BELL READY TO RETIRE FROM BRC BUT SOME MEMBERS FEAR CLUB ‘CULTURE’ DEVELOPED DURING HIS CHAIRMANSHIP WILL LIVE ON
SOME members will insist that his departure was planned some time ago but others are saying it will be fast-tracked by issues raised at the most controversial annual general meeting in the recent history of the Brisbane Racing Club which arguably claimed its first ‘victim’.
Bombarded by questions from respected member Wally Gleeson over issues involving the purchase by directors of units in the club’s luxury residential complex and why a popular director (his son Simon) and the CEO Tony Partridge resigned suddenly, BRC Chairman Neville Bell later announced he would be retiring in the New Year.
This exit might have been planned for some time by Bell but those at the coalface are hinting he will be gone by Christmas. Nevertheless, a cloud of concern will continue to hang over Queensland’s biggest race club with some members making no secret of their concerns that what they call a 'culture' developed during Bell’s time at the helm will continue under a like-minded Chairman of his choosing (perhaps Richard Morrison).
For some reason the mainstream media did not bother to cover the AGM which in itself poses more questions than answers. Were they requested not to by the BRC or its de facto media controller 'Manuel' or did it have something to do with a couple of Members urging scribes like Ben Dorries to show ‘some balls’ and provide an objective coverage. Whatever the racing public is still waiting for The Courier-Mail to do its job.
LGHR has learnt that Wally Gleeson was delighted with the outcome of an AGM where some of his questions were answered (in part) and others were cleverly avoided by Bell. An attempt to present the Chairman with a document outlining proper protocols for an AGM was rejected.
We are told that during a light-hearted part of the meeting, a Member rose to his feet and congratulated the Board on the job they had done. There was a sole round of applause which came from Wally Gleeson. At one stage of a heated debate, Bell reportedly warned Gleeson: ‘You’ve had your one strike.’
Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott, who was in attendance, subsequently invited Gleeson (or anyone else) to meet with him to discuss any issues of concern he or they might have with the BRC.
But that came with the 'rider' that he was unwilling to act simply based on ‘racecourse rumour and innuendo’. We’re not sure how anyone could describe simple questions about the ownership of luxury units in the complexes at Eagle Farm by directors as ‘racecourse rumour and innuendo’? Or for that matter seeking reasons for the sudden resignations of a Director (Wally Gleeson’s son, Simon) and the former CEO Tony Partridge whose subsequent letter to the Directors outlining his reasons holds the key to these dramas but is under a non-disclosure agreement.
Those close to the action say the BRC is hoping if what happened at the AGM gets no publicity in the mainstream media it will go away and that the decision by Neville Bell to retire will assist the situation. They obviously don’t know Wally Gleeson too well. Despite the pressure and attempts to drive a wedge between him and his son (Manuel has been busy on the blower, don't you just love the bloke?), that isn’t going to happen.
A RECORD CROWD OF 50,000 WILL ATTEND THE EVEREST - ABOUT HALF OF WHAT TURNS OUT ON A FINE DAY FOR THE MELBOURNE CUP
A CROWD in excess of 50,000 – that’s about all they can fit into Sydney’s premier racecourse these days – will be in attendance reportedly along with King Charles to watch a feature race run in his honour.
Melbourne Cup remains the biggest drawcard by far in Australian racing – on a fine day it attracts in the range of 100,000 fans – twice that of The Everest.
CHRIS ROOTS reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that there will be a sell-out crowd to watch the first Group 1 Everest winner being crowned at Randwick on Saturday.
The world’s richest race on turf, which is only in its eighth running, has never sold out four days out from race day before, and the crowd could top 50,000 at Randwick to watch the $20 million showcase and the King Charles III Stakes.
“This race is hitting the very high target that we set for it, and now it has received the fitting and deserved honour of group 1 status,” Racing NSW’s Graeme Hinton said.
“Two thirds of the sell-out crowd on Saturday will under 35, which is an entrance point for the next generation.”
Australian Turf Club chief executive Matt Galanos expects the crowd to exceed the 46,498 that saw Winx’s final race in 2019, and it will once again be a party atmosphere for Sydney’s biggest race day.
“The TAB Everest has become the hottest ticket in town and is attracting new fans in record numbers,” Galanos said.
“Saturday will set a new modern-day record number of patrons at Royal Randwick, eclipsing even the unprecedented final run of the immortal Winx.”
The Everest (1200m) will also carry group 1 status for the first time. Racing Australia confirmed the richest and highest-rating sprint in the world had earned and been given with the status.
“We have written approval from the Asian pattern committee and thus the Asian Racing Federation for The Everest and the All Star Mile to be granted Group 1 status effective immediately in a letter we received last week,” Racing Australia chief executive Paul Eriksson said.
“The letter could not be more clear, it said with immediate effect, so The Everest is a group 1 race. It is why we announced the two upgrades last week.”
While there was some conjecture about the group 1 status of The Everest following a fiery meeting of Racing Victoria officials and its stakeholders on Tuesday, Eriksson and Australia’s representative on the Asian Pattern Committee, Racing Queensland chief executive Jason Scott, could not be clearer about its status.
Eriksson said following the new black type protocols that the Racing Australia board unanimously approved, the All Star Mile and The Everest were put forward for group 1 consideration after meeting the rating standard.
“The Everest and All Star Mile have been ratified as group 1 races by the Asian Pattern Committee and the Asian Racing Federation,” Scott said.
“I was on the call when Winfried [Engelbrecht Bresges] announced they were both group1 races and said congratulations.”
Engelbrecht Bresges is the Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive, ARF chairman and International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
Racing Australia has not announced any other upgrades to Group and Listed racing, but Racing NSW has moved 12 of its races up in status this spring.
It has been six years since any race was upgraded in Australia after a stalemate between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.
‘TAKING EXTRAORDINARY STEPS TO BOOST EVEREST DAY CROWD’
WE received this interesting email concerning THE EVEREST from regular SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR:
AHEAD of a Spring-carnival day when the racing news is about some disarray as well as happy expectations, there was one claim that cried out for some fact checking.
There will be a sell-out crowd to watch the .........Everest ..............
Perhaps, but the form guide for apparent ticket sales to this event has not always been reliable. Fact checkers may like to ask the ATC about how many 'members’ pass' entitlements are given away, inflating the 'crowd' with non-paying guests of members.
The running of the Kosciuszko on Everest Day -- a race restricted to NSW Country and ACT-trained horses only -- also builds the 'crowd' bringing a rural-racing set to the big-smoke for a race that is very difficult to assess.
It would also be of interest to get some feel for the day's enjoyment as punters leave the course -- Randwick does not really cope comfortably with a 50,000 crowd.
It is always perplexing to try to understand why racing administrators emphasize on-course attendance and then go to extraordinary lengths to pull a crowd.’
CAN THE RICHEST RACE IN REGIONAL QUEENSLAND STILL BE SAVED?
PERHAPS it was a case of $750,000 THE ARCHER, the richest race in regional Queensland, trying to become too big too soon.
With the costs of competing increased for the proposed renewal of the race next April (not to mention a required three-year commitment), The Archer could only attract six of the needed 12 slot holders.
That was the real reason for the demise of The Archer which some believed was because Racing Queensland is taking control of all Amateur Clubs throughout the State.
LGHR understands a ‘tenancy’ requirement put in place by RQ has already resulted in the Cairns and Townsville Amateurs being run by the professional clubs and that the Rockhampton Jockey Club will keep the Amateur Cup Day tradition going under their license by working in association with the Central Queensland Amateur Race Club.
The ‘concerns’ raised by officials and supporters of Amateur Clubs in the country could have been avoided had Racing Queensland simply provided a Media Release explaining the situation but for some strange reason even requests for information fell on deaf ears which isn’t the organization run by CEO Jason Scott that we have become accustomed to.
From what we can ascertain the Cairns Jockey Club took over their big Amateur meeting and ran it with an Independent Sub-Committee this year. Perhaps the same occurs in Townsville, where the Amatuers were once the biggest in the country.
The Rockhampton Jockey Club will maintain Amateur Cup Day at Callaghan Park as they currently do with the former St Patrick’s Day and the Tattersall’s Clubs on an annual basis.
But because it is a ‘slot race’ The Archer is more complicated. Here’s hoping there is some way in the future of resolving its problems – perhaps the combination of a Racing Queensland prizemoney allocation and a major sponsor, like a corporate bookmaker (they have plenty).
Rockhampton isn’t Sydney and they don’t have cashed up investors prepared to take three-year slots for a $750,000 race let alone one for an absurd amount of money like $20 million.
Apart from the low uptake from past stakeholders we understand that there had been no formal commitment from the Brisbane Racing Club to agree to the winner being exempt from ballot for the Group 1 Stradbroke. (The major club has their own problems at present).
LGHR understands that the RJC has not been formally approached by the Central Queensland Amateur Race Club to take over The Archer but most believe it would be financially risky and possibly detrimental to the RJC for the major club to take on The Archer in 2025.
EVEN THE GREATEST FIGHTERS SADLY THROW IN THE TOWEL
WE never thought the day would come but GREG BLANCHARD of the GOLD COAST is sick of belting his head against a brick wall trying to entice Racing Queensland to take the necessary steps to overcome a lack of jockeys in the bush. Here’s his latest contribution:
‘I think this will be the last time I write on this important issue.
We must look to Asia as part of the solution, Oh God, how many bloody times have I said that.
I know there are track riders from Korea and Japan and no doubt other countries who, if we had a pathway for them to be jockeys, they would come.
The last Korean lad I helped get to New Zealand (there have been others before him) will be a jockey next year. These guys should have been here.
For 10 years I've been saying the same thing. I give up!’
HAVE YOUR SAY:
COST OF ATTENDING BIG RACE DAYS NOT AS HIGH AS GRAND FINALS
MARK J of SYDNEY poses an interesting question:
‘Did you know it costs $40 for a ticket to see one of the biggest race days and entertainment spectaculars at Randwick on Saturday when The Everest, worth a staggering $20 million is run?
Were you also aware that just to get through the gate on Melbourne Cup Day it is $99 (or a concession price of $74)?
When you compare the two, $40 seems a bargain – pity they couldn’t fit more people into Randwick. Interesting to see if they still get in the 100,000 range at Flemington where you are paying $99 for the privilege of losing your money.
Racing might be costly in the eyes of some but compare it to the grand finals in the AFL and NRL. The cheapest at the MCG for standing room (restricted view) is $155 and to the best Level 1 & 2 at $493. Restricted view for the NRL at Accor Stadium costs $49 with the Diamond view costing $409.
ANOTHER SATURDAY & ANOTHER FORM REVERSAL FROM WALLER
MERV the MAD PUNTER, who loves all things Melbourne racing, had a back-hander for LGHR:
‘Disappointed you didn’t make the most of an opportunity to highlight the form reversal of a Group 2 winner from the Waller stable last weekend.
SWITZERLAND grew a leg in the Roman Consul Stakes after drifting from $6 to $10 at his comeback and finishing last of nine in the Run to the Rose.
As so often happens with the Waller horses, stewards didn’t even question the major form reversal. Perhaps that was because the colt had trialled well subsequent to his comeback flop.
I had to laugh about the Waller response when asked about the improvement. Dipping deep into his basket of excuses, the ‘great one’ declared: ‘He lost his confidence last start and got too worked up before the race.’
JAY FORD’S RIDE ON SWIFTFALCON WAS NO BLAKE SHINN ON ANTON
SAM from SYDNEY wasn’t happy about the ride of JAY FORD on heavily-backed SWIFTFALCON in the G3 Gloaming Stakes:
‘I know Swiftfalcon drew awkwardly – not much different to his previous start when he won the Dulcify – but Jay Ford set him an enormous task in the Gloaming over an extra trip.
‘Even Tom Waterhouse who suggested to his punting clients that Swiftfalcon was the BET of the DAY, was far from happy about the Ford ride in his summary of the race.
As usual the weak-kneed Sydney stewards didn’t see the need to ask any questions. Their report read: SWIFFALCON: From a wide barrier was shifted behind runners in the early stages.’ Wow, it must have been afternoon tea time! ‘
GET THE POLITICIANS INVOLVED – THEY CAN SAVE THE ARCHER
OLD mate GARRY GORRIE, now based in Phuket but still a keen follower of racing in Queensland, sent these thoughts on the demise of THE ARCHER:
‘ON the eve of a State election why not ask each political party what they will do on this matter if they get into power.
The problems could be solved by a political election promise.
I believe the Townsville and Cairns Amateurs are now run by the Race Club (in those centres) because they have fallen away so much.
Or is this move (by RQ) a sneaky way of reducing the Saturday meetings for the country towns?
It’s election time – get them to alley up. You might not get a response from Racing Queensland but surely political parties have to give you an answer.’
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR MORE FROM YOU THESE DAYS ‘JASON’
WE received this anonymous tip that there have been some dramas at Racing Queensland Race Training Centre.
This email questioned: ‘Have you heard that Jill Geiblinger, who was RTO Manager, is no longer with the organization along with Gael Sparks, whose job was training and accessing.
Jill is the fifth RTO Manager to depart RQ in a decade. What is going on? Perhaps CEO Jason Scott would like to explain to the industry and the stakeholders.’
IT’S TIME FOR BRC DIRECTORS TO ANSWER CONTENTIOUS QUESTIONS
THERE’S only one way for Chairman Neville Bell and his directors to lift the dark clouds hanging over the Brisbane Racing Club and that is to properly answer a series of contentious questions set to be asked at Wednesday’s annual general meeting.
There is much concern among members but sadly some feel too intimidated to speak publicly on what they have been saying privately for months. We are assured that one man, Wally Gleeson, the father of Simon, the popular director who resigned in controversial circumstances, won’t be silenced.
It will be easy to blame Wally’s anger on what has happened to his son – who didn’t resign for the reasons being claimed – but would rather remain silent than see the major racing club he served suffer any bad publicity.
Thankfully, Wally lives in a different racing world to Simon, one where what has happened to his son will not be tolerated. And he is determined to ask the awkward questions even if they attract dodgy answers.
Members of the State’s leading club and the racing public are entitled to know:
Whether Simon Gleeson left because he dared to ask some questions that fellow directors didn’t want to answer?
Why former CEO Tony Partridge resigned abruptly in July and why a ‘wall of silence’, has been erected around a letter to the BRC explaining his reasons?
Who are the directors that own one or more apartments in the luxury Ascot Green Complex, how much they paid for these and if any discounts were offered?
LGHR has been bagged behind the scenes for daring to have an agenda on this. Sorry BRC but this is a matter of public interest and someone has to ask the questions when the ethics of some of your racing 'media mates' can be easily challenged on this issue. What does occur at those fireside chats in the Director's Room over an ale or two after the last?
Over the years we have seen a series of Murdoch Media sports and racing personnel employed by the BRC. The support shown for the old QTC and BRC by Bart Sinclair when he was Racing Editor of The Courier-Mail was, in the opinion of many, above and beyond.
In the interests of honest journalism, LGHR challenges the duo seen to be closest to the BRC, David Fowler and Ben Dorries, to do the right thing by Members of the club, the racing public and industry stakeholders by covering this AGM objectively, especially the ‘question and answer’ session. If Dorries can’t do it, then Trenton Akers is the hope of the side. If we were to publish some of the emails received on this matter concerning Fowler, his feathers would certainly be ruffled.
One thing is for sure – if this is not covered properly in the mainstream racing media – LGHR will make every effort to eventually provide the answers to the awkward questions that will be asked.
LNP NEEDS TO GIVE THOSE NOW RUNNING QRIC CHANCE TO RE-FLOAT THE SHIPWRECK LEFT BY LABOR & ITS USELESS COMMISSIONER
THE ‘comprehensive review of racing’ promised by the LNP when they win Government will only work if the right people conduct it.
None of these inquiries or reviews in the past – with the possible exception of the live baiting one – have worked because some of the ‘political mates’ appointed to conduct same by either side of Government have been provided with ‘an agenda’.
Tim Mander, Shadow Racing Minister and MP the industry wants if the LNP refuses to give the portfolio to Ray Stevens (the politician who has forgotten more about the three codes than most of his colleagues could hope to learn), claims:
‘Labor has treated the racing industry with contempt, and it has bred a feeling of distrust, the months of silence are eroding confidence. The review will set the record straight and give the racing industry confidence to thrive into the future.’
Long before Tim was making his mark as a rugby league referee, the LNP had a rotten record when it came to racing integrity. Someone should remind him of the bad old days when ‘Big Russ’ was loved for handing out millions, especially to harness racing, but had a deplorable record when it came to integrity with his ‘my way or the highway attitude’.
Mander should sit down and have a chat with one of the current QRIC stewards, John Cremin, at one time employed by the Hinze private trainer in harness racing, Darrell Alexander and ask about the time he won on a stablemate of a pacer backed by the ‘big fella’ only to be ‘king hit’ a couple of nights later by the trainer in Silks Restaurant at Albion Park. John’s father, Neil, who owned the great pacer Peter Profit, said at the time he was told by stewards that although this happened at a racing venue, he should take the matter up with the police – by the way ‘Big Russ’ was Police Minister at the time.
What needs to be remembered is that almost every major controversy in racing in Queensland has occurred under an LNP Government – the list when Hinze was Minister is endless. Who can forget the Fine Cotton Ring-In, the Caffeine Crisis which destroyed the careers of so many respected trainers and the greyhound live-baiting expose which saw an entire Board removed after their CEO was thrown under the bus in the hope he would be the sole scapegoat.
Fast forward to the present time and the appointment of the greatest disaster racing in Queensland has arguably seen can be mainly blamed on current Labor Minister Grace Grace. QRIC Commissioner Shane Gillard etched his name in Queensland racing history by becoming the first leader of the Integrity arm to record a seven-figure annual loss in a financial year. Grace continued to support his appointment before the bloke finally did the industry a favour and fell on his sword.
The blow-out in expenditure can be blamed largely on two areas: Fighting court cases QRIC found they couldn’t win and additional staff costs (the new team that inherited this mess also have to deal with some of the high profile stewards who were appointed by Gillard to jobs that he protected). Many believe the current Chief Steward at the Gallops, Josh Adams, should not survive. At least two of his colleagues in the country are regarded as 'idiots' by trainers and jockeys.
Rumours are circulating that when the LNP wins Government one of those being strongly considered for the job will be a former Chief Steward in Queensland Allan Reardon who was sacked by the Bentley Board then returned to take the job later on when Terry Bailey should have got it but the Board Chairman of the day listened to advice from a media mate who had a history of running bets and messages from the jockeys' room to the betting ring under the noses of the stewards. The story goes that ‘since he started driving Miss Daisy’, Reardon has a leg-up with the LNP and will be in strong contention to return to the QRIC fold. Time will tell!
In releasing their racing policy, the LNP declared country racing the lifeblood of the sport (don't know how it would survive without the metropolitan area being strong) and committed to properly funding it to ‘ensure its long-term viability.’ Will that occur in time to save provincial Queensland’s richest race, The Archer, dumped next year because it was struggling to attract slot-holders? Very unlikely!
