Why is RACE Victimizing Gary Vile?

[Peter McK]

The Board of RACE are evicting Gary Vile, from the stables built for him, that he helped design  on the Awapuni  racecourse in 2008. Gary has been the outspoken President for the Central Districts Division of the New Zealand Trainers Association for 15 years. The grounds for eviction are: no lease was signed and so a month's notice to evict is being used to vacate the stables and find  a new home for his usual number of 20 + horses in work with ,many more on his books.  Paragraph 31 of the unsigned lease calls for the parties to act in good faith with a view to speedy resolution to any differences or  dispute and if not resolved then  go to mediation and if that is not acceptable, go to arbitration and if one arbitrator is not agreed then one each and a third under the Arbitration Act. BUT RACE refuses to mediate and refuses to arbitrate. A further conundrum is that RACE will not say whether Gary will be permitted to train on the Awapuni track. This added issue was included in a letter from NZTR CEO Bernard Saundry to the Trainers Association, but neither Mr. Saundry nor his replacement Bruce Sharrock will confirm this. Nor will NZTR confirm that NZTR would act on a statement from RACE Chairman Humphries and ex CEO Alasdair Robertson, should RACE request NZTR to refuse nominations from Gary Vile horses at RACE venues of Trentham and Awapuni. 

The RACE website names the following men, as the current members of the RACE Board:

Why are these men imposing this career and life damaging legal action on a long standing New Zealand Thoroughbred Trainer? A trainer who has been president  of the CD Trainers for 15 years, speaking out for trainers owners and jockeys.

Manawatu Racing Club Representatives:

Paul Humphries {Chairman} Craig Sheridan

Marton Jockey Club Representatives:

Sam Trotter, Richard Simpson

Feilding Jockey Club Representatives

Darrin Holm, Simon Westby

Wellington Racing Club Representatives

Wayne Guppy [Vice Chairman] Sam Walker

The RACE group also includes other Racing Clubs, Rangitikei Racing Club and Ashurst- Pohangina Racing Club.

RACE Group Committees include the licensed trainers Sam Trotter and Bryce Newman.

Why would fellow horse trainers be part of this victimization of Gary Vile? 

How would the  general public of the Hutt Valley react to the President and Vice President of the Wellington Racing Club , the Mayor Wayne Guppy and the Lawyer Sam Walker from the legal firm Gillespie Young and Watson, evicting a family onto the street with nowhere else to go and for no justifiable reason except there was no signed lease? Gary Vile has a family of racehorses. They have as much entitlement to fairness and justice and have their welfare considered as much as a large family evicted from an Upper Hutt house. 

If you know these or others who form part of RACE, the Committee Members of the Clubs that form RACE, ask them WHY? The new CEO for RACE Tim Savell says he just does as he is told for which he gets the big bucks.

NZTR CEO Bruce Sharrock has told Gary Vile" They do not want you there". But Mr. Sharrock will not clarify who " they" are. It does not include resident trainers at the Awapuni track.

Members of the New Zealand Racing community, Gary Vile does not deserve this victimization. Why will the RACE Board  Chairman, Humphries and Vice Chairman Mayor Wayne Guppy and their Board not explain their inconsiderate dealing to Gary Vile and a large stable of racehorses? 

[nomates]

Peter , i ask this without prejudice , is there information behind this story that isn't being brought to light from either side . This seems harsh without due cause , but one thing i have learnt in 40+ years in racing is that racing administrators are a law unto themselves when they wish . 

[nod]

Peter, is the rent paid up to date? just asking

[Joe Bloggs]

Saundry mentioned again, you'd think he would go quietly, Kate Goodrich is waiting in Vic for her day in court, keep your head down Bernard, not long now ........

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I see you are banging your head on the other channel NM, there are some thick dicks out there, until Mr Vile is found guilty of something worth being kicked out of Awapuni,  then it's their duty to go into bat for him.......what a useless collective of bones and marrow [or lack of] that association mob is......

[nomates]

1 minute ago, Joe Bloggs said:

I see you are banging your head on the other channel NM, there are some thick dicks out there, until Mr Vile is found guilty of something worth being kicked out of Awapuni,  then it's their duty to go into bat for him.......what a useless collective of bones and marrow [or lack of] that association mob is......

Yeah agree completely , otherwise what's their role , as usual TA on the other site always seems to grab the wrong end of the buzz saw .

