We had a wide variety of e-mails this week ranging from the lack of racing under lights on the grass at the Sunshine Coast to a response from Wayne Purchase on 'Shaun Timmins,' queries on the court appeal concerning the Queensland Racing Board election and an intresting attack on the media at the Toowoomba Turf Club annual meeting.

WHY SPEND MILLIONS ON LIGHTS IF YOU DON’T USE THEM?

WE have received a couple of e-mails in recent weeks querying why there never seems to be racing under lights on the grass track at the Sunshine Coast.

Here’s a sample: “They spent millions of dollars lighting the two tracks at the Sunshine Coast, the cushion and the grass, yet we hardly ever see racing here under lights since Toowoomba was re-opened,” wrote Sam Mason of Caloundra.

“As far as I can recall there has only been racing under lights on the grass once. That was on Cup night when they split the meeting between the two tracks and finished up on the grass under lights. What a spectacular sight it was.

“The word in the local racing scene is that Queensland Racing pays for the lighting of the cushion track but the club has to foot the bills on the grass and cannot afford it. Can you check if that’s right? It seems silly spending that sort of money for lighting and then not using it.

“There was an ideal opportunity for a race meeting under lights on the grass last Friday to coincide with Manikato Stakes night at Moonee Valley but Toowoomba had racing two nights in a row. Here’s hoping we might get one at the Sunshine Coast to coincide with the Hong Kong International and Moonee Valley in December.”

We’ll do our best to raise your concerns Sam and add it to a number of questions we are planning to put to Bob Bentley soon.

ATTACK ON RACING JOURNO SPICES UP AGM AT TOOWOOMBA

THERE were several e-mails received concerning controversial comments made to the annual general meeting of the Toowoomba Turf Club by outspoken media commentator and bloodstock agent, Peter Bredhauer.

Here’s a sample: “Bredhauer didn’t miss a high profile racing journalist in his comments and was critical of the fact that The Courier-Mail had never recognized the contribution that Neville Stewart made as chairman of the Toowoomba Turf Club.

“He praised the efforts of Stewart for pioneering night racing, getting on with his job despite being attacked in the media and Parliament and painted him as the modern day savior for pushing through the establishment of a cushion track at Clifford Park.

“Whilst he didn’t name the racing journalist concerned his criticism was merciless. The Bredhauer speech was given a rousing cheer from the floor of the meeting. It certainly added some spice to an otherwise dull annual meeting.”

‘WHO IS SHAUN TIMMINS?’ – ASKS OWNER WAYNE PURCHASE

WE received an e-mail from prominent owner, Wayne Purchase, who is adamant that he has no association with, nor does he know Shaun Timmins, who has been critical of the Brisbane Racing Club election process.

“I totally reject suggestions that Timmins is my mouth piece or an alias that I am using to get a message across on this issue,” Purchase said.

“I have expressed my concerns about aspects of the election process for the BRC with the appropriate people behind closed doors. That is the end of the issue as far as I am concerned. I have moved on.

“What I am concerned about is the very real prospect that Shaun Timmins does not exist and that someone is mischievously using this name and associating it with me.

“If Timmins does exist would he please come forward? No one in Brisbane racing seems to know who he is and as far as I can ascertain he does not appear on the membership list of the Brisbane Racing Club.

“All I want to do is get back to going to the races and enjoying the racing instead of getting bogged down in the politics. I am looking forward to heading to Sydney on Saturday to see my filly Funtantes run in the Roman Consul Stakes.”

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE QR BOARD ELECTION APPEAL CASE?

We had a couple of e-mails concerning the state of play with the court appeal by Bill Andrews against the election process for the Queensland Racing Board.

Primarily the questions asked were when the appeal had been set down for hearing and if Mr Andrews won his case what the prospects were of the entire Board having to stand against those who met the criteria for selection.

Our understanding is that the appeal has been set down for late October. As for the likelihood of what would happen in the event that Mr Andrews won - that is something that is a matter for the court to decide and one which we prefer not to speculate on.

‘CHEAP BUY’ WON FIRST JUVENILE RACE OF SEASON

THERE were several e-mails received concerning the lack of publicity given to the first two-year-old race of the season and the win by Ghostnthedarkness under lights at Toowoomba.

Here’s one of the e-mails: “We were disappointed that the Brisbane racing media did not see fit to publicize the fact that Ghostnthedarkness, sold for only $1,500 as a weanling, won the $75,000 Fitton Hopeful Plate. Many of the owners have never raced a horse before.”

We understand the concerns of the e-mail writers but the race was up against the Manikato Stakes card at Moonee Valley and many other major sporting events nonetheless being the AFL Grand Final, which makes it terribly hard space-wise for the metropolitan newspapers.

‘DANN’ AND OUT ON THE TOOWOOMBA CUSHION TRACK

THERE have been several e-mails from supporters of the Cushion Track in Toowoomba highlighting the fact that trainers who were opposed to it are now racing there.

Here’s one: “These blokes who said they would never race on the Cushion Track must have short-term memory loss,” wrote Alan Jackson of Ipswich.

“One of the most outspoken was John Dann. He must have had a bad week. He got pinched $4,000 after a horse returned a positive swab when it ran second at the Sunshine Coast then he ran Beckmon on the Cushion at Toowoomba and it ran sixth.

“I understand that trainers have got to start their horses somewhere. But I kind of remember him vowing to never race a horse there with a lot of others who are now turning up. Perhaps the Cushion isn’t the disaster they thought it would be after all.”

WHY NOT ALLOW COMPETITION IN THE IPSWICH BETTING RING?

We had an e-mail from a punter who wants to know why the Ipswich Turf Club won’t allow some competition in its bookmaking ring and allow Mark Read IASbet.com to field there.

Brian Dawson of Ipswich wrote: “When Ian Black was the betting steward for Queensland Racing he raised some concerning issues about the bookmaking ring at Ipswich and the personnel fielding there at the time. He didn’t get off base one with the stewards back then.

“It would seem to me that the alarm bells should be ringing again if they are not prepared to allow a little competition into the ring at Ipswich. Whatever happened to competition? Doesn’t that work in racing?

“Ian Black has long gone and today we have betting stewards that seem to just go through the motions. If that’s what they want fine, but from a punting point of view it’s not good enough.”