THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE has a new look but won’t be dispensing with the 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 10 of the best 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.

‘CCC SHOULD INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED AT RSC UNDER LNP' 

GRANT JACKSON of BRISBANE sent this interesting email:

‘IF one believes the latest information coming out concerning Queensland’s ever-increasing ‘Cobalt Crisis’ it has been caused by the Government-run Racing Science Centre not complying with legislated drug control protocols and no amount of blame shifting to Racing Queensland will change the facts.

There has obviously been a serious breach of legal requirements by someone at the RSC and apparently no-one from that organization is being held accountable.

The RSC is not part of Racing Queensland. It is a Government department staffed by public servants, under the direct control of Minister Bill Byrne and they are paid for by the taxpayers of Queensland and the racing industry.

The Racing Minister was happy to sack Darren Condon for missing an email but these public servants who have destroyed the reputation of Queensland’s racing industry seem untouchable and the Minister seems to either not care, or isn’t prepared to act.

For over 10 years the Manager of the RSC was a Mr Alan Roberts. His expertise, attention to detail and competence was recognized Australia wide. That was why he was appointed to a range of national-level drug control working groups, presented at Australasian Racing Ministers’ Conferences and received numerous awards for the work he did at the RSC.

Those close to the action have revealed that in late 2012 Mr Roberts reportedly raised a number of concerns with his then boss in Government about the conduct of two senior staff that worked for him at the RSC.

Their response, I am told on good authority, was to gang-up and make their own set of allegations against him. These allegations were independently investigated and Mr Roberts was cleared of any wrong-doing but he was allegedly still forced out of his job by the LNP-aligned powers-that-be in 2013.

The two senior RSC staff members, whose allegations were disproved, reportedly hve kept their jobs. One wonders if this was influenced by one of them being involved in writing the LNP’s racing policy prior to that party gaining Government?

I have it on good authority that they are now writing Estimates questions for the LNP to try and embarrass the current Minister at the upcoming Parliamentary Estimates hearings.

These two gentlemen are still apparently employed at the RSC and I understand that they are among those responsible for ensuring all drug control protocols are complied with.

Speculation concerning close relationships with industry identities, technical competence and failures to meet established drug control protocols were the very matters that Mr Roberts was critical of in 2012 which eventually cost him his job.

Now it seems he was spot on with his concerns.

That poses the question – why are these two senior staff still employed by the Government?

Surely they should be immediately stood down from any racing role (remember what happened with Wade Birch and Darren Condon) pending this matter being referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission for investigation.

Up until now the focus from the Labor Government has all been directed at Racing Queensland and the alleged incompetence of the former management in that organization.

Perhaps it is now time for Minister Bill Byrne to shift focus closer to home – to his own Racing Department and the RSC, both of which are stacked with senior management who have no understanding of the racing industry, integrity controls or animal welfare issues.

Many were put into these jobs by the LNP’s ‘furlong in front’ Racing Minister Steve Dickson. These people have shown their lack of knowledge of the racing industry and its challenges and need to be moved on before they do more damage.

Perhaps Minister Byrne should take a hard look at some of his departmental staff and sort out the mess he has on his hands. He’s been in the job for long enough now and needs to act.   

It may be a good start to give Alan Roberts a call and get him back to fix the shambles the RSC has become since he was forced out simply for doing his job properly.’

‘UPGRADE OF DEAGON AS BAND-AID FIX WASTE OF INDUSTRY FUNDS’

BARRY JOHNSTONE of BRISBANE made this contribution:

‘UPGRADING Deagon to fill the gap until the new Eagle Farm track is ready to race  would not only be irresponsible but also a blatant waste of funds for an already cash-strapped industry.

The powers-that-be should be following up the suggestion from the Racehorse Owners’ Association recently and investigating the possibility of selling Deagon to help offset the debt.

There is no mention of what it would cost to bring Deagon up to the standard required – no doubt it would be in the millions – and RQ has conceded that it would need to be allocated 10 to 12 TAB meetings to make the investment worthwhile.

Surely, having got this far covering the absence of Eagle Farm, another eight months isn’t going to make that much difference. The damage is already done to some tracks but it is not as though they are reaching a dangerous stage.

Gold Coast races every Saturday. Why not upgrade some of those meetings to the major metropolitan status and hold a secondary meeting at one of the provincial tracks. After all there is still racing at Toowoomba in the twilight slot as well.

As for reintroducing the cushion track at the Sunshine Coast well that faces the prospect of poor fields with many trainers not prepared to run their horses on that surface.

