IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS provides his take on the new TAB deal between Racing Queensland and Tattersalls.

He also reports on a big week for Townsville Turf Club president Kevin O’Keefe where a promising galloper he owns won at the Sunshine Coast and approval was finally received for much-needed work at Cluden.

Here is the Butts’ column:

 

SERIOUS QUESTIONS REMAIN AFTER NEW RQ PRODUCT DEAL DELIVERED

THE long-awaited deal between Tatts Group and Queensland Racing was delivered, as promised on Friday.

It ended a lot of speculation, but as the dust settles after all the hype and declarations of a brand new era with millions of dollars for the embattled racing industry, a few serious questions remain.

Broadly speaking the figure of $850 million was greeted with genuine glee by all sections of racing. But it was soon realised it had to be divided by 30 years – with a CPI component.

There is a reputed $5 million for the cash strapped country racing – but again it is to be spread over five years – and shared between how many clubs?

Racing will get a get a 2.5 per cent share of the burgeoning fixed price sports betting – but only from bets taken in the TAB shops and agencies.

Unfortunately, there will be no kick back from the electronic betting.

A source close to the action claims turnover on the phone is much greater for fixed price sports events.

Of course we must not look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying goes.

 

WAIT TO SEE HOW THE PIE WILL BE SLICED AND WHY IS THAT TAKING SO LONG?   

WE should wait to see the final divvy for all sections of the multi-faceted racing industry before we celebrate. And according to the current chief Kevin Dixon that could be four to six weeks.

Why that long, you are asking.

One learned racing man, who has dissected the joint announcement by Tatts and RQ, reckons that prizemoney in the bush will rise by 20%. If that is true there will be some disappointed stakeholders in the country.

The general expectation was much more.

It has already been announced that city prizemoney will increase to $60,000 – a realistic figure – thought still well below both Sydney and Melbourne.

It is also hoped the deal might provide relief for the country owners and trainers with float rebates for runners, as is the norm in NSW and Victoria where a $200 unplaced subsidy applies.

Rebates must surely be high on the agenda in Queensland, especially in the country where horses travel hundreds of kilometres each week. Without the Cairns and Atherton horses for instance, Townsville wouldn’t survive.

At least the rebate question should be considered ahead of the claim by jockeys who have already signalled an increased riding fee state-wide.

Seriously, though their claim may be legitimate, the jocks should take their place in the queue with a long line of other stakeholders, looking for some financial reprieve.

Not the least owners who are reportedly deserting in droves.

 

HOW WILL HARNESS RACING FARE IN THE NEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL?

ANOTHER interesting aspect of the Tatts deal is the decision to distribute money to the three racing codes based on turnover that each provides.

Harness racing has for too long been in the ‘one-one’ when it comes to distribution.

Greyhounds are way ahead of the ‘red hots’ in turnover but hitherto, for some inexplicable reason, have always received less on distribution day.

 

BIG WEEK FOR TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB SUPREMO KEVIN O’KEEFE

IT has been a big week for Townsville Turf Club supremo Kevin O’Keefe.

His horse, Miss Cover Girl, blitzed her rivals at Caloundra on Saturday recording her third successive win in the familiar black and white check livery.

And success didn’t end there.

On Thursday he got word that the RQ Three Codes Board had agreed to the TTC request for a new Strathayr track after months of negotiation.

It can be reported here now that O’Keefe, or ‘Red Face Adios’ as he is known by old trotting cronies, would have walked away had this application been unsuccessful.

He fought like a lion to get it over the line.

It’s now up to Government to rubber stamp it and the bulldozers are likely to move in early September to create a new track ready for racing in the new year.

The proposed stabling and entertainment precinct is still being negotiated but there are ‘hopeful’ signs they will also go ahead.

AND his eventful week didn’t end there.

At acceptance time on Friday, the club was told that RQ would not split the Benchmark 60 which would result in 10 horses being balloted out.

Pleas by TTC staff to RQ failed until finally O’Keefe picked up the phone and told the CEO that 10 very angry trainers would be denied starts because the false rail is out six meters all because the racetrack is falling apart.

Apparently the message was ‘understood’, commonsense prevailed and the race was split.

But KOK says the accolades should go to RQ CEO Darren Condon.

“He made it work.”

 

SO MUCH FOR THE SOLIDARITY OF TATTS TO RACING IN QUEENSLAND

TATTS came out with all sorts of superlatives and predictions about the future of Queensland racing and pledged undying support and solidarity.

That was on Friday.

On Sunday its own radio station 4TAB elected to broadcast a race at Sale down in freezing Victoria in preference to a Townsville race that jumped at the same time.

That was a clear sign that solidarity had been quickly tossed out the window!

Sky 2 , on the other hand, elected to run with Townsville.

 

JOCKEY SHORTAGE LOOMING AS A PROBLEM FOR TWO BIG MEETINGS IN NQ

AVAILABILITY of jockeys might be the problem this weekend up north with near record nominations at the two-day Oak Park fixture that clashes again with the Mackay Cup meeting.

The venues might be miles apart in distance and poles apart in pageantry but both rely on very much the same pool of riders and it has been well documented that the pool is shrinking markedly.

Most of the Townsville riders have committed to Oak Park where there are 115 nominations over two days and this year it has attracted all the big stables from Townsville, Cairns and the Tablelands.

Friday has a nomination total of 68 but this year the club has decided against recruiting southern jockeys.

“It’s the responsibility of the trainers,” said club secretary Deborah Woodhouse who reports “everything is set for a bumper weekend.”

“There are many campers already trackside and the weather has been delightful,” she said on Monday.

However, regulars to the iconic century old bush meeting suggest that might change by week’s end with icy early morning conditions forecast.

Meanwhile, Mackay has 123 nominations for its Cup day, including a couple of Brisbane visitors. It is a tremendous response for a club that has been in the doldrums for much of the year. At one stage there was a fear that it could be closed.

Local   trainer John Manzelmann has the Cup top weight and pre-post favourite Payteevee and is said to be confident of another hometown victory.

Interesting nomination is the Innisfail-trained Junee Boy which signalled an early win with his placing in Sunday’s Winter Cup at Cluden. City winner Heartfelt Quest, trained by John Zelke, is another interesting entrant.

 

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.