‘The LNP will deliver a comprehensive, independent review of Queensland's racing industry, to safeguard the financial sustainability and integrity of the sector and ensure Queensland has modern, fit for purpose infrastructure,’ Mander said.
‘Despite the best efforts of those at grassroots level, it is evident there are systemic issues which are impeding the good functioning of the industry and must be weeded-out. The LNP has been listening to industry stakeholders and if elected, will deliver the sweeping review required to expose reform that's needed.
‘Country racing plays an integral role in the racing industry and is lifeblood of many rural communities. The review will assess the current status of country racing to ensure its long-term viability.’
IT would seem after reading the LNP Racing Policy that – at least in the early days of the new Government – they plan to give the ‘new team’ running QRIC the chance to re-float the shipwreck they inherited. Any move back to stewards being employed and controlled by a Control Board would ruin the ‘separation of powers’ that is needed to give punters and the racing public any trust in integrity of the three codes.
We had planned to write an article on what will happen with QRIC but our colleague ARCHIE BUTTERFLY has done a better job than we could hope to and we are sure won’t mind us republishing his story today from the subscriber-only website, www.peterprofit.com which reads:
THE LNP long spruiked their intention to close down the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) when they inevitably come to power at the end of the month appears to have all but vanished in the haze, with the Government-in-Waiting seemingly abandoning their plan behind the cover of one of those ‘comprehensive reviews’ that politicians call when they don’t want to act.
Racing has slipped well down the order of importance for the in-coming Government, with not a word breathed about it in the first 100-day plan released by the LNP last weekend, and no commitment to abolishing the QRIC in the Party’s racing plan a few days before.
It seems that they have finally woken up and realized that it’s not as simple as turning off the lights and locking the doors on the Integrity Commission.
First they have to find alternate jobs or pay redundancies to QRIC’s 276 staff, 65 per cent of whom are permanent employees.
Next they have to pay out the three-year contracts of the Commissioner, her Deputy and the senior executive team.
After that they have to pay $7.3 million that QRIC has contractually committed to for things like the Racing Science Centre, car leases and other expenses agree to in advance.
Of course they need something to replace the QRIC with, an exercise that requires far more than a few fluffy words on a pre-election paper.
IT NEEDS A PLAN – AND THE LNP DON’T HAVE ONE!
Then last but not least it requires a major law change, the abolition of the Racing Integrity Act and wholesale amendments to the Racing Act, a process that would take six months or a year.
Let’s be honest.
Taking all these things and more into account, there is simply no way that the LNP are going to shut the QRIC down.
It’s just not worth the time, trouble and expense to them, when they have far more important and worthwhile things to do.
Despite doing its arse this year and recording a $7.3 million loss, the hot air has all blown away.
The QRIC is saved – don’t you worry about that.
‘JOHN THE FIREMAN’ WRITES A ‘DEAR JASON’ LETTER ON NEEDS OF RQ
JOHN HANCOX, better known as ‘JOHN THE FIREMAN,’ a frequent contributor to LGHR, has allowed us to publish this letter he wrote to Racing Queensland CEO JASON SCOTT but as yet has not received even acknowledgement that it was received:
I have decided to write directly to you as I can’t see myself getting any opportunity to talk to you any time soon or through consultation groups.
I have listened at length to current dialogue around the industry your many interviews and RQ up-dates which have really left me with more questions than answers, hence this email as a start to try and get answers concerning the current and future picture for all three codes of the industry.
My name is John Hancox, 61, and I have been involved with horse racing most of my adult life as it has become a passion I inherited from my family of hobby owners and punters when I was growing up. I have been involved in all three codes at different stages of my life but now mostly with Harness and Gallopers (managing syndicates).
I believe you inherited a lot of the issues and were handed a house of cards ready to fall when the previous CEO, Brendan Parnell, moved on but now it’s up to you to fix things. Decisions of the past are now starting to bite hard into our industry. Many we can’t change and have to learn to live with or be prepared to adapt and do things differently. ‘Change’, in my experience, is a hard sell but most people will listen when it is presented properly, particularly with different options.
A little relevant history from me starts with the TAB being sold and split and what it has caused that probably wasn’t thought through properly at the time. Hospital funding was lost through the Golden Casket. TAB agencies, PubTABs and Casinos have basically destroyed on-course betting and race-day crowds outside of carnival times. Add the digital takeover which was fast-tracked during COVID and we have a new landscape to deal with.
Also there is, in my opinion, some short-sightedness and lack of acknowledgement that the two minor codes that the two minor codes had exclusive night programming until thoroughbreds started to encroach with night racing. This has had an obvious effect on turnover and crowds like other sport options that weren’t previously available.
Governments and POC (Point of Consumption Tax) have taken income stream down an unfamiliar path and navigating this was always going to be a huge challenge as I don’t see any guarantees or minimum income which the TAB deal did provide until it went pear shape.
My belief is that around 80% of POC provides 45% extra funding outside the 35% that Brendan Parnell had already done a deal for RQ on to try and cover the Government-funded packages that were all starting to come to an end. The obvious one being the country racing package and add that the TAB ‘minimum’ deal coming to an end with income below that previously guaranteed. What does the 45% POC bring to the table? The ‘kicker’ was supposed to pick up sports betting in the deal. Does it even go close to what industry funds need to be? I believe most in the industry got sucked into this 80% figure and didn’t really know the background funding that existed for the industry.
Where has the COVID windfall gone?
Where has the out-of-court settlement money from TAB gone?
What governance does RQ have in place so we don’t go down the same road as HRV (Harness Racing Victoria) and the previous RQ industry debt of $28 million?
Are we already headed down this path of debt?
For what it’s worth here are my views on current and future issues that need fixing ASAP.
The TAB needs a massive overhaul (maybe sold) and a National tote is a massive part of the way forward. The pari-mutuel system in this country needs fixing and would hopefully once again be a windfall for the TAB and the industry.
With a new boss at the TAB, the time is right for all state racing CEO’s to have a serious discussion on the issue. The TAB would win back many punters s if it returned to something like old school style betting for the punter. Remember we once got the odds and stake, plus a quarter for place bets. Bonuses etc and other gimmicks (becoming more like poker machines) aren’t required and I have said this at many betting focus group forums. If I’m not backing winners these are useless. Corporates are here to stay and have a place if you are looking at competition being part of the betting landscape, but the numbers are far too high and need to be limited. By doing so you’re giving everyone a decent piece of the pie and how they grow that piece may be of benefit to the punter/owner and WPS. Where does the data come from that the punting dollar will continue to grow? When we know that younger generations aren’t anywhere as attached to racing as previous generations with so many other options available to them that didn’t exist in the past.
Surely the WPS can provide data through the digital networks/APPS on how the betting landscape currently stands and what are the trends showing. Venues and the extra offers don’t seem to be encouraging people out of their homes to bet at “brick and mortar” places. It definitely isn’t a situation of build it and they will come at racetracks. I would think racetracks going forward should have minimum public/members’ facilities on the finish line, with a pop-up facility plan for carnival and big race days as a good approach. An interesting question for RQ is why do other live sports like football and cricket etc still get crowds to their stadiums with other viewing options available? Yet racing is struggling.
This leads into CAPEX and Infrastructure: My main concern is when will infrastructure get to a completed stage and get to a maintenance only and then “End of Life” replacement program? What is the process for current Capex funding going forward?
QRIC and Industry Consultation: Hopefully QRIC remains as is and new leadership creates an organization that serves the industry to world best practices and instills confidence in our product. Should the industry be paying rent for offices when race clubs have space to set QRIC up? The two main industry forums appear to be each codes advisory committee and QRIC stakeholder group which the “Terms of Reference” really only creating an information forum. Surely if minutes can’t be released the action items sheet could be published so industry people can have an idea on what is progressing and actually being discussed? The same can be said around sub-committees.
Prizemoney: It’s terrific that RQ has been able to maintain current levels. Going forward though what will be the process around increases for grassroots racing and as funds become available what areas have been identified for increases? Surely there is no justification to continue to raise features and these slot races money when the increase isn’t creating better fields or greater turnover for industry. A basic percentage increase needs to be applied as we ALL face the same cost increases. A further increase to certain areas needs to be applied to create greater viability. Transparency around why things are done would be helpful.
I believe Queensland racing needs to create a “Fit for Purpose” model for the industry and ALL three codes. To achieve this, the minor codes can be addressed individually. But the Queensland gallops need to be looked at by the regions, as an all of industry approach will be too hard to achieve agreement and the issues do differ. Also ownership of the decisions and change can be seen easier by each region. There was a Deloittes Report done probably a decade ago that RQ should get some information from around issues they identified. Does the industry need to be racing as much? Surely we aren’t that desperate for turnover and is a small down period not good for industry staff and welfare? The punter will still spend just at different times; also not all codes will possibly be out at the same times or period.
Additional income outside of racing is a must these days by using all land available or on course facilities. Offsite opportunities like the BRC have is good diversity.
SUMMARY OF RELEVANT POINTS
GREYHOUNDS: Overall they are travelling well and are lucky to be getting the new Q facility which somewhat compensates for the loss of the Gold Coast track and acknowledges the code with a first class racing facility. Welfare needs to remain a focus as does rehoming. The code has downsized as much as possible in line with a once RQ strategy. Having its own standalone metro track again can only help the code going forward.
HARNESS: Is finally close to seeing some certainty around the code’s race tracks situation. What has happened with the ‘Three Track Review’ that was earmarked for discussion some time ago? Does this Review address infrastructure, particularly Albion Park’s short and long-term plans. Is there any chance in the short term that a new finish line grandstand will be built? If not, what is planned? What were the outcomes of the high level Review that was apparently undertaken by RQ? The Government may say Albion Park is a RQ asset but it has had little money spent on it, mainly due to continued uncertainty around the facility. Hopefully now that has changed the position concerning expenditure on the site will as well. Both horse codes require a state of the art training facility and general stabling to future proof their growth. What is the current and future situation around this issue? The only close land previously identified was a motor bike (Mick Doohan) track at Nudgee/Banyo and the Entertainment Centre. Both sites sit between two race tracks. Surely RQ should look at why harness racing is not popular with the punter, work on its image and through the WPS get them to survey the punter with a series of questions. I’m on TAB and Ladbroke forums and have never seen anything come through. At face to face forums I ask younger punters why they prefer to bet mainly on sport and when and why they go to the races. It provides some interesting answers. Syndicates need a greater focus and achieving some results would be good. We need more than water bottles and caps with slogans, ‘Owners Make Racing’. Surely through COVID RQ learnt that owners and punters fund this industry. I had owners with no jobs (in syndicates) still finding money to pay horse bills and yet they had little direct involvement with their horses for a very long time. Owners advise of starting and results emails have been well received. My owners continue to go to the races to watch their horses but outside of those times don’t need to go to a racetrack as vision of races is available at home. Also owners and punters are the only group that is totally dependent on results; everyone else is going to receive wages. Qbred is a good scheme and hopefully continues to improve. I do have a question for you though around the $2,000 offered for yearlings sold over $7,500. When you signed off on this ‘what did success look like’ as I really can’t see it having any effect on buyers. I believe buy-backs remain the main issue for buyers at the yearling sales. Having a standalone Metro track gives the code far more flexibility with programming and is long overdue. A ratings system and viability still needs a good review and solutions found. The two minor codes need to investigate the viability of having their own stand-alone channel to broadcast the product as thoroughbred racing coverage remains the priority and this has to have some effect on turnover?
THOROUGHBREDS: There is a desperate need for a state of the art training facility with stabling to future proof the industry. Hopefully Deagon and other tracks can provide what is necessary. QTIS needs a good overhaul. Why and what was achieved by removing nomination payments? Going forward owners should be able to nominate their horses for 2yo/3yo or 3yo/4yo bonus racing. This would help a lot around viability and welfare. It would provide late maturing horses/stayers a chance to develop or horses with minor issues time before being pushed to race. We need something like the two minor codes have that gives older horses a chance to keep racing and remain viable. This helps the rehoming program as well. Viability outside of SE Queensland needs to be addressed. Tracks are hopefully getting closer to being a topic that doesn’t continue to hurt the industry. As an owner we don’t need the vet bills for sore eyes or jarred up horses and the punter wants fair racing to bet with some confidence. Eagle Farm track has been very lucky around rainfall in recent times but how does the track cope in an extended dry spell and is there going to be an added cost for industry for track water? There is a major problem with shortage of jockeys and work riders, particularly outside of SE Queensland. What are the short and long term fixes? I know first-hand if the FIFO jockeys didn’t stay after race meetings my horses would struggle to get trialed and educated. Owners continue to wear the increased costs. Better programming has to be part of the answer, also a willingness to use public holidays and to race on Fridays and Sundays which stops the overloading of the Saturday. Splitting the public holiday to a half day would give some clubs the opportunity of further meetings.
In conclusion, I know I have covered a lot of issues. I am happy to clarify any points raised further or to meet to discuss them.
EDITOR’S NOTE: No-one doubts that the time of the RQ CEO is previous. But Jason Scott has shown he is prepared to listen and it’s people like ‘John the Fireman’ that RQ should find the time to listen to.
‘IS THIS CURTAINS FOR THE ROCKY AMATEURS & THE ARCHER – PLEASE EXPLAIN RQ WHAT ALSO HAPPENS TO CAIRNS & TOWNSVILLE?
REPUBLISHED courtesy of TONY McMAHON & the MORNING BULLETIN in ROCKHAMPTON:
ROCKY Amateurs chairman Bill Reid says he is ‘gutted and shocked’ that a directive from Racing Queensland not to relicense ‘tenant’ race clubs from 2026 will bring about the demise of the Rockhampton’s signature race The Archer.
The Weight-For-Age The Archer (1300m), instigated in 2022 with a $440,000 prize money attachment rising to $775,000 last year and was set to become Rockhampton racing’s first $1mn race next April.
As regional Queensland’s richest race, the 2025 version of The Archer was to carry a winner’s exclusivity clause of automatic entry into the field for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane next winter.
With such an enticement, it was to expected draw some of Australia’s top sprinters to Callaghan Park racecourse and eclipse the magnificent successes of its previous two editions.
However, according to Bill Reid that will not be happening as a result of RQ’s directive. “To say our club is very upset is an understatement. Truly we are shocked. The massive commitment and untold hours and hours of work from voluntary club members and committee to get The Archer up and running in the first place and for this to happen makes no sense to us.
“The Archer has been a magnificent success story and next year would have been even bigger. Why aren’t RQ supporting a success story and pulling the rug from under us? There are a lot of horror stories in racing but The Archer was a great news story for racing not only in Rockhampton but nationally,’’ Reid said.
The revamped Rocky Amateurs, formerly the Central Queensland Amateur Race Club has been racing at Callaghan Park racecourse, on a rental arrangement from the Rockhampton Jockey Club since 1921.
Currently a tenant of Callaghan Park racecourse owners, the RJC, the Rocky Amateurs pays a sizeable but undisclosed sum to rent the racecourse for its annual one day racing extravaganza.
As a ‘slot race’ the majority of its prizemoney is funded through slot holders who pay significant amounts based on a three-year term to own a piece of the race.
In turn, owners of the higher echelon of sprinters anxious to have representation in The Archer negotiate and come to a financial arrangement with individual slot-holders to share prize money won.
Since its inception, it has been a win-win arrangement for Central Queensland racing stakeholders. All three The Archer winners to date, Emerald kingdom, Alpine Edge and Namazu carried either CQ ownership or represented slot holders from that region.
Better still from a financial reward for local racing stakeholders, Rockhampton jockey Ash Butler won on both Emerald Kingdom and Callaghan Park trainer Ricky Vale’s Namazu.
As well The Archer, has lured multiple Melbourne Cup and GR 1 jockeys, trainers to ply their craft at Callaghan Park while attracting the biggest attendances at the racecourse each year.
Bill Reid said it was not feasible for the Rocky Amateurs to go ahead and run The Archer in 2025. “With RQ directing they will not relicense us after that year there is no future for the club or the slot-holders. It’s that simple”, he mused.
Rocky Amateurs committeeman Tony Fenlon agreed saying it would be a “totally unfair arrangement for slot-holders, club sponsors and stakeholders to proceed with no assurance after next year (2025).”
“I attended a meeting in Rocky last Friday week along with other members of our committee and RQ CEO Jason Scott and Melinda Martin (Chief Operating Officer). I can categorically say they told us there is a change in policy regarding ‘tenant’ race clubs that don’t have facilities.
“They said that such clubs like the Rocky Amateurs will not have licenses reissued in 2026. In other words, our club will not be relicensed beyond 2025. Therefore there will not be another running of The Archer under that edict hanging over the club.
“What concerns me is what will become of the prize money offered for the other races that day (an estimated $250,000). Will it stay local? It just doesn’t make any sense,” a dejected Fenlon said.
“We simply don’t understand RQ’s new policy whereby ‘tenant’ race clubs announced at a meeting held in Rockhampton between senior officials from both organizations recently.
This writer contacted Racing Queensland seeking a comment on the issue. It responded by text: “RQ has no formal comment to make on that”, spokesman Andrew Adermann said.
It will be a matter of interest if Brisbane’s Tattersalls Racing Club, a tenant of the Brisbane Racing Club which conducts four race meetings annually and a Group 1 race is applicable to the RQ ruling affecting the Rocky Amateurs.
CONFUSING STABLEMATES WITH SAME COLORS CALLER’S NIGHTMARE
EAGLE-EYED punters are claiming that Terry Bailey called an extra race on the card at Mornington on Thursday – the last of eight on two occasions – once live and again off the replay to correct a mistake.
LGHR did not see the race in question where Glen’s Top Hat beat In Your Hands in a close finish but after a retired mate called to tell him ‘TB’s ballsed another one up’, watched a replay to discover Bailed had mistaken In Your Hands for Stellar Style.
Low and behold, a few hours later when we decided to watch a replay of the entire Mornington card it was discovered that there was no sign of the mistake and In Your Hands was correctly called from start to finish.
It prompted a couple of emails from readers:
SAM J of SEYMOUR wrote: ‘My mates and I were at the pub having a few bets late in the day when the one we were on in the last (In Yours Hands) wasn’t called the entire race by Terry Bailey. After it fought out the finish we soon discovered the mistake.
‘I was taking to another mate on the phone soon after and had a bit of a laugh about it. He called back a couple of hours later and said I must have been pissed or dreaming that no such mistake had occurred.
‘When I went on to the replays on Racing.com I discovered the original call had been changed. How was that able to happen?’
MARK R of MELBOURNE sent this message for another of our contributors COL D of TOWNSVILLE:
‘I’ve been waiting for TB to make another mistake in his calls and it didn’t take long. He got the favourite mixed up with another runner in the last at Mornington today.
I kept a copy of what you published at the time which read: ‘Col is not a fan of Victorian race-caller Matt Hill and was quick to highlight: ‘The golden boy made a major stuff-up with the Moir. Not so much getting the photo wrong but calling the 3rd placegetter as 6th or 7th. In contrast the much-maligned Terry Bailey got an extremely tight one right with Berkeley Square.’
