Save Rosehill campaigner kicked off The Everest barrier draw boat
A former director of the Australian Turf Club and an opponent of the sale of the Rosehill Gardens racecourse has been kicked off a luxury cruise on Sydney Harbor where the $20 million Everest barrier raffle was being held.
Race officials and wealthy slot holders for the world’s richest race on turf gathered for the glitzy on-water event on Tuesday night; Among them were the owners of Hong Kong sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising, the favorite for the flagship race of the Sydney spring carnival at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Everest barrier raffle lights up Sydney Harbour.Credit: Christian Nicolussi
But the reception was not planned for well-known horse owner and breeder and Save Rosehill campaigner Julia Ritchie, who arrived as a guest of Peter Tighe, co-owner of retired champion racehorse Winx and Everest runner War Machine.
Ritchie, who was the first female member of the former Australian Jockey Club and served on the ATC board from 2014 to 2022, was among those gathered at King Street Wharf to board the $15 million superyacht The Jackson, where the Everest barrier draw was held.
According to sources with knowledge of the events, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Ritchie boarded the ship but Racing NSW operations manager Graeme Hinton said his name was not on the guest list and he left before disembarking.
She went as Tighe’s plus one but was informed that the invitations could not be transferred to anyone else. Tighe said in his RSVP that he would bring his wife, Patty, with him, but according to sources, she wasn’t able to attend, so he asked her to take Ritchie along as a guest instead.
Julia Ritchie (right) gave evidence at the parliamentary inquiry into the proposed sale of Rosehill racecourse last August.Credit: Dean Sewell
A Racing NSW spokesman said Ritchie was asked to leave the event because he was not on the invitation list and gave the name of another guest upon arrival.
“Ms Ritchie participated in last year’s Everest barrier raffle by receiving an invitation from another guest, although she was not invited. No action was taken on this occasion,” the spokesman said.
