The Australian Turf Club (ATC) was founded on 7 February 2011.[1] It was the result of the amalgamation of the two former Sydney race clubs - the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club.
Contents |
Both the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club had co-existed as independent bodies since the early 1940s. However, the first push for a merger came at the start of the century, with STC chairman Graeme Pash opening up the possibility of a merger during his tenure.[2] Mentioned briefly in jest by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Craig Young in 2003[3], the first real push for a merger came with the release of a report by Ernst and Young in June 2009 which recommended that a merger would save the New South Wales racing industry from collapse.[4]
The NSW Government pledged $174 million for Sydney racing if the merger went ahead, including a major revitalisation of Randwick racecourse.
The move for a merger was controversial, with members of both clubs hesitant to lose their respective identities. While AJC members voted in favour of a merger, STC members voted against a merger. Nevertheless, the board of the STC decided to proceed with a merger.
Four racecourses are operated by the club, those being Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury and Warwick Farm in Sydney.