All I can say old mate Col you must have been spending too much time in that North Queensland sun. Bailey would make more mistakes in a week that Hill does every year. When it comes to callers there is no comparison. Today’s call of the last was just another example. I’m told TB has a passion for training greyhounds. He should take that up permanently.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Terry Bailey was a victim of what has become known as the ‘caller’s nightmare’. It occurs when broadcasters have a stablemate from the previous race which carried the same colors firmly fixed in their memory bank. This was what happened at Mornington. Stellar Style, a despised outsider from the Andrea Leak stable, started in Race 7. Stablemate In Your Hands carried the same set of colors in the eighth, the difference being it raced more prominently and fought out the finish. Had it been a backmarker or an outsider, chances are the mistake would have gone unnoticed. TB won’t be the first or last caller to confuse two stablemates racing on the same day in the same colors.
I have known Terry Bailey since he was calling at the Gold Coast many decades ago. Not only is TB a good bloke but he’s a great broadcaster. He went within a whisker of getting the job when Greg Miles retired. We all make mistakes, especially as we get older but few of us are in the public spotlight. It seems once he realised what had happened in the call at Mornington, Terry moved to correct the situation and did an immediate re-record off the video. It was his way of apologising by ensuring the right horse was called for those watching the replay, including connections.
Much of the criticism of TB flows from his ‘shoot from the hip’ attitude when it comes to controversial matters in racing. As far as I’m concerned he can call until he’s 100 and he would never be half as bad as a couple of old callers they refuse to pension off in the country area of NSW.
ARE THESE REFORMS NEEDED IN AUSTRALIAN RACING INDUSTRY?
WE’RE changing the pace from Queensland issues today and publishing this thought-provoking piece from Sydneysider PETER MAIR, a regular contributor to LGHR.
Entitled RACING OUT OF CONTROL – 25 YEARS ON it aims at sharpening the focus about needed reforms to the racing industry nationally.
Peter maintains the Australian racing industry has problems looming -- mainly about funding and governance. He says a racing industry with 'not enough money' to meet promised payouts will require change to the business model. A different business model will similarly require change to the composition of both administrative boards and racing club management.
The politics to be played out across the states is the wild card. Seat belts on.
RACING OUT OF CONTROL – 25 YEARS ON
A WARNING FOR GENTLE READERS: As decades before, much of what follows will, quite fairly be considered offensive by many racing industry supporters and participants, especially to participants financially dependent on present industry entitlements to funding distributed at the discretion of administrators. My intention here is to be frankly candid about the problems and helpful as to what might best be done. Such candour, while necessary, will offend the sensibilities of those benefiting from current arrangements. Perhaps those, however so fairly feeling offended, will be open to considering a more objective perspective. Economists can be heartless people, best ignored – even so well overdue reform may now be unavoidable.]
THE GENERAL CONTEXT
THE administration of racing in Australia is out of control – now even more so than it was circa 2000 when propositions akin to the following were first floated.
Funding pressures are bringing unrest to the industry. The likely implications for some stakeholder groups are unsettling. The unrest will spill over into the political arena – the buck-passing will be contentious. Media coverage will be managed to confuse the blame-game – a ploy that risks emphasising roles played by key individuals while avoiding exposure of systemic flaws in the racing business model.
One important difference now sees the political planets better aligned to allow needed reform. In NSW and Victoria, if not nationally, current state governments confidently enjoy comfortable ruling majorities not threatened by the loss of a couple of 'rural racing electorates'.
The management of the Australian racing industry has, for some decades, been akin to a Ponzi scheme. Automatic entitlements to ever more lavish funding, to meet ever more generous promises, pander to an industry misled by an illusion of boundless prosperity. It now seems the game is up – the money is not there to pay what was promised. There will be an adjustment.
Sadly the Ponzi-style promises made were mainly to those involved in provincial and country racing. This assessment may be wrong but it looks like too much 'rural racing' is not being run on terms anywhere close to 'commercial viability'. Put differently, rural racing does not attract sufficient betting turnover from the turnover 'tax take' to cover costs, especially ever more inflated prize money. Saturday-racing, city-money, is being used to subsidise rural racing – deployments said to be “in the interests of the racing industry as a whole”, or perhaps not.
What is somewhat astonishing is racing administrators routinely parading, as a virtue, the ever more disproportionate allocation of funds for rural racing. What has long looked like a no-brainer – reining back the rural largesse – the apparent dead-loss running of rural racing has apparently only become more so.
One might ask 'why is it so'? Looking for beneficiaries opens a Pandora’s box.
The breeders and owners of 'slow horses' benefit from enhanced opportunities to off-load tried-horses to rural racing interests, at prices inflated by the promise of higher prize-money.
Residents in 'racing electorates' benefit from the money washed through rural racing businesses. Employment for workers, often displaced from family-farms, is a real enough benefit. Similarly, but not quite so real enough, other industry locals benefit from the sale of provisions and related services of vets and farriers. And there are secondary flow-on benefits to wider rural communities as the racing-money circulates.
One question, left hanging, is why rural racing interests are used as the vehicle delivering financial support to rural communities.
One answer, sadly, is that providing this 'support' is a deception not properly accounted for. The 'support' is not subject to clean budget appropriations. The flow of money to racing administrators, and on to rural racing interests, is a consequence of the automatic entitlements the racing industry has, 'off-budget', to a share of the the 'tax take' from betting turnover. Put sharply, from the proper perspective of the general community, this off-budget money is 'dirty money'.
The sadness gets more telling. The spending of the 'dirty money' – at the discretion of racing administrators – is not properly accounted for against any reasonable test of stand-alone commercial viability. All up, this is not right – it is clearly wrong.
So, who fairly benefits from giving the racing industry automatic entitlements to funds? The short answer, being 'no one' fairly benefits but the wider community is unfairly disadvantaged. This shifts the focus to 'how did this unfairness get locked-in?' This question is unanswerable beyond perhaps seeming like a good idea at the time before degenerating into the problem now unfolding – at bit like Topsy said: "I s'pect I just growed. Don't think nobody never made me."
Whatever – what should never have happened should now stop, now be unmade.
WEAVING THE TANGLED WEB
RURAL racing is an obvious focal point when looking for explanations of why these things happened wrongly. From the mouths of administrators to this day, proud claims of 'fostering rural racing' are open confirmations of making such discretionary decisions. Decisions first made without proper accountability for commercial soundness – and then, as the loss-making commercial consequences became clear, digging the hole deeper.
What is the mindset behind these decisions? Is the mindset in control more in the domain of politicians and less in the hands of compliant administrators only nominally responsible? Best to keep an open mind: the two minds seem similarly set. Surely politicians and administrators have both had unique opportunities to do it or to stop it. Neither stopped it.
Whatever the complexities of responsibility, industry funding arrangements have been distorted beyond reason in the pursuit of more-money for racing. The more-money needed to meet inflated prize-money promises, also made beyond reason. The litany of 'more money for rural racing' is not matched by any disciplines conducive to fair trading and commercial viability.
One may well ask why punters keep putting up the money when their chances of winning are so diminished. Why punters are betting less is not clear. Those wanting to understand problem gambling have work to do – not least in Victoria where the cultural attachment to racing gambling remains deeply embedded. Administrators exploit the attachment.
Consider:
- THE current game of brinkmanship where the cards in play involve the sale of racetracks, including Rosehill and Sandown (and Canterbury). On the face of it these proposals are about creating a capital investment fund (of $billions) and using the earnings to pay-up on the prize-money promises made – mainly for rural racing. Behind the bold face it looks like administrators are betting that politicians, fearful of rural backlash, will either facilitate the sales or otherwise provide needed funds from other sources. Not a good bet at all, as things are unfolding
APPARENTLY inexorable increases in the 'tax-take' from punters pockets via additional levies on the turnover of betting service providers. Levies on turnover for using race-fields and, now, rising point-of-consumption tax-takes on betting turnover (changes which shift funds and power to administrators from race clubs). Such greed could kill the golden goose – the most punter set – now on a list of endangered species, along with racing itself;
* THE introduction of ninth and now tenth races on Saturdays to attract sucker-bet turnover on low-grade events prone to rough results – many of which races are aimed at giving rural-racing interests, and their entourages, a name-dropping day-at-headquarters;
* THE unfair inflation of race fields generally with 'no-hopers' and 'track-trialers hoping to hang on for generous prize-money paid down to tenth place. This inflated-field policy may boost turnover and tax-takes but it compromises the fair running of races congested with runners only likely to impede the chances of the runners there to win – races conducive to 'rough results'; and
* EVEN worse, and way beyond expectations, have been frenemy relationships that flowed from combining administrators' inflated fields, prone to rough results, with off-course, fixed-odds bookmaking with a liking for rough results. Talk about a match made in hell, this has been one for the ages. Discarded by these peace-in-our-time treaties have been the old TAB allies offering 'tote betting' with capped tax-takes from tote pools. In the new deal there are no caps on the 'take' from punters pockets – excessive when results are 'rough' and bolstered by bans on punters likely to win while encouraging known-loser customers.
PUBLIC POLICY RESPONSES
ALL bets are 'on' about the way walking on a political minefield will determine outcomes.
There will eventually be a consensus across the states that should rule out some inclinations. Ideally our national government would convene an inquiry to both expose flaws in the current business model nationally ahead of fostering a more sustainable framework for the conduct of the racing industry, nationally. Alas our national government seems not inclined to do much of consequence and solving states' problems with racing may not be on the list.
– Annual and open applications for budget funding
One essential public policy response would see state governments put processes in train to withdraw any automatic entitlements that racing industry administrators presently have to a fixed share of the tax-take from racing betting turnover. There should be no automatic, ear-marked connection between a tax-taken and how it is spent.
However, such ear-marking of the racing tax-take apparently 'just happened', it was wrong to start with and it has got progressively more so. Governments are not only entitled to tax gambling, they must – and the tax-take should be the maximum consistent with the long term viability of the gambling medium.
Never forget that the tax-take from racing gambling is taken at the point of a legislative gun and, as such, it should first be paid into consolidated revenue ahead of a largely separate decision on the nature and extent of any annual disbursement from the budget to fund racing.
The 'how much' and 'for what' that would be allocated as funds to racing administrators would depend, as it always should, on racing administrators making soundly-based, published annual applications for funds for racing from state budgets.
Racing needs to be administered and funded as a business – as is, it is funded as if it were a deserving charity – and the funds disbursed are seemingly at the discretion of administrators in thrall to political and rural racing interests clamouring for more money (and, possibly, more votes).
Apparently the ACT Government has taken this suggested 'radical' course in the wake of the point-of-consumption tax innovation. Bets placed nationally by well-heeled punters in the ACT would deliver much more in POC taxes than it would be sensible to link to funding ACT racing. Other state governments need to understand the sense of disconnecting the tax-take from racing gambling from ear-marked funds flowing automatically to racing administrators – and inexplicably on to rural racing prize-money.
One reform to be negotiated and addressed in short order would correct 'greed-based' policies of administrators that have so devalued the presentation of racing product on fair terms. Punters and owners and others suffering the consequences of too-high tax-takes and contrived 'rough result' racing all deserve better – a simple commitment to 'fair racing' is hardly too much to ask.
Much as many are keen supporters of racing gambling as entertainment and participants are dependent on the industry, the present deal is just not on. 'The many' are some 10% only of the adult population (mainly males) betting regularly. The 'dependent participants', of the order of 150,000 nationally, are presumably open to other work in a tight labour market.
In short, on the public policy front, a very short tail should not be wagging a national dog.
Nor should the policy makers take much notice of exaggerated claims of the contribution racing makes to state and regional economies – if there were no racing, those resources would be deployed elsewhere, and very possibly making a more valuable contribution in many areas.
In short, after an adjustment, there are alternative roles for rural racing industry assets and participants.
– Not just “an adjustment”
The implications of reforming the rural racing industry cannot and should not be simply dismissed as 'an adjustment'.
Simple fairness demands that any 'an adjustment' be carefully considered and phased to manage the burdens placed on everyone involved – cash grants to encourage the withdrawal of redundant resources may have a role to play.
Whatever the costs of adjustment, deemed to be reasonably compensated, accumulating the costs in a capital account could be a liability of the industry to be recovered from future tax-takes from racing gambling – a sensible enough option that would be a cosmetic ploy giving the appearance of fair-play and political acceptability.
In short, prize-money promises about to be reneged demand both advance notice and commitments for compensation to be paid. To whom and how much and from where are issues to be settled.
By way of clearing the decks of affronts to sound public policy, a couple of options should be ruled out. Selling tracks to create capital funds using earnings to pay current expenses is one – ultimately governments could reduce automatic entitlements to a share of racing-gambling turnover. Nor should governments give in to vote-mail by racing interests withdrawing electoral support unless rural racing is protected on current terms – state politicians of both stripes are likely more open now to a common-sense consensus for funding racing.
In short, interests associated with racing do not call the shots – they also serve at the Governor’s pleasure.
In conclusion
DO not shoot the messenger – someone needs to speak up.
It should not have been necessary to so speak up – funding problems should have been recognised and corrected not exacerbated. The responsibility of others to speak up now should not have been avoided – a blame-game now will not save a flawed business model.
The racing industry has a funding problem rooted in promises to pay too much to too many. The tax-take from punters pockets has been screwed so tight that relief for punters is more appropriate than demanding more from them.
Cutting costs and payouts to participants will be a bitter political pill to digest.
Finally – the greed driven policies introduced to deceive punters would best be reversed to restore fair play.
IS RACING QUEENSLAND PLANNING A TAKEOVER OF AMATEUR CLUBS?
THIS is a story that LGHR can’t believe has any legs but we keep hearing it from people in the industry who should know. Perhaps there's a method in the perceived madness of the rocket-scientists.
It suggests that Racing Queensland is about to take control of all Amateur Clubs throughout the State which has the alarm bells ringing.
Concerned officials say such a controversial move would affect the future of time-honored drawcards like the Cairns Amateurs, Townsville Amateurs and Rockhampton Amateurs not to mention the flow-on damage suffered by smaller Amateur Clubs that have proved popular for decades.
There has already been a suggestion that The Archer, the richest race in regional Queensland, will not be run in Rockhampton next year. The $750,000 ‘slot race’ provides automatic entry into the Stradbroke Handicap.
As one high profile racing official from Central Queensland told LGHR, ‘This is a political hot potato for Labor. If reports are correct that The Archer will be moved to Eagle Farm, it is even worse. But the LNP are MIA on the issue.’
Another from North Queensland commented: ‘Why would Racing Queensland want to take over the running of racing carnivals like the Far North and North Queensland Amateurs. These may not still be the success story they once were but both are still important to racing and tourism.’
If this is right the LNP could make terrific political points by addressing the issue which will affect the tens of thousands from the industry who vote but they have no idea what the in-coming Government’s policy on racing is.
The only indication so far is that John Paul Langbroek is likely to become the new Racing Minister. About the only supporters of that appointment are 'fair weather' friends he made when Shadow spokesman for the portfolio and that is best not spoken aboujt by LGHR.
There are those who rightly say that Ray Stevens would make a better Racing Minister. He, too, might live on the Gold Coast but at least he has a passion for country and bush racing whilst the anointed one is seen as only interested in pushing the barrow of the metropolitan area, following in the footsteps of the millions wasted in recent times on tracks at Eagle Farm and the Gold Coast.
Racing Queensland needs to address these Amateur takeover ‘rumours’ – which we suggest are more than that – and LGHR would be delighted to publish any clarification. The reason we haven’t sought one is because our website dares to criticise and as a result isn’t seen fit to receive Media Releases from the Racing Minister or Racing Queensland. So why should we go out of our way to chase up responses from them?
BRC BOARD SET TO BE QUESTIONED AT AGM – ANGRY MEMBERS WANT ANSWERS TO A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS
TO say some of the 'natives' are restless among the Membership of the Brisbane Racing Club would be the understatement of all time.
You won’t read anything about this in the local mainstream media or hear about it on the racing radio station which they blame on a cosey relationship between a head honcho at the club and two 'spin doctors'.
LGHR is not accusing any Director of the BRC of impropriety but the time has arrived for those with a specific gripe to stand up and be counted when the Annual General Meeting of the BRC is held next Wednesday and the mail is strong that Chairman Neville Bell and his troops will be asked to address some reportedly contentious issues.
Here are some of the questions that we are told may well be asked creating one of the fierest AGM's of all time for the major club:
WILL the Board explain the controversial departure of popular Director Simon Gleeson and CEO Tony Partridge and whether the latter was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure certain sections of his farewell letter to the club are never made public?
IS the ‘official line’ that fellow directors claimed they couldn’t work with Gleeson because of his attitude the ‘real’ reason for his departure or did it have more to do with him questioning issues of accountability.
WILL the Board be asked to divulge to members at the AGM how many directors have bought apartments in Ascot Green, a series of luxury residential buildings located in the heart of the BRC between Eagle Farm and Doomben (which they are entitled to do), as well as how much they paid for these, if they received a major discount and if any director owns more than one unit?
WILL the Board be asked to reveal how much the club contributed for Board members and their wives to attend the recent Asian Racing Conference and before that the week-long Royal Ascot Carnival in Britain?
AND, with an election looming – and Labor facing an almighty wipe-out – how is the Board going to explain to the new LNP Government their long-time close association with current Racing Minister Grace Grace which has become a concern for many Members? And have they attempted an 11th hour mending of fences by bridging the likely political racing gap with John Paul Langbroek, the Gold Coast MP touted to replace Grace, but not a popular choice with many in country racing? It’s not too late to correct this Premier-elect.
LGHR has learnt of a recent secret meeting involving concerned Members of the BRC with two high profile Racing Queensland officials. One of those might not be there long after the election but the other most certainly will. They received a good and lengthy hearing.
We understand they voiced concerns that the situation has reached such a stage amongst Members disenchanted by the departure of key personnel from the BRC that they want an RQ investigation (or that of a more powerful body) into what is (or is not) happening behind the scenes at the BRC. The controversy needs to be cleared up for the sake of the stakeholders and the Directors of the Club.
There are stories doing the rounds that Neville Bell will soon retire as Chairman of the BRC (but remain on the Board), to be replaced by his deputy Richard Morrison or another Board Member, Terry Svenson, the CEO of Queensland Cricket. Time will tell!
FITZGERALD & MORRISON QUIET ACHIEVERS OF LADY JOCKEY RANKS
WHILE the spotlight focussed on the Group 1 winning treble of the Chris Waller stable at the weekend, remarkable achievements by some amazing ladies in racing went largely overlooked.
Taree-based Mollie Fitzgerald, the rising star of the apprentices’ ranks in this country, is now fifth on the National Jockeys’ Premiership behind William Pike, Chris Parnham, Blake Shinn and James Macdonald. She is second, only four and a half winners behind JMac, on the NSW premiership.
The daughter of G2 winning jockey Malcolm Fitzgerald, Mollie has ridden 83 winners since making her riding debut in 2023. Such has been her success that many can’t wait for her to move to the metropolitan area.
