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.
AS we return for another season of the WEDNESDAY WHINGE, LETSGOHORSERACING wishes our followers and stakeholders of the industry in all three codes a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.
NOT surprisingly, the first Whinge for 2016 is dominated by contributions concerning the big Magic Millions Day at the Gold Coast this weekend:
‘ABSURDITY OF THE GREATEST RACING SHOW ON QLD TURF IS ITS TIMING’ 
BRIAN ARNOLD of BRISBANE sent this email:
‘THE greatest racing show on Australian soil comes to the Gold Coast this week – if you are to believe the mainstream media propaganda – when Magic Millions hosts the richest race meeting in the country.
The absurdity of this circus is its timing.
While over $10 million will reportedly be distributed in prizemoney on one single day – more than bush racing in Queensland receives in an entire year – from April the industry in this state will suffer an $18 million haircut.
How can Racing Queensland still honour its part of the deal that ensures the Millions carnival is worth $10 million annually for the next seven years – apparently their share amounts to $35 million over that time – when the industry is in such bad shape financially?
Why is this deal – done during the era of the LNP Government, Racing Minister ‘furlong in front’ Steve Dickson and the Board of RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon – set so solidly in stone when every other stakeholder has to suffer for the rest of the year?
It makes no financial sense whatsoever – and don’t throw up the old chestnut about how much the Magic Millions is worth to the economy on the Gold Coast at the height of the tourist season when thousands certainly don’t visit the tourist strip just for the horse racing.
Rather than question the wisdom or financial sense of a move that only pours more millions into the pockets of one of Australia’s richest men – not to mention a private company – all we will be fed by the mainstream racing media is how great it was or is going to be.’
‘IS THE MAGIC MILLIONS A RESTRICTION OF TRADE FOR SOME QLD OWNERS?’ 
NAME with-held at the request of the writer who has raced horses for years and is well-known in the country area of Queensland:
‘MY mates and I have enjoyed racing horses in various parts of Queensland for years but when the careers of the ones we currently have are over there will be no more.
We aren’t millionaires. It’s a hobby for us that we hope still provides some return to enable us to continue our costly indulgence. But racing in this state is no longer a level playing field.
From the time that Racing Queensland allowed Magic Millions Day to become the primary race meeting each January there was a restriction of trade for those who cannot afford to buy at these sales and subsequently participate for the stakes that have now risen to an excessive level.
One would have thought that as the TAB (Tattersall’s, UBET or whatever it is called) relies on the investments of every day punters that the percentage returned to racing should be available to all owners to compete for – not on this occasion by those privileged to have the resources to fork out big money at a restricted sale.
That’s right – a sale where the buyers of the yearlings are enticed by the carrot at the end of the Magic Millions rainbow. No problems if the company is putting up the big bikkies but that isn’t the case when it’s coming out of industry funds as well.
We will take some convincing that it is not a restriction of trade that on this day of the year if we do not race a Magic Millions horse then we cannot start at the primary meeting in Queensland.
And when the powers-that-be take it a step further and make this the richest meeting in the country, then there’s a good argument that racing in Queensland is no longer a level playing field.’
IS THE NEWLOOK MAGIC MILLIONS ‘AN INSULT TO MELBOURNE CUP DAY’? 
BARRY FLYNN of MELBOURNE sent this contribution:
‘MAGIC Millions on the Gold Coast becoming the richest race meeting in the country is an absolute insult to Melbourne Cup and Stradbroke days.
It’s an even bigger joke when the time-honoured Stradbroke will be reduced in prizemoney – under financial cuts announced by Racing Queensland recently – while the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic will be worth more - $1 million more in fact.
Good luck to Gerry Harvey and his MM crew for convincing the former LNP Government (it wouldn’t have mattered if it was Labor) and the RQ Board of Kevin Dixon (the Bob Bentley Board bent over backwards for them as well) to help fulfil the Millions dream.
