IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reports how the newly-formed Queensland Trainers’ Association were from impressed by a ‘misleading’ Media Release from their city colleagues.
Butts also questions where Breeders Association boss Basil Nolen stands on a couple of issues considering conflicting comments changed by the political tune of the day.
Here is the Butts column:
BASIL FROM THE BREEDERS – SOME BELIEVE YOU HAVE MADE A ‘BOOF-HEAD’ OF YOURSELF
THREE major representative bodies of the thoroughbred industry last week called on the Government to provide certainty for its future, by confirming the on-going leadership of the Kevin Dixon management team.
The ATA QLD, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Queensland Association (TBQA) and Magic Millions joined forces to show their firm support for the existing Racing Queensland Board, which is no surprise, though the Commission of Inquiry findings suggest their efforts might be in vain.
Breeders’ Association chairman Basil Nolan went on the front foot: “It is exceptionally frustrating to think that the very administrators who have been responsible for the complete rebirth of confidence within the thoroughbred industry in Queensland over the last 12 months are now being dragged down into the gutter as a result of a greyhound practice that has seemingly been going on for decades.
“We realise it is not possible to please all of the people all of the time, however it is very important to understand that contrary to what is regularly reported, there is an enormous amount of positivity across all sectors of the thoroughbred industry in this State.
“There is no question that optimism is directly attributable to the current Racing Queensland leadership team and the strong future they have provided for us.”
Is this the same Basil Nolan who only last year hotly criticised Government, the Racing Minister and anyone else involved with racing administration with a comment?
“They promised us (Breeders) the world and gave us an Atlas”?
His tune changed after Government and Racing Queensland provided substantial benefits to QTIS that some claim is discriminatory.
Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox is predictably dancing to the same beat.
“The incredible improvements to QTIS, the substantial increases in prizemoney, a wonderfully revamped Winter Racing Carnival and a game-changing partnership with Magic Millions to host the richest race day in Australia are just some of the reasons why the optimism within Queensland is at an all-time high,” Cox said.
“We have had a great relationship with Racing Queensland and it is one we are looking forward to continuing with in the future.”
BUT the future is in grave doubt. In fact it appears to be ‘game over’ for Racing Queensland as we now know it.
The only hope now is that the Government will not allow some its past high profile members to meddle with the affairs of racing, as is the popular rumour. Those gentlemen had their day – and failed dismally. They lost the confidence of the racing community of all political persuasions state-wide. They should not be allowed within coo-ee of any decision making for this Government.
That should be the domain and responsibility of newly appointed Racing Minister Bill Byrne who must be able to choose his own advisors without any pressure from those poor performed power-brokers of the past.
ATA QLD DON’T SPEAK FOR THE QTA WHO REFUSE TO SUPPORT DIXON-LED RQ
BARRY Baldwin, president of the Brisbane-based Australian Trainers’ Association (Qld) in a public statement of support last week referred to ‘the confidence that has been missing for years in racing and attributes the current boom to Kevin Dixon and his team.’
Unfortunately the statement said Baldwin was speaking on behalf of the Queensland Trainers’ Association which caused as few hackles to rise and prompted Jim Rundle, ‘real president’ of the QTA; to distance himself entirely from the comment.
“The article is NOT supported by the QTA, our name has been used, I hope accidently, as supporting the current administration at Racing Queensland.
“We believe RQ needs an urgent makeover and we will continue to work towards this end,” Mr Rundle said.
Barry Baldwin is to be ‘commended’ for his support for Chairman Dixon, who has obviously been a great help to him and his Association in recent times.
Unfortunately, Barry speaks for a minority of trainers in this State.
And while he paints a pretty picture of the current state of racing in the city – it is a much different story in the country. That’s precisely why the Queensland Trainers’ Association, with headquarters in Rockhampton, was formed earlier this year.
The breakaway Association, with more members than the ATA (Brisbane branch) was spurred into being by a stance taken by the ATA and supported by RQ chairman Dixon to introduce a starting subsidy for all runners throughout the State to help the big city trainers pay their WorkCover.
The country trainers objected strongly – got little or no sympathy from Deagon – so they formed a united front to fight the proposal – and won.