A couple of thousand kilometres away, Lacey Morrison (photograph above, courtesy of RQ), the quiet achiever of the lady jockeys’ ranks in this country, completed a treble at Townsville on Sunday. That is nothing new for her but the winning rides were the equal of any jockey in the land.
Take the time to sit down and watch replays of her wins on Zi Win, Overlord and especially Valenki at Cluden Park and you would have to agree with LGHR that the Morrison rides would hold their own with the best female jockeys in the country, if not most of the men.
Those of us who backed the plunged Valenki from the powerful Roy Chellemi stable might be talking through our pockets but the way Lacey weaved her way from last, refusing to panic, to win running away was an 11 out of 10 ride.
Back in July, Morrison (a one-time steward) clinched another Townsville premiership with four winners at Cluden, including a feature treble in the Ladies Bracelet, Winter Cup and Mayor’s Sprint.
What has to be taken into consideration in the Morrison success story is her break from race riding for eight years from 2013 (after a nasty fall) to undertake firstly a training career and later a nursing career, then returning to the saddle and capping that with over a century of winners last season.
Morrison, at 40 a natural lightweight, doesn’t have the opportunities enjoyed by some of her leading colleagues in the metropolitan area, like the much younger Angela Jones, Emily Lang, Tahlia Fenlon and Samantha Collett. But she would hold her own with them any day of the week.
Another favorite of LGHR, Linda Meech, who is closing in on 2,000 career winners, rode a double at Warrnambool on Friday and repeated the effort at the Murtoa Cup meeting on Saturday. Meech is the punters’ pin-up girl at these country meeting and each winner in her quadrella was well-backed.
And at the Morphettville meeting in South Australia, another rising star of the apprentice ranks, Rochelle Milnes rode a successful treble to take her to an early lead in the Jockeys’ Premiership. She has ridden 141 winners during her short career and 86 of those were last season.
Meanwhile, Australia’s leading female jockey Jamie Kah was hotting her heels on the spring sidelines at the weekend serving a three-week suspension and electing to ride Point King rather than The Map in next month’s Melbourne Cup.
It would be remiss of us when talking about lady jockeys not to mention the terrible fall of Hong Kong apprentice Ivy Lam when her mount Jacobs Gate suffered a heart attack at Gawler on Monday. She was airlifted to hospital in a coma with a critical head injury but the news this morning that her condition is now stable is encouraging. Our prayers are with Ivy and her family.
LIFE IN LAND OF THE GIANTS – LITTLE HOPE FOR TRAINING BATTLERS
LET us preface this story with a concession that Chris Waller will be remembered as the most successful trainer in Australian racing history despite the fact that he has more horses in his stable than some of the all-time greats would ever dream of.
The question we want to raise is whether his domination is good for Sydney racing and has his tentacles spreading to satellite stables in Melbourne and Brisbane threatened the survival of bread and butter trainers down the East Coast.
Is it as good look for racing when Waller has 23 acceptors for the four Group 1 races this Saturday at Randwick and Flemington? He has seven in each of The Metropolitan and Epsom; four (half the field in the Flight Stakes) and five in the Turnbull.
Owners – big and small – want to win and many would beg Waller to train their horses. To suggest there should be a limit to the number of horses these mega stables (Ciaron Maher is just as big but almost never has the multiple runners in a race (feature or otherwise) that his great rival does.
Here are some excerpts and quotes from a thought provoking story written by Matt Stewart last month for Winning Post. You won’t see too many of those scribes or commentators who have to deal with Waller on a daily basis raising these issues.
Stewart posed this question:
‘The number of trainers in Australia is shrinking, while the size of the mega stables continues to grow. Where does it end? How big is too big?
‘A big gallops stable used to be 60, now it’s 300. Ciaron Maher has 527 named horses listed on his books, Chris Waller has 500. According to the Australian Trainers’ Association, Maher has another 450 waiting in the wings, and Waller another 100.’
These are the monster stables, followed at some distance by the giants. Waterhouse-Bott, Neasham-Archibald and the Hayes’ Brother, Lindsay Park have about 300 horses, then Price/Kent with about 160. Not long ago, Mick Price had half as many but knew he had to double his army in order to remain competitive with the giants.
Stewart observed: ‘With many medium-sized stables, it’s a case of growth or perish, and it’s easier said than done.
‘Disruption caused to the wider training community by these industrial outfits is not easy to assess according to former ATA chief executive Andrew Nicholl. “Where do you start?” he said. “It’s a very complex subject.”
‘Overall, prize money increases advantage the giants far more than the minnows. Far-flung parts of Victoria traditionally the domain of the small trainer are now carved up by the big ones. Nicholl said that “pop-up” money only ever went one way.
“The increases in Group races and pop-ups like the All-Star Mile, The Everest, Golden Eagle … you never see a battler win a slot race, do you?” he asked.
‘Nicholl said that smaller trainers who once eked out a living now had second jobs. At one major training centre, stables of all sizes have lost critical staff to mega-outfits with bigger cheque books. Group 1-winning trainers are pre-training or driving trucks for others.
‘The notion of capping stable numbers, as occurs in Hong Kong, has never gained traction with racing authorities in Australia. Interestingly, Japan’s most high-profile trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, has urged the Japan Racing Association to drop its 80-horse cap, one he says makes it hard to compete successfully abroad.
“You look at the main overseas stables; they have 300 to 400 horses under their management,” said Yahagi, obviously pointing to Australia as Hong Kong has a cap on their numbers as well.
An attempt in Ireland to redistribute the wealth has been threatened with legal action by top trainers who will be ineligible to contest 60 races restricted to trainers who have trained fewer than 50 winners in the past two seasons.
Racing Victoria told Stewart that it had no plans to cap numbers, adding it had implemented Aspirant and Challenger races targeted at small stables with low-rating horse.
One assumes such a suggestion to Racing NSW would be greeted with a ‘wash your mouth out with soap’. Without the Waller numbers their midweek cards would struggle to survive.
Stewart went on to report that for Nicholl, the risk was probably in what happens next. “What happens if Maher goes to 1500 and Waller to 1000?” he said.
Nicholl said a dramatic increase in costs was hitting small and medium-sized stables far harder than the giants. “Is the issue becoming more acute? The answer is yes. Wages, feed, rent, service providers, insurance ... they’ve gone through the roof. Many are just hanging in there and the owners aren’t there. Those that are, are going to the really big stables.
“When you’ve got someone like Maher and all his success and his science, why would you race a horse with someone who trains on a country sand track with occasional use of the grass? (Smaller) trainers are owning more and more of their own horses. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Nicholl expressed no personal view of a cap on numbers. But he said authorities probably had only one tool if they felt huge stables were creating an imbalance in the ecosystem.
“Trainers will always claim a cap is an unfair breach. The only thing in the arsenal of authorities – if they believe they want to do it – is to limit the number of locations where trainers have horses. But I think the horse has bolted on that one,” he said.
“I always felt it was still a working-class sport and as egalitarian as it could be but it is now more scientific, more clinical,” he said. “There are some advantages in this and in many ways it’s simply evolution but it makes you wonder if we’ll ever see another Joe Janiak and Takeover Target.”
BIG DAY FOR WALLER AT ROSEHILL MIDWEEKS BUT NO FAVS WON
THE Chris Waller grip keeps tightening as evidenced as recent as Wednesday’s midweek meeting at Rosehill when he won three races and in one of those had the first four home.
It’s becoming harder for the price assessors to frame markets when he has multiple runners but the corporates don’t care because many of his favourites get beaten and second string stablemates salute.
Wednesday was a good example: His stable had three favorites at Rosehill and every one of them (Misterkipchoge $2.1, Makena $4.2 and Mergeila $2.2) was beaten.
Adding insult to injury for punters the plunged Misterkipchoge was a certainty beaten when a close third to stablemates Seafall $8 and Captain Maverich $4.8. In the last Mergeila $2.2FAV found stablemate Pippie Beach $4 a shade strong in a photo finish.
It wasn’t only the punters who were still struggling with the loss of Misterkipchoge, race-caller Darren Flindell raised the lucklessness of the performance before he called the following race. Stewards reported:
Misterkipchoge: When questioned, (jockey) Nash Rawiller stated that leaving the 400m he attempted to improve into a run between Captain Maverick and Seafall. He said that Misterkipchoge was reluctant to improve into this run and soon after when Seafall shifted in he elected to shift his mount to the inside of Captain Maverick where a run was available to its inside. He said, however, Misterkipchoge was disappointed for this run when Cristal Clear shifted out and as a result, he had to steady his mount and shift back to the outside of Captain Maverick. He added that passing the 100m he then attempted to improve into a run between Captain Maverick and Seafall however Misterkipchoge was again reluctant to improve into this run which required him to shift to the outside of Seafall to obtain clear running.
Waller, when asked on SKY if Misterkipchoge had crossed the path of any black cats, was rather nonchalant in his response: ‘That’s racing. He had the perfect run. The negative of that you have to get clear’. It obviously didn’t matter to the Hall of Famer. Two stablemates had beaten the favourite home.
International jockeys are at Waller’s disposal. James Macdonald might be the best of the best but Joao Moreira is not far behind (and lowered JMac’s colours on two favourites midweek). Kerrin McEvoy and Nash Rawiller, regular stable jockeys, are hardly also-rans.
What is getting up the nose of many country trainers is the increasing presence of the top Sydney stables, headed by Waller, at their Cups and feature race meetings. This has been brought about because many of these races are now qualifiers for the Big Dance and Koscuiszko.
Last week for example Waller contested the Dubbo Gold Cup with Medatsu (it ran 5th but will soon win in town) while Bjorn Baker had stablemates Hollywood Hero and Thunderlips (3rd and 4th) with Cairon Maher saddling up the favourite Vivy Air (which ran 8th).
Waller sent Aramco to Benalla for the Gold Cup but after being plunged into odds-on it failed to beat a runner home. His stable also contested the Toowoomba Cup on Saturday evening with $3.8FAV Caboche which ran a close third. As so often happens when a Waller fancy performs badly, stewards take little to no action. In the case of Aramco they reported: Rider Fred Kersley could offer no explanation for the performance. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no significant findings. One would expect an odds-on favorite that performed like a mule and ran last to at least have to trial before racing again. This is the sort of outcome that has led some in the industry to declare Waller ‘untouchable’.
WALLER HAS MORE THAN 20 RUNNERS IN SATURDAY’S GROUP 1'S
MOVING on to this weekend and the Group 1 racing is set to be dominated by the Waller stable with a total of 23 acceptors chasing runs (a couple of those are emergencies).
Waller is certain to hit the bullseye with his first target – the Flight Stakes – where his unbeaten filly Autumn Glow is long odds-on to salute. His stable has half the field of eight – his other runners headed by Lady Shenandoah then Lazzura and roughie Declichy Boulevard.
Unusual Legacy, one of seven Waller runners in the Metropolitan, is $6 favorite but is an emergency. His main fall back options are Land Legend, First Light and Etna Rossa.
In the Epsom, Waller has seven runners headed by Kovalica at $7 after his eye-catching 1st-up third in the G2 Tramway behind Royal Patronage which is $6 favourite on Saturday despite drawing wide for the Waterhouse-Bott yard.
Head to Melbourne for the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington and Waller has five runners spearheaded by favorites Buckaroo and Via Sistina – bookies obviously keen to forgive her disappointing fifth to Mr Brightside in the G1 Makybe Diva when favorite and struggling on a Heavy 9 track at Flemington.
For the record Waller has trained the winners of 163 Group 1 races – his strike rate stands at just over 11 per cent. This season he has saddled up 63 winners at a strike rate in excess of 15 per cent.
INTERESTING INQUIRY OPENED INTO INSUFFICIENT RIDERS IN NQ
THE farcical situation where there are insufficient riders to ensure many runners get a start in country racing in Queensland comes with an interesting footnote this week.
Regular contributor GREG BLANCHARD continues his fight for change by updating us on how many horses missed a start last Saturday.
There were 11 enforced scratchings (5 at Mt Isa, 3 at Atherton, 2 at Mackay and 1 at Longreach) because no jockeys were available to ride these horses.
That follows a week when 14 had to be scratched at Winton which is embarrassing for country racing in Queensland.
Interestingly, the Atherton Stewards reported on Saturday that they had adjourned an inquiry into why three horses had to be scratched without riders until further information becomes available. Greg says he has never heard of this before. Perhaps the new team at QRIC are looking into the problem.
‘MANUEL’ DOWN IN the MOUTH UNTIL HIS 'BUM KISSER' ARRIVED
WE received an entertaining email from a part-owner of a horse whose connections were invited by the committee of a certain club to have a drink to celebrate their win which apparently occurs after every race.
They couldn’t believe it when they weren’t served by a bar-person employed by the club but one of their lackeys who they nicknamed Manuel (ala Fawlty Towers).
“Considering this bloke’s background it’s not surprise he was grumpy and far from happy doing the job. That was until a 'bum-kisser from above' arrived to brighten his day,' a part-owner of a winning horse told us.
"We stuck around for a while and saw those two hold a fireside chat with a high profile club official in the corner of the room which we were reliably informed happens in the Directors’ Room most race days (the pair getting their marching orders for those they apparently have remote control of when it comes to ‘spin doctoring for the club’.
'Imagine the situation when these blokes have their hot-line to the new Government - God help those clubs that don't'.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE REDUCTION IN 2YO FEATURES IN NQ?
LGHR has been informed by a reliable source in the north that with the impending 2YO season upon us, Cluden Park’s time-honoured Pallarenda Stakes has reverted from two gender specific divisions of the race, historically worth $47k for the males and $53k for the fairer sex inclusive of QTIS bonuses, to one combined set weights race for both genders.
Our source questions whether this means prizemoney has been lost to the stakeholders as it doesn’t appear a race has been replaced on the Saturday card which goes from hosting seven races to six.
Two weeks later and down the road to Callaghan Park, a similar phenomenon has occurred with the combination of the two gendered divisions of the Breeders Plate into one combined set weights race. The RJC however, has maintained their eight races in the Friday time slot.
Our source also described Kim Kelly as a sound addition to the QRIC Executive Team with an added comment: ‘Fingers crossed he sends ‘Dillard’ off into an early retirement’. One suspects that involves a steward in the north but we’re not sure.
BOUQUETS FOR ‘TEZ’ & ‘BUM RAP’ FOR ‘BENNY’ ON THESE RACE CALLS
IT’S been a while since we’ve heard from our old mate COL in Townsville but he weighed in with this contribution after last weekend’s racing:
Col is not a fan of Victorian race-caller Matt Hill and was quick to highlight: ‘The golden boy made a major stuff-up with the Moir. Not so much getting the photo wrong but calling the 3rd placegetter as 6th or 7th.
In contrast the much-maligned Terry Bailey got an extremely tight one right with Berkeley Square.
Team Sears were on fire in Toowoomba but Yellow Brick again did not live up to his raps in the Weetwood.
The minor states want to ensure that they have a say on the Patterns Committee and not just be a rubber stamp for NSW and Victoria. There are too many Group and Listed races in Australia.
Basically it is just a tool for the breeders. If NSW and Victoria want more G1 races allotted to them, they should cull some from their own State.
Our sprinters are world class but above 1600m the standard drops.’
INDEPENDENT VIEW ON THE QLD RACING INTEGRITY COMMISSION
WITH the cost of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission certain to come under the microscope of a new LNP Government, we have been provided with some interesting facts which will no doubt interest the racing industry.
Here is an assessment from an individual outside of QRIC who obviously knows what he or she is talking about:
‘YOU need to firstly compare apples with apples though and as QRIC is unique that’s difficult.
The image below is from the first KPMG report prepared for Shane Gillard and this explains what QRIC delivers versus what others deliver. Most forget that QRIC has GAP and the Lab as well as stewarding etc.
It also compares key cost drivers such as the number of meetings serviced. From this you can see what QRIC does with only 152 staff versus RQ having 103 staff. You would know that the staff required to manage commercial operations is far less than the field based services of the GAP, Racing Science Centre, Stewarding, Integrity Ops, welfare, vets and other race day front line roles yet RQs bloated staff profile is never questioned:
RQs annual report last year listed employee expenses at $17.5M for those 103 staff, (compared with $23.2M for QRIC staff) and they're top heavy for what they do - with a management team comparable to what they had in 2015:
This next image is also from KPMGs report and shows QRIC costs have gone from $25m in 2017 to $34m in 2024. This increase I think is justifiable if you understand that in 2016-17, RQ was broke (again), so only the amount they were currently spending on integrity was transferred to QRIC which wasn't enough as that’s why integrity was so bad (RQ didn't value it and didn't fund it). On top of that, over these eight years, the profile of meetings serviced by QRIC changed with more TAB meetings (requiring more integrity staff) and more overall meetings added to the racing calendar:
Community expectation for animal welfare has also increased year on year and the GAP program that was only funded $900k by RQ in 2016/17 now costs close to $3m but it’s nowhere near enough as almost 1200 dogs need to be rehomed each year and Victoria spend almost $7M rehoming that many and NSW closer to $11MN.
Here is a detailed breakdown of QRICs budget categories:
|
|
2024
|
Head office
|
|
10,745,339
|
Animal care & advocacy
|
|
5,860,195
|
Stewarding
|
|
11,589,801
|
Racing science centre
|
|
5,815,722
|
Total
|
|
34,011,057
|
NOTE: The head office costs cover these staff doing these functions (numbers represent people employed). The costs of leases, IT programs, utilities and all those background costs sit in the $10.7M and thats basically funded by government from consolidated revenue:
Executive Services (incl Commissioners)
|
8.00
|
Finance & Procurement
|
5.00
|
People & Safety
|
5.25
|
Business Services
|
4.00
|
Digital & Project Solutions
|
5.00
|
Customer Services
|
9.00
|
External Affairs
|
7.00
|
Legal
|
4.00
|
Intelligence
|
3.00
|
Animal care and advocacy includes GAP and raceday vets and swabbies.
For stewarding:
A Greyhound race has a minimum QRIC staffing requirement of five QRIC employees - three stewards, one vet and one swabbing officer. All other roles are provided by the Club, funded by RQ.
A Harness race has a minimum QRIC staffing requirement of 10 QRIC employees - four stewards, and one each of vet, swabbing officer, judge, photo finish, starter, mobile driver. This is the only code where QRIC provides all integrity staff.
A non-TAB Thoroughbred race has a minimum QRIC staffing requirement of seven QRIC employees - three stewards, and one each of vet, judge, Clerk of Scales and photo finish. There are still instances where the judge, CoS and photo finish are provided by the Club, funded by RQ.
A TAB Thoroughbred race has a minimum QRIC staffing requirement of 11 QRIC employees - six stewards, and one each of vet, swabbing officer, judge, Clerk of Scales and photo finish. Staff requirements increase based on number of races, number of horses, number of pre-race swabs needed, intel advice, targeted operations etc.
The below information is also from KPMG, extracted from QRIC financial systems, and showing the cost per meet which is very relevant when considering QRICs costs covering a huge state with 128 clubs. You can see some race meetings are twice as expensive due to travel costs. In Central Qld QRIC spend around 90 days at race meetings and an additional 180 meetings travelling to and from them.
