Tamworth Jockey Club board steps aside, Racing NSW to appoint administrator after inquiry opens into club

The Leader can reveal Racing NSW has intervened, and is investigating the actions and decisions of the board and the club.

Racing NSW has accepted an offer from the entire club's board to step aside, the state's Minister for Racing and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson confirmed after he was approached by the Leader on Monday.

Late on Monday, club general manager Wayne Wood confirmed that the board had offered to step aside on Friday, which was accepted on Monday.

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Mr Anderson said Racing NSW has told the club it intends to appoint an administrator.

"The board has offered to stand aside and Racing NSW has responded to the Tamworth Jockey Club by accepting the board's offer to stand aside," Mr Anderson said.

"[Racing NSW are] also advising Tamworth Jockey Club (TJC) that Racing NSW will shortly be appointing an administrator to oversee the affairs of the Tamworth Jockey Club.

"The Administrator will work with TJC accountants and the general manager to conduct the affairs of the club."

Mr Anderson said the Racing NSW inquiry "is under way" and concerns "transactions involving the jockey club".

Mr Wood refused to be drawn on the allegations or the inquiry.

"I think the board has done a fine job thus far. I've only been here a short period of time," he said.

"These matters were all in place prior to my appointment."

In an earlier interview with the Leader, Mr Anderson said he'd met with jockeys before Christmas concerned about the state of the track, and relayed those concerns to the club's general manager.

The Leader is not suggesting any wrongdoing by the TJC, but the club's two most recent meets were relocated over concerns about the quality of the track, after recent heavy rain.

On Monday, Mr Anderson refused to elaborate further on the nature of the allegations concerning the club. He also refused to speculate how long the "open-ended inquiry" would take to reach a finding.

"While there's an inquiry going on, we'll let the inquiry do its work. My focus, as well as Racing NSW's, is to get some stability and cohesiveness back into Tamworth Jockey Club," Mr Anderson said.

"Tamworth Jockey Club is a great club, has a very proud history. There's been some recent changes. And everybody wants to see progressive, successful and flourishing club and that's what we're going to work towards.

"We have some very high profile trainers and owners, in this region as part of the Hunter and North West Racing Association.

"We are the the largest regional centre of the New England North West and we should be the premier training facility and racing facility in this region."

The next meet is scheduled for January 21.

The club board has until Tuesday to respond to the Racing NSW's proposal to appoint an administrator.