By XAVIER SMERDON
WERRIBEE Racing Club has undergone a major shakeup with the dramatic removal of the CEO and Country Racing Victoria taking control.
Star can reveal that the CEO of the Werribee Racing Club, Jeremy Crawford, was made redundant and took a redundancy package after leaving on Friday 27 April.
A committee meeting was held last week where it was confirmed that CRV would take over operations at the club.
Chairman Patrick Wheelahan told Star the board of the club would remain in place but that they would play a “purely advisory role”.
“The main message is that nothing changes for our 1000 or so members,” Mr Wheelahan said.
“Country Racing Victoria will be running the club with the support of Racing Victoria on the behalf of the club.”
Mr Wheelahan said ultimate responsibility for operations at the club would lie with CRV.
The shakeup is the latest drama at the club. Racing was stopped for several years due to the state of the track, however a new surface has allowed racing to resume in 2010.
A multi-million dollar refurbishment of the track effectively saved the club, which is now also home to the international horses that come to Victoria for the Spring Racing Carnival.
Shaun Kelly from Racing Victoria said the restructure would help ensure the future of the Club.
“Country Racing Victoria, Racing Victoria and the Werribee Racing Club are collectively implementing a new administration and management structure at Werribee to best fit the diversity of operations at the Werribee Racecourse,” Mr Kelly said.
“The new structure will ensure the long term viability of the Werribee Racecourse which has three distinct areas of operation, that being the conduct of racing, the conduct of a functions business and the operation of an international quarantine centre.
“Werribee is an important component of Victoria’s racing infrastructure and the development of a new administration structure is designed to further strengthen the three areas of operation at the Racecourse.”
Mr Kelly said that all eight race meetings scheduled for Werribee each year along with any functions booked at the Club would go ahead as planned.
As a result of the shakeup, Mr Kelly said that Brett Shambrook had been appointed as Transition Manager as the new structure was implemented.