AND finally, as you note, Malcolm Letts at Estimates this year stumbled through the question about QRIC costs blowouts. He knew the answer but Grace told him beforehand not to answer any question along these lines. So under instruction, he failed to answer a question he knew well. The answer was this year’s budget was tracking $6.9m over... They even failed to report what they knew in the SDS which is prepared in March (below) at the March monthly financial period QRIC were $4.8M overspent, tracking to just over $6m but in a report to Parliament they put it as about balanced, potentially $59 under!! (One could ask): How can Grace Grace get away with blatantly deceiving Parliament?
In summary:
QRIC ANNUAL REPORT - 2022-23 Budget was $32.9m, actual was $34.7 (almost $1m over, due to increased unplanned revenue)
QRIC SERVICE DELIVERY STATEMENT (SDS) - 2023-24 Budget was $33.9M, ESTIMATED ACTUALS REPORTED $33.9M. This was false, at that time the budget was $4.8M over, tracking to be over $6m. I understand it landed at $6.9M but we need to wait for the annual report to be released after the election to find this out.
NOTE: SDS advises the Total expenses for 2024–25 are projected to be $33.9 million, reflecting a decrease of $14,000 compared to the 2023–24 Estimated Actual. This reduction is primarily attributable to an anticipated strategic shift within the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP). IE THEY INTEND HANDING GAP BACK TO RQ. This is because RQ refuses to give QRIC one cent more than they currently get. RQ had GAP taken off them as a result of the Macsporran Report.
SUGGESTION WEETWOOD & CUP BE RUN TO COINCIDE WITH VALLEY
INTERESTING feedback on the big meeting at Toowoomba on Saturday – plenty of views from left field – some we agree with, others we don’t.
A SUGGESTION that has some merit raises the question of whether the Weetwood-Cup meeting should be programmed to coincide with Manikato Stakes meeting on the Friday night.
DAVE J, of BRISBANE, a long-time visitor to the Weetwood meeting from the time it was run on the Show Holiday in Toowoomba, provided his thoughts:
‘Not for one moment am I trying to deprive the Downs racing community of their one stand-alone meeting but my mates and I were talking about whether it would be more strategically placed to coincide with the opening of the night racing season at Moonee Valley.
‘Running the Weetwood and Cup on the same night as the Manikato Stakes in Melbourne seems a more attractive proposition than what the Sunshine Coast provided last Friday. Full marks to the SCTC for programming another meeting to bet on that night which is something Sydney doesn’t do but Toowoomba would be much better.
‘Now that Eagle Farm has been granted a support meeting to clash with the Weetwood and Cup on the Saturday, Toowoomba is hardly a stand-alone Saturday. Clifford Park has the lights, it’s a good feature meeting and there are plenty of people in town for the Carnival of Flowers.
‘The Saturday and Sunday dates that weekend could then be run at Eagle Farm and Sunshine Coast ensuring the fields were better at Corbould Park where they were limited to seven race cards last weekend because there were two meetings in three days.
‘Dare we suggest that Eagle Farm – if they want to race that weekend – should try a Sunday and let Sunshine Coast have another Saturday fixture. Then again Sunday racing is not in the wheelhouse of those with much more influence on Racing Queensland and the soon-to-be Government.'
ON SKY COVERAGE COOPER MAKES BROWN LOOK LIKE A 'WIMP'
THERE was drama from the opening event on Weetwood Day which prompted several emails targeting the Mark Currie stable which we are not prepared to run and believe are unfair.
The knives were out after Jubai Pride, a $26 despised outsider, saluted after his stablemate Depth Charge, at $12, set a suicidal pace before dropping out to beat only two home.
Stewards inquired into the tactics adopted on the gelding, specifically apprentice Tahlia Fenlon permitting the gelding to lead the field by such a notable margin. Apprentice Fenlon advised her instructions had been to attempt to be positive on her mount and settle just off the leaders if possible, adding further that it had not been her intention to lead the field by such a margin. However, after beginning well from the wide barrier, and it becoming evident the gelding would be posted wide without cover, she permitted her mount to stride forward approaching the 1000m, settling in a leading position on the inside running rail passing the 900m. Apprentice Fenlon stated that, at this time, her mount commenced to take charge and after attempting to obtain a shorter hold on the gelding was then unable to restrain her mount sufficiently which resulted in the extensive lead being established. Trainer Mark Currie corroborated the instructions and noted he was disappointed with the gelding having established such a prominent lead in the middle stages, noting it resulted in Depth Charge’s poor finishing effort. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no significant abnormalities. Stewards noted the explanation provided by Fenlon and Currie, particularly that the instructions were consistent with the gelding’s usual racing pattern, and nonetheless intend to review betting records for the event.
IT wasn’t as though Jubai Pride turned in a form reversal. The mare won her previous start at the Sunshine Coast at her debut for the Currie stable. When asked by SKY’s Bernadette Cooper post-race about Depth Charge, Currie seemed genuinely surprised. ‘I don’t know what was going on there. What can I say?’ was his reply.
At least Cooper asked the question that was on the lips of most punters. Unlike her colleagues in Sydney, especially Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown, Bernadette did her job. All Brown can say after every race in Sydney is what a wonderful ride it was on the winner. Unless he is prepared to ask some of his jockey mates about poor rides on favourites that fail, punters will continue to rate his contribution of a Saturday afternoon as ‘useless’.
IS QUOTHQUAN THE UNLUCKIEST GALLOPER IN S-EAST QUEENSLAND?
THE defeat of heavily-backed favorite Quothquan in the second race at Toowoomba prompted this sore-loser contribution for MICK the MAD PUNTER, who we haven’t heard from in some time. Here’s what he had to say:
‘Is there a more luckless horse racing in south-east Queensland at present than Quothquan and sadly I had my hard-earned on him again on Saturday.
‘With any luck I believe the horse could have won 3 of his previous four starts when he was runner-up twice at Doomben and once at Eagle Farm, the latest of those a certainty beaten.
‘The jockey and stable claimed he didn’t handle the Soft 7 track on Saturday when he was beaten almost 12 lengths and never looked a hope of running a place. That confuses me as he was beaten less than a length on a Heavy 8 at Doomben three starts back.
‘I’m not suggesting anything untoward. The best I can say is perhaps if Quathquan was with a leading trainer he would have strung a lot more wins together by now. I see the trainer and his family has an ownership interest so there’s little chance of that happening.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I think you’re being a shade harsh and talking through your pocket Mick. The statistics don’t tell the true story of John Dann's training ability with no wins from 14 starters this season. His strike rate in 2023-24 was close to 16 per cent with six wins from 38 starters.
Here’s what jockey Ceejay Graham told stewards:
THE gelding travelled well early, however when placed under pressure from the 400m her mount failed to respond to her urgings and, in her opinion, did not handle the track conditions. Trainer John Dann advised that the gelding will be freshened up and concurred with Graham’s assessment concerning the geldings not handling the track conditions.
OUR message Mick is this: Don’t jump off just yet. Quothquan is overdue and with any luck in running will repay your investment after a freshen-up. As for John Dann we’d be the last to want to criticize his training ability.
BREATH OF FRESH AIR AFTER DEALING WITH GILLARD THE 'GOOSE'
WE also received this email from NEIL B, who was far from happy about another incident in the second race at TOOWOOMBA. He wrote:
‘I find it hard to believe that Andrew Mallyon was not suspended for his ride on Cloudland.
(In my opinion) he blatantly veered out at the top of the straight and knocked Oughton rotten making it to check and all but fall.
Horse and jockey safety is paramount and this (apparent) recklessness needs another look at. The Stewards’ Report acknowledged careless riding under the rule but only a reprimand was issued (a green light to do it again).
If you don’t impose a penalty what message does that send to safety? Absolute disgrace!’
WE raised NEIL’S concerns with internationally experienced Steward, Kim Kelly at QRIC, who was kind enough to take the time to view a replay of the race. Here is his reply:
‘I had a look at the incident at the top of the straight involving Cloudland. I kept looking for this horrific incident involving a horse almost falling but still haven’t seen it.
It’s 50/50 whether the jockey should have been charged but on a simple examination of the incident I’m very comfortable with a reprimand. There really isn’t a great deal in it.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: WOW, how times have changed! Just as a comparison, when Shane Gillard become QRIC Commissioner we asked a simple question about whether jockeys or trainers were warned pre-race when horses drifted alarmingly in price. He basically told us it was none of our business and to f…. off. Kim Kelly could not have been more obliging. That’s why he’s a respected, internationally-experienced steward and Gillard is a boofhead.
DID HIDDEN WEALTH GROW A LEG OR IS YELLOW BRICK OVERRATED?
BARRY J, who describes himself as a regular punter on Brisbane racing, posed an interesting question after the running of the WEETWOOD:
‘Either Yellow Brick isn’t as good as some of the good judges reckon or Hidden Wealth is better than they think.
For the second successive year Yellow Brick has been beaten in the Weetwood but having said that Hidden Wealth arguably grew a leg last Saturday. He might have won six races beforehand but those have been in restricted class.
I couldn’t have the Tony Gollan-trained galloper after his fifth of eight when first-up and a $1.6 favorite in an Eagle Farm Quality. That’s despite the fact that a veterinary examination revealed a slow recovery.’
EDITOR'S NOTE: I am led to believe that Gollan has a huge opinion of Hidden Wealth. He reportedly declared it a 'good thing' in the Weetwood and anyone who subscribes to the LGHR LATE MAIL would know that we did too.
LNP GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO COME CLEAN ON PLANS FOR RACING
IF Queensland’s alternative Premier David Crisafulli won’t reveal whether Government spending will be lower under an LNP Government and if it will deliver a Budget surplus, what chance do we have of learning their plans for racing?
The racing industry employs tens of thousands who vote and they deserve to know what the future holds. Like them or loathe them, Labor has protected those jobs. One would expect the LNP to do the same.
Sadly, there has been no delivery of policy from Tim Mander, the Shadow Minister for Sport and Racing who the ‘Tommy Drums’ are beating won’t be allocated the portfolio when the LNP is elected.
The jury is out on the MP being anointed as Racing Minister in John-Paul Langbroek who once harbored dreams of becoming Premier which could be the reason David Crisafulli will keep him as far away from the ‘big roles’ as possible.
LGHR makes no secret of our dislike for Langbroek (who we have never met) and believe he was among the worst Shadow Ministers for Racing when he had the role. There are plenty in the country who believe he is too close to the Brisbane Racing Club, the Gold Coast Turf Club and metropolitan racing to serve their interests. But they don’t like Mander either.
That is why the MP best suited for the job is Ray Stevens who deserves it in what will probably be his swansong term in Parliament. A former Mayor of the Gold Coast and the Twin Towns, Stevens was a director of the Gold Coast Turf Club (when Peter Gallagher and Bill Millican were chairman) and arguably would have forgotten more about racing than Langbroek or Mander will ever learn.
It’s ironic that Stevens’ loyalty to Langbroek in a leadership spill vote many moons ago saw him off-side with the MP who won that, Tim Nicholls, and the story goes that his dream of becoming Racing Minister was then marked ‘never to happen’ as punishment.
Stevens might live on the Coast – where Crisafulli has apparently moved from – but he hails from the bush, loves both outback and city racing and is a keen leisure puner. He is the ideal man for the job. Memo Premier: Do your homework and avoid the embarrassment of having Langbroek in the job.
Leading up to the last election in 2020 when JPL was Shadow Racing Minister he signalled the demise of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission if the LNP won Government.
Labor survived and so did QRIC but the appointment by Racing Minister Grace Grace of Shane Gillard as Commissioner proved an absolute disaster and his leadership sent the organization into a death-dive prior to his departure. Tim Mander jumped up in Parliament and questioned why Gillard quit. If he didn’t see the writing was on the wall, the LNP must have been living under a rock where racing is concerned.
The new ‘dream-team’ running the show – headed by Catherine Clark, Chantal Reine and internationally-experienced steward Kim Kelly – have only got their feet under the desk. Our mail is that they are going through the joint with a fine comb but that takes time and the industry needs confirmation that the LNP will allow that to happen before making any major decisions where QRIC is concerned.
Crisafulli has promised lower taxes and debt under the LNP and, while insisting all elections commitments were “fully costed … fully funded”, has not revealed how they would be paid for.
When asked this week if Government expenditure would be lower, he refused to answer, instead pointing to the near $1.6bn blowout on the Coomera Connector project.
“Contrary to the Government scare campaign, our comprehensive plans will ensure world-class services, infrastructure delivered on time and on budget and lower taxes, as opposed to a Government with a higher taxing agenda,” he said.
Good as gold new Premier (the LNP is $1.02 to win next month’s Election with Labor at $19), but how about providing the racing industry with some policies and plans for the future. Let’s face it your Party has a terrible record when it comes to Integrity in Racing in Queensland, some of us are entitled to be feeling a shade nervous.
BLOCKBUSTER WEEKEND BETTER WITHOUT AFL GRAND FINAL CLASH?
WHAT a weekend awaits those of us who love our racing, rugby league and Aussie Rules.
But what a pity we have to choose whether to watch the AFL Grand Final or the races – unless we have two heads or two televisions.
Why couldn’t they hold the AFL Grand Final in the evening rather than the afternoon? When played from 7.30pm in 2020 it smashed a number of television records but the traditionalists remained steadfastly in favour of the 2.30pm timeslot and won out.
Racing in Victoria has moved to avoid the clash with their big races by programming the main event of the weekend and opening of the night season at Moonee Valley on Friday night which attracts many visitors in Melbourne for the footy.
Sandown will host the Saturday fixture that clashes with the AFL Grand Final when the Group 3 Sandown Stakes will be run. On Sunday the Listed R M Ansett Classic will be run at Mornington.
Officials tinkered with the programming and have been rewarded with a blockbuster meeting at the Valley featuring the Group 1 Manikato Stakes, headlined by I Wish I Win which has drawn 12 for the $2 million sprint.
Threatening to steal the limelight from the Manikato will be the re-match of Mr Brightside and Pride of Jenni in the G2 Feehan Stakes, one of five Black Type races on the card.
Sadly for those who love their rugby league, the Valley meeting will clash with the NRL semi-final between Storm and Roosters which is being played in Melbourne to decide which team graduates to next weekend’s Grand Final in Sydney.
For those who love their racing and Australia Rules, the grand final on Saturday will clash with the running of the Rosehill meeting where five Black Type races will be run headed by the Group 1 Golden Rose.
In Queensland where the spotlight will focus on Toowoomba for the running of the Toowoomba Weetwood and Cup there will be a support meeting at Eagle Farm where the theme will be the AFL Grand Final to be shown on screens around the course, a move the footy-loving punters will applaud .
OLD BOOKIE RECKONS IT’S ONLY ‘MUGS’ WHO GET THE ‘FREE BETS’
GARY GORRIE, the former North Queensland bookies now living in retirement in Phuket, has responded to comments made by our mate ARCHIE BUTTERFLY from peterprofit.com.
‘I was chuffed to read Archie Butterfly liked my last post. I did see the mistake on the multiplication but did not worry to change it.
Getting Closer won which is correct and it was a Saturday. My wording was a little confusing. I don’t have the journalist talents of Archie and Jimmy Olsen. But Henry Davis pulled many a Cup Day Eagle Farm Maiden plunge. Chief Sunchant was one before he went on to be private trainer for Read.
Cairns Amateurs was one of my favorite meetings in the North. People came from all over Australia in its heyday and the Ball on Friday Night at White Rock was legendry.
I always like to have a punt on the Amateurs but watching the latest one it panned on the inside track and there was hardly anyone there. Not sure if Archie bothered to go but it is so disappointing when once it was the premier meeting in the North.
Roy Melvin was the local leader when I first started going and then my good mate and rival Brian Jorgensen was king pin and he and brother Alan were kings of the big plunges landed over that weekend. The dynamic Lance Piesch swung a satchel there. Hayden Flynn, before he went to the big smoke, Kenny Ferris, Lloyd Mitchell, Russ Reguson even Rabbit Burrows turned up from Darwin providing life and competition in the ring.
I was told Darwin this year had a crowd of only 4500 and 20 bookies. If things have improved so much with the advent of the Corporates I wonder how their sponsorship compares with the old crowds attending and money spent in the good old days.
Oh Archie we did not give free bets, payout on dead-heats and protests. I would be interested in how many times you have got those. I never get free bets from the corporates. They only give them to the ‘Mugs’. I am so surprised you have been receiving them. I thought you were a much better punter than that.
We did however give each-way with ¼ the odds for the place. I don’t bet each-way anymore because the Corporates have shaved the place so much.
But am so pleased to at last get such a complement from you Archie and if he could give this poor old ex-bookie a ‘Seniors Rate’ on your website I might join it for your humor and incredible inside information (bit like a free bet for a ‘Mug’ old Bookie like me).
Cheers from Phuket where prawns, mud crabs and lobsters cost about $15 per kilo.’
NO REPLIES FROM MAJOR PLAYERS ON CONTENTIOUS RACING ISSUES
PETER MAIR, a long-time close observer of Sydney racing who doesn’t mind ‘keeping the bastards honest’, weighs in weight another interesting contribution:
‘BUBBLING along now is about much more than 'sell Rosehill and Sandown'. Personal power plays are making the news at RVL (not) facing up to a substantial adjustment. RNSW/ATC have gone to ground under pressure.
Attached are copies of the letters sent to RVL and RNSW three weeks ago. After two weeks RVL sent 'a short and polite ' acknowledgement -- neither RNSW nor ATC replied.
Some issues have been registered -- I did not expect replies.
Here are copies of the letters sent:
29 August 2024
Mr Tim Eddy – Chairman
Mr Aaron Morrison – CEO
Racing Victoria Limited
Dear Tim Eddy & Aaron Morrison,
DEVELOPMENTS AT RACING VICTORIA
TIGHTER trading conditions have prompted some movement at RVL recently, not least among yourselves and the leadership team. RVL's responses are reflecting in changes to programming and the distribution of prize-money.
Last Friday's media release (Prizemoney realignment and All-Star Mile …......) raised a couple of issues where some elaboration would help others to understand the extent of any reset and the changing emphasis for the direction for racing in Victoria through 2025.
A precis of some focal points in first part of the RVL media release includes:
… committed to maintain total prizemoney and bonuses at the same level as 2023-24 season... embarked on a significant cost savings program …... will call upon retained cash reserves to maintain returns to participants and owners and help underpin 25,700 full-time equivalent jobs .... a strategic realignment of the funds allocation ..... further boost grassroots racing and reward owners celebrating a maiden victory......$1.5 million taken from the All-Star Mile prizemoney has been reassigned to deliver turbo charged maidens each Sunday in country Victoria and a series of feature maidens in the state’s west.
