IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reports on a positive meeting between RQ Interim CEO Ian Hall and the Townsville Turf Club committee.
Butts raises the question being asked in the industry whether Mr Hall is planning to try and retain his current RQ role on a full-time basis and how the Interim CEO dodged the issue when asked.
He also makes some interesting observations on why champion trainer Chris Waller was not required to attend the official inquiry which saw his good mate Richard Callander and stable manager Liam Prior disqualified over the sale of a horse to Hong Kong interests.
TOWNSVILLE CONFIDENT RQ CEO WILL FULFILL HIS COMMITMENT
RACING Queensland’s much talked about CEO, Ian Hall, finally made it to Townsville last week to inspect the new track and meet the committee.
The full TTC committee turned up for the briefing and came away confident that the CEO will fulfill his promise to act on issues that were forthrightly presented to him.
The drainage and other unfinished work on the new track were high on the agenda.
The committee was also able to convince the CEO of the necessity for on course stables to ensure the future of Townsville racing.
IT was a most opportune time for Hall to visit Cluden as the track had been drenched with 500mls of rain in the week preceding Thursday’s meeting and 275mls tumbled down on Wednesday. Excess water ruled the parade ring out of action and some jockeys complained of surface water on the track.
Hall was seen busily taking photos to present no doubt to his soon to be announced Board.
PERHAPS MAIL IS RIGHT THAT HALL IS INTERESTED IN FULL-TIME JOB
YOU might wonder why the acting RQ CEO would be so interested – as his job has already been advertised and he is expected to return to the accounting profession from which he was seconded to Racing Queensland in a temporary role.
It was certainly a baptism of fire – and the flames are far from extinguished!
Well it so happens that Hall was asked at the TTC meeting whether he had applied for the permanent CEO job.
His answer was a little confusing.
“He didn’t say yes and he didn’t say no,” according to one committeemen in attendance.
Surely he knows that there is not a lot of certainty in the job. He would only last until the next election (if Labor lost it) anyway. And if you are to believe the political pundits, that might be sooner than later.
And then Ray Stevens might step up to the plate as a badly needed Racing Minister with some idea of what goes on – and more importantly should go on – in an industry that is out of control.
IT SEEMS THAT IAN HALL IS A LOT MORE ACCESSIBLE THESE DAYS
TOWNSVILLE Trainers’ spokesman Malcolm Petrofski reports that Hall attended trackwork during his visit to talk with local trainers.
“Every time a person from RQ comes to Townsville they take time out to visit trainers in their work place,” said Mr Petrofski.
“They even give us time via phone link up on a Sunday to discuss important issues and seek input from our group,” he said.
How things have changed!
I recall meeting the CEO at the Townsville Showgrounds last year and he was far from willing to talk about issues and certainly made it clear he was not available for a chat on Sundays.
Unlike his predecessor, Darren Condon, who was always available, any day at any time.
Still is!
CALLANDER NOT WRONG ABOUT ‘RACING’S DARK LITTLE SECRET’
HIGH on the list of hot racing topics last week was the Racing NSW stewards’ probe into the ‘missing’ $60,000 from the sale of a racehorse to Hong Kong.
Disgraced media entrepreneur and owner, Richard Callander, was not totally wrong with his ‘racing’s dark little secret’ comment over the much publicized sale of the racehorse Lil Caesar.
It was a deal that landed himself and Chris Waller’s right hand man, Liam Prior, with a disqualification last week.
They were involved in the sale of Lil Caesar, acting for fellow members of a syndicate for $140,000, but in fact sold the horse for $200,000.
Callander feebly exclaimed it is a practice that has gone on through the ages.
And he is right!
And it will no doubt continue in spite of recent events, particularly in Hong Kong, well recognized as the kick-back capital of the world.
Frankly, it is a way of life in Hong Kong – ong Kong belongers and has been ever since Australians started selling racehorses to the Orient city way back when.
This is not to say it should be condoned. The abhorrent practice, tantamount to fraud, is even worse when it involves ripping off your mates – as per reportedly happened in the Callander case.
SHOULD CHRIS WALLER HAVE BEEN GRILLED MORE OVER HK SALE?
THAT Richard Callander and Liam Prior were disqualified is of no surprise to most.
The only surprise perhaps is how a part-owner and trainer of the racehorse (Chris Waller) was not part of the official stewards’ inquiry.
Waller was the trainer who told his syndicate partners that he doubted the horse’s ability and recommended its sale.
He apparently satisfied stewards in a pre enquiry interview and was not summoned to appear at last week’s hearing.
It would transpire that the proceeds of the sale (less Callander’s five per cent) was in fact deposited to Waller’s account to be dispatched to the other part-owners who were in the belief the horse was sold for $140,000.
Did the trainer not know for how much the horse was actually sold and the price agreed upon by the syndicate of which he is a member?
That’s the baffling bit.
It is also worth noting that while Waller allegedly recommended his co-owners to sell, jockey Glyn Schofield who rides trials and trackwork for the top stable, gave the horse the thumbs up – and brokered the sale.
Schofield earned $20,000 from the deal, but it didn’t last long. Stewards took it off him at the inquiry – by way of a fine for his involvement in the deal.
Jockeys aren’t allowed, under the Rules, to be involved with the sale of horses.
And of course they don’t – not much they don’t!
‘NO EFFORT TO INFORM OWNERS OF ACTUAL SALE PRICE OF HORSE’
ACCORDING to a report on punters.com.au website, the inquiry found there had been no effort from Callander or Prior to inform the owners of the actual sale price of Lil Caesar, who is now racing very successfully under the name of Lucky Year in Hong Kong.
In May 2015, one part-owner emailed Prior and another emailed Callander asking to see a copy of the contract of the sale.
In Prior's response he said they were ‘doing what we thought best for our clients’ and there was no sale contract.
Prior reaffirmed via email to the part-owners on February 5 this year that the sale price for the horse had been $138,700.
During the inquiry Callander said he had made an error of judgment, but had recently contacted all the owners and paid the extra money owing to them from the sale.
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..
