Racing Queensland Names Matt McGrath Chairman, Unveils Rebuilt Board for Reform Era

Matt McGrath authored the review that reshaped Queensland racing. Now he has to live with the results.

Racing Queensland named McGrath chairman on March 13, placing the man behind the 2025 independent Racing Review in charge of executing its findings through The Next Lap: A Plan for the Future of Queensland Racing. It is a rare governance arrangement where the architect of a reform agenda is handed the keys to implement it, and the stakes are substantial: Minister for Sport and Racing Tim Mander framed the industry as generating close to $2.5 billion annually for the state and supporting around 14,500 full-time jobs.

McGrath brings genuine board credentials. He is the former chairman of the Australian Turf Club and a director of the Cronulla Sharks, two of Australia's most prominent sporting organisations. He is based in New South Wales but made regular trips to Queensland during the review process, which will need to continue given the scope of what the new board faces.

The appointment fills a vacancy created by the resignation of acting chair Jane Seawright, who served on the Racing Queensland board since 2019. Seawright had stepped into the acting role following the retirement of long-term chair Steve Wilson last October. Chris Edwards also departed, concluding five years of service on the board.

Five other new members join McGrath on the reconstituted board. Kym Daly, who served on the Racing Review Panel itself, brings international experience in thoroughbred integrity services and training. Townsville-based lawyer and racehorse shareholder Michelle Morton was appointed specifically to champion regional and country racing, a role that carries real weight in a state where racing underpins the economies of many rural communities. Gary Cunningham, who operates Cunningham Thoroughbreds and previously chaired the Queensland Thoroughbred Owners Association, rounds out the industry-facing appointments. The Honourable Jane Prentice, a former Liberal politician who served as Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and public affairs specialist Sally Branson complete the six new faces.

Three existing industry members were retained to maintain code representation: Graham Quirk continues as the thoroughbred industry member, Jodie Jones as the harness representative, and Gary Heath for greyhound racing.

"I am thrilled with the make-up of the Racing Queensland Board, and I am confident they will deliver reforms that will signal a new era for the industry," Mander said in the government's formal announcement.

The board's first significant decision may arrive quickly. Lachlan Murray has held the interim chief executive role since replacing Jason Scott in February 2025, and his status has remained unresolved through the McGrath review process and the subsequent legislative changes to the Racing Act. Making that appointment permanent is expected to be among the new board's earliest agenda items.

Separately, Mary Collier, appointed to lead implementation of the review's recommendations, is due to report back to Mander next month, which will give the new board an early read on the reform timetable it has inherited.