IN his widely-read column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports exclusively on the benefits to be received by the Rockhampton Jockey Club for ending its equity sharing arrangement with Racing Queensland.

Butts questions whether this will happen with other clubs as well who entered into deals when the Bentley Board ran racing in Queensland. He reports on a Hughenden race meeting called off because the club vet forgot to turn up and again raises concerns in the country about the inefficiencies of RISA and its off-shoot Stable Assist.

Here is the Butts column:

 

ROCKHAMPTON BIG BENEFICIARY AFTER ENDING EQUITY DEAL WITH RQL

CHRISTMAS might have come early for the Rockhampton Jockey Club.

The equity sharing partnership between the RJC and Racing Queensland has ended its ‘honeymoon’ and from first glance it would seem the club has come out of the relationship exceedingly well.

The RJC will be paid a subsidy of $1.2 million for the current year and next year and has been promised another $922,000.

Besides that the on-course stabling, valued at $671,000, will go to the RJC and all costs relating to the dissolution of the partnership will be paid by RQL.

Racing Queensland will also provide the following:

$382,000 to improve the sand track, $80,000 (day yards), $5,500 (multi wheel roller for sand track), $117,000 (plastic running rail) and $20,000 (various other repairs).

It seems, on paper, a good result for Rockhampton.

We wait now on the response by RQL to the Townsville Turf Club requests for urgent financial assistance, and above all, we await with considerable interest the outcome of the ‘divorce settlement’ between RQL and the Sunshine Coast Turf Club.

 

HUGHENDEN RACES CALLED OFF WHEN VET FORGOT TO TURN UP

EVERONE out west knows that the meeting last Saturday week at Hughenden was abandoned.

But it wasn’t because of any rain or track condition. The club veterinarian  didn’t turn up – he apparently forgot the races were on.

According to the Hughenden Club president Nippy Seymour (yes, the same one) it was a simple mistake.

When horses, jockeys, bookies and everyone rolled up he rang Dave Collier the vet who answered: “Nippy I forgot.”

“No worry we will just hold it up until you get here,” an unflappable Nippy.replied. “But, I am in Townsville”

That’s four hours away. And that was the end of the Hughenden races.

But while it is a shame the club lost the one of only two allocated meetings a year (it used to have nine), Racing Queensland has offered to reimburse all the licensees who made the trip from as far away as Cloncurry, Charters Towers and Longreach.

But as Nippy, said: “It was a good outcome and we appreciate the gesture.”

 

INADEQUACIES OF STABLE ASSIST UNDER FIRE FROM THE INDUSTRY

THE inadequacies  of RISA, or  its off shoot - Stable Assist - the body set up to take all nominations, acceptances and process gear changes and stable returns for  horses all over the country, has come under fire from several quarters within the industry.

To say Stable Assist has been a success story is to say Julia Gillard is a successful PM.

This column too has been critical and has suggested that, whilst it might be OK for the larger  clubs and stables in the metropolitan areas, the task of taking nominations and acceptances for non metropolitan clubs should be the responsibility of the respective race clubs – as it always used to be

And, I am told, the major provincial club secretaries would prefer it that way.

 

THE OPERATION OF RISA IS REGARDED AS AN ‘EXPENSIVE JOKE’ BY MANY

RISA’s operation is a joke really – and an expensive one.

In spite of some very hard working, devoted and pleasant staff, it cannot adequately service the traffic on busy days – that being nominations day (normally a Monday) and acceptances on Thursdays for all the non metro clubs.

Jockeys or their agents have always had access to the entries before they are released. They have the code and simply lock in.

It is an advantage, of course, and though RISA officially claims it frowns upon the practice it has never been able to control it.

SO why not simply allow trainers and jockeys to access the noms?

Why the secret? Chances are the clubs would get more noms anyway, if access was permitted to all, not just some.

But the inability to access noms and acceptances is not the only matter that frustrates licensees who have to deal with RISA on a regular basis.

 

RISA INEFFICIENCIES HIGHLIGHTED WITH TOWNSVILLE DOUBLE DECLARATIONS

JUST last week for instance RISA declared the acceptances for the Townsville Cup and Cleveland Bay closed on Thursday.