But at a time when we are told RQ has suffered multi-million dollar losses in recent years, how can they justify races of $2.5 million, $2 million and five of $1 million – just to highlight a program where (with some exceptions) many of those competing are hardly Black Type horses?
One has to ask how any Government can justify the millions set aside to keep the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast. The original deal back in 2010 set aside nearly $16 million. The new seven-year partnership puts a sales related race day into the world’s Top 10.
When the latest announcement was made then RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon described it as ‘a monumental day for Queensland racing’. Within a few months there was a new Government, the Boards running the three codes were sacked in the wake of the greyhound scandal and State Parliament was told that RQ was broke.
Then came the announcement of $18 million in prizemoney cuts from April. But still the Magic Millions show rolls on. Makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?’
‘THE RAIN GODS COULD WELL AND TRULY SEAL FATE OF MM PUNTERS’ 
JIM MACROSSAN of GOLD COAST writes:
‘GOD help the punters – not to mention those owners with high hopes of sharing in the big money at the Gold Coast next Saturday – if the predicted rain arrives.
Barrier draws around this track when you have big fields are always a nightmare but add to that a wet track and the results – in some cases – will no doubt reward mediocrity.
Anyone who ventured to the Sunshine Coast for the races last Saturday – as a punter or a participant – will testify to the traffic nightmare that occurred.
Don’t expect it to be much different on the Gold Coast. But back to my original point.
Over $10 million in prizemoney to be decided – fields incapable of coping with the track; those drawn badly having little or no chance; interference likely to be commonplace with the stakes up for grabs and that’s before we even think about the rain that has been forecast and the effect it will have on the track.
Doesn’t paint a bright picture regardless of whether you are a participant or a punter – at least the former has some hope – the latter, as history shows, has little or none at all.’
‘ARE THOSE WHO THINK IT’S THE SPORT OF KINGS JUST MISOGYNIST PIGS’? 
‘OSCAR JACKSON’ of GOLD COAST sent this tongue-in-cheek email:
‘ON behalf of the Men in Racing could I please urge Katie Page, ‘hand-bag of genial Gerry’, to accept that we are not all ‘misogynist’ pigs?
There isn’t a hot-blooded male who follows the Sport of Kings (and Queens) who would think for one moment that a $500,000 bonus has inspired male buyers to put the ownership of their Millions’ hopefuls in the names of their wives, daughters or whoever.
Taking my tongue out of my cheek I did have a wry smile on reading where Ms Page, the co-owner of the MM Company, had rubbished suggestions that men were still pulling all the reins despite a huge upsurge of female buyers at the Gold Coast carnival.
Females certainly are the flavor of the season in racing (with Michelle Payne becoming the first woman jockey to ride the winner of the Melbourne Cup) and the ladies have been to the fore quite prominently on and off the track at Millions’ time at the Coast for some time (a la Gai Waterhouse).
To be fair the concept of a $500,000 bonus if the winner of the Millions 2YO Classic is owned by a woman has proved an overwhelming success. Statistics reported suggest that 63 per cent of those eligible this year are raced by women. But there is the question, of course, that does this not discriminate against the men who part with their hard-earned to try and buy a Millions winner. Aren’t they entitled to a bonus as well?
But who am I to be questioning what Katie Page tells us – she has proven her ability to compete with the best in the business world – and that rubs off when she combines it with her racing knowledge.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS story by STEPHANIE BEDO in the GOLD COAST BULLETIN no doubt prompted the above email:
MAGIC Millions co-owner Katie Page has rubbished suggestions that men are still pulling all the reins despite a huge upsurge of female buyers at the Gold Coast carnival.
In the past four years the Magic Millions Racing Women initiative has had such an effect that 63 per cent of all registrations this year are for women racing fillies.
However since Mrs Page introduced the concept of a $500,000 bonus for women owners, many have joked that men are still running the show in the background.
