Mark Latham threatens legal action after Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse ejection
Firebrand politician and former federal Labor leader Mark Latham has threatened legal action after being escorted from a race-day event by police.
Police confirmed a 64-year-old man was removed from the members’ area at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse at the request of turf club officials about 1.45pm on Saturday.
No further action was taken as the man complied, NSW Police said in a statement.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.An Australian Turf Club spokesperson said Mr Latham wasn’t allowed at the track after resigning his membership following an investigation into him allegedly abusing a club official in April.
But the independent NSW upper-house MP flagged legal action over the incident, footage of which was posted on social media, saying he hadn’t been notified of any ban from the venue.
Mr Latham said he appeared at the track as another member’s guest.
A turf club director “went out of her way to greet me, discuss relevant matters and made no mention of any problem whatsoever with me being on-course”, he added in a series of posts on social media platform X.
Mr Latham said he first heard of the purported ban when a club staff member approached him during a race to notify him he wasn’t welcome.
He said he initially ignored the staff member’s request as they didn’t produce any supporting documents.
The incident follows a fraught history between Mr Latham and the club after he fiercely opposed its proposed sale of Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse to develop into housing.
The deal fell through after turf club members voted against the plan, which was backed by executives in an attempt to shore up its ailing finances.
Mr Latham has also been an outspoken critic of Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’Landys, who he attacked during a parliamentary hearing examining the proposal to build more than 25,000 homes on the site.
He later revealed Mr V’landys home address during parliamentary proceedings in a move condemned by the sporting powerbroker and other NSW MPs.
