A defiant Terry Bailey has vowed to keep working to make racing clean, despite someone firing shots at the Racing Victoria chief steward's front door.
The Sunday night attack came in the middle of Victoria's Spring Racing Carnival and a day before the launch of the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup.
Mr Bailey, his wife and two teenage children were at the back of their Templestowe house when the shots were fired about 9.20pm, but no one was injured.
The state's top racing cop has faced other attempts at intimidation in his 30-year career, although not quite at this level.
"These things happen, it's the job we're in and it's happened, we've had similar incidents over the years," Mr Bailey told reporters on Monday.
Neighbours believe the gunman walked up to the front door before unloading up to six shots.
Mr Bailey heard "loud noises" from the front of the house.
"I was angry, that someone did that, that was my initial response," he said.
"There's no need for that, it's below the belt."
The man trying to clean up racing said he's "absolutely committed" to making sure the sport is fair.
"There's 900 trainers in Victoria, a lot of people relying on us to make sure that the place is run as a level playing field, and we'll keep doing that," he said.
"We're not going to walk away from that, the show will go on and we'll keep going the way we're going."
Racing Minister Martin Pakula says security officers are now guarding the family.
The minister said stewards have difficult jobs and sometimes have to upset people, but he couldn't recall a similar direct attack on a steward.
"This sort of direct assault on the home of the chief steward is just absolutely outrageous and unacceptable."
Mr Pakula said the attack would not deter Mr Bailey or racing integrity officials from doing their job.
One of the Baileys' neighbours, Daniel Martinez, told AAP he heard loud bangs and raced outside to see what was happening.
"It shook our windows," Mr Martinez told AAP.
The Martinez family think the shooter walked over the Baileys' front lawn to the house.
"If it was a drive-by there would have been casings on the road," Mr Martinez said.
"Someone walked up to their front door.
"It's scary to think this can happen."
RV chief executive Bernard Saundry labelled the attack a "despicable act" and said the organisation would work with police to find whoever did it.
Some of Victoria's leading trainers are being investigated over the use of cobalt to dope race horses.
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