‘WHEN IT COMES TO INTEGRITY – IF YOU PAY PEANUTS YOU GET MONKEYS’ 

ZAC STEWART of GOLD COAST sent this email:

‘IF the salary being offered for rank and file stewards being sought by Racing Queensland is any indication one wonders what they will be prepared to pay to get high profile people to run the new-look Integrity Department.

Everyone knows that RQ is struggling financially but its advertisement on racingjobs.com.au for stewards for the Integrity Unit and the Greyhounds on a salary of $55,000 to $62,000 has been greeted with some disbelief interstate.

Racing Editor Chris Roots, in his column in the Sydney Morning Herald, commented: 

THE recent turbulent times regarding integrity in racing have been well documented. Most administrators would say it is the most important part of the sport and that you can't put a price on it. Which is why it is surprising to see Racing Queensland, which is struggling financially, advertising on racingjobs.com.au for stewards to fill roles on a salary of $55,000 to $62,000. It would be fair to say that there aren't too many stewards ready to take a pay cut like that to move north.

When you consider the reported salaries paid to Wade Birch (now departed as Head of Integrity and Stewarding at RQ) and Allan Reardon (brought back from Victoria and apparently soon to retire as Chief Steward at RQ), one wonders what they will be offering for the positions to head up the new Integrity Unit which is promised to be as good as any in Australia.

The $55,000 to $62,000 that RQ is offering in an attempt to lure rank and file stewards to the north is on a par with what the southern states pay their cadet stewards. As the old saying goes – if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.’

‘STEWARDS HAD TO BE KIDDING ACCEPTING EXPLANATION FOR JOPA FLOP’

BARRY EVANS of BRISBANE sent this email:

‘NATHAN Exelby made a valid point in The Courier-Mail on Monday when he questioned the explanation for the flop of strongly fancied favorite Jopa at Doomben last Saturday.

Exelby highlighted in a nicer way what most punters are saying about the stewards operating on TAB meetings in south-east Queensland – they seem to be enjoying a nice day out but doing little to build the confidence of punters on Brisbane racing in particular.

Jopa looked a ‘good thing’ on Saturday and like many ‘good things’ in racing in south-east Queensland not only did he fail to live up to expectations but went like a dromedary.

As Exelby pointed out it wasn’t so much the failure but the explanation for the failure that got up the nose of punters. Jockey Jeff Lloyd said he ‘didn’t handle the firm track’. It was even firmer when he won brilliantly at his previous start.

As has been the case in these type of races in Brisbane in recent weeks the one that is best backed – not necessarily the one that on form looks the winner – is the horse that salutes. That was the case when The Storeman strode to victory and Jopa finished last on Saturday.

Just to accept or note the explanation for the Jopa flop was a slap in the face for punters from the stewards. Why not make the horse trial before it races again or bar it for a month until it shows some consistency.

The sooner RQ appoints a ‘Sherriff’ to oversee the integrity of racing here who is prepared to claim a few scalps the better. It obviously isn’t going to happen while the current crew is simply enjoying their afternoon tea and scones.’ 

‘ONLY TWO OPTIONS FOR QLD TO BOOST TURNOVER THROUGH NIGHT RACING’

COL SMITH of IPSWICH sent this email:

‘IF the brains-trust examining ways of increasing turnover for racing in Queensland want to add night or twilight racing to the equation there are really only two options.

From a punters’ perspective there is really no point trying to run a TAB meeting at the Sunshine Coast or Toowoomba (where they have lights) to coincide with Happy Valley in Hong Kong of a Wednesday night. Racing there doesn’t get underway until after 8pm Queensland time.

There is merit however in running the Sunshine Coast on a Sunday in conjunction with Hong Kong where the Sha Tin meeting normally starts about 2.30 to 3pm Queensland time and concludes about 7.45.

RQ should also look at programming Sunshine Coast or Toowoomba in the same time frame as the Moonee Valley or Cranbourne night circuit. Punters are crying out for another gallops meeting to bet on of a Friday night with Sydney lukewarm on night racing and the meetings at Canterbury few and far between.’

‘IF YOU THINK THIS IS BAD – IS EVEN WORSE YET TO COME FROM RQ?’

MERV CONNOR of SUNSHINE COAST writes:

‘RE the transfer of the Townsville meeting to Bowen that was referred to in the ‘Silks & Saddles’ column this week. Why didn’t author Terry Butts pose the question: ‘IS RQ BROKE?’

At a rough guess the temporary CEO and his company would be raking in over a million bucks per year for his services.

It is obvious their turnover would be falling and their expenses would be going through the roof.

From where I sit Queensland racing will have to cop whatever punishment that is dished out for the bad management of the past. 

