Sandown Thrown a New Lifeline

The iconic Sandown International Motor Raceway has received a vital lifeline ensuring its survival in the foreseeable and probably long term future amidst developer interests in its land.

The suburban Melbourne venue has been a dual hub for motor and horse racing for more than six decades. Recent changes to the Melbourne Racing Club board (the owners of Sandown) have secured its medium-term, and last night, an outspoken supporter of the venue, John Kanga, was elected chairman.

Kanga leads a board that is now keen on retaining the venue rather than selling it off but is aware there is considerable work ahead to ensure that happens.

The board is responsible for overseeing racing operations at Sandown, Caulfield, and Mornington and is firmly against the proposal to sell the 112-hectare site for the construction of up to 7,000 new homes in the Springvale area.

Kanga met with Shane Howard and Barclay Nettlefold at the Sandown 500 to get a handle on what may be required to keep Sandown operating as a motor racing track and as the Sandown 500, aware of the venue’s historical importance to the local motor racing scene, which has been using the track for more than 60 years.

To run Supercars, Sandown will need to retain its FIA Grade Three license and will likely require some work to maintain that license, particularly in the first line of safety.

Speaking with Auto Action, he said the size of the crowd blew him away at the race and that it was just another reason the track needed to keep operating.

He said there were many options other than a fire sale and that the MRC would now explore alternative ways to use some of the vacant land on the edges of the facility, which is currently used for overflow car parking.

Since announcing its intention to sell Sandown two years ago, the MRC membership has become vocal about its retention, and the board has gradually shifted to a pro-Sandown stance.

For Kanga, it is also about horse racing, with owners and trainers wanting the track retained. It has previously been used as a quarantine facility for horses coming into Australia and an underused racing venue.

Last Night’s MRC Statement

Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has today announced that a new Chairman will lead the Club into its 2024 Sportsbet Caulfield Cup Carnival, with Mr John Kanga taking up the role effective immediately.

Joining the committee in 2023, Mr Kanga brings a wealth of experience from his career in finance, starting as a commercial banker at ANZ before founding his own finance business.

As a passionate owner, Mr Kanga has celebrated notable successes in horse racing, including Group 1 winners Russian Camelot and Miami Bound. Beyond ownership, he has made significant contributions as a mentor and advisor to some of Victoria’s leading jockeys.

Before his elevation to Chairman, Mr Kanga was a valued member of the Pegasus Leisure Group Board, the Property Sub-Committee, and the MRC Foundation Board. He succeeds Mr Matthew Cain, who retired after 15 years of dedicated service on the MRC Executive Committee.

In conjunction with this announcement, Mr Nick Hassett Vice Chairman has announced his resignation from the committee. The MRC would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr. Hassett for his commitment and significant contributions during his tenure including on the Audit & Risk Sub-Committee and the Property Sub-Committee.

The committee will convene next week to finalise the remaining Office Bearer positions.

These changes follow the recent Annual General Meeting, where the Club updated members on its current business status, financial results, and the outcomes of the recent Committee Elections.