Racing Victoria has suddenly withdrawn its offer to appoint Dr Glenn Robertson-Smith as its new chief veterinary officer after learning he had been charged in 2018 with making threatening phone calls to a Melbourne Racing Club executive. The organization had announced his hiring just the day before.
Racing Victoria has sensationally backflipped on its decision to appoint Dr Glenn Robertson-Smith as its new chief vet just one day after announcing he would be starting in the role.
The embarrassing U-turn came on Tuesday after Racing Victoria was made aware that Robertson-Smith had been charged by police in 2018 for making threatening phone calls to a Melbourne Racing Club executive. Racing Victoria released a statement on Tuesday night, saying it would not be “proceeding with the appointment of Dr Glenn Robertson-Smith as its next chief veterinary officer”.
“Based on information confirmed today we have decided we won’t be proceeding with the appointment,” RV chief executive Aaron Morrison said. She helped save the Melbourne Cup, then read on social media that her job was at riskRobertson-Smith was to have started at Racing Victoria on August 10, replacing Dr Grace Forbes who quit her post in December last year“Glenn is returning to Australia from his current role with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and will be well known to many within the industry given his extensive veterinary background in Victoria,” Stier said in a Racing Victoria press release.
The chief veterinary officer performs a vital role, overseeing the crucial Melbourne Cup safety protocols, leading the industry’s anti-doping program and staffing 530 yearly race meetings with vets, vet nurses and swabbing officials. Chapman will start on July 13, and will almost immediately begin screening international horses that are targeting this year’s spring racing carnival and Melbourne Cup.
Stier said on Monday the dual appointment of Robertson-Smith and Chapman “would provide great leadership to our hard-working veterinary services team who play a vital role in supporting and protecting the welfare of horses and compliance with the rules every day”. RV sent an email to staff on Tuesday night, seen by this masthead, that said, “Today we were provided with information about admissions made in a Magistrates Court matter that means that Dr Robertson-Smith’s appointment does not align with our values ... this is an unfortunate situation, and we will be conducting a review of our internal processes to ensure that they are appropriate and as rigorous as possible.
In her application to the commission for an order to stop bullying, Forbes alleged she had been pressured by Racing Victoria to become more flexible and allow international horses at “high risk of injury” to run in the Melbourne Cup. Her legal counsel, barrister Nicholas Harrington, told the Fair Work Commission his client had been “damaged” by the conduct of Racing Victoria.
Forbes headed the program that introduced strict safety protocols for the Melbourne Cup in 2021 – a fundamental shift that stopped horses suffering catastrophic injuries and dying in the race. A vet for more than 40 years, he operated out of Caulfield and Cranbourne racecourses, and lectured in surgery at the University. He is a fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Equine Surgery, with advanced postgraduate training in Australia and the United States.
Racing Victoria Glenn Robertson-Smith Chief Veterinary Officer Horse Racing Vet Crisis
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Racing Victoria U-turn on chief vet appointment after discovering police charge against candidateRacing Victoria has sensationally backflipped on its decision to appoint Dr Glenn Robertson-Smith as its new chief vet just one day after announcing he would be starting in the role. The embarrassing U-turn came on Tuesday after Racing Victoria was made aware that Robertson-Smith had been charged by police in 2018 for making threatening phone calls to a Melbourne Racing Club executive.
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