IN his popular 'Silks and Saddles' column in one of Australia's leading rural newspapers, the North Queensland Register, racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports that there was good news and a little bit of bad news for the region last week.

After years of uncertainty, Cairns racing was given a lifeline with the surprise announcement by Queensland Racing Limited Chairman Bob Bentley of 20 TAB dates for the club next season.

“It came like a bolt out of the blue,” said one prominent stakeholder. “But very, very welcome,” he hastily added.

On the other side of the State, there was contrasting news. McKinlay, out in Crocodile Dundee country, which conducts one of the biggest and best meetings in the north-west – and has done so for a century or more – has lost its one and only date.

All clubs were placed on notice by QRL last year that they would be subject to scrutiny, with emphasis on racecourse safety and financials.

QRL’s country racing liaison officer, Col Truscott, said McKinlay had failed to submit its financial statements from 2007/08 and after several failed attempts to contact club officials, the QR committee withdrew the club’s June 27 race date.

The date, in fact, was offered to Mount Isa, which lost three of its regular dates in the current calendar, but was unable to accept June 27, as it coincided with the city’s Show Day.

Cloncurry was then offered the date and readily accepted it. QRL believed that since the race day remained in the area, it was not such a huge loss to the racing community.

But McKinlay retaliated strongly and pleaded with QRL to reconsider. The club blames a number of incidents, including the departure from the region of the club’s treasurer. The job was taken over by an already overworked secretary, who has battled ill health after a serious tractor accident, besides other personal family health problems endured over a long period.

The club also pointed to a lack of communication due to no mobile service in the remote region and failure by the club’s accountants to complete the work on time.

Angela Unsworth, in a letter to Adam Carter, of Queensland Racing, who delivered the blow, said she was the secretary of McKinlay and Julia Creek clubs and of the North West Country Racing Association (NWCRA) and that she spent thousands of dollars each year and hundreds of hours in time volunteering for Queensland Racing.

“I refute the statement that QR has gone to extenuating circumstances on this matter and feel the personal attack on me is uncalled for, especially as QR was aware of my health problems,” she said.

She said part of the blame for late lodgment of financials was due to the accountancy firm in Cloncurry which had had the information since September last year, but had yet to start on them.

“QRL has already talked about the appointment of one auditor to do all the race clubs in the area .Maybe it’s time.” she said.

“I do not disagree that I could have handled this differently, but we are merely volunteers, and considering the health and personal problems of myself and the treasurer, we did the best we could.’’

Angela begged the QRL to reconsider, stating that the club was financially strong, always exceeded KPIs set down by QR, had an unsurpassed value-adding record, and was one of the biggest days in country racing.

“Besides, it would mean a loss of $40,000 to the racing community, if we didn’t race.”

But apparently the decision, as they say, is done and dusted, and it just might be the wake-up call for other country clubs that QRL is deadly serious with its compliance threats.

We hear two clubs, one a fairly prominent North Queensland outfit and another small western club, are already under the pump and at risk of losing dates.

IT was much better news in Cairns, and the committee of the CJC is optimistic that Cairns can climb back to its rightful recognition as a race club.

Bob Bentley, in a deal similar to that he offered Mackay and Rockhampton, has promised 13 TAB Tuesdays and seven TAB Saturdays.

The club has also been offered a Sunday for its Cup meeting in August and a non-TAB meeting on Melbourne Cup day.

Committeman John Smith is ecstatic and says it is just recognition by the QRL for the tireless efforts over the past two years by his committee.

“We have made money,” he said of the club that has a bad history in recent years at least, of losing it.

CJC secretary, Kelly Moloney, said the return of TAB racing to Cairns was a huge benefit for local racing industry and stakeholders.

Mr Bentley has also promised a major track upgrade and more stables for Cannon Park.

With Corbould Park at Caloundra, Rockhampton and Mackay all now (or soon to be) under a joint venture arrangement with QRL, the missing link is Townsville.

But not for long ... You can be confident Townsville will be next to enter into an agreement whereby the racing matters are controlled by QR and the social side will be the task of the race club committees.

It won’t be the task of race clubs to attract the horses – or even maintain the training and racing tracks any more.

Their job will be to get turnstiles clicking again and the betting rings and bars bustling.

One just hopes with all these race meetings there will be enough jockeys.

I wonder what the average age of the NQ or country jockey is today. And there’s so few coming through the ranks.

SILKS AND SADDLES REPRODUCED COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE  NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER