In a positive sign for local thoroughbred racing, Dubbo Turf Club recently announced the appointment of Cameron Riches from our far north as the group’s new General Manager.

With nearly two decades experience, Riches joins the club with 18 years solid involvement within the racing industry and brings extensive knowledge of club administration, racing operations, governance, and event and track management.

Most recently, Riches served as General Manager of the Cairns Jockey Club in North Queensland and previously held the role of Racing, Operations and Track Manager at Darwin Turf Club.

Both venues host major racing carnivals and feature race meetings that attract significant attendance and industry attention each year and, prior to his full-time career in racing administration, Riches served as President of Gordonvale Turf Club and also sat on the committee of the Cairns Jockey Club.

During this period, he also completed an eight-week volunteer placement working alongside leading racing administrator Michael Charge at Townsville Turf Club.

Upon his appointment, Riches said he was looking forward to the move south to become part of the Orana region.

“I’m incredibly excited to commence with the Dubbo Turf Club and to become part of the wider Dubbo community,” Riches enthused.

“The club has excellent facilities, a passionate racing community, and enormous potential for continued growth both on and off the track,” he said, adding: “I’ve been very impressed with the club itself and the opportunities that exist to continue building its profile, strengthening partnerships and delivering quality race day experiences for members, sponsors and patrons.”

When reflecting on his career to date, Riches highlighted his time at Cairns Jockey Club as among his proudest achievements, particularly delivering of the inaugural “Cairns Super Carnival”, which featured three race days, a sportsman’s luncheon, and a season launch across a nine-day period.

Riches also pointed to the strong governance initiatives implemented during his tenure, along with several successful grant applications that contributed to the club’s ongoing development.

Now settled into the role, he is focused on continuing to grow the profile of Dubbo Turf Club and its major race day events, including the Dubbo City and Gilgandra Toyota Dubbo Gold Cup Day and the Inland Petroleum Golden Eagle and Derby Day, along with a further eight race meetings throughout the 2026 calendar.

The club’s next meeting will be the Kings Hall Jewellers Silver Goblet Showcase and Hahn 3.5 Tradies Race Day.

In welcoming Riches to the role, Club President Tim Cullenward said that the club was excited about its future under his leadership.

“Cameron brings a strong mix of racing industry knowledge, operational experience and proven leadership to the Dubbo Turf Club,” Cullenward said.

“His experience in managing major racing carnivals, improving governance and building strong industry relationships made him an outstanding candidate for the position, he added, saying: “The committee is looking forward to working closely with Cameron as we continue to strengthen the club and deliver successful race meetings and events for our members, sponsors, participants and the wider Dubbo community.”