Authorities are currently investigating an incident involving Mark Latham, an independent member of the New South Wales Parliament, who is accused of unleashing a verbal tirade against Steve McMahon, the head of corporate affairs and government relations for the Australian Turf Club (ATC).

The alleged altercation took place at Rosehill Racecourse on a busy race day, coinciding with significant upcoming decisions regarding the potential sale of the racecourse to the state government.

Witnesses reported that Latham's comments were marked by expletives and were directed at McMahon, a long-time associate of Premier Chris Minns.

Latham publicly characterized the nature of his remarks, suggesting that they reflected widely held sentiments about McMahon among various stakeholders.

The ATC has confirmed the initiation of an inquiry into the incident, labelling it as 'unprovoked verbal abuse.' Several witnesses have corroborated the event, and the investigation is still in progress.

McMahon has opted not to comment further on the matter.

This incident occurred just days following a decision by the industry regulator, Racing NSW, to delay a crucial vote concerning the future of Rosehill Racecourse.

This vote had significant implications, as the ATC intended to solicit opinions from its members regarding a proposed $5 billion sale of the site, which is earmarked for the development of a new precinct featuring 25,000 homes.

The vote was initially slated to take place during an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday, after online voting began in mid-March.

However, Racing NSW cited inadequate information provided by the ATC for members to make an informed decision, leading to the postponement until May 12.

Latham has been vocally against the sale of Rosehill, actively participating in a parliamentary inquiry which scrutinized the development process of the proposal.

Notable figures from the racing industry, including trainers Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller, as well as Racing NSW's chief executive Peter V’landys, provided testimony during the investigation, which cast scrutiny on the connections between McMahon and Premier Minns.

The multi-party parliamentary committee conducting the inquiry had concluded that Premier Minns should have disclosed a conflict of interest regarding his historical ties with McMahon.

In particular, their joint history as members of Hurstville Council over a 25-year period was pointed out.

The report from the inquiry branded the premier's description of a meeting with McMahon as a 'meet and greet' as 'inaccurate and misleading'.

In response to the announced rescheduling of the vote, the anti-sale group 'Save Rosehill' criticized the decision, asserting that it undermines the rights of ATC members and disregards the majority sentiment opposing the sale.

It remains unclear whether the votes already cast in the initial round of online voting will be annulled or if amendments to the resolutions would necessitate a fresh vote among members.