President’s scathing attack on governing body

SOUTH Australia Harness Racing Club President Anne Mowday has launched a bizarre and scathing attack on the state’s governing body.

In a printed booklet to the financially struggling club’s members Mowday has accused Harness Racing SA of attempting to sabotage the club’s reputation for its own benefit, having ulterior motives, being in financial trouble and not paying its debt.

Mowday’s booklet is a newsletter to members about the upcoming Special General Meeting to vote on several proposals.

Scheduled to be held at the club on April 9, the meeting will proceed via postal vote according to Mowday.

This raises a concern about how members will be able to ask committee members crucial questions before casting votes.

In her opening statement Mowday accuses HRSA of being responsible for the bad publicity the club has received in relation to the troubled land sale.

“There has been significant misinformation and ‘trial by media’ in recent months orchestrated by Harness Racing SA whose current sole aim is to not pay for race meeting fees” Mowday wrote.

Mowday does not elaborate what the misinformation is, and despite more than a dozen calls today to provide her with the opportunity clarify any facts, she has not returned any messages as has been the case from almost daily calls requesting answers during the past three weeks.

Mowday then declared HRSA owes the club $274,000 while stating the governing body “have not paid for a single one of the 59 races held at Globe Derby Park this year. Despite repeated attempts to recover this money.”

According to Mowday the club is not in financial trouble as is widely thought as money from the sale and HRSA will wipe out its $3.1million debt once paid.

“The math is simple….your club will be debt free” Mowday wrote.

In fact, Mowday tells members it is HRSA which is “trying to hide their own problems and dire financial situation.”

One of the proposal’s to be decided by members is to place the club in voluntary administration, which Mowday states is a motive of HRSA.

Mowday also appears to take a swipe at some of her committee members in regard to the voluntary administration:  “There is a clear divide between some (committee) members – including myself – who have the best interest of the club and our members at heart, and other members who have clearly aligned themselves with the HRSA”.

In a bid to “further develop a workable business plan” Mowday and her ‘half’ of the committee propose the club borrows another $2million at seven per cent interest over three years.

She does not explain what collateral the club will use to secure the loan or how the club will manage to make the loan payments given it has been unable to do so with its current loans.

“We remain hopeful the land settlement and the amounts owed by HRSA will be completed. But if not, these funds ($2million) will also give us the ability to pursue them legally for payment through this loan,” Mowday wrote.

Apparently borrowing the $2million is the best way to “retire debt”.

“These are all important steps to allow us to retire debt and have working capital to develop and present a business plan to you the members for consideration on how we will move forward,” Mowday wrote.

“I also remind you that our biggest accumulation of debt occurred when HRSA were joint managers of the club.”

Other than debt collection to balance accounts, Mowday offers no information of any plans the committee has to improve the club or ideas on how to prevent the club from continuing to make an operating loss as it has in recent years.

Committee member Lynette Copeland declared Mowday’s booklet is not recognised as an official club notice as it was not approved by the committee as a whole.

“It certainly was not approved by the committee,” Copeland said. “As far as at least four of us are concerned we knew nothing about it and it is not an official club letter or document.

“We’re not sure why this was sent out or how it was even paid for as no club money was approved for this.

“It just turned up in the mail today via priority paid mail and I am gobsmacked by the way it is all unfolding, including trying to hold this meeting while we deal with Coronavirus.

“As committee members we have asked for a club member list so we can explain our side of things but were told we can’t have their contact details because of the privacy act…some committee can have access to members but other can’t.

“We have asked the club’s lawyer for a complete list of members and their addresses, but were denied on privacy reasons is what she said.

“People who work in the office seem to have access to it but some committee members can’t have it…view that however you like!

“We have sent numerous emails and requests to the President who simply does not communicate back to us.

“She is just doing things on her own without any consultation with any of us…to me that’s not the way a committee works.

“We just want the committee to come together and work as a team for the betterment of the club and harness racing.”

Along with being mailed, the booklet was handed to participants at Globe Derby today, with the person distributing them standing inside the gate and showing no concern for biosecurity measures or the possible ramifications to the industry.

When told to leave by a high-ranking HRSA official, the person originally refused and responded with “you need to talk to Bill Cochrane” before eventually adhering to the official’s directive.

Cochrane is a paid consultant to the club.

HRSA chairman George Fiacchi provided a short, direct response while pointing to the more immediate issue the industry is facing – keeping the harness racing functioning during the Coronavirus epidemic.

“As the chairman of the governing body of harness racing in South Australia, I personally find it embarrassing that a member club would conduct themselves so unprofessionally when people’s lives and livelihoods are at risk,” Fiacchi said.

“Facts don’t lie and there are financial facts that show this club has accumulated substantial year on year losses over the past 14 years. No further comment is necessary.

“At HRSA, like the rest of the world, our current focus is on the health and safety of our community during this pandemic crisis facing the world.”