IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reports on the ‘new kid on the block’ in the training ranks in Townsville – former Moody stable foreman Tony Haydon.
Butts also raises industry concerns about where the next transferred Townsville meeting will be held – Home Hill or Innisfail – and highlights the dangers of returning to Home Hill.
Here is the Butts’ column:
FORMER LONG-TIME MOODY FOREMAN BEGINS TRAINING VENTURE IN TOWNSVILLE
TOWNSVILLE’S new kid on the block, Tony Haydon, began his new training venture with much aplomb at the Magic Millions Sales last week on the Gold Coast.
Haydon, the former long-time foreman for Peter Moody – and carer both here and abroad of the mighty Black Caviar – will train out of Cluden when he organizes some stabling.
He has been granted a license and is still sorting out his stables until the new on-course facilities are established on the Cluden track.
Tony is no stranger to the north having spent some time in Mt Isa before linking with Moody in Brisbane several years ago and then in Melbourne.
It was a tough mentally-straining task and he suddenly decided to ‘have a break’. He arrived in Townsville last year and bought a small business.
But the lure of the racetrack was just a tad too much and now he’s back – with a bang.
Obviously with some strong Townsville backing for he splurged $175,000 on four, well-bred youngsters at last week’s sale. Interestingly, one is by Black Caviar’s brother Moshe which was raced by a syndicate headed by the late Roy Higgins and after showing much potential as a two-year-old was retired early to stud. His first crop went through last week’s sale.
There was strong representation from all over the north at a sale described as ‘highly successful’.
No doubt buyers were attracted to the generous concessions and bonuses on offer for QTIS horses next season – particularly fillies.
Peter Malpass, who has several in work with Errol Covell at his Yabulu complex, was very active securing eight yearlings for $185,000 – an average of $15,000.
And another Jet Spur colt was knocked down to Bobby McKenna and George Coleman – two of Townsville’s best known trainers of yesteryear. They both ‘retired’ ages ago.
But like the old saying goes…
The stable chores however are a bit beyond them both and I believe the youngster may join the expanding Wulguru stable of popular Jo Hassett, who will no doubt get plenty of ‘friendly advice’.
Also active at the sale was Rob Koch, a regular who bought two youngsters and his trainer Fred Weiland, also a long time QTIS customer, bought two for $39,500.
Other prominent buyers were Rockhampton’s Tony McMahon, John Pointon (three for $49,000) and Lyle Rowe, while Bones Bailey, another regular from Cairns, picked up two babies for $20,000.
SURELY SKY WON’T DECIDE IF MEETING IS RUN ON ‘UNSAFE’ HOME HILL TRACK
WILL Townsville’s next TAB meeting be run at Home Hill? That’s the question that no one in authority wants to answer.
There was much to say about the choice of venue after the last meeting on the Burdekin track two weeks ago. The Queensland Jockeys’ Association chairman Kevin Ring is adamant that Innisfail is the choice of all his members. And so are the local stewards... so I am told.
That, plus the vow by a Rockhampton-based jockey that he will never ride on the track again ‘because of the holes’, should be enough.
But the Chief Stipe in the area (Sam Woolaston) says he doesn’t know where the meeting next month will be held and most believe it should be his decision anyway.
Apparently Home Hill remains (at this stage) the venue and one of the reasons is…wait for it…because Sky Channel has already set up its equipment down there.
Can you believe?
Surely there is enough egg on the face of RQ track ‘expert’ Bill Schuck after his declaration that Home Hill was the preferred track over Innisfail.
But then there is Gatton…but that’s another story.
THERE IS NEED FOR CHANGE BUT NOT FOR THE RETURN OF BOB BENTLEY
YOUR scribe interviewed the former top trainer Jim Dixon last week for our new series “Where are they now” (which incidentally has had a tremendous response, thank you!) and I asked the question: Why did you just pack up and walk away?
The unequivocal response was: Bob Bentley.
“And I told him to his face at a function one night at the Townsville Casino that he was the ruination of racing in the country and that people were not just walking away – but running away. And I am too.”
And he did – nine years ago.
Bentley is now the man who is seemingly directing traffic on racing matters since the change of Government. At least he is having his two bob’s worth and there is no doubting his extreme dislike of those who succeeded him after the previous election. Revenge is seemingly on his agenda.
But Bob had his day. And really has a lot to answer for. He was responsible for dismantling the district racing associations like the NQRA and CQRA who for years operated efficiently and successfully.
It was a mistake.
Another major mistake was to surround himself with the wrong, and sometimes totally incompetent, people – particularly his integrity honcho Jamie Orchard who was generally seen as a disaster.
The sheer waste of money incurred under the Bentley regime and his unforgivable golden handshake to his cronies and confidantes (including Orchard) at the expense of the racing industry will never be forgotten. Nor it should.
Another great blunder was to amalgamate thoroughbreds, harness and greyhounds under the one umbrella. It was a costly mistake and rumour has it that the three codes board that he created might soon be dismantled.
It is pointed out by the greyhound fraternity that there has not been one single change to the greyhound section of the RQ website for the past five weeks. In spite of all that is happening within the industry.
The saddest aspect of all this is that the racing public lost confidence, particularly in the integrity area where currently rumours abound.
On his record, Bentley is hardly the man to resurrect that lost confidence and I am sure the new Racing Minister would be well aware of that.
OOPS! THAT PADDY POWER PROFIT SHOULD HAVE READ $75mn NOT $350mn
LAST week we wrote about the Paddy Power (Sportsbet) profit that went sailing overseas. Well it wasn’t the stated $530 million – it was just a mere $75mn and I do apologise for the wrongful misuse of the calculator!
Still not a bad year’s work, you would agree though I am sure Queenslanders would have preferred it in the coffers of their Tattsbet, UNiTAB, UBet or whatever it’s called these days.
Which brings us to the next question: When is (let’s just call it QLD TAB) going to give their dwindling number of punters access to online forms as every member of its opposition does freely?
Little wonder our TAB is at the tail end of the field - and getting further behind. Maybe it’s time for Tabcorp to take over its wagering arm.
THE BIG LAUNCH OF SKY CENTRAL WAS TO SAY THE LEAST – A FLOPEROO
SKY SYDNEY Central (aka Sky Thoroughbred Central) hit the ground running on Saturday – though many will tell you it was a disappointing debut for lots of reasons.
The alternative was Channel 7 which had a bevy of personalities and cameras swarming around horses in the saddling enclosure. At their peril, I might say.
I know many who simply turned on the telly to watch and turned on their trannies to listen.
Seems there were more TV people than horses and connections at Randwick, and it is at a point of becoming downright dangerous as I am sure stewards are well aware.
But the real turnoff from Channel 7 was the boring repetitious ads with William Hill promising all sorts of bets and deals.
This is the same Williams Hill who last week accepted a $2000 deposit from a friend of mine and then emailed her an hour later to say she would not be able to bet fixed price on dogs or horses.
So she rang the fearless big betting Billy and requested her deposit be returned.
They said it would be. But that she would have to wait five days! True.
When is this Government going to take some serious action against these poseurs?
Quite simply if corporates refuse to take a bet (to a realistic limit) they should lose their license.
No argument, that simple.
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..
