IN his widely-read column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reveals the incredible story of John Manzelmann training nine of the 10 winners (and finishing second in the other) at the two-day Twin Hills annual.
Without Manzelmann there would not have been a Twin Hills carnival this year but his presence also created a problem in his home centre of Mackay where the TAB meeting set down for this Tuesday had to be abandoned because of a lack of horses.
Butts said the situation, especially relating to the rules for QTIS races at Twin Hills, has highlighted the need for a country representative on the Racing Queensland Board which was promised by the LNP before the election but like a lot of other things at RQL since the Kevin Dixon Board took control the industry is still waiting.
Here is the Butts column:
JOHN MANZELMANN TRAINS NINE OF THE 10 WINNERS AT TWIN HILLS ANNUAL
MACKAY trainer John Manzelmann has reached another milestone in his relatively short but brilliant career.
Manzelmann has been the most prolific winner and perhaps the most widely-travelled trainer in the state.
Last weekend he went within a whisker of training the complete program at the two-day Twin Hills annual meeting.
He trained nine of the 10 winners and in fact the only race he didn’t win – his runner finished second - was to a horse he actually took to the meeting for fellow Mackay trainer Mick Bannon.
Mick and his daughter, Trinity, a highly-successful Central Queensland jockey, spoiled to the party.
But the Manzelmann feat will still go down in the record books.
TWIN HILLS FIASCO HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR RQL COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE
THERE are a couple of aspects of this feat that must be considered and there is certainly a renewed call for an appointment of country a racing representative to the RQL board.
It needs to be someone with knowledge of the industry to ensure that what happened at Twin Hills must surely not be repeated.
Had John Manzelmann not made the long trip to the bush meeting in the backblocks between Belyando and Clermont, there simply would not have been a meeting.
He had 16 runners over the two days. The only other trainer (other than Mick Bannon’s sole runner was Bluff-based Ross Vagg. There were no others.
And yet the club was able to stage two QTIS races – one each day – and Manzelmann won both.
Each of the QTIS races was worth nearly $10, 000 but only one winner was QTIS registered.
Both races had a field of four. How did that happen? There was also a two-horse race on Saturday. Same question.
WHAT MUST THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO QTIS SCHEME THINK OF THIS?
YOU might well wonder what owners and some breeders who subscribe to the costly QTIS scheme think about that.
Two races on a Twin Hills program offering QTIS money and attracting a fields of only four.
Surely those in the industry who have been campaigning long and hard for increased prizemoney, both in the country and the city, wouldn’t be terribly pleased.
But blame cannot be apportioned to the trainer. He has been a great supporter of country racing and has a record to prove it.
The club put up the money, obviously with the blessing of RQL and QTIS, and Johnny Manzelmann chose to chase it.
The other aspect to consider is that had Manselmann not gone to Twin Hills there simply wouldn’t have been a race meeting.
TWIN HILLS RACED WHILE MACKAY WAS FORCED TO ABANDON A TAB MEETING
MEANWHILE, his home club at Mackay was forced to abandon its TAB meeting scheduled for Tuesday because of insufficient acceptors.
Had Manselmann stayed home there would probably have been a Mackay TAB race day.
But again, we emphasize, no blame can be attached to the trainer.
The failure to race on what is regarded the best racecourse in country Queensland was all to do with the Mackay Turf Club.
And I am told that RQL is well aware of the club’s failure to ‘hustle’ for more nominations – or at least try.
When nominations closed, after being extended for a day, it was borderline whether the meeting would go ahead.
The club is blamed for ‘sitting on its hands’ and we are told (by a resident trainer) that the blame game is well and truly on at Ooralea as to why there wasn’t a ‘ring around.’ And who should have been responsible for it.
I hate to tell you, but the song being sung down in the sugar town all week was: “It wouldn’t have happened if Joe Hynes (sacked by the current MTC committee two years ago) was still in the job.”
Of that, you can be certain!
The time has come for the Mackay Turf Club committee to shape up or step down.
There are some licensees in the centre with genuine concerns about the future of the club, and more importantly, for their own future.
HOOFNOTE: This writer accepted for two horses at the abandoned Mackay meeting. I had simply wanted to experience the track having heard so many good reports and the program suited my horses. It as no surprise that RQ took the action it did. There were simply not enough acceptors. Besides, it saved about $500 travelling exprenses!
BUSH RACING IS THRIVING IF TWIN HILLS AND EWAN ARE ANY GUIDE
WITH reports that the Twin Hills meeting attracted a crowd of more than 3,000 over the two days, and it was standing room only at Ewan on the same two days, there is no doubt bush racing is still popular with families.
Just a shame about the horse numbers, though there was some keen racing at Ewan where Townsville trainer Olivia Cairns won the Cup (again) with Yoyo which has been a pretty consistent bush track performer.
There are stories galore. One doing the rounds concerns a high profile footballer who attended Friday’s Ewan meeting (and the after- party).
Then on Sunday- there he was standing prim and proper with all the rugby league heavyweights at Sydney’s Grand Final.
For him, it was a case of going from the “outhouse to the penthouse” according to one reveler who claims to have witnessed “a very sudden and somewhat embarrassing incident of nature.”
IT’S ‘BUYER BEWARE’ AT THESE DISPERSAL SALES LIKE TINKLER’S
EVERONE seems to be talking about the upcoming dispersal sale of billionaire-cum-millionaire Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack team of horses.
But at least one bloodstock agent has sounded a warning to would-be buyers. In a word BEWARE.
But that warning goes for all dispersals by big operators, said Noel Brockington who operates the well respected A Trojan Bloodstock.
“Just look at the result of those dispersal sales,” he said.
And the word of caution comes on the back of the tragic story of veteran and highly respected Corowa NSW trainer Richard Freyer who paid $343,000 for a horse named Infuse at the Lloyd Williams sale in January. He hasn’t had a start and there are great fears that he won’t.
“The horse arrived at my place with a temperature of 41.5 degrees and has never been right since...and no-one knows why.
“He has had several lung flushes, blood readings and the best of veterinary examinations,” said Freyer, who for years was leading SDRA trainer, as was his father (Jack) before him.
At the twilight of his long career, Richard attended the Williams’ sale to buy a ‘good’ horse. Infuse came highly recommended but he has been a total disaster, and certainly hasn’t helped the on-going medical conditions suffered by the old trainer who still reckons he was robbed of a Melbourne Cup when EI prevented his horse Leica Falcon from crossing the border into Victoria.
“I have spoken to several people including jockeys who have ridden him in work and races and they all assured me there was nothing wrong with the horse when he left for the sales.
“It’s just one of those things.
“Outwardly there is nothing wrong with him. But if he works a mile (and I have never ever galloped him) he has to be walked another two miles to catch his breath. He is that bad,” said Rick Freyer, Richard’s son and third generation of the famous family.
At the moment Infuse is back in the paddock.
BOWEN CUP BRINGS DOWN THE CURTAIN ON NQ COUNTRY CUPS
IT is Bowen Cup on Saturday and, as always, it will be a massive day out.
Often the meeting attracts Whitsunday Island holiday makers. Buses run from Proserpine, and the odd helicopter might turn up from Hayman.
Gordonvale also conduct its Cup meeting this week and then later in the month it is Innisfail and Charters Towers which unfurls the curtain on the major Cup carnivals in the district.
COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.
TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
