Racing club on hunt for new CEO as Downs departs

BALLARAT Turf Club is on the hunt for a new chief executive officer following the sudden departure of Peter Downs last week.

Downs had been in the role for just over a year, after replacing long-serving club official Belinda Glass, who resigned in July 2024.

The experienced racing administrator did not step into the role until a few months later.

No reason was given by the club for his sudden resignation.

But in an email sent to BTC members, club chairman Bill Gribble confirmed Downs’s departure was immediate.

“We wish to advise that Peter Downs has tendered his resignation as CEO of the Ballarat Turf Club, effective immediately,” the email said.

“We thank Peter for his contribution to the club and wish him all the very best for the future.

“The committee will commence the recruitment process of a new CEO immediately.

“In the interim, Leigh Newton, regional services manager with Country Racing Victoria will step into the role in a caretaker CEO capacity.”

Newton, known for playing 13 AFL games for Melbourne between 1997-99, boasts a wealth of experience as a former public relations and marketing executive at the Moonee Valley Racing Club and former manager of the Echuca Racing Club.

Grampians born and raised, outgoing CEO Downs has held a number of senior executive roles in racing around Australia.

He was a former chief executive of the Warrnambool Racing Club, a position he held for four years, before moving on to become the racing manager at Moonee Valley Racing Club.

In 2020, he took up a similar position with the Australian Turf Club in Sydney.

He has also spent time at South Australian Harness Racing Club and Tabcorp.

Following his appointment at Ballarat, Downs was lauded for his ‘wealth of knowledge and understanding of racing and its importance to the regional communities’.

Away from racing, Downs was a member of Regional Development Australia’s Grampians committee.

He was a participant in the 2025 edition of the Ballarat Foundation’s Dancing with Our Stars.