IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reports how a highly respected, long-standing official has sent a letter to politicians urging the Government not to cut country racing.
Graham Rewald, Chairman of the Eastern Downs Racing Association, blasts Racing Queensland and the Labor Government over suggestions country racing will feel the brunt of prizemoney cuts while more millions are poured into Magic Millions Day, a private company owned by one of the richest men in the land.
Here is the Butts’ column:
STALWART PLEADS WITH GOVERNMENT TO ‘SAVE’ COUNTRY RACING
AS country racing stakeholders wait with genuine concern and trepidation for news of the cutbacks in prize money and race dates, long-time country racing stalwart Graham Rewald made a final plea to the Queensland Government to reverse its thinking.
This is the letter he sent to every politician in his region:
COUNTRY race clubs held 279 race meetings for the 2014/15 year attracting 11,613 starters.
This gives stakeholder owners, trainers, jockeys and bookmakers a chance to earn an income, creating more jobs for Queenslanders, a priority of our current Government.
With a State as big as Queensland we need every one of those meetings with base prize money of $7,000 per race, any less would be a disaster.
Country racing not only employs but provides a training ground for new industry participants, such as trainers, jockeys, strappers, stable hands, track work riders and stud employees, having produced such top trainers as Peter Moody, John O’Shea and Barry Baldwin to name a few. Most of the jockeys riding in Queensland have started their careers in country areas.
It gives older heavy jockeys a chance to earn an income for longer. Country racing also allows horses not up to metropolitan standard to race another four to five years longer.
Stakeholders need a race meeting every Saturday in their area with minimum base prize of $7000 per race for them to be viable.
Country racing employs and creates the employment of over 10,000 people. Due to the travelling by country participants, they contribute to the economics of all the towns they visit.
Country racing attracts far bigger crowds in proportion to local population and prize money, therefore, again making significant contributions to local economics.
Country towns average higher TAB turnover per head of population than in the city, because more people are connected to racing due to their local club activities.
Country racing is the grass roots of racing and if not looked after will have a detrimental effect on racing. Where people now involved in country racing would turn to other interests and stop buying yearlings and tried horses and worst of all stop betting at the TAB. If we had someone with foresight in charge, they would be looking at putting more into country racing, as it allows the average person to be involved in racing and the more people involved in racing the stronger it will be.
It is hard to believe a Labor Government would agree to any cuts to country racing which would cause a huge loss of jobs and income to the battlers of the racing industry, which would affect the economy of country towns. While on the other hand putting millions, into the $10 million race day at the Gold Coast, to support a private company owned by a millionaire. Or support a two million dollar Stradbroke, just to try to attract some millionaire to bring a horse from overseas.
Then again, the last time we had a Labor Government in power they cut 240 country race meetings.
Graham Rewald
Chairman, Eastern Downs Racing Association.
IS THE PREMIER’S FATHER BEING CONSIDERED FOR RQ CHAIRMANSHIP
HAVE you heard the one about the possible new Chairman, or perhaps a member of one of the new Boards to be announced by Racing Queensland?
Surely it can’t be right...but his initials are H.P. and he is the father of a certain lady (whose name I can’t spell) but known to all Queenslanders.
No, it can’t be right.
Can it?
DEBATE RAGES OVER NEW WHIP RULES TO BE IMPLEMENTED SOON
THE amended whip rules will be introduced on December 1 – and the debate rages.
Stewards have already stated the new limits will be strictly enforced.
From that date there will be no distinction between forehand and backhand strikes – and there is a limit to five strikes before the 100m.
It seems it is open slather for the jockeys and their whips from then on – and you might just wonder how long that will remain the trend. Jockeys in the UK, for instance, can only hit their horses seven times in an entire race and five times in the last 100m.
The Australian Board, composed of Chairs of Principal Racing Authorities, consulted with various stakeholders, including the Australian Jockeys’ Association, which made written and verbal submissions to the Board.
Apart from limiting whip use before the 100m, there will be stronger penalties, including suspensions especially in Group and Listed races.
Australian jockeys are universally renowned for their vigor and for many – not all, mind you – it will be a case of ‘back to school’.
RSPCA CLAIMS MAJORITY SUPPORT TOTAL WHIP BAN IN RACING
LAST week the RSPCA called for an end to whips altogether in Australia, claiming the majority of people support the total ban.
“Currently, whips can be used to hit horses in every stride of the last 100m of a race, when a horse is already exhausted, and when experts claim it will not do any good anyway” said CEO Heather Neil.
She added:
“When Australians tuned in to watch the race that stops the nation, too few will realise they’re not only witnessing the most public form of animal cruelty, but they were actually cheering it on. Help make this Melbourne Cup the last one which allows horses to be needlessly flogged, by demanding whip-free racing in 2016.”
She said whipping is unnecessary with evidence showing that it does not increase a horse's chance of placing.
“A horse can feel a fly landing on its skin, so repeated striking with a whip in the same area of the body has the potential to cause localized trauma and tissue damage, the extent of which will increase with the force of the strike and the number of repetitions.
