Greek Australians named among 30 most powerful people in NSW horse racing

·

John Vellis and Peter V’landys have been named among the top 30 most powerful people in the New South Wales racing industry by The Daily Telegraph.

Who are they and how have they become so successful? The Greek Herald finds out.

Peter V’landys:

Racing NSW chief executive, Peter V’landys, was listed as the most powerful person in the state’s racing industry.

Peter V’landys.

Under his leadership, NSW racing was given a $235 million rescue package during the 2007 equine influenza outbreak, secured the race fields legislation case in the High Court in 2008, and then in 2015 he negotiated with the NSW state government to achieve wagering taxation parity with Victoria.

The Greek Australian has also targeted a younger generation of racegoers by introducing new races including the world’s richest race on turf, the $15 million The TAB Everest in 2017.

V’landys is also the Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission.

He ripped millions out of the bottom line in the NRL’s head office, kept the game afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped the NRL become the first major sporting code to return to play. He also introduced a raft of rule changes.

John Vellis:

John Vellis is a major player at Tabcorp and Sky.

TAB executive, John Vellis, came in at 12th place on The Daily Telegraph‘s most powerful figures list.

Vellis is armed with more than two decades of media and marketing experience and uses those skills in high profile roles at Tabcorp and Sky Thoroughbred Central.

Vellis has held a senior executive position for a number of years at Tabcorp before his role was expanded to include a managerial role at Sky Thoroughbred Central, the racing channel dedicated to showcasing NSW racing.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Latest News

Greek Australians recognised in King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List

The King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List has recognised several Australians of Hellenic heritage for their outstanding contributions.

Penny Pachos reinstated as St Euphemia College principal after Archbishop meeting

Penny Pachos has been reinstated as Principal of St Euphemia College, with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese confirming her continuation.

5,000 years beneath our feet: A Kytherian dig that needs us

This month, a team of archaeologists from the University of Sydney is starting to dig into 5,000 years of our story there.

Antipodean Palette 2026 to celebrate the continuing story of Greek Australian culture

Antipodean Palette has become one of the most significant annual cultural events in Melbourne's Greek Australian calendar.

Thousands of free water-saving kits to be distributed across Cyprus

Cyprus is stepping up efforts to tackle water scarcity by distributing thousands of free water-saving devices to households and businesses.

You May Also Like

Sydney University students awarded for Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies

The awards ceremony by the School of Languages and Cultures at The University of Sydney’s MacLaurin Hall was held on Thursday, March 30.

Cyprus Community of NSW launches Australia Cyprus Achievement Awards 

The Cyprus Community of NSW is set to launch the Australia Cyprus Achievement Awards this Friday, December 12.

US Secretary of State urges Turkey not to convert Hagia Sophia into mosque

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has urged Turkey to let the former Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia remain a museum and not be changed into a mosque.