IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, predicts there are some more surprises in store for the racing industry in Queensland as a few ‘home truths’ are revealed when the Greyhound Inquiry gets underway.
Butts also reports on the contentious issue of the race dates released for the new season and also on problems with the transferring of Townsville meetings during the closure of Cluden and how Home Hill has been a two-time loser.
Here is the Butts’ column:
SOME SURPRISES IN STORE WHEN A FEW ‘HOME TRUSTS’ ABOUT RQ ARE REVEALED
I seriously believe there are some surprises in store in our little world of racing.
The first was the sudden resignation of Gold Coast caller and Greyhound Board member Steve Hawkins last week - just days after the latest fiasco that threatens the future of greyhound racing in the state.
But while the never-ending greyhound saga may have taken the cobalt controversy from the public eye, it is the goings-on behind the scenes that dominate discussion.
The general consensus is that integrity chief, Wade Birch, Chairman Dixon and CEO Darren Condon won’t all survive at RQ, when new minister Bill Byrne sets his agenda and after some hitherto unpublished facts become known.
The cobalt inquiries begin this week, so we are told.
Tablelands trainer Glen Baker has been told by Chief Steward, Alan Reardon, to prepare for an inquiry ‘straight after Easter’.
One might have thought that Baker’s case would not be heard before the two trainers that RQ named as having excessive cobalt in their swabs that were taken months before Baker’s horse, French Lesson, won in January.
In fact Jamie McConachy’s Vandalised proved positive after winning the Rockhampton Cup in June and he has yet to front.
It will be interesting to see what transpires this week.
Glen Baker says he knows he has virtually no hope.
“They’ll just give me three years and won’t care.
“Ï know already they won’t accept my explanation - that I gave the horse a concentrated vitamin that’s sold over the counter in any produce store.”
He also wants to know what would happen if he gets a three year disqualification and the big three in Victoria, Moody, Kavanagh and O’Brien, beat the charges, as they are said to be confident of doing.
“What happens then?” asked Baker.
Good question.
HOME HILL A TWO-TIME LOSER IN THE TRANSFERRING OF MEETINGS
IN the end it was no surprise that the Townsville meeting on April 29 was transferred from Home Hill to Cairns.
But what is surprising, and we believe unfair, is that Home Hill has also lost April 25 – the club’s traditional Anzac Day date.
The club gave up that date this year to stage a TAB meeting on Sunday April 26 but now the club has lost both.
The reason given is that Mareeba is racing on April 25 and there might be a short supply of jockeys and horses.
Well it must be pointed out that Home Hill Cup day (May 16) clashes with Gordonvale.
How’s that for a little dash of hypocrisy?
FINAL LIST OF RACE DATES A CONTENTIOUS TOPIC – FOR MACKAY AND TOWNSVILLE
TALKING of race dates there is sure to be some fiery responses to the final list of dates that RQ has just released for the new season - and yet again Mackay is the biggest loser.
The troubled club is just about to announce its new CEO (the third in six months) and he will have the job of manipulating to hopefully get a better deal.
No doubt it will be a serious test of his negotiating skills – but he has the sympathy at least of all stakeholders in the sugar city and others.
Mackay, with the best track in the state bar none, has been allocated just 18 dates - and nine of them have the secondary SKY2 coverage and a prize limit of $10,000 per race.
Rockhampton, by comparison, has 40 TAB dates of which 33 are SKY1 ($13,000 per race), including 10 coveted Friday dates.
Townsville has just 34 including 10 Sky2 dates - and they are not happy!
Townsville has three large local businesses, including the Cowboys who wish to sponsor a Saturday meeting but their application was knocked back because it might impact on the non-TAB clubs that can only race on Saturdays.
In this day and age promotion of racing should be at the forefront of any discussion and to knock back a Cowboys’ race day that would ensure a bumper crowd is quite ludicrous.
There is a contention non-TAB clubs, which mainly rely on volunteer staff, must be encouraged to stage more Sunday meetings to free-up some of the Saturdays.
This is so the Saturdays can be utilized by the country TAB clubs which find it impossible to attract crowds and sponsorship on mid-week race days.
POPULAR EWAN AMATUERS CHANGES TO A SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THIS YEAR
TALKING of Sunday racing, the iconic Ewan amateur club will break from tradition this year and conduct its annual meeting on Saturday and Sunday September 19-20.
Ewan have always raced on Friday and Saturday in mid-September but Racing Queensland decided it should avoid a clash with the Twin Hills meeting that always raced on the same weekend.
The new dates will probably suit families as schools break up on Friday September 18.
Unlike Townsville, Cairns, Home Hill and a few other clubs, Ewan welcomes kids. They are truly an important part of the scene as, of course, they should be.
Some wonder now when Ewan will go the full circle and introduce corn-fed racing. It is a contentious issue and it’s on the agenda at every AGM.
It will happen – just a matter of when.
TABCORP SHOW THEY ARE AS ‘GUTLESS’ AS SOME OF THEIR CORPORATE RIVALS
WE have been known to give the corporate bookies a bashing in this column. Just to show there is no bias, here’s one for the giant Victorian-based TABCORP.
A punter rang and requested $1,100 on the Stormers against the Hurricanes last Saturday night at the advertised 8.50 start at $1.9. He waited two minutes and then was told he could have $200.
A whopping $200 on an odds-on chance was their offer!
The joint should be closed down – or the so-called trader responsible should be looking for a new job.
Little wonder the corporates are thriving with newcomer William Hill about to announce a $250million profit is less than a year’s trading.
Footnote: Hurricanes won 25-20!
ACCOUNTANT MAKES SOME VALID POINTS IN HIS BLAST AT SYDNEY RACING
THIS is an excerpt from a letter by Sydney accountant James Mathers, an outspoken critic of Sydney racing administration, to the highly popular international website Racing Bitch last week. You might agree – he makes some very valid points.
“One of the biggest threats to NSW and Sydney racing is what appears to be a deliberate, dangerous and hopelessly flawed strategy of embracing the elitist model for racing.
“The current regime both at RNSW and the ATC appear to be much focused on money and wealth and the perceived position and status that money seems to bring. Interestingly, the current group of senior administrators do not come from an elitist background, yet they aspire to elitism.
“They are striving to be something that they are not and something that they will never be.
“I have come from a privileged background and I have experienced elitism. In my view elitism in itself is very dangerous particularly in the absence of high standards and values.
“The people that I truly love, respect and enjoy in the racing world are those of modest means, the strappers, the stable workers, the track work riders, the battling trainers, the farriers, the horse breakers etc.
“These people are the heart and soul of racing, not the bluebloods and certainly not the brassy nouveau riche who continue to come and go. Yet it is brassy nouveau riche who seems to be the focal point for both RNSW and the ATC.
“As for some of the journalists, they are obviously impressed and obsessed with money and this definitely fuels the perception of elitism.
“They seem to think that the racing public are interested and become excited about prize money increases, races worth millions of dollars in prize money, prices being paid for Golden Slipper winners, prices being paid for imported stallions and prices being paid at the yearling sales. In my opinion they, too, are lacking in class as they fuel an elitism culture.
“I think it’s a matter of waiting this period out and after the wait perhaps some clever and classy people with high standards and values will enter the frame and start to get Sydney racing back to where it should be.’ – James Mather.
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..