[Peter McK]

There is no rent issue, Nod. RACE refuse to discuss or mediate the issue. NZTR  CEO's Saundry and Sharrock excuse involvement saying it is a  commercial matter and  will not answer requests from the NZ Trainers Assoc. The unsigned lease [ an oversight by both] nonetheless called for both parties to act in good faith and resolve issues, as said above, and if not mediate or arbitrate, but RACE will have none of that. The question is why and who is driving this to a court to resolve? If evicted from the stables, will Gary be permitted to train at Awapuni track facilities and would NZTR if requested by RACE,  refuse Gary's nominations at RACE venues Awapuni and Trentham? Are all the RACE Board parties to this?

A  senior trainer's life, a vocal representative for the CD trainers and horse welfare appear an unnecessary consideration here.   

[nod]

Thank you for that Peter

From what I have gathered over the years about English law it can be very difficult to void an existing tenancy -all things being in order. Doubtless you will be assisting the trainer/

[Joe Bloggs]

If it goes to litigation my money is on G Vile, unless there is an underlaying issue that surfaces and at this stage we have no idea of any such possibility.

You only have to look at Goodrich v RVL, HQ moved Heaven and Earth to bring and sustain charges against Kate Goodrich, it almost broke her, financially and emotionally, she survived, thankfully, and God alone knows what her legal bill would have been had RVL succeeded. Gary will need to have an excellent legal team and argument as sure as hell those that are against him will have a war chest of considerable size and Gary may need 'help' in funding his defence/argument.

That's why the Trainers Association is derelict in it's duty of care toward Gary, as I've said many times, if you had a Royal Commission into racing and breeding in NZ all hell would break loose, dirty laundry be damned, I bet under oath the exposes would be mind boggling, I would love to see it, in my lifetime it's improbable, not impossible but for obvious reasons it would be stymied, sadly.

 

 

[The Centaur]

The eviction coinciding with the All Weather track seems more than a coincidence. Therefore I'm merely speculating that the stables are needed in order for either Chris Waller or Te Akau to set up shop. Therefore merely a commercial decision and lets face it either of them setting up would be a boost to CD racing.

[Chief Stipe]

41 minutes ago, The Centaur said:

The eviction coinciding with the All Weather track seems more than a coincidence. Therefore I'm merely speculating that the stables are needed in order for either Chris Waller or Te Akau to set up shop. Therefore merely a commercial decision and lets face it either of them setting up would be a boost to CD racing.

I'm assuming you are taking the piss?  If bot why the hell would Te Akau or Waller set up at Awapuni?  Te Akau must seriously be considering an Australian base and no way would Waller waste time and money chasing NZ stakes.

[Huey]

38 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

I'm assuming you are taking the piss?  If bot why the hell would Te Akau or Waller set up at Awapuni?  Te Akau must seriously be considering an Australian base and no way would Waller waste time and money chasing NZ stakes.

Agree , it would be in Wallers best interest to send a team to the Picnics in Aus rather than waste $ setting up in NZ.

[billy connolly]

2 hours ago, nod said:

From what I have gathered over the years about English law it can be very difficult to void an existing tenancy -all things being in order.

Yes and in contract law verbal agreements carry as much (if not more) weight than written agreements.

Doesn't RACE Board Chairman, Humphries occupy one of those flash houses behind Awapuni's course proper? His father, Greg Humphries was a former head Stipendiary Steward in the Central Districts back in the 80's.

[Doomed]

Surely trying to evict him from the stables and refusing to accept nominations for his horses are two separate things? And two quite major things. Sounds like there must be something behind it all. Now that everything has gone public surely the parties should reveal what this is all about.

[Chief Stipe]

9 hours ago, Huey said:

Agree , it would be in Wallers best interest to send a team to the Picnics in Aus rather than waste $ setting up in NZ.

Non-TAB picnic race in NSW minimum stake $5,000.

This is part of Racing NSW's $25 million funding package that increases minimum stakes across all levels of racing commencing July 1 including:

#Group 1 races will be worth a minimum $600,000 per race, Group 2 goes to $250,000, Group 3 to $200,000 and Listed to $160,000.

#Metropolitan Saturday minimum prizemoney will increase to $150,000 per race.

#Metropolitan midweek minimum race prizemoney will increase to $55,000.

#Provincial minimum race prizemoney will increase to $40,000.

#Country TAB minimum race prizemoney will increase to $25,000.

#Picnic minimum race prizemoney will increase to $5,000.

