THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE is back for another year and has a new look but we won’t be dispensing with our theme and focus on the THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what is happening in racing. The Whinge will continue to provide an opportunity for The Cynics to Have Their Say. Thanks again for your support for the most read column on this website and one of the most read on racing websites in the country. Our popularity continues to grow despite the bagging it cops from some high profile officials, especially in Queensland, who cannot cope with constructive criticism of any kind. We encourage supporters – and critics – to continue to contribute but plan to restrict the Whinge to less than a dozen items each week. Our message to those who continually bag us is simple: IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU READ THEN DON’T REVISIT THE WHINGE.
CLAIMS THE COVERAGE IN RACING AND POLITICS IN THE CM ‘HAS BEEN BIASED’ 
ALBERT WILLIAMS, a regular contributor from REDCLIFFE, tees off on coverage in The Courier-Mail:
‘THOSE of us who still bother to buy The Courier-Mail have become accustomed to the one-eyed biased coverage of racing in Queensland that stems back to the days when one of the good ‘old boys’ from the QTC was Turf Editor.
But the coverage by the Murdoch press of the Queensland election has been, in the opinion of many, nothing short of blatantly biased.
The story goes that the boss hit town, decided he wanted to back an odds-on winner, and the instructions went out to put the might of the CM and SM behind the LNP Government and Campbell Newman.
No doubt when they get returned – with far less seats of course – there will be plenty of start – and Government advertising – heading the way of Queensland Newspapers.
When every other media outlet was focusing on the refusal of Premier Campbell Newman to address the big election issues – like selling of assets and how he is going to win the seat of Ashgrove – the Murdoch press downplayed the controversy.
It’s just like we’ve copped for years in racing – nothing negative about the Queensland Turf Club (now the BRC) and their mates and since Kevin Dixon took control everything positive about RQ, especially the ‘dud’ deal they did with what many punters regard as the worst betting entity in the country.
What the CM fails to realize is that readers and punters and the racing public are not idiots. They can see straight through the bias and political propaganda and know full well the agenda of those calling the shots.
It’s just another reason I will be hoping for a major upset on Saturday night and then hopefully a change at the top at RQ. But the way things work in racing and politics in Queensland those running the show would probably simply jump ship.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Unfortunately, we’ve heard little from both major parties about what they plan to do for racing if elected. The LNP has spoon-fed us with all the propaganda about how they have turned the racing industry around so I guess we are expected to assume there will be more of the same. As far as the industry is concerned all they want is a new Racing Minister – one who knows what he is talking about and isn’t remote controlled by the Treasurer and the RQ Chairman.
HAVE THEY ABANDONED THE ‘WE RUN AS ONE SHIP’ AND SCUTTLED THE WRECKAGE? 
MAX KAVANAGH of GOLD COAST poses the question:
‘WHATEVER happened to the marvelous tri-code marketing campaign launched by the Kevin Dixon Board and known as We Run As One?
It is no longer linked to the Racing Queensland website and a google produced a separate website that does not appear to have been contributed to for over a year.
Can stakeholders of the three codes assume then that this was more money wasted by RQ?
Just imagine what that launch in the cow paddock out near Shitter’s Ditch cost with Dixon, Sinclair and all the other ‘yes men’ parading their support for the party.
The propaganda that the industry was bombarded with way back then told us that We Run As One had been developed as a tri-code marketing campaign that aimed to build positivity, unity, recognition and empowerment amongst Queensland racing participants.
It was hailed as an opportunity for Queensland’s 30,000 strong racing industry to be HEARD AND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PURPOSE AND OPTIMISM.
The blurb promised: ‘With your ideas, stories, comments and suggestions together we will lay the foundations that lead to a brighter future for racing in Queensland. This is your industry and we need you to improve it, with your ideas, suggestions and support to ensure racing in Queensland thrives into the next generation.”
What a load of garbage – the secret society that RQ has developed into isn’t interested in hearing any form of constructive criticism just from those who tell them what a wonderful job they are doing. It’s the ‘old boys’, yes man’s club’.
Ask the websites like letsgohorseracing and justracing about the reaction from RQ if you dare to question or criticize. Ask any racing journalist who steps out of line and writes something of a controversial nature that gets up the nose of little King Kev. Before you know it you are on the banned list.
Interestingly, one of the last comments made to RQ on the We Run As One website in October 2113 was this:
‘Suggest someone from RQ read the comments on this site otherwise close it down. I have been asking questions for months without a dickey bird from RQ.”
And as for the Hear from RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon or RQ CEO Darren Condon well the last time there was a whimper on the site from either gentleman was an interview recorded by RSN host Shane Anderson with the Chairman leading up to the new TAB deal and that was in January 2014.
We all know that the Chairman prefers the comfort of interviews done by his media mates at Radio TAB or The Courier-Mail.
But back to my original question how much did this failed exercise We Run As One cost the industry and has it been abandoned without telling anyone?
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll follow this up for next week’s Whinge and try and get a response from Darren Condon. It was never going to work if they didn’t expect stakeholders to ask some hard questions and we all know how sensitive the RQ Chairman is to any form of constructive criticism.
STATE OF TRACKS SITUATION IN QUEENSLAND HAS AN OLD-TIMER CONFUSED 
WALLY ANDREWS of BRISBANE writes:
‘AS an old-time racing follower I must admit to being somewhat confused over this state of the tracks situation.
They keep telling us what a wonderful track Mackay is – the best in the state they say – but my mates in the north tell me it is under-utilized and blame political reasons for this.
The confusion for me arises from the fact that Mackay has a Strathayr surface, the same as Toowoomba, but the latter has been such a disaster that it has had to closed for a month to have repair work carried out.
So what is the difference between Mackay and Toowoomba – is it a routine maintenance problem or the fact that the track is used more often. Then again some bright spark ran a heap of trials on the course proper when it was battling to cope with race meetings.
We are now hearing from RQ that they have learnt from their mistakes with Toowoomba. One would have thought when it came to the redevelopment of Eagle Farm they might have taken a leaf from the book of those who orchestrated the reconstruction of the Doomben track which by the way took only 13 weeks.
If they were prepared to learn anything at RQ instead of swanning around New Zealand with the BRC swamping the good wines and supposedly prompting the carnival, perhaps officials should travel to Melbourne and look at how things are done with reconstruction of tracks (like Moonee Valley and Caulfield) not to mention integrity (but that’s another story).
By the way have those ‘cobalt’ swabs from Queensland been tested in the west yet or will it be many more months before they get around to looking at the ‘forbidden fruit’ that doesn’t bear for racing in the north?’
EDITOR’S NOTE: HERE’S an update from last week’s TOOWOOMBA CHRONICLE on what is happening with the track there:
AN AROUND-the-clock race is on to get Clifford Park's under-pressure course proper back to peak condition for its scheduled re-opening next month.
The track underwent an overhaul this week and track staff, headed by course manager Chris Nation, now faces the challenge of returning it to race condition by February 21.
Nation said the track's underlying problem which necessitated the drastic maintenance was a "bit worse" than anticipated and its recovery is now dependant on favourable weather patterns.
"Ideally, we need warm conditions and some afternoon rain," Nation said.
"In my opinion, the thatching was a bit worse than anticipated.
"It was about 1½ centimetres deeper than I expected which meant we had to be a bit more vicious with our scarifying."
This week's work was carried out by the track installer StrathAyr Turf Systems under warranty, 12 months after the track opened for racing.
The maintenance involved deep scarifying of the lush grass covering in an effort to dislodge organic "thatching" material below the surface.
The thatching is believed responsible for excessive throw-back under race conditions.
The work was scheduled for an optimum growing period in the lead-up to Toowoomba Turf Club's showpiece Weetwood race day on Saturday, May 2.
Scarifying work was completed today.
Nation is now preparing to monitor the weather and track needs "24 hours a day" in an effort to meet the racing return deadline.
"The first job will be to top dress the surface with four inches of Bribie Island sand," Nation said.
"It will be treated like new turf or spriggs with the track fertilised weekly."
Randwick's Kensington StrathAyr surface is also undergoing maintenance work with its reopening pushed back from early to late February.
Nation said the overhaul was needed to encourage deeper growth of the root system.
"Kensington probably looked a little worse than this and we are lucky we are moving on our track now," Nation said.
"On a sand-based track, anything on the top layer between the grass and sand is detrimental to the performance of the track.
"The underlying factor from here will be the new root depth.
"I'll be monitoring it 24 hours a day and we just hope for some help from the weather along the way."