SUPPOSED BOOM IN BIG SMOKE ISN’T REFLECT IN THE COUNTRY
MEANWHILE, if there is a boom in the big smoke – it hasn’t yet spread north where there is a dearth of jockeys, and owners have disappeared off the map – trainers too.
Worse, today there is not a single indentured apprentice in Townsville.
In 1984, according to an old racebook unearthed recently, there were 14 apprentices and 20 jockeys based at Cluden.
There were 20 trainers and (by the way) Kelly Schweida was 15th on the premiership with five winners as the season that year was drawing to a close.
MOODY QUICK TO CONGRATULATE ONE-TIME FOREMAN ON FIRST WINNER
JOCKEY Mathew Morris had barely weighed in and winning trainer Tony Haydon was grinning from ear to ear as he headed to the swab stall when his phone went.
It was an SMS from Peter Moody: ‘Well done team…’
You might have thought Moody with runners all over the country, including three winners in Melbourne, runners in Sydney and chasing the big dollars in Brisbane would not have even considered listening to a minor Maiden race at Cairns.
But he obviously did - to hear Starmosa win the first at Cannon Park.
But there is good reason. The horse is trained by Tony Haydon who worked for ‘Moods’ for 19 years – his Number1 foreman until he walked away from Caulfield and snuck into Townsville, incognito over a year ago.
“I had just had enough. After the highs of Black Caviar and England, things were not quite just the same.
“I wanted a change. So with his partner Marni Kelly, from the Moody office, they headed north, bought a truck and Haydo’s Delivery Service was soon stalking the streets of Townsville.
The old urge started to creep back and he decided to take out a trainer’s license. He went to the Magic Million Sales, bought a swag of yearlings, picked up a couple of tried horses and Haydon drew first blood on Saturday.
He called on his old mate from the Moody stable, Mathew Morris, to join him at Cluden and after a copybook ride on Saturday notched their first win as a team.
The second text message to the Haydon phone, minutes after Moody, was from Kris Lees the Newcastle trainer who sold him Starmosa.
“He was as thrilled as me. Well almost.”
“I told Moods if he wanted a training tip or two “he just has to give me a ring,” said the cheeky ex foreman.
AND that wasn’t the only congratulatory call from Moody to a trainer in country Queensland on Saturday.
Todd Austin got one too, after a horse sent to him by Moody named Miss Delima won the Maiden at Tambo by 12 lengths.
COUNTRY TRAINERS PAY PIPER BECAUSE CITY COUSINS ‘RORT SYSTEM’
WHILE Racing Queensland continues to boast a bumper Winter Carnival (well it is for the visitors), we wonder how many in the industry are aware of the late scratching policy in Queensland.
It wasn’t until last week I was aware that if a horse is scratched after acceptances in NSW with a veterinary certificate there is no charge to the owners. No nomination, acceptance or jockey fees.
But if a horse is scratched with a vet certificate in Queensland the owner is still required to pay all of those fees.
True.
And it gets worse. Last year Cairns trainer Fred Weiland had a horse named Strieg scratched by the vet at the barrier after it had been kicked by another horse. He was required to pay all the fees, including the jockey fee of $165. He fought RQ it for months (with the support of the Chief NQ stipe Sam Woolaston by the way) but got little satisfaction.
How bad is that?
But there’s more.
Same trainer accepted with a horse named Element of Chance for the Parry Nissan feature last year. But on the advice of his vet he scratched it on race eve...
It cost him $1000 – because it was a feature race. He wasn’t happy. Still isn’t.
WHY the difference in policy between the two states?
Because, according to RQ, some Brisbane trainers were ‘rorting the system’ by scratching horses engaged on Saturday, for whatever reason and starting on Sunday.
Surely a more sensible and certainly fairer solution would be a seven-day ban on any horse scratched with a vet certificate. Instead owners all over the State are now forced to pay up for something totally out of their area of responsibility. That’s totally unfair.
But this is Racing Queensland. The soon- to- be- dismantled Board that in the eyes of some (a minority) has done such a wonderful job. The Board that provides $250,000 prize money for seven-horse fields (all visitors by the way) and boasts about a bumper winter carnival.
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..
