OF all the racing States in Australia, for some unknown reason QUEENSLAND is the hot-bed of rumor mongering and racetrack gossip – perhaps it’s the warmer climate. We will continue to air some of the ‘grievances’ and ‘inquiries’ received in dozens of e-mails to this web-site daily in a regular 'BELIEVE IT OR NOT' column.
We will not be intimidated by threatening e-mails from anonymous sources – several of which we have been able to trace and now know the identity of. Some will be exposed in another forum, which will be extremely embarrassing for the authors. We attempt where possible to verify claims made in e-mails. If we publish something found to be incorrect we are willing to follow up with any reasonable response.
IN the past week the majority of responses have focused on:- THE Horsing Around column in which ‘Godfrey Smith’ wrote a letter to Racing Minister Peter Lawlor concerning plans to steam-roll through Parliament legislation for an integrated Control Board for the three codes of racing in Queensland.
- CONCERNS that the stewards’ panels from the three codes will be merged and that there will be a surprise new chairman of stewards for all racing in Queensland. There were also e-mails reporting a case of the jitters for one high profile QRL executive concerned about his future under an integrated Board.
- THE appointment of 20 members to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal with questions being raised about racing appeals now being heard by this body and which of the members has the knowledge needed in the thoroughbred, harness or greyhound fields.
WHO WILL BE CHAIRMAN OF STEWARDS FOR AN INTEGRATED BOARD?
IN recent weeks we have received several e-mails from racing industry stakeholders concerned about reports that the stewards from the three codes will be merged when an integrated Board is legislated in Queensland.
Here are a couple of examples:
‘Can you ascertain what is happening with the stewards if the three codes merge? We have been told that Martin Knibbs, the current chairman of Queensland Harness Racing, will replace Wade Birch as the overall Chief Steward if that occurs.
‘We are well aware that Mr Birch is relatively young for the important position that he holds but most in the industry feel that he is doing a good job. Sure he has lost a couple of appeals but that happens to the best stewards in the world.
‘We are aware of the strong background that Mr Knibbs has, especially in Hong Kong, and there are reports that he wanted to return to Australia in a chief steward’s role at the gallops but wound up at Harness Racing Queensland when Queensland Racing did not want him.
‘The other concerning aspect for the racing industry is that rumors are filtering from the gallops stewards that some would not be comfortable working under Mr Knibbs for some reason. Those rumors also suggest that Mr Birch is being hamstrung in what he wants to deliver because of an alleged relationship between a prominent bookmaker and a high profile official. That couldn’t be right, could it?’ – Identity confirmed but with-held by request.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr Knibbs has shown during his time with harness racing in Queensland that he takes no prisoners in two major inquiries, one during the Inter-dominion and the other which attracted plenty of publicity in more recent times. Having said that I can see no reason to remove Mr Birch from the role he is working hard to make a fist of in trying circumstances.
I have heard the reports about the bookie with influence and for legal reasons would prefer not to comment. This just raises the question once again of when Queensland Racing will abide by the directions of the latest Racing Inquiry, almost five years ago, which ordered a separation of powers between integrity and administration. This will never be seen to be happening while the two bodies are under the one roof at Deagon.
Then there was this e-mail, which we have confirmed is genuine and was sent on behalf of several concerned licensees:
‘We recently attended a racing party in Brisbane and were surprised to see a member of a prominent stable in the company of a leading steward from another code. We thought there were rules about stewards fraternizing with licensees under these circumstances, regardless of whether they worked for the gallops, trots or dogs.
‘What made matters worse was that the well known industry person, whose company this steward was in, confided in friends that the steward could soon be working at the gallops. We assumed he was referring to plans to bring the three codes under the one umbrella.
‘We haven’t forgotten the time in Queensland racing when some stables were considered to be protected species. The perception when you see a steward in the company of a prominent member of a leading stable at a party fraternizing with jockeys, stable-hands and the like, is not a good image.’ – Names supplied but with-held for obvious reasons.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I would be interested to know if that was the same recent party when some prominent industry people stripped off and got into a hot-tub. But more seriously, if you have major concerns my suggestion is you make a report to the Director of Integrity Services at Queensland Racing, Jamie Orchard and send a copy to the Crime and Misconduct Commission. That would at least make them aware that the alarm bells are ringing in some sections of the industry.
MASSIVE RESPONSE TO ‘GODFREY’S’ LETTER TO THE RACING MINISTER
THE e-mail box was full to over-flowing with responses to the Horsing Around column in which ‘Godfrey Smith’ wrote a light-hearted letter to Racing Minister Peter Lawlor asking that he call for submissions or consult with the industry before legislating for a merged Control Body for the three codes.