Cop the Bowen meeting and be thankful but all the best with cashing the prize winning cheques.

The sale of Deagon should help pay the overdraft.

“FURLONG IN FRONT” - gee what a leader we had?’

TOWNSVILLE TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION KEEN TO HEAR ANY ‘LEGAL’ CONCERNS

MALCOLM PETROFSKI, president of the TOWNSVILLE RACEHORSE TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION, sent this email in response to a contribution received last week:

‘I note in your disclaimer that you make every effort to verify your stories so I have sent my details which everyone in the local industry has and the local turf club. One of your columnists Terry Butts would also have easy access to my details.

I am the recently elected president of the group and have chaired all four meetings that we have had and I have regular contact on behalf of the group with the TCC.

Not only do we have positive dealings with the turf club but we also sponsor local off the track thoroughbred categories in local pony clubs to try and advance the industry and attract younger grass roots people to the industry.

We are also looking at ways to bring young apprentices into the Townsville area to try and grow a shrinking industry.

Please have anyone who believes they need to take legal action contact me to discuss their concerns.

Could I ask that you check with the local turf club to see if they prefer dealing with our association or if they prefer to return to the old form of non discussion?

We are trying desperately to grow the declining industry and have approached all items in a positive manner.

If you have any spare space in your columns I would welcome any positive publicity on our current approach to a declining industry.’

STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN THE MAINSTREAM RACING MEDIA

SPORTS BETTING FACES CRACKDOWN IN WAKE OF HORROR GAMBLING STORIES

THE sports betting industry faces calls for a crackdown after financial counsellors exposed horror online gambling stories, including a man who lost $90,000 in a week and another who lost the proceeds of a house sale.

JACKSON GOTHE-SNAPE reports in the ADELAIDE ADVERTISER that AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will land in the middle of the issue as he meets Government officials in Canberra this week to discuss the future of the game.

Lauren Levin, from Financial Counsellors Australia, said gambling addiction was leading to suicides.

She called for the end of lines of credit for sports gambling and the introduction of a self-exclusion register to ease the damage of online sports betting addiction.

“As smartphones have become more accessible, it’s just so easy to do it,” she said.

A report released by FCA on Monday details horror stories of online sports gambling addiction.

One man lost $90,000 in one week and another suffering mental health problems lost the proceeds of a house sale in a few weeks.

Another problem gambler — who accrued debts of $860,000 — made an extraordinary 127 bets in one day.

On the eve of a visit to Canberra by the AFL chief, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon will on Tuesday send Mr McLachlan a letter about the rise of online sports betting and its potential to ruin the game.

In May, former footballer and reformed problem gambler David Schwarz said up to 30 players a season reached out to him for help.

“(Online sports betting) is a deeply cynical industry that is responsible for many, many lives being destroyed at an escalating rate,” Senator Xenophon said.

A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Scott Morrison said the Government had been consulting with industry and welfare stakeholders about the issue and promised “further announcements on how those matters will be progressed in due course”.

Official Liberal Party policy promises to ban extending lines of credit to gamblers but so far, the Government has failed to act.

In a statement, the Australian Wagering Council, which represents five major sports betting firms, said it was working on three separate codes of practice — on responsible gambling, the deferral of account payments, and advertising — and confirmed its support for a national self-exclusion database.

According to Roy Morgan research, betting on AFL has almost doubled in the past decade and people who support an AFL team are more than twice as likely as the average Australian to bet on the sport.

Among club members, more than one in eight typically bets on the AFL.

The South Australian Government launched a smartphone app last year called “Stay On Track”, which allows punters to set a budget and stick to it.

DEAGON GEARING FOR BIG PICNIC RACE MEETING NEXT MONTH

SEVEN thousand people are again expected to flock to the Deagon racetrack, on Sunday September 13 for one of the biggest picnic race meetings on the Queensland racing calendar.

This year, for the first time, the Deagon Community Picnic Race Day will be a dual meet including three harness races, plus seven thoroughbreds. 

All the trackside fun and flair will be back with live bands and DJ’s playing all day,  the glamour of ‘The Emeri Sparkling Wine Fashions on the Field’, gourmet food stalls, FREE children’s entertainment, VIP Courtyard (18+) and Corporate Marquees.

Rhonda Sutton President of the Sandgate & District Chamber of Commerce said: “Since the Deagon Community Picnic Races were brought back in 2013, for the first time in 72 years, the day has become a huge community event and a great day on the racing calendar.

“The Deagon Picnic Races appeal to all ages from one to 100, as unlike many of the big city meets it caters to everyone from families and friends packing a picnic and bringing the kids, to punters chasing the trackside glamour, getting dressed up, and taking full advantage of the VIP Courtyard Area (18+), or enjoying a day at the Corporate Marquees. The Picnic Races are all about having a fun and relaxing day”.

This year the ‘VIP Experience Area’ (Strictly 18+) is again expected to be popular with the crowds chasing the glamour and will be located infield trackside (providing great race views), and decked out with Jumbo screen featuring the day’s races. Bands and DJ’s will be playing all day long in the “Espresso Martini by Di Bella” chill out lounge, and VIP punters will be treated to tastings with Dan Woolley of Whiskey Hunter.

A big draw for the punters in 2015 is expected to be ‘The Aliweld Deagon Cup’, along with the Deagon Trainers’ Whopper and the Bracken Ridge Tavern Wayne Wilson Memorial.

In keeping with the fun of the picnic races, foot races for the ‘Fillies, Families and Fellas’ will also be held along with the 2015 L J Hooker Bracken Ridge Wheelbarrow race (all open to anyone on the day who fancies getting out on the turf, and game enough to give it a go).

This year in keeping with the tradition of naming the ‘Thoroughbred Races’ after the community, historic homes from Sandgate have been chosen including The Cottage, Broadhurst, Meridan and Morven.

Rhonda Sutton from The Sandgate & District Chamber of Commerce said: “Many people will recognize these grand old Dames of the 4017 area, and hopefully they will provide a bit of luck for a few punters on the day.”

Gates open at 10am and the the race day will be an official TAB meet, which will be broadcast on SKY.

Day’s program will include:

Keith McKay Memorial Harness Race

Fred Cassidy Memorial Harness Race sponsored by Jarrod Cassidy

Fish On Flinders ‘The Cottage’ Thoroughbred Race

Steve’s Motor World ‘The Broadhurst’ Thoroughbred Race

McKeering Real Estate ‘Meridian’ Thoroughbred Race

The Member for Sandgate Stirling Hinchliffe ‘Footrace for the Fella’s’

Federal Tyres ‘Morven’ Thoroughbred Race

The Emeri Sparkling Wine Fashions on the Field

Neta Tires Harness Race

The Victoria Newton - ‘Foot Race for the Families’

The Deagon Trainers ‘Whopper’

Steve’s Motorworld Deagon – ‘Foot Race for The Fillies’

The Bracken Ridge Tavern Wayne Wilson Memorial

L J Hooker Bracken Ridge – Wheel Barrow Race

The Aliweld 2015 Deagon Cup

FREE Children’s Entertainment Running All Day

Roving Entertainers and Bands

Emeri Sparkling Wines Pamper Bar

Tickets for the 2015 Deagon Community Picnic Race Day:

On Sale At: www.brc.com.au, helloworld Sandgate & Bracken Ridge Tavern (no postage/booking fee)

General Admission: $15

VIP Experience (18+): $50 *ID Must Be Shown On Entry

Family: $40 (2 Adults, 3 Children under 16)

Children 5-10: $10

Children under 5: Free

Pensioner: $10 *Valid pension card must be presented (pensioner tickets available from Bracken Ridge Tavern, Helloworld Sandgate & At the gate, no on-line sales)

Race Day Marquee: $150 premium buffet dining & beverage package (tables of 10)

Corporate Packages: Available on request from BRC

About The Deagon Community Picnic Races

In September 2013 the Deagon Race Track held its first public race meeting in 72 years, the inaugural ‘Deagon Community Picnic Race Day’.

The 2013 picnic race meet saw tickets sell out within six days of going on sale, and the 2014 event was a near capacity crowd of 10,000 punters.

The Deagon Race Track has a colorful past, and plays an important role in Queensland Racing History. In 1890 Queen Victoria gifted the land to trustees for the “purposes of a racecourse”, and throughout the years the track has seen a number of uses (including hosting motorcycle races), managers and owners. Currently it operates as a dedicated thoroughbred training facility, and once a year hosts the ‘Deagon Community Picnic Race Day’.

In 2015 the Deagon Community Picnic Race Day will be run as a 10 race meet (7 x Thoroughbred Races & 3 x Harness Races) TAB program, and broadcast on SKY, along with Fashions of the Field, Family Foot Races, Children’s Entertainment, Gourmet Food and Corporate Marquees.

The Deagon Community Picnic Race Day is run by the Sandgate and District Chamber of Commerce, with Racing Queensland acting as major sponsors and The Brisbane Racing Club acting as management partners for the 2015 meet.

In 2014 over $65,000 was injected back into the local community by way of sporting clubs, schools and interest groups who helped out on the day, continuing the tradition of the races being a much loved community event.

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.