IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports how a lack of two-year-olds in the north will have an impact on the field for the time-honoured Palleranda Stakes.

Butts says that one leading administrator in the north is blaming a reduction in incentives from Magic Millions for the lack of youngsters this year.

Here is the Butts’ column:

PALLERANDA STAKES WILL STRUGGLE TO ATTRACT A CAPACITY FIELD

THE time-honoured Palleranda Stakes will be run at Cluden on Saturday week – but already there are grave concerns about a full field for the $20,000-plus QTIS bonus event.

Only seven two-year-olds contested the trials that were conducted after the last race at Cluden last Thursday.

There is a dearth of two-year-olds in training in Townsville this year and apparently there are very few in Cairns and the Tablelands. Mackay, too, has no youngsters ready for the Palleranda, according to an Ooralea source.

But worse news is that the all-conquering Craiglea Stud will also miss the glamour two-year-old race.

According to trainer Krystal Johnston ‘family reasons’ will prevent a Craiglea representation this year.

“We had two ready for the race – but no, unfortunatel,y we won’t be able to make it”.

The Palleranda is the first two-year-old race for the new season and over the years has produced some very smart youngsters. And Craiglea has dominated two-year-old races all over country Queensland in recent times.

 

MAGIC MILLIONS BLAMED FOR LACK OF BABIES IN NQ THIS YEAR

THE reason for the lack of babies this year lies squarely at the feet of Magic Millions, according to one leading racing administrator in the north.

“Last year they cut back on incentives for owners to go down and buy a yearling,” he explained.

“In previous years MM had invited potential owners and picked up the accommodation tab.

“It was great PR for the sales – and a proven incentive.

“But this year the rules were changed and only a few North Queenslanders attended – hence the lack of numbers this year for the Palleranda,” he said.

Northern trainers Fred Weiland, Roy Chillemi and Ray Long all bought two-year-olds at the Breeze-Up sales last week but they won’t be ready in time for the early two-year-old events here.

Actually there were several horses knocked down to Townsville and Cairns buyers at the Breeze’Up and Patinack sales.

And none was more active than Yabulu buyer, Peter Malpass, who at last count bought 13 horses, including tried gallopers, yearlings and two-year-olds.

But not one of them is QTIS registered.

 

FORM GUIDE REVEALS TELL TALE RISKS OF PAYING BIG MONEY FOR YEARLINGS

A new form guide displayed on a southern website for Townsville races last week listed, among all the relevant details and form, the yearling purchase price of all runners.

In one race, a lowly Benchmark 60, there was one that fetched $250,000 as a yearling and another that was bought for $150,000.

Talk about shattered dreams!

And there was one listed in the same race with a purchase price of a mere $2,000.

And yes, it was the eventual winner.

Anyone for a yearling?

 

A TIMELY AND WELL WRITTEN SERVE FOR THE CORPORATE BETTING AGENCIES

THIS is part of a story that appeared recently on the website On The Punt, written by former Gold Coast bookie Peter Lawrence.

It is reproduced here because it is the best description this writer has seen of the vastly changed and forever changing landscape of betting in this country.

Unfortunately space prevents us from running the full story but it is easily obtainable off the web.

Peter Lawrence wrote:

IN 1997 when Might And Power led all the way to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, I had the great honour of holding the number two position on the rails at the Gold Coast, alongside three legends of Australian bookmaking, Laurie Bricknell, Terry Page and Lloyd Merlehan.

I venture to say that should there ever be a Hall Of Fame for bookmakers, these three would certainly be amongst the first 25 admitted.

Although racecourse attendances were already steadily declining, they were still vibrant days for racecourse betting in Australia.

I particularly remember that Melbourne Cup for two reasons. Firstly, I thought Might And Power was a ‘once in a ten year’ Cup special and backed him for my maximum.

I also thought that Doriemus was a special to oppose and laid him to lose my maximum.