Here are few examples:
‘I loved the piece by Godfrey even if I didn’t agree with a few of his comments. What the industry needs to consider is whether this is Bob Bentley’s idea or he is just the battering ram. Could it possibly have been drawn up by Bill Ludwig, who is doing all the political leg work behind the scenes? Perhaps the real work is being done within the Racing Minister’s own department. The industry deserves to have some say before things are legislated.’ – Sam Miller, Sunshine Coast.
‘There is a strong story doing the rounds that despite a recent assertion on your web-site from Queensland Racing that Bill Ludwig will be on the new integrated Board, he will resign to make way for Neville Stewart. I have spoken to a confidante of Bob Bentley, who claims the chairman told him this would happen. Surely that can’t be right!’ – Name with-held by request.
‘Maybe the mail about Malcolm Tuttle becoming Chief Executive of the merged board might not be right. Story goes that ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ is more than a shade concerned that he might miss the job. And so he should be. The position needs to be advertised with the best qualified person appointed. And by the way those reports about one of Bob the Builder’s ‘spin doctors’ getting the top job are way off the mark. He might have friends in high places but he hasn’t got the experience in racing administration nor does he have the temperament needed.’ – Brian Gibson, Gold Coast.
‘I hear on the grapevine that Godfrey Smith comes from North Queensland like his anointed one for the Board – Bill Carter. All I can say is the warmer climate must have taken its toll on both of them. And he has to be dreaming if he thinks Mary Collier would make a good Board member. His facts relating to her time at the BTC need a reality check.’ – Name with-held (as expected) by request.
WILL ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT RACING HEAR APPEALS?
WE are not sure what’s going on with the Queensland Racing Appeals Tribunal but there are strong reports that it has been incorporated into the umbrella of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
This has prompted a couple of inquiries and concerns in e-mails received:
Here is an example: ‘I’ve been through the list of appointments to the 20-member QCAT, which they are calling the ‘Perfume Tribunal’ because of the number of women involved.
‘My concern is that I cannot find one person who appears to know anything about racing, except perhaps sipping a champers at a big meeting.
‘Someone needs to tell Peter Lawlor that this has the potential to be the biggest disaster of all his decisions as ‘Racing Minister’ – and we are already starting to see that the list is going to be a long one.
‘Is it possible that someone could get Bob Bentley, Bill Ludwig or even the Minister aside and explain to them that while these appointees may have legal background they do not have the required skills to do a specialist job like hearing appeals on racing?
‘Apparently there are already signs of the system bogging down and that is without the demands of appeals from the three codes. With undue delays in the appeals system, the old argument of former Chief Steward, John Schreck, that ‘Justice Delayed is Justice Denied’ will be most evident.
‘I appeal to the powers that be to do something about reversing this decision before it is too late,’ Les Tyndale, Redcliffe.
BOGGED DOWN AT WADHAM PARK – BUT DOES BOB THE BUILDER CARE?
THE recent heavy rain that created flooding in south-east Queensland prompted this e-mail from a regular reader of the site:
‘Bob the Builder tried to fix the training issue by buying Wadham Park – another gold medal performance that cost the industry at least $300,000 (in the last year).
‘Heck, who cares? Not Bob anyway! Pity all those owners who went looking for those long-legged yearlings to be trained at Wadham, because this week it’s water-logged and most weeks when it rains for that matter.
‘Speaking of Bob, the news out of the Deagon bunker has been a bit dreary lately. Surely he must be due to put the Queensland racing industry through another financial disaster or have I missed something?
‘Let’s give him credit for UNiTAB having the lowest turnover of the three TABs in OZ. And to think I’ve got stacks of shares in Tatts and he’s on the Board. Although I note in its most recent report the only director they queried as far as fiduciary duty is concerned was – you guessed it.
‘Not to worry when they get these changes to the Racing and Betting Act in Queensland, no-one will be allowed to challenge anything he does – except us whingers on web-sites that he takes no notice of. But his mates do and they send all those critical e-mails from false addresses.’ – Tony from the Tweed.
‘LONG-SHOT KING’ NOT THAT POPULAR WITH FAVORITE BACKERS
WE end this week’s e-mail box with this little gem which arrived early today concerning the long-shot win by Jason Taylor at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
‘I was delighted to read in this morning’s Courier-Mail that Jason Taylor doesn’t mind being labeled ‘the long-shot king.’
‘I’m not so sure he would be as fond of the names that we call him every time he gets beaten on a well backed runner.
‘My mates and I were on one that was heavily backed in the last in Brisbane recently. The ‘long-shot king’ managed not only to miss the start but then he rode the brains out of it winding up running into the backside of horses in front.
“It still finished close up and we can’t wait for it to start again. Our only hope is that Jason is riding something else or sitting in the jockeys’ room watching.’ – Clem Gallagher (and friends), Townsville.