“Listen, you come and talk to some of these women, they are the ones making decisions on these horses, they take it very seriously,” she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“You’re going to hear stuff like that, but we’re quite capable of buying horses.
‘‘It really gets to me, people saying things like that because it brings women down.
“It should have always been like this. At the end of the day they’re going to buy a horse that looks good, that they think can win a race.
‘‘Whether it’s a filly or a colt, I think what’s important is the number of women buying horses now.”
Mrs Page, who runs the internationally famous carnival with husband and fellow Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey, said it has been obvious the program was something women were waiting for, with female numbers growing year on year and totalling 437 since 2012.
This year has seen a record number of women participants, jumping 20 per cent on last year’s figures with 126 eligible 2YOs targeting the bonus.
Of those, 212 women are first time owners.
Australia’s first lady of racing, trainer Gai Waterhouse, has registered ten 2YOs for the initiative and among them are 33 women who are first-time owners.
Mrs Page said she cannot wait for Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne to meet Racing Women ambassador and patron, British royal Zara Phillips.
“In one fell swoop that girl (Michelle) became this superstar around the world,” she said.
“People all around the world in different walks of life, not just racing, were talking about Michelle Payne.
“She stands for all those women out there who think they can’t make it, in any career, not just racing.”
IS A TRAINER TAKING THE ‘MICKEY’ OUT OF LADIES IN SWABBING TEAM? 
AND on the subject of Women in Racing we received this email which, although it is a shade confusing, one of our SPIES IN THE DEAGON BUNKER ensures us is close to the mark.
‘HAVE you heard the one about the recently-appointed ‘special’ swabbing staff being utilized by the newlook and politically correct Racing Queensland to appease the RSPCA and the animal liberationists?
Story goes half the team is comprised of outsiders – a couple of the female species – who have obviously been given ‘the drill’ by those supposedly in the know about swabbing to record everything they are told.
It seems there are some members of the training fraternity who have enjoyed (I could say taking the ‘piss out of them) but rather than use those words let’s choose ‘are having a good laugh at their expense’. Unfortunately the ladies in question don’t seem to have any idea that they are the centre of such amusement for many.
The gossip – or rumour mill – suggests that one trainer takes one of the interlopers in the ‘female swabbing team’ aside and tips her a particular horse that is a ‘certainty’ because by race day it will be feeling particularly well. Now we all know how reliable the racing rumour mill is and that no such things occur in racing in Queensland – it’s only the big states that are ‘a furlong behind us’ that suffer such flouting of the rules.
Problem is the horse may not even be running on the day in question. But, as required, into the notebook goes the name as a ‘must be swabbed’. While the Miss Marple’s of the racing world wait all day to pounce, the horse in question is at home – probably asleep in its stable.
Fair dinkum – I’ll bet Magic Millions are pleased they can guarantee the rights of the poor old punters are being protected when Australia’s richest race day is run this weekend.
By the way if ‘short-haul’ or any of his ‘advisors’ doubt the authenticity of the story, our Spy in the Deagon bunker suggests: “Ask RQ if one or more of their recently appointed swabbing staff receive tips of ‘certainties’ from any trainer”?’
‘TWITS GET AWAY WITH DEFAMATORY REMARKS ABOUT JOCKEYS ON TWITTER’ 
NORMAN LOCKWOOD of MELBOURNE writes:
‘IT never ceases to amaze me what some jerks get away with on Twitter. I am sure if the same messages were posted on reputable websites (not those that allow bloggers almost the same latitude) then it would lead to legal action.
Mark Zahra was the latest victim of the ‘twittersphere’ when he got beaten on the hot favourite Love Days at the Valley on Saturday. Some comments went beyond suggesting he rode the horse badly.
That brings me to the point about horses getting caught wide in races and how it affects their performance. It seems that in some cases jockeys don’t agree with the form analysts or the ‘so-called’ experts in racing.
Zahra – in my opinion one of the best jockeys in the land – insists he rode Love Days ‘like the best horse in the race.’
