The Melbourne Racing Club parted ways with two CEOs in 12 months. It cost the club $2 million

Two sources said the club’s total staff payouts would rise to more than $3 million after a further six senior managers left MRC’s Caulfield headquarters during Kanga’s 11-month reign.

The brain drain included the loss of two potential CEOs, former chief financial officer Brent Westerbeek and former head of legal risk and corporate affairs Damian Menz.

Sources said Blanksby, the architect of the Caulfield Masterplan, decided to resign with a year left on his contract as close ally and chairman Matt Cain retired from the board, leaving the remaining committee members divided over what the club’s future strategy should be.

At stake was the future of Sandown Racecourse, which is earmarked for redevelopment and potential sale. The 112-hectare Springvale site was seen as a prime spot for a new residential development and has since been valued at more than $600 million.

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Since Kanga joined the board in an interim vacancy in 2023, only one board member remains, treasurer Alison Saville, and only one senior executive from that time period still reports to MRC’s acting CEO, Pegasus Leisure Group chief executive Russell Evans, who oversees MRC’s lucrative poker machine venues.

Kanga’s Save the MRC movement came to power at last year’s spring carnival declaring it would save racing at Sandown, end plans to build a new $230 million grand stand at Caulfield and decommission a $60 million assembly floor facility and move it to the front of the members’ field.

Age reported last month It was stated that 24 memberships linked to Kanga and his family were purchased with a single credit card before the bitter boardroom battle that saw MRC take control of the $1 billion sports club last year. The MRC denied that the membership ban affected the outcome of the club’s September elections and said they had not broken any rules.

Separate documents seen by Age It shows that the list of 170 signatures that Kanga collected in August last year to table a special general meeting motion to vacate the board included the names of seven of his family members, two jockeys, two trainers, a jockey’s family member, three current board members and acting CEO Tanya Fullarton.

Fullarton was vice president of the Thoroughbred Owners Association at the time and did not join the MRC as a staff member until this year’s King’s Birthday weekend, when he was appointed chief operating officer.

Fullarton said his signature on the SGM motion reflected his personal support for preserving Sandown as an important racing asset.

“I am a 100 per cent believer in the Save Sadown campaign,” Fullarton said. “My focus at the time was to save Sandown, return the assembly pitch to its rightful place and prevent further wasteful spending on an unnecessary and unwanted stand.

“There was no discussion or expectation of any future role at the club. My support for SGM was all about preserving an important racing venue for participants, owners and members.”

Despite Kanga’s petition calling for the SGM to collect enough signatures, a source from the MRC board – commenting on the condition of anonymity – said the changes he proposed were deemed invalid as unconstitutional.

Kanga was also accused of trying to gain control of the club “outside the normal selection process” in a letter sent to members by the board.

MRC said in a statement that it remains in a strong financial position.

“Following a period of comprehensive reform, the club is operating with renewed financial discipline and strategic clarity,” said new MRC chairman Cameron Fisher.

“After members overwhelmingly rejected the previous committee’s Caulfield Master Plan, the current committee has restored stability, refocused investment on racing and membership, and set MRC on a path to become debt-free once the land sale to Mount Scopus College is completed.”

The club expects to clear its debt if Mount Scopus College exercises its option to purchase 7.5 hectares of land next to Caulfield Racecourse for $195 million.