‘A fair degree of heat’: Peter V’landys claims early win in fiery defamation battle

Sports administrator Peter V’landys has had a preliminary win in his defamation suit against an online media outlet, after the news site was forced back to the drawing board to file a new defence.

The long-time Racing NSW chief executive and chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission is suing racing news website The Thoroughbred Report and its managing director, Vicky Leonard, in the NSW Supreme Court.

V’landys is suing the news site over an article published in 2025, headlined: “After twenty years at the helm, is it time racing imposed CEO term limits?”

His lawyers allege the article defamed him in a number of ways, including by suggesting that V’landys had “become a liability to the future of the NSW thoroughbred racing industry” because “of his entrenched position as CEO of Racing NSW for 21 years”.

At a preliminary hearing in Sydney on Friday, the court heard Leonard and The Thoroughbred Report had agreed to revise their written defence and refile it at a later date.

They had also agreed to withdraw subpoenas seeking access to specific categories of documents to inform their defence. V’landys was awarded his legal costs of the hearing.

Sue Chrysanthou, SC, appearing for V’landys, described the events as a “complete capitulation”.

The court heard that V’landys will seek to have the defamation case heard before a jury.

Chrysanthou alleged on Friday that the subpoenas previously issued by Leonard and The Thoroughbred Report were an “abuse of process”.

She pointed to a subpoena issued to the Australian Rugby League Commission and said it had “nothing to do with these proceedings”.

“This case is not about rugby league. It’s about horse racing,” she said.

One of the categories of documents sought had “shocked” V’landys, Chrysanthou said, and it had been “sent to three organisations”.

“It’s not something that is in the article. It’s not alleged in the article. It’s not in any way found in the defence. It is an abuse of process,” Chrysanthou said.

Justice Stephen Campbell said there appeared to “some degree … of over-reach in relation to the breadth of the subpoenas” and some of the categories of documents sought “just seemed to me had nothing to do with anything”.

Barrister Lyndelle Barnett, SC, appearing for Leonard and The Thoroughbred Report, said: “Your honour no doubt will appreciate ... that there is a fair degree of heat in this matter.

“The proposal that we are putting forward is an attempt to dial that right back down.”

Leonard and The Thoroughbred Report ultimately agreed that the subpoenas would be withdrawn by them, and formally set aside by the court.

Separately, they agreed to return to the drawing board and file an amended written defence rather than the court being asked to resolve legal argument about whether parts of it should be struck out.

Barnett said the proposal would allow Leonard and the news site to “take stock”, revisit their written defence and “have another go”.

In a social media post earlier this year, Leonard said she would seek to defend the article on a number of bases, including truth, opinion and public interest.

In orders made after Friday’s hearing, the court formally set aside subpoenas to the Australian Rugby League Commission, Racing NSW and Racing Australia.

Leonard and The Thoroughbred Report were ordered to serve a proposed amended defence by May 29. They are expected to seek access to revised categories of documents later in the year.

The parties return to court on August 21.

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