“If they can’t win covering a bit of ground in a race with no pace then maybe they’re not good enough on the day. That’s the way I ride. She was in a good rhythm and they wanted to kick up inside me so I was more than happy to stay where I was. I thought she had enough left to win but she couldn’t reel in the winner,” Zahra told Matt Stewart of the Herald Sun.
It’s a fair point – and we do see some favorites sit wide and still win. What made the situation worse for Zahra – in the eyes of some punters – was the ride of Damien Oliver on the winner, Rocky Boomboa.
In the words of Matt Stewart: “As Zahra remained happily in limbo out wide Oliver made a breathtaking snap decision, looping the field as the leaders dawdled, then slamming on the brakes once he found the front. Oliver saved a final kick and stole the race. It was a stunning ride.”
Jockeys can have a hot and cold relationship with punters – hero one day, villain he next. The possible exception is 'Joe' Moreira in Hong Kong where he is an absolute superstar despite the bagging he copped from sections of the Australian racing media for some of his rides during The Championships in Sydney last year.
But the greatest slaughter job in a big race in the minds of most punters remains that of Shane Dye on Veandercross but to this day the little big man still believes he charted a reasonable course.’
‘IS THIS SHERIFF GUNNING FOR A LATE IN LIFE JOB IN ONE OF TWO STATES’? 
OLLY EARLE of MELBOURNE writes:
‘UNDER normal circumstances – say 25 years ago – I would have thought ‘Sherriff’ John Schreck would have been ‘balanced’ enough to comment on a set of circumstances of which he may arguably have only 70 per cent of the facts.
Certainly when 'Chief Steward and principal bird watcher’ for Racing NSW his powers of observation were second to none.
But don’t fall for that famous ring-in case in Queensland he is credited with solving back in the deep dark ages. He was acting on instructions – nothing more, nothing less.
With all due respects, it is my opinion that unless Mr Schreck is being talked about and having his name up there in lights, he is these days an ex-steward who must have his eyes set on a new racing job down here in Victoria.
Then again a mate of mine from the deep north tells me he is being mentioned in dispatches as ‘the man’ to get the new Integrity Unit off the ground in Queensland before handing the reins to a former protégé – and it isn’t the one working as the acting boss at present but one of his lackeys.’
‘WAS THERE ARE RACE OVER THE LONG WEEKEND THAT NEEDED LOOKING INTO?’ 
AND talking off the promised new Integrity Unit to police racing in Queensland, we received this email from PERCY SAVAGE of SUNSHINE COAST:
‘OF course you wouldn’t have read too much about this in the major racing media. They were too busy bleating about the lack of metropolitan prizemoney levels on Friday at Doomben and insurance problems for the clubs which have subsequently been resolved.
Those latter two are valid points but so is integrity. Gambling is the lifeblood of all three codes of the racing game and if there is no confidence then turnover falls (as has happened) on the local gallops product with the flow-on affect that the industry struggles to receive the prizemoney that it deserves.
There was a race at a venue in south-east Queensland over the long weekend (which shall remain nameless) that was, in the opinion of many good judges, well and truly on the nose. Little was said about it but the result was very predictable for those in the know who dipped in for some big wins and in the opinion of some ‘analysts’ the tactics adopted by some jockeys were, to say the least, quite questionable.
Then there was another race where what looked to be a genuine threat got lost – or should I say the pilot seemed to lose his compass at a vital stage of the race – and the winner we are reliably informed was the first bet his trainer has had (of any significance) in a while.
The sooner we get some ‘no nonsense, hard-hitting’ stewards to control racing in Queensland the better and let's stop all this rot about what it will cost when we are throwing money around so wildly on the Magic Millions.
Here’s hoping the rumors aren’t right about a former high profile Chief Stipe from interstate being brought back from the spelling paddock to head up the new Integrity Department. As far as I am concerned that would achieve about as much as the appointment of an Integrity Commissioner has for racing in Queensland - SFA.’
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.