The middle part of the media statement was mainly about the new arrangements for 'grassroots racing' -- maiden-races at country tracks: a precis,
…....... reward owners with greater returns when their horse wins its first race – a significant moment for all who have invested time and money to achieve success......... through the strategic prizemoney realignment, a feature maiden will now be programmed each Sunday in country Victoria …...... these Premier Maiden races will carry prizemoney of $50,000 ….... $23,000 (85%) more than standard country maidens............feature maiden races will also be conducted in the state’s west to complement the Sportsbet Future Stars Series held in the state’s south-east …..ten maidens worth $75,000 each will be run at Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool throughout spring, with the winners qualifying for the $250,000 The Emerging Star (1400m) on Ballarat Cup Day ….the races will be open to three, four and five-year-old maiden gallopers …....
Implications for RVL's business model
At your discretion, some implications of these mooted changes may warrant elaboration.
One concern for some years now has been about the stronger promotion and more generous funding of country and provincial racing. Laudable enough at one level perhaps, however the inclination is to ask if these meetings often do not return a sufficient 'take', from the betting turnover on the races, to cover the net-costs of staging the meetings, including prize-money paid.
Put differently, does RVL keep track of the 'stand-alone' balance of costs and revenues for its country and provincial race meetings …......... and , if so, could those numbers be disclosed in a transparent format, please?
Within that general concern, the shift of emphasis to 'maidens' adds a different dimension.
If a horse race is conceptually about 'a difference-of-opinion', most punters might be well advised to steer clear of maiden races – if only because they usually can have no reasonable basis for having opinion of the outcome. That would mainly leave the still-hoping owners and loyal-friends to ante up the betting turnover to fund the race.
The rationale for RVL favouring 'maidens' is not self-evident – does RVL expect the newly generously-funded maiden races to be viable commercial propositions?
Funding for racing
Reading between the lines – drawing on cash reserves to maintain payouts at current levels -- it seems RVL is neither expecting the tighter trading conditions to endure nor reading the COVID induced surge in turnover as possibly being temporary.
Who knows – but is running down reserves a prudent strategy?
The status of races, like the All-Star-Mile
The pop-up ASM venture got real bite from recent results after the reluctance to address flaws in an initial over-reach – even so, is it a bit of an ask to expect G1 status at this early stage, not least when prize-money for the race is to be cut from $4 million to $2.5 million.
In the general area of seeking and holding 'race status' there are fair questions about the continuing relevance of present arrangements for the 'black-type' classifications of races. Controversy about the status of 'The Everest', for example, has sharpened the questioning of current national policy and the role of a 'pattern committee'. For my money the class of a race reflects objective performance-ratings of previous and current contenders – usually, that predictably correlates well with the weight of prize-money on offer. Food for thought – let evident facts tell the story on race status.
Managing and protecting product-quality
Issues about the quality of the racing product presented in Victoria opens a broader front.
In my opinion, a modest punter for 60 years, while the quality of headline racing remains intact, there has been a long-term decline in the quality of most metropolitan racing in Victoria.
Assessed in terms of the reasonable predictability of race and betting outcomes (i.e. size of dividends declared), a decline in train for some time quickened over the past decade or so. A fair question might be about the way RVL reviews weekend race outcomes, presumably on Mondays.
Looking for explanations, it is apparent enough that the administrative-eye is sharply focused on 'more money', especially prize-money available to be paid out.
Introducing nine and now ten race programs on Saturdays is one illustration – with a consequence for keen-punters to more or less steer clear of lower-class races early in a program.
In my mind, however, the decline in product quality accelerated sharply with the inflation of field sizes induced by paying money for runners down to tenth-place. Not to labour the point here, there are 'course&distance' races being run routinely where field sizes consistent with fair racing should not exceed 10.
Resolving debates about product-quality would benefit from agreement on some objective benchmarks for making and disclosing assessments. One option I have in mind would presumably require the cooperation of Tabcorp. A suggested base for quality assessments would be the net win&loss fate of bets placed on each race by broad classes of punters – say big bets v. small bets, late-money bets v. bets placed early and, if possible, the success of betting-syndicates in milking quadrella pools when a rough-result dashes the hopes of the faithful, most-punter set.
End piece
Depending on how RVL might consider the relevance of the points raised and questions asked, there is a decision to be made on how it might respond if inclined to do so.
While I would, of course, appreciate a response in general terms, I am not solely entitled to any more detailed response which would likely be of interest to the racing fraternity generally.
That said, I do think there are issues that reasonably need to be addressed openly by RVL.
Peter Mair
1 September 2024
Dr Saranne Cooke, Chairman
Mr Peter V'Landys, CEO
Racing NSW
Mr Peter McGauran, Chairman
Mr Matt Galanos, CEO
Australian Turf Club
Dear Dr Cooke, Mr V'landys, Mr McGauran & Mr Galanos
DEVELOPMENTS AT RacingNSW & AUSTRALIAN TURF CLUB
Evidence given recently to a NSW Parliamentary Committee hearing on 9 August raised issues about the management and administration of racing in NSW. Issues that go well beyond the primary focus of the hearing, a proposal to sell Rosehill racecourse.
The background to the discussion of some of the 'other issues' is set out in extracts from the transcript of the parliamentary hearing. Evidence given on the day being sometimes disjointed, responses at different times on the same topic are grouped together. The extracts are from evidence given on behalf of the ATC and RacingNSW. [Contentious and distracting exchanges at the hearing are put aside.]
A recurrent theme of the hearing was, however, the future funding of racing in NSW. This in the context of commitments given about race meetings and prizemoney at a time when the 'take' from betting turnover is trending lower than hoped for. This concern is common to the racing industry nationally.
TRANSCRIPT EXTRACTS
ATC – PETER McGAURAN
It's certainly headwinds ahead of us......... an income stream unreliant on wagering...... we need hundreds of millions of dollars.........take racing through the next 50 years........ our four racetracks do not meet the expectations of many..........
RNSW – PETER V'LANDYS
…...........racing in New South Wales is the leading jurisdiction...........on every key performance indicator............not only in Australia, but in the world …...we are number one, so if we lose revenue then we could absolutely go backwards...
The people that fund the industry isn't the punter, isn't the Government―it's the owner of the racehorse........ they are subsiding the industry to $100 million …...... Most of the money that we were able to generate from these additional sources went to country. …....The race clubs in country and regional areas are now in the best financial position they've been in the history of racing.......
The role of Racing NSW is to be independent of Government, to represent the 50,000 participants in this industry, and to act with neither fear nor favour to overcome that self-interest for what's in the best interests of all.......the best interests of the industry as a whole.... the provincial and country clubs make up the majority of the turnover.........the ATC gets 55 per cent of the distribution, yet it only generates 49 per cent of the revenue.
How much of the funding agreement is predicated on gambling revenue?..All of it.....it doesn't matter how you slice and dice the funding, the source of that revenue would be gambling? Yes........... we want to ensure that the pays to our participants are maintained............ We have a $100 million provision in our accounts to ensure that ….....wagering turnover has dropped nearly 16 per cent in the last 12 months. That means there's 16 per cent less revenue. We are covered because we put $100 million aside....reliance on wagering revenue is a risk moving forward
―we never, ever said that we wanted to take the money. We said we wanted oversight..... [Is RNSW] the organisation, that gathers in all the cash, and distributes that cash where you see fit, rather than having in place a funding model which guarantees the continued existence of this body............not just a regulator.......also the commercial operator..... we set the strategic direction of the industry.............we need to make it attractive for owners to invest in the industry............he funding model at the moment is designed to distribute the maximum to participants.
Racing NSW leads the world in animal welfare........submissions from undesirables and people that are cruel to horses, that want to take horses to knackeries …......... hell-bent on ensuring that horses are not sent to knackeries..........A lot of our cost is ensuring that those horses that have been rehomed continue to be well looked after...........the wealthy breeders, they put a submission into the after care that they want to continue sending horses to knackeries....... they believe they should be allowed to send horses to knackeries. I will not allow that in my tenure …........no matter how old the horse is they want to send it to a knackery.......we have 500 horses on our farms that haven't been able to be rehomed. We take care of those horses because we will not send them to knackeries............none go to abattoirs.
[Put aside for another day: ..........the whip does not hurt the horse............the horse can hardly feel it. I give everybody due process and natural justice.]
THE 'OTHER' ISSUES IN FOCUS
There are four focal points: 'who' funds the industry; racing industry entitlements to funding; the viability of provincial and country racing and the fate of retired racehorses.
…......... 'who' funds the racing industry?
There can be chicken and egg perspectives on the way racing is funded, as the following exchanges attest.
Contrast this: The people that fund the industry isn't the punter, isn't the Government's the owners of the racehorses........ they are subsiding the industry to $100 million.
With this: How much of the funding agreement is predicated on gambling revenue?..All of it.....it doesn't matter how you slice and dice the funding, the source of that revenue would be gambling?
Confusion aside, a fair consensus would probably concede that it is the 'take' from betting turnover that feeds back into prizemoney and then the costs owners are prepared to cover to buy horses and present them trained and ready to run. Owners no doubt place the biggest bets – their total costs, paid willingly in their quest for prizemoney. Not all bets win.
There is another, broader, dimension to the 'who' pays question. The 'take' from betting turnover is essentially a tax on gambling imposed by government. What is special about the racing industry is the transfer of part of the 'tax take' direct to RacingNSW. The 'tax take' from betting turnover is not first consolidated with other funds in the public purse, before a budget allocation is separately decided and paid over to the racing industry.
Considering that broader dimension, it is the community generally that pays a good deal for racing – public funding that is not subject to clear accountability on its commercial merits.
….. racing industry entitlements to (more) funding
Whatever the merits of present racing-industry funding entitlements, the practical politics are long entrenched in the bipartisan political consensus endorsing present arrangements.
As such the question on the table now is about extending present entitlements to cover the looming shortfall of funds from the 'tax-take' to meet programming and prize-money commitments 'promised' by administrators.
Luckily, RacingNSW has $100 million in its kick to cover any short-term shortfall.
Considering the longer term, the proposal to sell Rosehill is akin to RacingNSW (and the ATC) asking the government for an allocation of some $-billions to be invested in a racing industry fund to return 'an income stream unreliant on wagering'. An allocation, a grant, of taxpayer funds because 'we need hundreds of millions of dollars...(to) ......take racing through the next 50 years'. Irrespective of where the capital-fund of billions is nominally sourced, that is a big ask!
…....... the viability of provincial and country racing
For a moment it is appropriate to focus on the sense of a couple of extracts:
Most of the [additional] money that we were able to generate …...... went to country. …....The race clubs in country and regional areas are now in the best financial position they've been in the history of racing....... .... the provincial and country clubs make up the majority of the turnover.........the ATC gets 55 per cent of the distribution, yet it only generates 49 per cent of the revenue.
There seems to be some confusion of key elements of the full story here.
Understanding the numbers published in annual reports of RacingNSW may be difficult but, even so, it does look like (the ATC's) metropolitan racing providing about 20% of the race meetings in NSW, and 20% of the races run, contributes 50% of industry revenue.
Conversely, 80% of the racing is in country and provincial areas and it generates about 50% of the revenue – presumably half the tax 'take' from betting turnover.
The question left hanging is whether the non-metropolitan racing, that generates half the tax-take revenue, delivers sufficient net-revenue to make the 80% of the racing, in provincial and country areas, a viable commercial proposition.
NSW is not alone in this apparent incongruity which has implications for RacingNSW's business model. At your discretion, the business model in place may warrant elaboration.
One concern for some years now has been about the stronger promotion and more generous funding of country and provincial racing. Laudable enough at one level perhaps, however the inclination is to ask if these meetings often do not return a sufficient 'take', from the betting turnover on the races, to cover the net-costs of staging the meetings, including prize-money paid.
Put differently, does RacingNSW keep track of the 'stand-alone' balance of costs and revenues for its country and provincial race meetings …......... and , if so, could those numbers be disclosed in a transparent format, please?
…........the fate of retired racehorses
It can be difficult to deal with some emotional issues common to the fate of animals, especially pets, and named-racehorses, among many other arrangements for the coming and going of livestock.
There is a place for those emotions. Issues about the fate of retired racehorses need to be addressed sensitively – not least among a people newly coming to terms with 'assisted dying' and, more generally, reliant on meat as edible protein.
Even so it is another big ask for the racing industry to more or less contrive that no registered racehorse will be prematurely euthanised -- and that the cost of their comfortable life in retirement will be met from ear-marked allocations of funds from the industry's tax take.
In short, does this evidence stand as the considered view of the board of RacingNSW:
I will not allow that in my tenure …........no matter how old the horse is they want to send it to a knackery.......we have 500 horses on our farms that haven't been able to be rehomed. We take care of those horses because we will not send them to knackeries............none go to abattoirs.
A digression – managing and protecting product-quality
Issues about the quality of the racing product presented opens a broader front.
In my opinion, a modest punter for 60 years, while the quality of headline racing remains intact, there has been a long-term decline in the quality of most metropolitan racing.
Assessed in terms of the reasonable predictability of race and betting outcomes (i.e. size of dividends declared), a decline in train for some time quickened over the past decade or so. A fair question might be about the way RacingNSW reviews metropolitan race outcomes against expectations of punters and participants for fair racing.
It is apparent enough that the administrative-eye is sharply focused on 'more money', especially prize-money available to be paid out. Introducing nine and ten race programs on Saturdays is one illustration – with one consequence being for keen-punters to more or less steer clear of lower-class races early in a program.
In my mind, however, the decline in product quality accelerated sharply with the inflation of field sizes induced by paying money for runners finishing down to tenth-place. Not to labour the point here, there are 'course&distance' races being run routinely where field sizes consistent with fair racing should probably not exceed 10.
Resolving debates about product-quality would benefit from agreement on some objective benchmarks for making and disclosing assessments. One option I have in mind would presumably require the cooperation of Tabcorp. A suggested base for quality assessments would be the net win&loss fate of bets placed on each race by broad classes of punters – say big bets v. small bets, late-money bets v. bets placed early and, if possible, the success of betting-syndicates in milking quadrella pools when a rough-result dashes the hopes of the faithful, most-punter set.
End Piece
Depending on how RacingNSW might consider the relevance of the points raised and questions asked, there is a decision to be made on how it might respond if inclined to do so.
While I would, of course, appreciate a response in general terms, I am not solely entitled to any more detailed response which would likely be of interest to the racing fraternity generally.
That said, I do think there are issues that reasonably need to be addressed openly by RacingNSW.
Peter Mair
IS PUNTER CONFIDENCE REASON FOR DIVE IN GALLOPS TURNOVER?
AN annual report that reveals an alarming decline in thoroughbred racing turnover of $500 million over the past 12 months, suggests there is little to no punter confidence betting on racing in Queensland.
That resulted in revenue from the gallops falling by $26mn but thanks to spending controls implemented by RQ CEO Jason Scott during his relatively short time in the job, the thoroughbreds still managed to return a profit (after expenses) of $13.5mn on TAB meetings.
Highlights of the RQ Annual Report for 2023-24, tabled in Parliament last week, include:
- Total revenue reached $479.0 million in FY24, decreasing by 1.9% from FY23, but remains the second highest year on record;
- Total prize money reached $263.7 million, which represents an 8.2% increase from FY23; and
- Queensland’s market share across the three codes rose to 17.4% – up 1.2% from 17.2% in FY23 – in the midst of a challenging wagering market.
RQ Chair Steve Wilson AM said the size, strength, and resilience of the Queensland racing industry once again came to the fore in 2023/24.
“Over the past decade, the industry has had to confront many issues including flood, drought, and more recently, a global pandemic” Mr Wilson said.
“During that time, it has not only survived, but thrived, whilst RQ has maintained a laser focus on increasing revenue to reinvest through returns to participants.
“The challenges refuse to dissipate, however, with the overall degradation of the Australian wagering market, recalibrating after the highs experienced during the global pandemic, impacting all jurisdictions.
“Nonetheless, RQ was all but able to maintain its financial position, with total revenue reaching $479.0 million in FY24, which represents a slight decrease of 1.9% from $488.3 million in FY23.”
“While payments to participants were marginally down in FY24, decreasing from $390.8 million to $388.4 million, prize money reached $263.7 million, which represents an 8.2% increase from $243.7 million in FY23.
“During this time, Queensland racing’s market share increased slightly to 17.4% and wagering turnover declined 8.3% year-on-year from $6.7 billion to $6.1 billion. As follows:
- Thoroughbreds - $4.0 billion (-9.6%);
- Greyhounds - $1.5 billion (-5.6%); and
- Harness - $0.7 billion (-8.2%).
“RQ recorded a $37.2 consolidated loss versus a $32.0 million consolidated profit in FY23. This loss is after the impact of the $57.4 million divestment of the Sunshine Coast Racing Unit Trust.
“Overall, the Queensland racing industry’s contribution to the state's economy exceeds $2.4 billion per annum with the latest data from IER demonstrating an increase of close to $200 million from FY22 to FY23.
“This highlights racing’s rising importance, having doubled from $1.2 billion in FY16 to $2.4 billion, while full-time jobs have risen 66% from 9,546 to 15,839.
“Also helping the industry is the volume of infrastructure projects, big and small, that continue to roll out across the state.
“The $70 million redevelopment of the Gold Coast Turf Club hosted its first meeting with the running of the 2024 Magic Millions Raceday at the beginning of the calendar year.
“In early May, the state-of-the-art broadcast lighting was fully commissioned, paving the way for the Gold Coast to become the most impressive night racing venue in the nation and the ‘Happy Valley’ of Australia.
“Construction of The Q, the new home of greyhound racing in South East Queensland, made significant progress. Following bulk earthworks, the grandstand formwork and lighting foundations have now been completed and trialling is expected to commence in the first half of FY25 before the commencement of full-time racing in the second half of FY25.
“The natural flora and established lake create a backdrop to be enjoyed by participants and the local community alike. We look forward to the grand opening in early 2025.
In the latter parts of the year, both the Townsville Turf Club and the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club were the beneficiaries of up-coming projects to be funded primarily through the Racing Infrastructure Fund.
In North Queensland, the Townsville Turf Club will soon have on-course stables at Cluden Park which will further enhance the club’s reputation as a leading training and racing precinct.
Regional and remote clubs also shared in infrastructure upgrades through Country Club Asset Funding with a further 41 projects announced.”
LOOKING forward these are the challenges for the three codes of racing in Queensland:
THE out-going Labor Government has paved the way for a better integrity path with the recent appointments of a ‘dream team’ to haul the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission out of the quicksand. Here’s hoping the LNP give them time to turn things around and that we don’t get another ‘dickhead’ Racing Minister like Steve Dickson who promised early on that Queensland racing would be ‘a furlong in front’ of NSW and Victoria within 12 months.
ANY changes to the RQ Board (which will probably see the Grace Grace appointment shown the door) are for the good of the industry and not the politicians and their mates. Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, the current Thoroughbred Representative, is the obvious choice for Chairman. Here’s hoping he isn’t bogged down by no-hoper political appointments to the Board.
THE retention of Jason Scott as RQ CEO is a must. He is a ‘furlong in front’ of some of his predecessors, especially ‘Pins’ Parnell and Malcolm Tuttle. It’s not so much that some in the new Government might want to see him go but more so that there will be more attractive offers in racing keen to secure his talents.