I felt sick as the post drew ever near with Doriemus eating into the lead of Might And Power. I felt sicker still as they hit the line and Greg Hall gave his now infamous victory wave on Doriemus.

I cursed those wretched racing Gods who had snatched a great result from my bag and turned it into a disaster.

Of course 30 seconds later when the official photo finish was displayed on the TV monitors around the course, that nausea was replaced with delight and the world seemed so much brighter.

Secondly, I remember vividly Laurie Bricknell’s betting phone ringing as the field thundered down the straight for the first time with Might And Power rolling to the front. It was Melbourne bookmaker Michael Eskander, father of current day bookmaker Alan and founder of Betstar. Michael had been caught with a late bet on Might And Power - would Laurie be able to bet him $50,000 to $14,000, even though they had reached the post for the first time?

“No worries,” I heard Laurie say, before he called the bet to his clerk. Laurie Bricknell was after all a bookmaker and this was the Melbourne Cup. He was there to bet!

In 1997 if you were on the rails at the Gold Coast you displayed your prices and were obliged to bet to lose a minimum of $10,000.

The racing folklore was full of successful punters who had beaten the odds. That was and is the whole point of betting on the horses, surely. The possibility of coming out on top, because unlike casino games and slot machines, the true odds of any outcome are arbitrary and a matter of opinion.

If, as a punter, you are smarter than the market, then you can win at horse racing.

The legend that is Australian horse betting is founded on the honest battle of ‘I will pit my wits and skill and nerve against your’s – may the best man win’.

However, in the last three years the game has changed completely. This wonderful Australian tradition of a fair go and a fair contest has been laid to waste as the British corporates have suffocated and destroyed in three years what took 150 years to establish.

Without exception, they have three strings to their bow.

Firstly, weed out all winning punters and close their accounts, or restrict their bet sizes to such a small amount they will no longer bother betting. Secondly, weed out all losing punters who lose less than 3.5% on turnover and close their accounts also. Their business model shows it is not worth bothering with line ball players either. They are only interested in serious losers.

Thirdly, find the gilt-edged, rich mug and let him do whatever he likes. Court him like a prince, buy him tickets to premium sporting events and fill up on his largesse as the family fortune is slightly or perhaps completely depleted.

These are the ‘clients’ that everyone is after.

As if this revolting practice was not bad enough, these same British corporations have the audacity to trade on the back of the very Australian tradition they have completely destroyed in recent times.

There is nothing remotely Australian about these betting houses, and the Aussies who have sold their soul, those who grew up on the racetracks of Grafton, Randwick, Flemington and the Gold Coast, should hang their heads in shame for the part they have played in this whole scale destruction of our once great contest.

This remarkable coup has taken place behind the protective wall of the Northern Territory Government, who has allowed these British corporations to operate in a regulation free haven not seen in Australia before.

Not only have they been allowed to destroy the betting landscape, they operate under no rules that can be enforced by betting stewards or racing officialdom.

There is no one on the side of the punter any more. The punter is now simply open game to be raped and pillaged with gay abandon, with virtually all profits sent offshore to even greater tax havens like Gibraltar, through one shoddy means or another….

And there is more…much more.

 

GOOD AND BAD NEWS FOR FOLLOWERS OF RACING IN MACKAY

THIS week Mackay conducts its first non TAB Saturday meeting for the season and whilst we are not sure of the number of horses we know there will be plenty of punters and players trackside.

It has been a great little promotion and on Friday 2200 tickets had been sold already.

Sounds like it’s back to the good ol’ days at Ooralea which was once rated one of the best attended race meetings in the bush.

ON a less exciting note we can report that the recently appointed CEO of Mackay, Ben Michelmore, has resigned for family reasons.

Ben has only been in the hot seat a short time and was selected from a bevy of well qualified applicants.

“The position will be advertised again soon,” said RQ Chief Executive Darren Condon.

 

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.