ARTICLE ON ABANDONED MEETINGS GREETED WITH LAUGHTER BY THIS READER 
ARTHUR WESTCOTT of BURLEIGH sent this email:
‘WHEN will Nathan Exelby (Courier-Mail Turf Editor) join the real world and silence the critics who claim he is far too close to RQ?
I read with laughter that "Abandoned meetings will become non-existent in Brisbane in the future if Mackay's StrathAyr surface is any guide."
He later referenced The Valley and its success, but no mention of the Toowoomba StrathAyr surface which has failed terribly and now been taken off the TAB circuit. No update on it and how repairs are going. Just RQ PR on Mackay.
Last week he wrote that country apprentice Matthew McGillvray was a country apprentice, when in fact, he is now based at Eagle Farm with Barry Baldwin.
Exelby continually wrote Magic Millions hope Frequendly got beat at her third start because she wasn't fit enough. His colleague on the Gold Coast Brad Davidson didn't swallow the line and got the truth out of Les Ross that the horse had a liver problem.
Brad Davidson also wrote that Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist could be sent to Brisbane for the winter. We missed that in the Courier-Mail because RQ didn't know about it so then Nathan didn't know about it.
Two successive writers on the Gold Coast, Daniel Meers and Brad Davidson have shown up Exelby. Some claim them as stars, Meers is now in the Canberra Press Gallery, but perhaps their compeititon isn't very strong.’
WHEN WILL THESE SKY HOSTS DO SOME HOMEWORK BEFORE PRATTLING ON? 
AND then there was this brief contribution concerning SKY and TOOWOOMBA racing:
‘I nearly fell off my armchair watching the races on Saturday when I heard this dill commenting on racing in Toowoomba.
‘There’s no meeting from Toowoomba today,’ he explained. ‘They’re having a bit of a rest after a busy couple of months.’
Who’s he kidding?
Having a bit of a rest – is that what you call a forced closure of the new track because it’s a monumental disaster and hardly anyone wants to race or bet there.
Come on Sky – if you guys want to wank on at least get your facts right. This feel good bullshit is a big turn-off for us at-home punters. And they wonder why we will miss TVN when it goes.’
GREYHOUND INDUSTRY LOOKING AT GLOOMY SKIES REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS ELECTION 
‘BARRY BONES’ of CAPALABA writes:
‘WITH the mandatory three-year term of Government coming to its end, off we go to the polls (in Queensland) this Saturday with the usual uncertainty of who will form the next Government.
It makes no difference to the Greyhound Industry. Why?
Labor Premier Beattie and his Racing Minister (Member for Southport), where the track was located, decided a new use for the Parklands Racing Complex would be a hospital, leaving both the Greyhound and Harness Racing industries homeless. Both parties were given a $10 Million paper guarantee, greyhounds in 2008 and harness in 2014. Neither has a replacement racing venue in 2015.
What has happened since?
The Greyhound Board, under the stewardship of Ms K Watson, produced grandiose construction plans (estimated cost $40 million) to be constructed on an old contaminated, uncapped tip site at Cronulla Park in Logan City, citing this would be a great stand-alone Greyhound Racing Complex.
Apart from the industry having no budget, the plans had so many holes in them you could drive a truck through, culminating in no action, only additional costs to the Greyhound industry.
Next, the merger of the three codes of racing, and a further promise, this time from Premier Bligh and Racing Queensland Board Chairman Bob the Builder Bentley to complete the task. Chairman Bob scaled down the first set of plans with a budgeted figure of $22 million with a guarantee to complete the job. But when Mr Bentley did his homework on the Logan site (Government-owned), to his horror he found that the wonderful tip site was not capped, and was costed at $3-$4 million to complete the task, so he dropped it like a hot potato.
His suggestion was to build both the new Greyhound and Harness track at Deagon, a good idea as this was a sound parcel of land owned by Racing Queensland. Bob set about planning for this to happen, and had another set of plans drawn up for the site at Deagon but this was not to be progressed.
Next stage – another election and Mr K Dixon became Chair of Racing Queensland and Mr M Byrne QC Chair of the Greyhound Board and guess what?
The old Government contaminated tip site, currently spilling black tarry leachate into Slacks Creek nearby today (where is the Government Environmental Protection Authority?) and also people providing written statements to the Minister for Racing, also appearing on the internet, identifying they had tipped into the site loads of very dangerous Asbestos, and further the tip site is still uncapped, yes you guessed it, Cronulla Park is back in favor again.