THE EVEREST TO SPEARHEAD SIX NEW GROUP 1 RACES IN AUSTRALIA
THE EVEREST will finally gain Group 1 status to match its standing as Australia’s richest horse race after changes to the classification system for black-type races.
CHRIS ROOTS reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that the $20 million slot race, created by Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club, to give Sydney racing a focal point during the spring, has been a runaway success, consistently being rated Australia’s best race in the seven years since it was established.
However, it has not held Group 1 status, the classification given to the highest level of thoroughbred races.
Racing Victoria has repeatedly vetoed Racing NSW’s attempts to have The Everest awarded Group 1 status but a change at the top of RVL has seen the impasse lifted and agreement on a new set of rules for group races in Australia.
According to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, a media release has been drafted by Racing Australia to announce six new Group 1 races, led by The Everest. The announcement should come today (Monday) after being delayed last week.
The Sydney spring will be littered with new Group 1 races, as the Premiere Stakes, The Everest, the Russell Balding Stakes and Golden Eagle will all now carry the premier stamp in racing.
The All Star Mile will also be lifted to Group 1 from its next running in 2025, as will The Shorts, which was won by I Am Me as a Group 2 on Saturday.
New guidelines for Group 1 races in Australia will see any race with a three-year average international rating of 115 given premier status.
In what is set to be a massive win for Sydney racing, the newly minted Group 1 races are likely to sit in the top 100 group 1 races in the world, which means in 2025 those meetings will be included in the Hong Kong Jockey Club-powered World Pool.
The World Pool enables bettors from all over the globe to bet into a single multimillion-dollar pool, which will return substantial fees to the cash-strapped ATC as the club hosting the meeting.
Racing NSW has been preparing for the announcement in the past couple of months and dropped the bonus for the Sydney Sprint Series from $3 million to $2 million in the knowledge the majority of races in the series would carry the prestigious group 1 tag.
It is the ultimate recognition for the expanded spring carnival that started with the creation of The Everest, which has gone from $10 million to $20 million in prizemoney in the past seven years, and continued with the $10 million Golden Eagle, which has become a focus of thoroughbred trainers around the world.
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys has continually claimed he was not concerned by The Everest’s lack of Group 1 status, but achieving the classification not only for the $20m slot race but also the four other races in the carnival he has created might be his biggest victory.
KAH PENALTY OF 3 WEEKS SEEMS REASONABLE IN CIRCUMSTANCES
THE Victorian Racing Tribunal has suspended champion jockey Jamie Kah for three weeks over her ride on Let’sfacethemusic in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes which seems reasonable in the circumstances.
Stewards wanted a suspension of not less than six weeks but the Tribunal disagreed. She will now miss the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Cup meetings. Her suspension begins from midnight on September 28 and ends on Sunday, October 20.
Feelings are running high in the Kah camp after former jockey turned commentator Sam Hyland basically accused her of pulling up Let’sfacethemusic. It has led to plenty of ill-feeling and a war of words between Hyland and Kah’s fiancé Ben Melham.
Those questioning why Hyland disappeared overnight from a lucrative contract with Racing Queensland and SKY Channel some years ago are belatedly calling for details of what happened to be revealed in view of his attack on Kah, the pin-up girl of Victorian racing.
She had pleaded not guilty to a stewards’ charge of not affording Let'sfacethemusic every opportunity of a best placing in the McNeil Stakes after failing to take runs between the 175-metre mark and 100-metre mark and again near the 75-metre mark.
VRT deputy chairperson Kathryn Kings, handing down the verdict, said the Tribunal was satisfied Kah had not taken all permissible measures to obtain the best placing in the field.
After a short break following penalty submissions, Kings said: "We are satisfied that between the 175-metre and 100-metre mark, there was a sufficient gap and opportunity for you to be able to ride your mount with sufficient vigour or purpose to improve your position.
"We are satisfied that this ride did not involve a mere error of judgement on your part but when viewed objectively, the failure to take the run, which presented itself and was available to be taken for approximately eight strides, represented a breach of rule 129 (2) and was a departure from the standard of racing to be expected of a rider of your standing.
"We acknowledge that the horse raced keenly at the early stages but during the relevant period the horse raced tractably.
"Further, in relation to your ride in the last 75 metres of the race, we are satisfied you failed to ride out your mount with sufficient vigour when it was reasonable and permissible to do so.
"While we acknowledge the evidence of the historical racing manners of each horse, we are satisfied that you did not use sufficient vigour or purpose, therefore not giving your horse every opportunity to obtain the best possible place in the field."
The hearing was adjourned for lunch at around 1:40pm after both RV stewards and Kah's representative Matthew Stirling had completed submissions on the charge and when it returned, Kah was found guilty.
Let’sfacethemusic ($8.50) ultimately finished fifth in the race, some 4.5 lengths from the winner.
Corie Waller, who was Acting Chief Steward on the day at Caulfield, told the Tribunal that Kah's ride was a culpable one under the rule as she did not give her horse every chance to obtain its best placing after failing to take the run in the home straight between Band Of Brothers and Stay Focussed.
Waller, a one-time Queenslander did no damage to his career, claiming a high profile scalp who had one of the best racing barristers in the business, Maatthew Stirling, in her corner.
Kah told the Tribunal that although the vision of the race shows there appears to be a gap for her to take, she did not feel safe in doing so. "Out there, I didn’t feel like the gap was open," she said.
She said Let'sfacethemusic had proven difficult to ride and earlier in the race had locked its jaw, which meant she lost control for a short period. She conceded that her opinion that Let'sfacethemusic was a dangerous horse may have contributed to her not taking the run in question on the day.
Waller said stewards believed Let'sfacethemusic had more to give in the race and said that despite Kah's evidence, there was no sign in the replay of the race that the colt was difficult to ride and appeared 'responsive to the actions of its rider'.
He said stewards had estimated it was reasonable and safe for Kah to take the gap between the two leaders for a total of eight strides from about the 175-metre mark.
He said the eight strides amounted to about 56 metres or 15 per cent of the home straight at Caulfield, where stewards argued it was reasonable for Kah to take the run.
Stirling said given the unruly manners of Let'sfacethemusic, the jockey simply did not feel confident to take the run given its racing manners and the strong wind at Caulfield on the day.
According to Stirling, the horse was 'literally dangerous' in his racing manners and so it required due caution from Kah when considering taking the run.
Kah told stewards that Let'sfacethemusic had locked its jaw during the race and had done so five days earlier when she rode the colt for the first time in a track gallop.
She said a rider loses control over a horse that locks its jaw.
Stirling said Kah had intimate knowledge of the ramifications of riding a horse that locks its jaw as that it what happened when she took a near-fatal fall at Flemington in 2023, which left her in a coma for six days and unable to ride again for six months.
He said if any of the three horses involved had shifted a 'quarter of a horse or half a horse’, the jockeys could have finished in an ambulance.
"Who are the stewards to criticise Kah for that ride?" he said. "She was the one that spent a week in in ICU last year because of a horse locking its jaw. I think she knows the risks of riding a horse with those traits a little better than the stewards and, with respect, a little better than (the trainer) Mr Price."
ARE HIGH PROFILE BUREAUCRATS & STEWARDS AT QRIC BEING PAID BONUSES, PART OF THE MINEFIELD INHERITED BY THE DREAM TEAM?
NOT surprisingly, the mail is strong that the new team appointed to run the troubled Queensland Racing Integrity Commission have inherited a train wreck.
Reliable insiders warn that the situation has been worsened by staff anger over bonuses being apparently paid to some high profile bureaucrats and stewards.
The industry deserves answers but we feel it would be unfair to demand these until new Commissioner Catherine Clark and her Deputies Chantal Reine & Kim Kelly have had sufficient time to address a myriad of issues, especially this bonus minefield.
If QRIC is going to be saved from dismantling by an LNP Government, these are the only people who can do that by reducing the cost of running the Integrity Body set up by Labor and changing the course of how it has been operating.
We would like to tell you how much QRIC is costing but even the previous Acting Commissioner Malcolm Letts (who filled the role after the exit of Shane Gillard) reportedly had no idea when questioned at the recent Budget Estimates Committee hearings.
He also seemed to have no idea how much the QRIC Review cost (which is amazing because we can tell you it was in excess of $500,000).
How some high profile QRIC bureaucrats and Stewards managed to secure wage bonuses remains a mystery. Some say it was granted by the former Commissioner as a loyalty payment (which would have been illegal). Even LGHR finds that impossible to believe. We would be happy to publish Mr Gillard's version of events but that is unlikely to happen as he has refused to even comment on why he resigned.
Perhaps the Devil was in the detail of the Review into QRIC ordered by Racing Minister Grace Grace (kicking a screaming). We’d like to tell you about the findings of the Review but we can’t. All we can say is that its completion coincided with the sudden and overdue departure of Commissioner Gillard.
In its short life, QRIC has ridden shotgun with controversy. But the biggest blunder, in the eyes of many in the industry, was the appointment of Gillard as Commissioner whose my-way-of-the-highway approach saw dozens walk out the door in protest.
It also saw some questionable appointments, like that of Josh Adams as Chairman of Stewards when LGHR knows of at least one interstate steward with far more experience who was overlooked. And the survival of some stewards who are out of their league and have been for some time (like the I’ve Been Everywhere Man of the Panel).
There is no secret that the future of QRIC will be in jeopardy if the LNP, as expected, wins Government next month. Dismantling of the Integrity Body would take many months. Hopefully they will ignore the push by some MPs (including one tipped to be the Racing Minister) and give the new team time to work their way through a complete revamp of QRIC enabling it to survive. If anyone can do it, this new ‘dream team’ can.
GIVE ‘DREAM TEAM’ TIME & DON’T EXPECT AN OVERNIGHT MIRACLE
NOTHING but praise has been heaped on the new Commissioner and her Deputies since their appointment but the industry and critics should not expect an overnight miracle with QRIC.
It’s a pity ‘Big Ben’ Dorries, the award winning racing scribe from the Murdoch Media camp, didn’t do his homework before speaking out on the Press Room program on Radio 4TAB on Monday.
Dorries was rightfully full of praise for the appointment of Kim Kelly, whose deeds as a local and international steward have been well documented but he questioned whether Commissioner Catherine Clark knew anything about racing.
Unlike her predecessors Ms Clark has been involved in racing through her family of owner-breeders since she could walk. And don’t for one moment think there is any conflict of interest in her appointment. Her knowledge of the industry is an absolute bonus. Do your homework Ben!
What the industry and the racing public want to see following the departure of the worst Commissioner (Gillard) in the short life of QRIC is: More transparency, a different approach to swabbing, the appointment of ‘quality’ stewards, not your mates; and a few more running and handling inquiries (which have been just about non-existent during the Gillard era). From a racing media viewpoint all we ask for is a level playing field and not coverage monopolized to ‘spin doctors’.
WHO WILL BE VICTIMS WHEN RAZOR GANG TAKES TO RADIO 4TAB?
THERE are some ‘Nervous Nellies’ at the Queensland racing broadcaster, Radio 4TAB, since Gillon McLachlan took the reins at Tabcorp.
His razor gang has aleady pulled millions of dollars in funding from two of News Corporation’s signature gambling brands – the Herald Sun racing form guide and punting platform Racenet.
That decision comes after the wagering giant suffered a $1.36 billion loss for the 2024 financial year and as it looks to slash on-going costs to improve its bottom line.
Last month, Tabcorp withdrew its $3 million annual funding of Racing Radio station RSN 927 and in its place offered a four-month partnership extension at a heavily reduced rate.
The Racenet and Herald Sun deals were worth about $2 million a year, with Tabcorp ending the Herald-Sun form guide agreement in July. The break-up jeopardises the future of the tabloid paper’s daily racing liftout, which has been a staple for Victorian punters for decades, particularly on a Saturday morning.
Tabcorp has also ended sponsorship deals for News Corp form guides in Tasmania, South Australia and Northern Territory. And why shouldn’t they? Racing shouldn’t be paying the Murdoch Empire to provide form – surely this is part of the service required for their readers.
And as for Racenet – that support was an absolute joke and an insult to other racing websites with the platform purchased by Murdoch to boost his then ownership involvement in a corporate betting company which was short-lived.
But back to 4TAB and the story goes that not too far down the track most of its programming will be initiated from interstate meaning many locals will lose their jobs. Here’s hoping the services of Steve Hewlett are retained to ensure Queensland racing gets a fair shake.
We are told that the ‘Retirement Home for Racing Spin Doctors’ – the Brisbane Racing Club – will be quick to find a kennel for one of their greatest supporters David Fowler. Story goes when Bart Sinclair earns a berth on some Board from his mates in the LNP, he will go into hibernation with his other love the Brisbane Lions and move on from the BRC making way for Fowler.
It’s time the duplication of callers ended in Queensland. David was once a great caller but now plays second fiddle to Josh Fleming. There are plenty of young callers with excellent credentials that can back Josh up.
Our suggestion to the BRC is that they use ‘Feather’s’ skills as a compere for presentations and major events, to entertain the winning connections although a 10-race card might be a drain on his drinking ability and consult on matters of racing with a background as Chairman of the Albion Park Harness Racing Club. And he could still take his annual holidays to attend the Cairns Amateurs ‘race-calling junket’.
WALLER FORM REVERSALS ON CARDS FOR VIA SISTINA & JOLIESTAR
THE powerful Chris Waller stable winning four of the eight races it was eligible to contest at Rosehill on Saturday came as no surprise to most of us who follow racing closely.
But it would have taken a brave tipster to suggest that two of his stars – Via Sistina and Joliestar – would perform as badly as they did.
Having said that – hands up any punter who is prepared to write either off in future? They respect the training ability of Waller too much and are accustomed to form reversals from the stable.
In the case of Via Sistina which ran an easing $2.6 favourite (bookies were keen to risk) and finished fifth behind Mr Brightside and Pride of Jenni in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes, stewards reported:
‘RIDER James McDonald reported that the mare raced flat and failed to respond to his riding in the heavy track conditions. Trainer Chris Waller concurred with the views of James McDonald. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no significant findings. Stewards will follow up with the stable.’
Bookies betting pre-post on the Turnbull Stakes in early October weren’t convinced we saw the best of Via Sistina either and still have the brilliant import $4.5 favourite ahead of Mr Brightside at $5.
Joliestar looked anything but a genuine contender for The Everest when a somewhat plain third behind Sunshine In Paris in the Group 2 Sheraco at Rosehill failing to justify her plunged price of $1.8. She is now an $11 chance for The Everest in October.
Stewards reported that when questioned (jockey) Kerrin McEvoy reported that he was instructed to obtain cover anticipating this would be behind Sunshine In Paris which was considered to be his main danger. He said that although Joliestar began well he allowed the runners to his inside to improve whereby he was able to obtain cover behind Sunshine In Paris. He said that after obtaining cover behind that runner leaving the 1000m Joliestar then travelled satisfactorily. However, the race was being run at a much quicker tempo than was anticipated. He said that the mare came under pressure rounding the home turn and although Joliestar responded to his riding it did not close off quite as strongly as he felt it would. He added that Joliestar appeared to pull up without any issue and suggested it may have raced below expectations being second-up from a break. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no abnormalities.
It wasn’t all bad news for Waller fans with wins by the promising Lady Shenandoah $5 in the G3 Ming Dynasty; the heavily-backed Unusual Legacy and Matusalem in restricted races and the upset comeback by Firestorm at $20 (the roughest of four runners from the stable with Chica Mojito $13 2nd, Mare of Mt Buller $9 and the most fancied Cadetship $7 finishing 6th).
Waller was also successful at Flemington with the gay deceiver Chrysaor at $21 in the Listed Vale Black Caviar. For those of us who know what this horse can do on a given day the win came as no surprise.
Don’t think for one minute Waller horses aren’t going to dominate the Spring – Autumn Glow is a hot favourite to win the Tea Rose & the Flight Stakes; Fan Girl at $2.5 for the 7 Stakes and Via Sistina has retained favouritism for the Turnbull Stakes.
‘PLAY IT AGAIN SAM’ BUT BEFORE YOU BAG JAMIE KAH HOW ABOUT EXPLAINING YOUR QUICK EXIT FROM THE SKY JOB IN QUEENSLAND
PERHAPS it’s a case of mistaken identity but is that the same Sam Hyland, once a familiar face on the TV coverage of racing in Queensland, who is bagging the crap out of Jamie Kah?
Is it the same Sam Hyland who relocated his family from Victoria some years back to work on a lucrative contract for Racing Queensland and SKY to cover TAB meetings in the south-east corner of the Sunshine State?
Is this the same Sam Hyland who his Sky colleagues say disappeared overnight from his job in the north without any explanation following strange happenings while he was working at the races in Brisbane?
Is it the same Sam Hyland who last week told SEN Track that Jamie Kah should be suspended over her ride on Let’sfacethemusic in the G3 McNeil Stakes over which she has been charged?
Is this the same Sam Hyland who engaged in a war of words via social media with Ben Melham who not surprisingly went into bat for the ride of his fiancée Kah?
If it is the same Sam Hyland that the ‘talk of the racing town’ Kah is being subject to in Melbourne has been occurring for Hyland in Brisbane but for different reasons?
Here is some of the feedback that we have received at LGHR since Hyland took a baseball bat to the Kah ride which her critics say is worthy of a three-month stint on the sidelines:
‘Damien Oliver says there were extenuating circumstances that the Tribunal needs to take into account about the Kah ride. Hyland doesn’t care about those. He is basically accusing her of pulling the horse up. Why would she want to do that?
‘Jamie Kah’s barrister Matthew Sterling should put Oliver and Hyland in the witness box questioning both on what they have achieved in racing. Now in retirement, Olle rode 129 Group 1 winners. Hyland, also in retirement, rode none. His highest achievement was a G3 winner in South Australia. Which one qualifies best to be commenting on the ride of a jockey who has to date ridden 14 Group 1, 20 Group 2 & 43 Group 3 – certainly not a nobody like Sam.’
And these:
‘Why wouldn’t Ben Melham, who has ridden over 20 Group 1 winners, go into bat for his fiancé Jamie Kah? ‘Maybe she didn’t fancy being parked up in ICU again for the Spring Carnival,’ he fired back in response to Sam Hyland telling SEN: “I don’t care how windy it is, you’ve got to ride them out.” Melham delivered the final KO: "We know you would have taken the gap Sam. You used to attempt them when they weren't even there.’
‘If Hyland is trying to attract attention he is going the wrong way about it. The Kah ride might have divided the racing community in Victoria. But in Queensland, where those in the south-east got to know Sam well, he is copping plenty of flak, particularly over what some are calling a cover-up over his departure from SKY.’
Kah will ‘face the music’ before the Tribunal on Thursday. In the meantime perhaps the ex-jockey some call ‘Happy Snapper Hyland’ would like to explain why he suddenly left the job he so enjoyed in Queensland. Love to publish your response Sam - just to clear the air!
TABCORP STOPS PAYING MILLIONS FOR MURDOCH FORM GUIDES & RACENET AFTER SUFFERING MORE THAN BILLION DOLLAR LOSS
THE Gillon McLachlan-led Tabcorp has pulled millions of dollars in funding from two of News Corp’s signature gambling brands – the Herald Sun racing form guide and punting platform Racenet.
