The appointment of Dr Glenn Robertson-Smith was meant to bring stability to Racing Victoria’s veterinary department.
It had been five months since his predecessor, Dr Grace Forbes, had quit following a period of personal leave after allegedly being bullied by others within the sport’s governing body.
But instead of ushering in a new era of calm to a department that had effectively been leaderless since Forbes first took leave in July last year, Robertson-Smith’s appointment lasted barely a day.
His employment was announced on Monday, and he was sacked on Tuesday after it emerged he had faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in 2018 on charges of making threatening phone calls to a Melbourne Racing Club executive.
Robertson-Smith escaped conviction, but was placed on a six-month diversion order.
The diversion program allows first-time offenders, or those charged with minor crimes, to avoid a criminal record. It also enabled him to keep practising as a vet.
So how did the misdemeanour slip through the net in the first place?
After all, the department hiring the new vet was Racing Victoria’s integrity branch, headed by executive Jamie Stier.
The one thing they could have been expected to get right was a thorough background check.
But Robertson-Smith’s hasty dismissal exposed a clear failure in the interview process – a job hunt overseen by Stier and Racing Victoria’s people and culture team.
The embarrassing fallout not only angered and frustrated chief executive Aaron Morrison but left him looking for answers.
“I have initiated a review of our internal processes to ensure that they are as rigorous as possible,” Morrison said on Tuesday night.
As the Racing Victoria boss determines who will conduct that review, a process that might normally fall to his head of integrity, there remains an equally important matter at hand – finding a new chief vet.
Victorian Racing Integrity Commissioner Terrie Benfield is aware that Racing Victoria has publicly proposed to conduct a review, but does not comment on individual matters.
A spokesperson for the state government said: “Racing Victoria is responsible for its employment decisions and is appropriately reviewing the matter.”
‘Never had a cross word’
Robertson-Smith, 70, came to the Racing Victoria interview process with high credentials.
A vet of more than 40 years, he had worked as a racing vet at Caulfield and Cranbourne racecourses before relocating to Hong Kong Jockey Club, where he was to finish up in six weeks’time to fill his new role.
He has lectured in surgery at the University of Melbourne and is a fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Equine Surgery, with advanced postgraduate training in Australia and the United States.
He was well up to the new task – 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.
President of the Australian Trainers Association Troy Corstens was one who believed Robertson-Smith was a great fit for the job.
“I had Aaron [Morrison] ring me before the appointment was announced, and asked my thoughts on Glenn Robertson-Smith, and I can tell you, I’ve known Glenn all my life. Never had a cross word with him,” Corstens told SEN.
“Did I know [about the 2018 charges]? … No, I didn’t. But in fairness, I had no reason to try and find that out.
“But had you asked me, I would have said, ‘Yeah, Glenn’s a great guy.’ So you know, we get things wrong.
“But I’m probably not the one that was appointing him. So I’m not trying to make excuses because it should have been picked up.”
Stier, who sat in on the job interviews, also gave a glowing endorsement of their new chief vet, saying on Monday that Robertson-Smith 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”.
But Robertson-Smith’s 2018 indiscretions were hardly a secret in an industry that is renowned for failing to keep secrets.
A simple Google search reveals that News Corp reported on May 18, 2018, that MRC head of racing and operations Jake Norton had lodged a complaint with police after receiving a series of intimidating phone calls that contained threats such as, “we are coming to get you”.
Two late-night anonymous calls were traced to a world-renowned vet, the story said.
Robertson-Smith was later charged by police on two counts of using a carriage service to harass. He faced court in December that year.
Stier started at Racing Victoria as executive general manager of integrity services in May 2018.
But a racing industry insider, who declined to speak publicly because the matter is under review, said Stier played no part in investigating Robertson-Smith’s behaviour. It was a police matter.
Racing vets at that time did not need Racing Victoria permits, as they do now, and did not fall under the organisation’s jurisdiction.
The insider said Stier did not recall the newspaper report about threatening phone calls to Norton while interviewing Robertson-Smith for the chief vet role.
Nor did the applicant raise the nine-year-old police charges during the interview process. He only admitted to having been placed on a diversion order when the issue blew up on Tuesday.
The racing insider also said Stier and Robertson-Smith were not friends. They would only have crossed paths as acquaintances at race meetings and industry events. Stier was contacted for comment.
‘Changes are needed’
A storm hit Morrison’s desk on Tuesday morning – less than 12 hours after Robertson-Smith’s appointment.
The chief executive started fielding concerns from industry people outside Racing Victoria’s offices about Robertson-Smith’s past.
It soon became apparent that their new chief vet should not have been passed fit to run.
The issue was first reported on racing website Betsy at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. By 6.30pm that night, Morrison had wielded the axe.
Racing Victoria released a statement at 8.30pm, saying: “Based on information confirmed today, we have decided we won’t be proceeding with the appointment.”
Privately, Morrison was fuming. It was the last thing he needed to be explaining to the board – how his integrity department had missed a vital matter of integrity.
“He was angry and frustrated at the process, and at the candidate, who didn’t make any disclosures,” the insider said.
“He wants a review to take a good look at what has transpired, and what changes are needed to ensure it does not happen again.”
Robertson-Smith was contacted several times by this masthead for comment.
Racing Victoria’s staff found out about Robertson-Smith’s dismissal by email on Tuesday night.
“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,” the email said.
“In the meantime, discussion will progress on the appointment of another chief veterinary officer, and we will keep you posted whilst we continue to support the veterinary services team who continue to do a tremendous job during a period of leadership transition.”
The racing insider said it was unclear whether Stier or his department would be involved in the new job hunt.
Poisoned chalice
Racing Victoria’s integrity department has now lost two chief vets within five months.
Forbes’ exit was messy. She lodged applications with the Fair Work Commission and the Federal Court late last year before settling out of court.
In her Fair Work claims, Forbes – the architect of the Melbourne Cup safety protocols – accused Stier and Morrison of pressuring her to become more flexible and allow international horses at “high risk of injury” to run in the Melbourne Cup.
Morrison strenuously denied the allegations, saying a suggestion that Racing Victoria was not “prioritising the welfare of our horses is completely rejected”.
But the last thing racing needed in announcing her replacement was an own goal. Like having to fire Robertson-Smith a day after he was appointed.
Lost in Tuesday’s fallout was the appointment of Dr Stephanie Chapman as Racing Victoria’s deputy chief veterinary officer.
She starts in the role on July 13 and will begin work on inspecting international horses that are aiming to run in this year’s spring carnival.
An expert in anti-doping and welfare programs, she will be among those considered to fill the vacant chief vet role.
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