Has anyone at Racing Queensland bothered to ask the highly regarded then Chief Executive Officer of Logan City Council who told a Logan resident recently, who is by the way against the building of a Greyhound track in Logan, quote: “The Council tried in early 2000 to remediate this tip, i.e. capping, but it was going to cost $1.2 million and the Council was not prepared to commit.”
Third option, Mr K Dixon and his Greyhound Chairman Mr M Byrne QC opted for another third set of design plans to be commissioned on this site, this time with a Budget of $12 million.
It is amazing with an election in the air what aspiring aspirants can conjure up. This option has floated up another problem when (unidentified by Racing Queensland) Paynter Dixon Construction was appointed, and the preferred suppliers of Racing Queensland/Government were invited to quote on various construction components. This resulted in a blow out of $3 million over Budget.
Where to from here?
Had Racing Queensland gone to open tender I wonder if the pricing would have come in close to budget. But no they opted to do it secretly, one assumes to avoid criticism from sections of the industry.
I ask what has all this administrative bewilderment cost the Greyhound Industry and Racing Queensland over the seven years of this saga: with still no signs of a replacement track?
Will Mr K. Dixon and his crew be back on the job, if the LNP wins the election? I would think the Greyhound Industry would certainly hope not on their detailed current form.’
EVEN THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE STRUGGLING FOR ANSWERS FROM RQ 
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS arrived at LGHR this week suggesting we give it a run. I understand it has been reproduced from the ‘On The Lure’ column in Tabform and reads:
‘TO use a building term, something concrete, THAT was the inference OTL put forward to Queensland’s Greyhound Racing Board Chairman, Michael Byrne.
The leading QC advised OTL that he and his board have been frustrated over issues that concern the sunny state’s participants, who have continually squawked that they are being kept in the dark about the sport’s progress.
Mushrooms maybe.
OTL raised the issue of the alleged shabby treatment afforded to the Bundaberg club, with them being given the apparent cold shoulder and having meetings taken from them when they continually have a surplus of runners each meeting, plus the lack of any positive statements regarding the Logan project.
OTL also asked whether a Project Manager had been appointed to oversee the Cronulla Park development at Logan?
The good folk in Queensland were assured back in early 2014 at their GOTY function that the Logan dream would become a reality, but their hopes and prayers for a new track they can call their own, is just that, a dream.
Nothing has eventuated at Logan, but Michael Byrne assured OTL that ‘initial site clearing is underway’. Well, to once again use a Jerry Maguire-ism, ‘show us the money’.
Obviously down south we do things much differently, with the Glenview Park development reaching the home straight, with the club’s GM continually releasing PR’s and pictures of the expanding circuit. But up north, nought, not even a photo of a pick and shovel seen at Logan.
If there is/has been an initial clearing of the site at Logan, why didn’t the Queensland Racing PR department quell some of the anger of the state’s participants by releasing photos of the former dump site getting a clean-up. Give them something positive to hang their hat on.
Another question raised with the Chairman was the forthcoming Queensland elections. OTL was of the opinion that all building projects would be put on hold or shelved until a new government is elected on January 31.
“It is proceeding.”
A profound statement, considering a well informed source informed OTL that Cronulla Park didn’t rate a line in his Chairman’s New Year message.
Well, since our initial contact with the Chairman, we’ve been updated on the Cronulla Park development. Well, sort of.
Byrne initially advised that a project manager had been appointed but didn’t go any further, no name or company. He gave OTL a couple of high profile employees’ names to contact at the Queensland Racing Board in regards to getting an update on the controversial project.
“We have a Racing Manager for comments and press releases. I am happy for you to contact him.” Strange. The Chairman of the Greyhound Racing Board didn’t/couldn’t divulge any details such as the alleged project manager’s name or company, OTL had to get an official notification from head office. Okay, OTL was prepared to jump through the hoops.
Next, an official request to Queensland’s Operations Manager, David Aldred. His quick response was faster than a Michael Voss handball.
He advised, “Racing Queensland’s communication protocols are that all media comments are in the first instance directed to our Communications Manager, Matt Johnston. Please contact Matt regarding this project and direct your inquiries for other comments for publication to him. RQ has a project manager for the Logan development.”