[nomates]

10 hours ago, Doomed said:

Surely trying to evict him from the stables and refusing to accept nominations for his horses are two separate things? And two quite major things. Sounds like there must be something behind it all. Now that everything has gone public surely the parties should reveal what this is all about.

NZTR have clearly stated that they are staying out of it and that it is an issue for GV and Race to resolve . So i would assume they have to remain independent when it came to the issue of nominating and racing horses at Race meetings and make it clear to Race that they would be allowing GV's horses to race at Race meetings if GV wished to do so .

[The Centaur]

15 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

I'm assuming you are taking the piss?  If bot why the hell would Te Akau or Waller set up at Awapuni?  Te Akau must seriously be considering an Australian base and no way would Waller waste time and money chasing NZ stakes.

You don't seem capable looking too far. Waller originates from the area along with his wife and some staff. He has had good results with NZ clients and horses which to him would be more important than initial stake money.

[Chief Stipe]

39 minutes ago, The Centaur said:

You don't seem capable looking too far. Waller originates from the area along with his wife and some staff. He has had good results with NZ clients and horses which to him would be more important than initial stake money.

Seriously?  There is absolutely no way Waller would entertain setting up at Awapuni.  How years in a row now has he won over $40m in Stakes in OZ?  That's over half of what is on offer for ALL of NZ Thoroughbred racing.

Bo doubt any past clients with cents and sense would be racing a horse with Waller in OZ.

[Freda]

I queried Wendy Cooper of NZTA about this matter, apparently it is 'in the hands of the lawyers'.        

[nod]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

I queried Wendy Cooper of NZTA about this matter, apparently it is 'in the hands of the lawyers'.        

That will sort things out to the complete satisfaction of the lawyers involved $$$$

[Peter McK]

Readers and contributors to BIT of a Yarn, This POST was started to extract some common sense and fair play from the RACE BOARD  who rather than be open about evicting Gary Vile and effectively terminating the man’s career, they have chosen to use anonymity and  an impersonal legal ground to evict him from stables and Awapuni. Gary Vile has been the voice of New Zealand Central District Trainers for 15 years.   

If RACE employees do not like Gary Vile’s opinions why not request he not be the trainers representative? Gary Vile has broken no law of New Zealand nor any rule of racing  prohibiting him from training racehorses and nor has he been said to have broken any rules of the RACE training facilities. The Trainers Association of New Zealand can only express its communal opinion and the Executive of the NZ Trainers Association have asked the RACE Board to  explain why Gary is being  evicted. The only answer forthcoming from the RACE Board is that it is in the hands of their lawyers.

If no law or rules have been contravened, and none have been, why is the Property Law month eviction notice being used to evict this spokesman for those who provide the product, the horses that produce the salaries of the RACE Administration?

Has RACE got plenty of disposable funds to avoid any individual exposing the reasons why Gary Vile should be evicted?

Whether the RACE Board and salaried employees like Gary Vile and his manner of expressing himself or not, for 15 years he has been the  elected spokesman for the trainers of the Central Districts.

In February 2022 Gary Vile was given an eviction notice accompanied by a letter dated 2 December 2019 which included a warning  RACE objected to his manner of communicating to RACE staff. The letter also advised there was no signed lease. The letter warned, the lease was therefore a month-to-month tenancy and he could be given a month to vacate. The letter also stated RACE would request NZTR to refuse Gary’s entries at Awapuni and Trentham race meetings.

Had Gary Vile received that letter in 2019 the content would have demanded legal clarification. Gary Vile never received that letter and there was no proof of it ever being sent.

That letter was signed by the now departed CEO Alasdair Robertson and the still current chairman Paul Humphries. Nothing ever came of whatever the unsent letter referred to. Until this year 2022.

Clearly some of the RACE staff have difficulties with Gary Vile’s opinions as spokesman for many trainers, but is that reason enough to destroy a man’s career?

Let’s now move to December 2021 when after RACE advising the racing world on the Television on the day of the races, that the track was in good racing condition. Trentham Track, was declared unsafe after the first event and the races abandoned. Within a very short time, minutes rather than hours or days, the two major races the Captain Cook Stakes and the Wellesley Stakes were moved to a Te Rapa meeting. Gary Vile the CD Trainers rep and spokesman was not asked to attend that critical meeting. He was en route home when the first of the complaints came through his phone from very aggravated Central Districts trainers, jockeys and owners. When an  occasion arose  Gary Vile  expressed the district and other trainers dissatisfaction to representatives of RACE.

