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The bitter battle over a proposed merger of Brisbane's two metropolitan races clubs has taken a dramatic twist following the shock resignations of five directors of the Brisbane Turf Club including chairman Mary Collier.

Collier, who has been a BTC board member for four years, became the first woman chairman of a metropolitan race club in Australia when she was elected to replace Ian McGrath after the club's annual meeting last year.

The resignations, which take effect on Friday, will leave only three serving directors at the BTC.

Collier, who was condemned by her critics for leading a successful coup against a merger with neighbouring Queensland Turf Club last November, resigned with fellow board members, vice chairman Brad Ryan, treasurer Graham Milligan, Brian Cannon and Jim Johnston to head off a threat to oust them from the board this week.

"It has come to the attention of each of us there is a likelihood of a resolution for the removal of directors being placed before the members of the club," Collier said in a statement.

She said such a resolution to remove any director could only be made by a requisition in writing by three directors or a requisition in writing from at least 50 members.

"We consider the best interests of the BTC would not be served by a resolution of the kind being placed before the membership," Collier said.

Under the BTC constitution, a quorum of four is needed to make major decisions so a fourth member will need to be invited by the remaining three directors to initiate any changes, including calling for another special general meeting to call for another vote on the controversial merger issue.

Collier and her previous board narrowly won the last vote against a merger when it was feared Doomben could be sold off by a new single club entity to pay for massive redevelopment of Eagle Farm.

The resignations of Collier and her board members follow the recent election to the BTC board of pro-merger group Randy Pascual, Kerrina King and Queensland Racehorse Owners' Association president Wayne Milner.

Collier had a writ seeking damages of $100,000 served on her recently by Pascual who alleged she misled BTC members at the merger meeting last November.

Collier told the merger meeting Pascual was in favour of selling Doomben, a claim he denies.

Queensland Racing Limited chairman Bob Bentley was reluctant to comment on Doomben's mass resignations.

"It's a club matter," Bentley said.

"But Queensland Racing hasn't changed its opinion. We still think one race club should run the two tracks at Doomben and Eagle Farm.

"We don't have any power to intervene and we don't intend to."

Bentley said the remaining three board members were empowered to continue running the day-to-day operations at Doomben but they could not make any major decisions.

"This won't stop the club from running normally," Bentley said.

"The three remaining directors can operate the club on a day-to-day basis but they can't make major decisions affecting the club's future."