Ah, we are getting somewhere at last.
A reply came from the Communications Department advising, “Racing Queensland is in the final stages of discussions with a contractor to deliver the project.”
Pardon my ignorance with the building industry’s titles. Are they saying that the contractor and project manager are two different people, or one and the same?
“The election period is three weeks (sic) and we do not believe it will have any impact being completed as scheduled by July this year.”
That has to be one of the most optimistic replies OTL has ever received, but will take it on face value.
Next the Bundaberg issue.
“Bundaberg has 37 meetings scheduled for this year and has not had any meetings removed from the original schedule released ahead of the 2014-2015 racing season. Barring bad weather these meetings will go ahead as scheduled. Meeting allocation will be reconsidered
ahead of the 2015-2016 racing season.”
If Michael Byrne and his board are ‘frustrated’, so is OTL. Our initial request to the Chairman of the Greyhound Board and two very senior racing Queensland Board employees as to answering a very simple and straight forward question, “Has there been a project manager or company appointed for the Logan project, their answer was, they have, if OTL is reading this correctly, but it’s obviously not for general publication.”
Why the secrecy? Has everyone been gagged up north until after the election?
Byrne also added, “In relation to Logan, after approval (what approval, I and thousands of Queensland participants thought the project was signed, sealed but yet to be delivered) one needs architects, builders, quantity surveyors and a tender process.”
OTL doesn’t share his optimism, and I reckon neither do the Queensland owners, trainers and punters. Maybe Sergeant Schultz and Maxwell Smart are in charge of the project. “I know nutting and copy that Chief’.
I’m sure there are plenty of corporate bookmakers prepared to lay odds that the Cronulla Park project at Logan, if approved, has as much chance of being up and running by July as the Brisbane Lions winning the 2015 AFL Premiership.
Queenslanders deserve better communications, or at least have an ear to the board room door. They’re on board too."
QUESTION POSED: DO ANY OF THE HEIRARCHY AT RACING NSW HAVE ANY IDEA? 
PERCY SMITH of MELBOURNE writes:
‘WE keep hearing what a wonderful job Peter V’landys and his crew are doing with Racing NSW yet the scene in Sydney is dismal.
Instead of worrying about upstaging Victoria they should get their own house in order. When you look at Saturday’s race meeting from Randwick the situation is bleak.
There is no chance of becoming the pacesetter of racing in Australia if you can’t get your garden right on a regular basis. One swallow – the Championships – doesn’t make a summer.
Ken Callander was right this week when he wrote in his column (in the Sydney Telegraph):
‘WHY were only 71 horses running at Randwick on Saturday for a very healthy $710,000 in prizemoney?
The first four races had fields of seven, six, seven and seven, while the final four races contributed 10, 10, 10 and 14.
What’s the problem? Why aren’t Sydney’s field sizes bigger and what happens if they drop off more?
Do any of our racing executives have any ideas? I am sure punters are getting sick of betting on mini fields every week and I am sure this pushes many of them to look to Melbourne races or (worse for our administrators) to sports betting.’
You hit it on the heady Kenny. Do any of our racing bosses have any idea in Sydney?’
VIC BEITZEL aka ‘PEEPING PETE’ – ONE OF THE REAL RACING CHARACTERS – HAS DIED 
BOB OWENS of MELBOURNE writes:
‘I just wanted to use your website to record the passing of one of the great characters of Australian racing in Vic Beitzel.
Many of the younger brigade of racing followers would not be aware of Vic who was dubbed ‘Peeping Pete’ by his Melbourne 3UZ colleague and race calling great of a past era in Bert Bryant.
Vic, who died on Sunday aged 91, was a War veteran who pioneered radio interviews with jockeys and trainers and was a racing columnist for the Sunday Observer.
Among the many tributes to Vic was that from TVN personality Bruce Clark who tweeted: “Much respect for passing racing media icon and @VRMA_1 life member Vic Bietzel aka Peeping Pete. Passionate to the end”.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I had the privilege of getting to know Vic well whilst an official of the Australian Racing Writers’ Association (unlike the current Queensland body they saw me fit enough to not only be a member but serve in an official capacity). He was a real character, a great friend to racing and did a terrific job helping so many in the industry.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner-editor of the letsgohorseracing web-site. That is why he has added an ‘EDITOR’S NOTE’. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.
