The email, sent at 3:57am on a Saturday in July and seen by The Age, contained detailed legal advice from prominent silk Peter Hanks KC that opposed sweeping racing governance and integrity reforms which had already passed the lower house. The missive was part of a coordinated campaign by the Melbourne Racing Club and the Victoria Racing Club against the legislation; Moonee Valley Racing Club did not participate.
Exactly one month later, the Coalition pulled its support for the bill, forcing the Allan Labor government to water down the proposed laws. The last-minute changes caught many in the industry by surprise, including Racing Victoria chair Tim Eddy, who felt there had been a lack of consultation over the alterations.
The episode has exposed deep divisions within Victoria's $5.5 billion racing industry. While some insiders expressed frustration at perceived influence wielded by Munz, others were buoyed by the outcome. The controversy centres on proposed changes to how the three metropolitan clubs are governed, including a mechanism for overriding club governance in "exceptional circumstances" that was eventually dropped.
Munz, a longtime financial backer of the Liberal Party, and the VRC both opposed the original bill. The Age spoke to more than a dozen people across the racing industry who described a climate of uncertainty and concern about the ongoing power struggle.
Racing Minister Carbines has not commented publicly on the email or the subsequent amendments.