The acceptances in fact were due on Wednesday. RISA blamed Queensland Racing.

When alerted to this serious oversight, the Townsville Turf Club CEO Michael Charge then was forced to ring every trainer (over 30 of them) who had nominated for those events.

Right slap bang In the middle of cup week!

I have not seen an apology posted anywhere on the RISA website.

RISA is slow –painfully slow (and seemingly getting slower) servicing trainers with nominations and acceptances.

One case recently a trainer was informed at 7.28am – a bare two minutes before cut-off time that his horse, an emergency, had gained a start in a Queensland TAB race.

Not good enough!

 

MAKING GEAR CHANGES ON A STABLE RETURN IS A PAINFUIL EXERICSE

AND what about trying to make gear changes on a stable return?

Well, as painful as it is, the best way is to sit on the end of a phone and wait until someone eventually answers.

The alternative is to frustrate yourself with a DIY - a highly complicated navigation - on the internet.

For the less-computer competent - and trainers are hardly computer buffs - my recommendation is don’t even try.

One time you would simply ring or contact the local steward for a gear change request. It was that simple.

RISA or its Stable Assist branch is not needed in the bush.  Frankly it is a speed bump – if not a U-turn on the road to nowhere.

 

WILL RSPCA PLAY ROLE IN $5,000 FINE IMPOSED ON MELBOURNE JOCKEY?

DO the crime and do the time – that’s the universal rule. We all accept that stewards have a job to do.

But it is penalties that might need a review. These vary, sometimes considerably, on different transgressions of the rules. Often these vary on the same rule.

Take the whip rules generally.

Stephen King copped a $5,000 fine for not whipping a tired horse before being pipped in a race on Saturday at Mooney Valley.

Expect to hear more, perhaps from the RSPCA, I am told.

And you might consider the two months imposed on apprentice Daniel Ganderton last week in Sydney over a running and handling matter.

Surely if he was guilty of such a serious offence he, and the industry, would expect much than two months. And if he wasn’t guilty he must walk. It’s a simple as that!

There is an email circulating that suggests it was for a ride other than on a racecourse that brought the somewhat controversial, but highly capable apprentice to the attention of NSW stewards.

And if the email is right, and it emanates from a bloke normally in the know, then rest assured we haven’t heard the end of it.

 

DOES THE PENALTY FIT THE CRIME FOR THIS FATHER LEFT WITHOUT AN EARN?

STILL on penalties – take the case of a young a single licensee whose horse returns a high Blood /Co2 concentration.

Being single, with no family responsibilities, he can more easily handle the likely four to six months disqualification.

Compare that to the case of a mature aged trainer who has been in racing since he was 12 – knows nothing else – and has a horse returning a high bi carb.

His two young primary school kids can’t understand why suddenly they are not allowed to go to the movies, or the footy, or get new shoes.

And their mother, brave as she is, continues to fight life-threatening cancer.

The last thing she needs is the stress of a husband whose income has been abruptly stopped – and with ordinary or doubtful prospects of getting a job while he does his time.

Yes, it is his wife and kids who will suffer the most in this case.

And should that be?

 

CAPACITY FIELD CERTAIN TO START IN SUNDAY’S CAIRNS CUP

A capacity field of 14 looks certain to face the starter for the $50,000 Cairns Cup on Sunday after 18 horses were entered at closing time on Monday.

Top-eight, judged by the ratings, will be last year’s runner-up I Got One, beaten favorite in the recent Townsville Cup.

Intertheblack, this year’s Townsville Cup runner-up is the only Rockhampton entry and is a certain starter with Robert Thompson engaged to ride.

There were no real surprises in the line-up, and the club must be delighted with the response to all races, including the Newmarket that has attracted 18 nominations and the Lightning (14).

It’s an action-packed week in Cairns with a Calcutta and Sportsmen’s Luncheon on Friday, the Melbourne Cup on display and Cup winning trainer Sheila Laxon in attendance on Saturday at the races and Damien Oliver the guest jockey to ride on Sunday which has full national TAB coverage.

 

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..