Former Labor leader Mark Latham has vowed to take legal action after being escorted out of a members-only restaurant at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.
The 64-year-old, now a NSW Upper House MLC, was photographed leaving the Grand View Restaurant flanked by two police officers at around 1.45pm, in an image obtained by the Daily Telegraph.
It's understood management asked Latham to leave before contacting police, citing a ban imposed by the Australian Turf Club (ATC).
Late on Saturday night, Latham launched into a blistering online tirade, branding the ATC's actions 'outrageous' and threatening legal action.
'Thanks to the loving genius who sent this to me. Unlike those I will be suing for the decisions they took today,' he wrote on X.
He claimed an ATC director had greeted him warmly earlier in the day, making 'no mention of any problem whatsoever' with him being on course.
'I have never been notified of such, had a hearing or process about my rights as a guest of an ATC member, as I was today,' he said.
Latham argued he had attended Randwick as a guest of a member with a valid pass and revealed he had visited Rosehill Racecourse, operated by the ATC, just weeks earlier.
Mark Latham leaving the Grand View Restaurant flanked by two police officers (pictured)
'I was at Rosehill four weeks ago as a guest of a member, not a word said all day,' Latham wrote.
In another post, Latham slammed the timing of the confrontation.
'The first I heard of a concern was when an ATC staffer came up during the running of a race (sacrilegious) to say "there's a board decision showing that you're not welcome here",' he said.
'I replied that can't be true because less than an hour earlier, one of four ATC directors greeted me warmly, asked for my advice and did not say a word about any such decision.'
He claimed the staffer 'couldn't produce any document to support his claim,' so he refused to leave until police arrived. 'I didn't leave because the request was BS,' he wrote.
The ATC confirmed the incident, saying Latham had breached conditions prohibiting suspended members from attending races.
'We can confirm an incident occurred regarding a former member who had been subject to disciplinary proceedings,' a spokesman said. 'He was asked to leave the racecourse.'
Latham (pictured) said he would be 'suing' the ATC over the incident at Randwick Racecourse
Police later confirmed they were called by ATC officials to remove a 64-year-old man from the members' area.
'The man complied and there is no further police action,' a NSW Police spokesperson said.
The drama follows a 12-month good behaviour bond and suspension placed on Latham's membership earlier this year.
The ATC recently passed a resolution banning suspended or resigned members from attending race meetings.
Latham resigned his membership in June after accusing the club of 'lousy customer service, incompetent management and a complete lack of collegiality' in a fiery post on X.
Latham was asked to attend a Racing NSW disciplinary hearing last month after he allegedly verbally abused a staff member at the Rosehill Racecourse in April.
He is still awaiting the results of the hearing.
[SRC] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15161895/mark-latham-atc-lawsuit-randwick.html