“The solution to the cruelty of whips is clear. Racing rules need to be amended to allow for hands and heels races, where a whip can be carried by jockeys but not used in the normal course of the race.”
“Other nations have already moved away from whip use and allow horses to be ridden in hands and heels races. It's time for racing authorities in Australia to follow this lead and meet modern social expectations.”
In the UK jockeys ride under a much stricter code than here, and the model is about to be introduced to South Africa. If jockeys hit a horse more than seven times, including five strokes in the last 100m, they face a minimum of a five-day suspension. They also lose their share of the prize money and riding fee, and should a jockey appear before a BHA (British Horseracing Authority) disciplinary panel three or more times over use of the whip their license could be reviewed.
RSPCA equine consultant David Muir described the changes as ‘positive’ but expressed the group’s disappointment that use of the whip in the forehand position had not been outlawed.
DOUGLAS WHYTE IS NOT A FAN OF EXCESSIVE USE OF THE WHIP
NOW this – Douglas Whyte, the most successful jockey in the history of Hong Kong racing and rated world class by any standard, replied to a fan who questioned him about the use of whips.
"I'm very glad to read that you realize that I don't use the whip very often,” he wrote.
“In all my 14 years in Hong Kong I've had fights, endless talks and been abused for not using the whip enough or vigorously enough.
“I never gave up though, because I don't believe that every horse needs to be beaten (with a whip).
“Horses are athletes and enjoy running and if you can get them to run without imposing the whip, then you are that much better professional athlete – and a better horseman.
“This has been my fight throughout my entire career, and I'm happy that the message does seem to have gotten through, as the whip has been substantially reduced by most of the guys here (HK)and the younger jockeys in South Africa. A lot of my fellow South African jockeys do use the whip – but not as much as the Australians.
“I'm very glad to read that you realize that I don't use the whip as often. In all my years here, I've had fights, endless talks and been abused for not using the whip enough or vigorously enough. I never gave up, though, because I don't believe that every horse needs to be beaten.
“Horses are athletes and enjoy running and if you can get them to run without imposing the whip, then you are that much better of a professional athlete and a better horseman.
“This has been my fight throughout my entire career, and I'm happy that the message does seem to have gotten through, as the whip has been substantially reduced by most of the guys here and the younger jockeys in South Africa. A lot of my fellow South African jockeys do use the whip - not as much as the Australian jockeys, but they do use it.” Whyte said.
TRUE LEGEND OF RIVERINA RACING DIES ON MELBOURNE CUP DAY
IT has been a year for losing great racing personalities. And on Melbourne Cup day, one of the true legends of Riverina racing A.F. (Bert) Honeychurch passed away. He was 95.
A gentleman of the highest order and I was privileged to know him from my teenage days.
He was a master trainer winning every race of note (and many times over) in the vast racing region of north east Victoria and the southern districts of NSW.
He was also the grand master of apprentices, a long list that include David Heywood, Bill Cameron, (ex stipe of some renown), Geoff Duryea, Bobby Beasley (father of Dan) to mention just a few.
His first apprentice was Brian (Titch) Macdonald who rode hundreds of winners and often fought out the finish against Roy Higgins on the dirt tracks of Deniliquin, Jerilderie and Berrigan when they were growing up.
Bert was also a great family man and treated his apprentices like his own. His two daughters married trainers Les Theodore and Bob Merrall. Les trained Better Loosen Up in his early days, and Bob broke- in and for a while trained the champion Campaign King – all under the guidance and watchful eye of their father-in-law Bert.
Great bloke, great trainer, great loss.
CAIRNS RACING COMMUNITY MOURNS DEATH OF WELL KNOWN TRAINER
AND in Cairns the racing community is in mourning over the passing of one of its best known identities, ‘Pop’ Massingham, who passed away last week.
Wayne (always known affectionately as ‘Pop’) was 76 and the patriarch of a family that has had a major influence on racing in the north.
There were emotional scenes at the Cooktown Cup meeting on Saturday when three horses from the Massingham stable all won, including the King Magnusson who won the Cup.
And on Melbourne Cup day, the day that Prince of Penzance – also known as ‘Pop –prevailed at Flemington, the youngest of the Massingham clan, grand-daughter Danielle had her first starter at Cannon Park as a trainer.
The aptly named Popular Belief duly won at its first race start.
‘Pop’ Massingham, a familiar presence on all tracks north for nearly 50 years, succumbed after a short battle with cancer.
He was honored with a minute’s silence before the first local race at Cannon Park on Tuesday.
He was a leading trotting trainer and driver before the demise of harness racing in Cairns and made a very successful transition to gallops.
Warren Massingham, one of his seven sons, said Magnum Forty Four’s victory in the centenary Cairns Cup was among Pop’s most memorable.
“He was a great supporter of the bush circuit”, Mr Massingham said.
“He was a very well-known trainer here in Cairns and everyone knew him as ‘Pop’,” he said. “He will be missed.”
Pop is survived by his wife Jackie and children Rodney, Kevin, Warren, Kerrie, Collin, Aileen and Steve.
The Cairns Jockey Club has announced plans to name a race in his honor.
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..
