within a day of getting the gig he sacked his friend and colleague Matt Welsh [who is obviously my business partner and good mate. Matt frustratingly did not contribute background for this piece. Ethics in the media do exist!].
Betsy has been told Morrison’s inability to make the captain’s call his role should allow is frustrating him. He has been open of late about his annoyance in dealing with certain Victorian racing power brokers.
What would Victorian racing look like if he had a clear runway like Peter V’landys?
There is a litany of examples where Morrison has told racing folk what he wants to happen on issues racing was tackling, only to be nobbled by powerful racing folk who wanted a different outcome. Usually a CEO only answers to a board, but this is racing. Again, this is no knock on Morrison. He can be decent company, passionately believes in making racing better, enjoys a beer and his twitter work reflects a working class football fan rather than a major sporting CEO.
Morrison did promise change when he took over and despite challenges, he has delivered. He found significant savings by cutting RV staff numbers [and could be forced to reduce head count even further].
Morrison made important changes to the running of the media business, rightly reducing costs and providing a mandate for its direction.
He has repivoted racing.com as a marketer of the sport, hell bent on making everything seem positive.
There is still a strong view in racing that RV have looked at a deal and will further consider a move that would see far more Australian racing on the screens of racing.com.
Morrison, too, has spoken at length of working with other media outlets to help grow the sport through distribution of vision and content. Time will tell whether this happens.
To his credit he has vastly improved relations between the clubs and RV. If nothing else, it could be Morrison’s crowning achievement, bringing peace to a sport that doesn’t mind smashing its own. Participant groups too have warmed to him, seen as a man who listens and genuinely wants an outcome to celebrate.
Morrison, like every other administrator, struggles with negative stories. When it comes to bad stories [or even tweets or even the impression of negativity], Morrison is viewed as sensitive and reactive. But considering the pressure Morrison has been under, and the political instability he has faced at times, who could blame him?
Talking of politics, the State Government rate both Morrison and Eddy. It’s an important relationship for both as there seems to be a series of issues bubbling under the surface which won’t go away.
The pattern, Southside’s metropolitan status, club mergers, wagering trends, plans for a new training centre, club politics and their finances, RV’s own financial headwinds, long-term plans for the media business, the continued influence powerful racing power brokers plus dealing with the inevitable haters. And what is the Racing Integrity Commissioner up to?
But to Morrison’s and Eddy’s credit, they’ve brought much needed stability to the sport.
Eddy and Morrison’s reign has seen difficult decisions made and they face even tougher calls in years to come if wagering declines further.
Whether either man can make a decision they think is right regardless of what others may believe is another question altogether.
