Tom Reilly is set to take the reins as the new chief executive officer of the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) at the start of the new year.
Reilly, who brings extensive experience from his roles at Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse, expressed excitement about this significant opportunity.
“The MRC is one of the great race clubs, not just in Australia, but globally,” Reilly told Racing.com.
“For anyone passionate about the future of racing, then running the MRC is a wonderful opportunity.
The Club ran more race meetings than any other in Victoria last season and has three great racecourses, as well as some of the major Group 1 races in the Australian racing calendar, including the Caulfield Cup, the Caulfield Guineas, and the Blue Diamond.”
MRC Chairman John Kanga also expressed enthusiasm about Reilly’s appointment.
“We wanted someone with deep racing knowledge and experience, and Tom will bring that to the Club.
He is well-respected throughout the racing industry and with his extensive contacts and knowledge, both in Australia and internationally, he will be hitting the ground running,” Kanga said.
“He shares the vision of the committee to make the MRC more efficient and properly accountable to members, customers, and participants, with an overarching aim of putting on better racing programmes and events and benefiting racing in general.”
Reilly further highlighted his alignment with the club’s goals, stating, “Having met with the committee, I’m excited by their shared vision to make sure racing is at the heart of the MRC’s endeavours and to ensure that we are maximising the potential of our three racecourses (Caulfield, Sandown and Mornington) and other assets.”
Reilly will officially begin his new role at the end of January, succeeding Josh Blanksby, who resigned as chief executive in June.
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