Have we reached a situation where it is no longer acceptable to express an opinion? 

What is happening? An opinion representing the coal face of racing is unacceptable to suits who do not get their salaries deducted for races called off. But trainers jockeys and owners are left with expenses with no redress. AND what valid explanation could be given for the two major races to be given to the northern region?

It was hoped this POST moves the racing community to ask their RACE GROUP representatives to bring some common sense to this conundrum. Sit round a table. Are there unlimited funds available to fill the bank accounts  of the RACE Board lawyers who also happen to be Board and Committee members of RACE. Are there such delicate personalities representing RACE suits, they must use court procedures even though the original lease, had it been signed, demanded every attempt other than court procedures be used. Can it be explained why a letter signed and obviously initiated by the ex CEO Alasdair Robertson has been produced years after its creation? Does this eviction relate to Mr. Robertson’s resignation as CEO of RACE? Why else produce an historical record that has no proof of delivery?

As the Chairman Humphries remains silent, perhaps the departed Mr. Alasdair Robertson has the explanation why  action was not taken in 2019 when he composed his letter? Is it Mr. Robertson who will explain to an open court what it was and why not actioned in 2019 before his departure as CEO of RACE, but still remaining currently active on behalf of the RACE Group. Let common sense prevail and someone get the RACE Board to sit round a table and not require court proceedings to expose the secrecy and timing of the RACE administration. Remembering NZTR and the RACING INTEGRITY BOARD will not address the issue. If this is not a RACING INTEGRITY BOARD and an NZTR issue when a Racing Club is evicting one of the NZ Trainers  Association’s executive trainers, using an unsigned lease as the reason and in doing so ignoring the good will  contained in the RACE ‘s own scripted lease, what value for Racing are these salaried administrators?

 

 

 

[Bloke]

Given Race's perilous financial position it does not appear prudent that they should be spending what could be  significant amount on legal fees when they at least could seek  to resolve this by discussion with Gary Vile. Also I have not heard of any party that is taking over the stables that Gary is being forced to vacate so that would be a loss of income.

As they are singling out Gary Vile it would be interesting to know what they did about "crooked John Fokerd" who was struck off by The Accountants' Society for Stealing several hundred thousand from a client.

Also given that Fokerd was Treasurer of The Wellington Racing Club when they went "belly up" did they go back to see whether Fokerd contributed to this by helping himself? I would say that this would have been highly unlikely because he is one of "The Old Boys Network" and of he ever turned up at Trentham he would be welcomed with open arms and a few Gin & Tonics.

 

 

[Peanut]

On 7/6/2022 at 7:13 PM, Bloke said:

Given Race's perilous financial position it does not appear prudent that they should be spending what could be  significant amount on legal fees when they at least could seek  to resolve this by discussion with Gary Vile. Also I have not heard of any party that is taking over the stables that Gary is being forced to vacate so that would be a loss of income.

As they are singling out Gary Vile it would be interesting to know what they did about "crooked John Fokerd" who was struck off by The Accountants' Society for Stealing several hundred thousand from a client.

Also given that Fokerd was Treasurer of The Wellington Racing Club when they went "belly up" did they go back to see whether Fokerd contributed to this by helping himself? I would say that this would have been highly unlikely because he is one of "The Old Boys Network" and of he ever turned up at Trentham he would be welcomed with open arms and a few Gin & Tonics.

 

 

The Old Boys Network is clearly protecting former CEO Alasdair Robertson if he currently remains active on behalf of RACE.   The word Vile comes to mind when considering the behaviour that led to his resignation. 

[Chief Stipe]

NEWS FROM THE CENTRAL DISTRICTS BRANCH

 

A meeting of the CD Trainers' Association branch was held on 26th October. It was attended by 22 members as well as 7 apologies received.

At the meeting there was unanimous support for CD President Gary Vile and the resolution passed. The more prominent Trainers who have pledged their support included

 

Kevin GRAY

Allan SHARROCK

Kevin MYERS

Lisa LATTA

John WHEELER

Robbie PATTERSON

John BARY

Guy LOWRY

Patrick CAMPBELL &

Royden BERGERSON

[Joe Bloggs]

If that alleged incident in the trainers hut at Awapuni is correct then Vile got whats coming, if Simon Irving did nothing then that itself needs investigating, but like most serious non Raceday incidents in little ole NZ it's gets hidden and swept.......from experience....