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RACING NSW’S RACING MATES IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF LOOKING OUT FOR ‘INDUSTRY MATES’ AFTER THE INITIATIVE WAS LAUNCHED BACK IN AUGUST 2016

Beyond the raceday glamour and excitement seen by the public, New South Wales Thoroughbred Racing relies on a workforce that navigates long hours, intense pressure, and unique lifestyle challenges behind the scenes.

On 27 August 2016, a groundbreaking initiative called Racing Mates was officially launched at Rosehill Gardens, engineered by Racing NSW, to address a crucial gap in participant welfare by establishing a unique support network designed to promote positive mental health practices.

As the Racing Mates program hits its 10-year milestone, it marks a decade of genuine cultural change and major operational milestones.

Racing NSW’s Phillip O’Brien & Pat Webster cooking up a storm at Dubbo

Throughout this time, the initiative has remained strictly focused on protecting the safety and mental well-being of the thousands of people who keep the racing industry moving.

At its core, the program was built on the simple but powerful philosophy of empowering mates to look out for mates, bridging the gap between vulnerable industry participants and professional care by utilising peer support networks that operate free of charge.

From its inception, Racing Mates recognised that people facing severe stress, anxiety, or substance abuse are often hesitant to take a formal clinical step, making a trusted peer or colleague a vital first port of call.

To turn this vision into reality, Racing NSW established an extensive network of accredited Ambassadors who possessed a wealth of industry knowledge, allowing them to relate directly to the multifaceted, fast-paced concerns that trainers, jockeys, stablehands and administrators experience daily.

Rather than replacing professional clinicians, these ambassadors act as an essential bridge. They are trained in communication, listening and mental health awareness through workshops run by psychologist Dr David Goldman.

Crucially, the early foundation of Racing Mates focused heavily on combatting community-wide drug and alcohol problems.

Through early educational forums and the tireless work of specialised support personnel, the Racing Mates program immediately began changing the conversation around lifestyle choices, directly engaging pre-apprentices, apprentice jockeys and senior participants across the state to dismantle old-school mentalities and replace them with proactive, holistic support structures.

While the metropolitan tracks of Sydney provided the initial launchpad for the program, the true heart and soul of Racing Mates over the past 10 years has been its relentless, compassionate focus on country racing.

Riders surround Pat Webster at Orange

Regional and rural racing participants face an entirely distinct set of pressures compared to their metropolitan counterparts, often dealing with intense geographical isolation, severe weather volatility, economic fluctuations, and limited access to local mental health or medical facilities.

Understanding that those in the bush were highly vulnerable to suffering in silence, Racing Mates proactively took its message directly to regional tracks, changing the way it connected with country participants by introducing the grassroots Racing Mates Community BBQ Get-Togethers.

These open-air events traded formal presentation rooms for a relaxed, unthreatening environment over a hot plate, encouraging participants from tracks like Tamworth, Mudgee, Taree, and Wagga Wagga to unwind, talk openly and check in on one another.

Standing at the head of this regional push from day one was Webster, whose lived experience and dedication made him a beloved fixture at country racecourses.

Webster has spent the last decade traveling thousands of kilometres to stand at the barbecue tongs, preaching a message of openness and safety, frequently reminding the racing community that it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to put your hand up and say you need a hand.

“It is incredibly rewarding to look back over the last ten years and see just how far we have come,” Webster said.

“When I first started traveling around the state alongside Maurice Logue during the early days of the program, there was a lot of old-school pride out there, and plenty of blokes and women in the stables preferred to keep their struggles entirely to themselves.

“By taking the program out into the backyard of country racing with our community barbecues, we managed to break down those old walls and create a simple, safe space where people feel comfortable to open up and talk.

“What Racing Mates has delivered over the past decade isn't just a helpline or a list of counsellors, it has delivered a complete shift in our racing culture, where looking after your mental health is no longer seen as a weakness, but as a genuine sign of strength.

A Racing Mates barbeque at Taree

“I am immensely proud to stand at those barbecue tongs every year, knowing firsthand that the conversations we are starting and the peer support networks we have built right across New South Wales are saving lives every single week.”

The physical presence of the program at regional stables has helped reshaped the social fabric of country racing communities.

Working side-by-side with Webster to drive this regional expansion, Racing NSW General Manager-Participant Welfare, Phillip O’Brien has witnessed firsthand how the program has broken down barriers that once seemed completely insurmountable.

Reflecting on a decade of rural outreach, O’Brien emphasises that by taking Racing Mates out to the country tracks and regional stables, the program has succeeded in creating a safe environment where people feel comfortable talking about things they used to keep bottled up.

"The true success of Racing Mates over the past ten years is measured by the barriers that have been broken down right across regional and rural New South Wales,” O’Brien said.

“Our community barbecues and Ambassador networks have given the grassroots racing community a reliable, familiar shoulder to lean on.

“What we have delivered over the last decade is a lasting culture of care – proving to every trainer, jockey, and stablehand that no matter how isolated their track might be, they are never working through their hardships alone.”

This deliberate shifting of the regional narrative has helped many by providing immediate, accessible avenues for help to those who previously felt entirely isolated by their circumstances or geography.

The combination of industry-specific empathy and structured professional pathways has ensured that whether a participant is working at a major metropolitan training centre or a remote country outpost, they are never more than a phone call or a conversation away from an absolute lifeline.

Perhaps the single greatest achievement of Racing Mates over its 10-year journey is the profound, permanent cultural shift it has engineered across the entire Thoroughbred racing landscape.

By continuously proving that looking after your mental well-being is a collective responsibility, the program enters its second decade with an enduring legacy – ensuring that in the stables, on the track, and in life, looking after your mates will always come first.

Further information about Racing Mates and its Ambassadors can be found online at racingmates.com.au