Trainers seek legal advice on Turf Club membership | Horse Racing

Jennifer Huxley | 2nd December 2008

A GROUP of Toowoomba trainers is seeking legal advice over a recent mass knock-back of membership applications to the Toowoomba Turf Club.

The group recently filed 27 applications to the TTC, all of which were declined.

Turf Club chairman Neville Stewart said yesterday the reason for the knock backs was the applications were made on “obsolete” forms and new forms had been issued to each applicant.

This is despite Stewart stating in a letter issued to members last week that memberships had been capped due to fire and safety regulations.

In that letter, however, Stewart wrote “I will not stand idly by and allow a group with vested interests to attempt to 'stack' membership numbers in their favour with a view to imposing their will on the members of the Toowoomba Turf Club, who take a much broader view in the overall interests of the club”.

Yesterday, he appeared to have softened his view.

“Membership of a club is not about just one issue or retribution, it's to take part in a whole range of issues,” Stewart said.

“That's my opinion and I believe it is closely followed by the rest of the committee, but I will sit back and watch and see what happens.”

Downs and South West Owners and Trainers Association (DSWOTA) interim chairman John Dann confirmed his group had sought legal advice over the capping of membership numbers.

“At the end of the day I don't think he (Stewart) can cap membership. I don't think it's in the constitution of the incorporation that they can cap it,” Dann said.

“We're still deciding the bona fides of the situation at the moment.”

Meanwhile, DSWOTA met with Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser and Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine last week to discuss the contentious Cushion Track at Clifford Park.

“We asked that the Electoral Commission run an independent ballot to see what percentage of people are in favour of the Cushion Track as a number one or number two track,” Dann said.

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