DANNY RUSSELL & CHRIS ROOTS report for FAIRFAX MEDIA that the decision comes after the wagering giant suffered a $1.36 billion loss for the 2024 financial year and as it looks to slash ongoing costs to improve its bottom line.
Last month, FAIRFAX also revealed that Tabcorp had withdrawn its $3 million yearly funding of racing radio station RSN 927, and in its place offered a four-month partnership extension at a heavily reduced rate.
The Racenet and Herald Sun deals were worth about $2 million a year, with Tabcorp ending the Herald-Sun form guide agreement in July, according to two sources familiar with the situation but unable to speak publicly because of commercial sensitivities.
The decision to end the agreement was instigated by McLachlan’s predecessor, Adam Rytenskild, but the former AFL boss is seeing the cuts through.
The break-up jeopardises the future of the tabloid paper’s daily racing liftout, which has been a staple for Victorian punters for decades, particularly on a Saturday morning.
Tabcorp has also ended sponsorship deals for News Corp form guides in Tasmania, South Australia and Northern Territory.
Despite the funding cut, the Herald Sun form guide still carries the Tabcorp branding, with one industry insider, not in a position to comment publicly, saying the betting company was still a major advertiser with the tabloid paper.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned media behemoth bought Racenet – a racing news, analysis and tipping website – at the end of 2018 as it looked to expand its reach into the wagering space.
It then formed the backbone of News Corp’s racing and sports wagering newsroom, created in 2021, and boasted a staff of 16 as well as form analysts such as Tony Brassel and Mark Guest.
Racenet relied on significant sponsorship from Tabcorp on top of ads from corporate bookmakers to fund its business model. The impact of the Tabcorp cuts on Racenet staff numbers is still unknown.
McLachlan had a constructive relationship with News Corp figureheads in his former role as AFL chief executive, with Foxtel spending millions on the football code’s media rights deals.
News Corp and the Herald Sun were contacted for comment.
Last month, FAIRFAX revealed that Tabcorp would start shutting down on-course tote facilities at the end of the spring carnival as part of widespread cost-cutting measures under new chief executive officer McLachlan.
Smaller thoroughbred race clubs, as well as harness racing clubs and greyhound clubs, will be given the option to fund staff at tote windows or lose the service altogether beyond November 30 – an option that many say they cannot afford.
Last month, McLachlan told analysts that Tabcorp’s three-year strategy known as “TAB25” was unrealistic.
“We’re seeing persistent inflation and inflated costs of regulation, which is sticky in our cost base,” he said.
“The underlying assumptions of the [TAB25] strategy have been proven not to be correct.
“Today’s results demonstrate a competitive performance in the soft market conditions we face [...] There’s no doubt the business is more competitive than it was at the [2022 demerger from The Lottery Corporation], but it’s not where it ultimately needs to be. It will require change, but the goal remains unchanged.”
McLachlan started in the Tabcorp role early last month after he replaced Rytenskild, who was fired based on allegations he had spoken inappropriately about a Victorian regulator. Rytenskild denies the allegations and is suing Tabcorp for unfair dismissal.
QRIC FINALLY HAS ‘DREAM TEAM’ SO BADLY NEEDED – DOES AN LNP GOVERNMENT THAT CHANGES THIS WANT INTEGRITY IN RACING?
AS voters prepare to rearrange the deckchairs on the State of Queensland ‘titanic’, here’s hoping 11th hour steps by Labor to save the independent Queensland Racing Integrity Commission haven’t been too little, too late.
If the mail is right and the MP being touted as the new Racing Minister gets the job, QRIC will almost certainly be dismantled and integrity of racing will be returned to the umbrella of Racing Queensland losing its independence opening the door for political interference.
With her Government in its death-throes, Racing Minister Grace Grace has announced a new leadership team for QRIC headed by the appointment of Catherine Clark as Commissioner, Chantal Raine as her Deputy and internationally experienced steward Kim Kelly as Acting Deputy Commissioner.
These are appointments that the racing industry needs and respects but they face the enormous task of hauling QRIC out of the mess it got into under the leadership of former Labor-appointed Commissioner Shane Gillard. Once the LNP wins Government it will need a damn good reason to replace these appointments with the only change acceptable to most a new-look QRIC on a platform out of reach of the RQ Board or the Government.
The State Government established QRIC as an independent statutory body in 2016, as recommended by the MacSporran Commission of Inquiry following its findings that industry self-regulation had failed.
QRIC independently regulates integrity and the welfare of racing animals in Queensland’s three racing codes (thoroughbreds, harness and greyhounds).
Catherine Clark is a strategic executive with extensive experience in chief executive and board roles across government, education, sport and management consulting sectors, most recently as chief executive officer of Paralympics Australia.
Chantal Raine is an accomplished executive leader with more than eight years’ experience across state and federal public sectors and has been acting as Deputy Racing Integrity Commissioner since March 2024.
Kim Kelly is an internationally renowned Steward who was Chief Stipendiary Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club from 2009 until his retirement in 2023, after which he continued to work with the Asian Racing Federation and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
The LNP needs to announce what it intends to do with the three codes of racing now. If reports that it is going to revert to the thoroughbreds, harness and greyhounds returning to their own Control Boards, how much extra is that going to cost the industry in general and what is their argument against duplicity of services?
What guarantee are they going to provide that Integrity will continue to be independent of administration (separation of powers is a must) and the Government, especially any Minister who might be promising his ‘political mates in racing’ some start?
Surely the new Premier and his team won’t allow a return to the bad old days when Queensland was an ‘open door’ for all the crooks in racing and stewards were told what to do by politicians, like occurred in a past era, especially at the ‘red hots’. LGHR witnessed this first-hand.
Catherine Clark is the perfect appointment who knows plenty about racing. She virtually grew up with the sport, her parents John and Judy being hobby breeders and racing horses under the ‘Hallside’ banner.
She has been appointed a terrific support team in Chantal Reine and Kim Kelly. It’s a major coup for racing in Queensland securing the services of Kelly, now in semi-retirement in Brisbane after years as Chief Steward in Hong Kong following stints in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.
As Archie Butterfly wrote, “This is the dream team that the Queensland racing industry has been screaming out for since QRIC was created eight years ago and it puts every other leadership team the organization has ever had in the shade.”
LGHR fears if an LNP Government disposes of these outstanding appointments and puts their ‘political mates’ in the job or for that matter takes the ‘independence’ out of QRIC, the racing public will be wondering if they really want integrity in racing in Queensland.
‘ARCHIE’ QUESTIONS THE ‘MATHS SKILLS & MEMORY’ OF ‘GAZ’ GORRIE
OUR old mate ARCHIE BUTTERFLY asked that we publish a response to the article written by former long-time North Queensland bookmaker GARY GORRIE. It reads:
‘I greatly enjoyed reading the piece by former QLD bookie Gary Gorrie published on your website this week, although one part of his story left me wondering how Gaz ever made a quid out of the book with maths skills like his.
Talking about Mark Read's million dollar win in the Getting Closer plunge, Gorrie wrote that:
Then you could buy a new car for around $15,000, the same car now about $75,000. So in today’s terms that win equated to $4 million. You cannot get set for that sort of money now.
I hate to tell the old satchel swinger, but $75 000 is five times $15 000, which means Read won the modern day equivalent of $5 million, not four.
Trust a bookie to shave you the odds.
The plunge didn't happen on Melbourne Cup Day as Gorrie claimed either.
It landed at Canterbury on the 9th of January 1982.
I don't agree with Gaz's attack on the corporates while painting stand up bookies as saints either. That's not my memory of the mean fisted bastards who'd rather have teeth pulled without a painkiller than give a punter a payout on both horses in a protest or a free bet.
That aside it was fun reading.’
TOP BOOKIE OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS WANTS TO SEE A NATIONAL TOTE
TAKING a trip down memory lane with one of the most popular bookmakers to field on North Queensland racing in its heyday, racing tragic of the good old days GARY GORRIE writes:
‘I can remember well when racing thrived around Australia with a Saturday meeting in just about every major town.
Crowds?
When I started bookmaking in 1972 Mackay had a ring of some 26 bookies all prepared to bet up, the bars were packed, it was a social hub of the district. The club had a manager, two full-time ladies in the office and on race day employed another 30 to 40 people. The track staff was often the jockeys who had a vested interest in a safe racing surface and it supplemented their income with their riding fees. We had no shortage of jockeys then or expensive tracks which failed.
Twenty-six bookies with on average three clerks per bookie, a race caller, gate staff, stewards – it was an economic stimulus for the town. The club did well from gate receipts, food and drink profits and bookies’ fees. Visiting horses, trainers, connections, jockeys and even the stewards would join the local racing people at the Boomerang Hotel after the last. It was packed and needed extra staff to cope and many times the motel was full with the visitors.
Horses then raced under a divisional system where those unplaced in the higher division could be re-handicapped into the lower one. It kept the owners of slower horses viable and often the good horses would transfer to Brisbane and the slower ones there would be sent to the country. The same occurred with some of the jockeys transitioning between the country and city and vice versa.
Carnival time would come and trainers like Bobby Hewan, Des Mc Gee and Jim Delaney would start at Rocky and go right through to Cairns each year. The towns buzzed with excitement on Cup days and big crowds visited our tracks to bet and celebrate the day. Not like now where recently I heard one of the race callers mention the bands kept playing while the big race was run. Calcuttas were huge and race balls and socials were the order of the day.
Townsville carnival went for four weeks. It was the pinnacle of racing in the north. I often fielded alongside 40-plus bookies on the locals with another separate southern ring with almost as many. Jimmy Olsen, the cub reporter from the ‘Bulletin’, used to do an ‘Electrifying dash’ from the Jockeys’ Room to the ring with any last updates and often the late mail would finish like a ‘Tesla’ and get the money.
Bill Moss and Alan Cooper would oversee racing and it was run efficiently and fairly. It always seemed strange to me when Toowoomba or southern clubs failed. The answer was always to close clubs in the north running at a profit.
They sent in the ‘toe-utters’ to rationalize racing who got rid of the ‘saltbush parks’ like Mingela, Bowen Rivers all the national treasures. Thank goodness Ewan, Mt Garnet, Twin Hills and a few have survived. They talked the clubs into going mainly midweek and closed many.
That meant those clubs lost their revenue streams of the Saturday gate, bar, food, bookies’ fees. The towns of the racing crowd monies and of course this has caused the now shortage of jockeys.
I would like to know if the pittance the corporate bookies give the clubs equates to anything like the takings the clubs used to make on the old Saturday race meetings.
Every Melbourne Cup day there would be huge plunges on Maiden races in Brisbane with agents all over the country. Mark Reid backed Getting Closer to win over $1 million in 1982. Then you could buy a new car for around $15,000, the same car now about $75,000. So in today’s terms that win equated to $4 million. You cannot get set for that sort of money now.
The corporates have stuffed it and there’s no watchdog on corporates. They can do whatever they want to do and they are not forced to bet. On a racecourse, you are forced to bet every punter that comes along, whether they’re a professional or amateur.
So we cannot go back [shame]. I think we should look at the best racing now which is Hong Kong. So get rid of the corporates and have one national tote. I am shocked that after wonderful years of bookmaking I can say this but it would be better for racing and stop the selective betting corporates from sending our money overseas and it stays here reinvesting in our racing industry.
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS - ADMINISTRATORS EMBRACE CORPORATES
REGULAR contributor PETER MAIR weighs in with this short but sweet comment under the banner: ‘Corporates and Corruption’:
‘CORPORATE bookies – once the enemies – have become ‘besties’ with racing administrators.
This occurred when the latter saw the end of a rainbow by inflating race fields to boost turnover.
Their over-crowded races HAVE delivered the 'rough-result racing' that so often returns 100 per cent take-outs ('skinners') to fixed-odds bookies.
Whatever the mix of tote and fixed-odds turnover, there should be a cap on the total take from each 'pool' -- the cap was 16 per cent when totes ruled and that should be restored, bar for bookmakers standing on-course.'
AN AREA WHERE QUEENSLAND TAB NEEDS TO GET HOUSE IN ORDER
CORPORATES aside, it’s not always plain-sailing with the tote either. Spare a thought for ‘FILTHY PHIL’ in his win-less battle with the Queensland TAB (a situation, by the way that needs resolving). Here’s his problem:
‘I have sent two emails to the TAB wanting to know why I have to attend a TAB or Hotel to get ‘venue mode’.
Their reply is a generic answer unrelated to my question.
As I stated: Do I have to sit in a pub, get pissed and do my money in order to get these extra bonus deals.
Then they have the gumption to say bet responsibly...... What a bloody joke!’
Perhaps it has something to do with the Queensland Hotels or Australian Hotels Association logos that appear on their promotional material.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: You make a good point Phil and we would love to hear from the Queensland TAB on this one. If the TAB wants to whinge about Corporates they need to get their own house in order first to attract punters and this is on way of doing it.
FORMER TOP JOCKEYS CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE OVER CORPORATES
AS the controversy over a proposed ban on gambling advertising intensifies, some of the countries former champion jockeys have been caught in the crossfire.
Punters are questioning whether they should be endorsing corporate bookmakers and what it does for the image of racing.
Damien Oliver, Glen Boss, Jim Cassidy, along with training legend Peter Moody, are the face these days of Ladbrokes while Simon Marshall is the flag-bearer for Sportsbet.
This doesn’t sit comfortably with some fans of the top jocks. Clare from
Caulfield writes: ‘I love Olle but surely with all the millions he must have there is no need to maintain an involvement with racing by lying down with these corporate dogs.’
Mal from Melbourne wasn’t much more complimentary about SD Marshall: ‘Surely Racing.com should be using the TAB to provide their pre-race prices. Having to stomach all these Sportsbet enticements is bad enough without the constant banter of Marshall who to most of us is an absolute pain. And to make matters worse he is front and centre on Victorian and South Australian preview shows on the host broadcaster.’
How top jockeys and trainers earn money in retirement – whether they need it or not – is their business but no matter on which side of the fence you sit it isn’t a good look having them promoting corporate bookies who are despised by many punters.
NOT EVERYONE HAPPY ABOUT SHINN’S 200-WIN GOAL FOR SEASON
JOCKEYS seem to be flavour of the month when it comes to a whinge and we’re not sure what to say about this attack on the high-flying Blake Shinn.
No jockey in Australia has ridden more winners so far this season than Shinn but he’s ambitious goal has got up the nose of one of our contributors – some might say for good reason.
Shinn, who has based himself in Victoria since a successful stint on the world stage in Hong Kong, wants to ride 200 winners for the season which means he will be plundering the provincials throughout the week.
Keith from Kilmore writes: ‘My nephew is no star jockey but he works hard and like many others was riding his share of winners until Blake Shinn decided to target TAB provincial meetings that most of the top jockeys dodge.
‘Shinn is entitled to ply his trade where he likes but it has reduced the opportunites for some battling jockeys when he gets the pick of the rides. Surely he earnt enough money in Hong Kong and currently at metropolitan meetings not to be so greedy.’
The plan to win 200 races, Shinn says allows him to repay those who helped him get re-established full-time in Melboune in 2022 after long and highly successful stings in Sydney and Hong Kong.
"It's about support really," Shinn explained. "I've built up some good relationships over the past couple of seasons. "I am going to a few more meetings where the top jockeys won't necessarily go, but if trainers ask the question if I am available to go, with their support they've shown me, I am more than happy to return the favour.
"Each jockey is different. Each jockey has their ways of going about things, but I have no problem in riding most days and in trackwork and jumpouts. I am old enough now to know when to have a morning off, or a whole day off. I know my body pretty well."
THE HAWKS ARE CIRCLING SOME OF KAH’S TOP RIDES FOR SPRING
THE hawks are circling the big rides that Jamie Kah will lose with an almost certain suspension looming at an important Spring Carnival time.
Kah has to front the Victorian Racing Tribunal after she was charged by stewards over her ride on Let’sfacethemusic on Memsie Stakes day. They will decide if she failed to give that horse every opportunity to obtain the best finishing position possible in the McNeil Stakes.
Gun lawyer Matthew Stirling was present when stewards took evidence from Kah. The ride didn’t look good but things aren’t always as they seem.
Insiders say her defence will rely on evidence that Let’sfacethemusic can lock its jaw in races which impacts on performance. Perhaps that happened on this day. If it did there’s a good argument that Kah could not control the outcome.
PUNTERS CAN’T WARM TO ‘MRS BROWNS’ BOY’ MUTE BUTTON COREY
PUNTERS just can’t warm to Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown in his new job with SKY Channel in Sydney.
Here’s what PAUL from NEWCASTLE had to say:
‘Does poor old Corey Brown know how to say anything in his post-race comments apart from ‘great ride by ….’?
‘My mates and I have got to the stage where we just hit the mute button when he comes on.
‘The bloke is a poor judge, an absolute bore, just wants to suck up to his jockey mates and wouldn’t dare criticize a bad ride.
‘In contrast those hosting the meetings in Victoria (they might not be jockeys) actually chase up trainers and jockeys when horses that were well fancied perform badly to see if they can find a reason.
‘You could learn from them old mate Corey. That’s how you protect the punters not your mates who have slaughtered a favorite which happens far too often in Sydney.’
COLLETT VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES OR BAD RIDE ON AFT CABIN?
AND, finally on the subject of jockeys, LGHR is a great fan of Jason Collett.
But what was he doing on our Late Mail fancy Aft Cabin (yes it was a Late Mail Special of ours) in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Aft Cabin resumed gelded and had trialled very well. It was well backed but Collett had no luck at all. The James Cumming-trained galloper ran 8th but with clear running arguably would have been in the finish.
We wonder if Collett – a terrific jock – will have the ride when Aft Cabin steps out next. And by the way it is still in The Everest field.
HOW DID WE SURVIVE IN RACING WITHOUT CORPORATE BOOKIES?
HANDS up all those who remember the days when racing was thriving – long before the arrival of SKY Channel or corporate bookmakers.
Tens of thousands were at the track, bookies were there in their hundreds and no-one needed betting incentives or pop-up races worth absurd prizemoney to survive.
All of a sudden racing administrators of the current era are telling us if the Federal Government bans gambling advertising the industry will be in dire straits.
Call me a dinosaur but something’s horribly wrong. Forget the fact that the corporates should never have been allowed into this country to plunder racing’s profits and send it off-shore.
But aren’t these the same corporate bookies – some high profile racing administrators are going in to bat for – who are highly despised by punters for closing accounts of those who dare to win?
Just look at the racing countries in the world that are going gang-busters – Hong Kong and Japan – where there are no corporates and betting is all-tote. It seems the corporate bookies are here to stay so what we need in Australia to provide betting competition is a National Tote.
Officialdom has to take some of the blame for the demise of on-course bookies – the goose that laid the golden egg was milked for far too long with turnover tax forcing many out of business.
Then along came SKY, why go to the track where you pay an admission fee for the privilege of losing your money not to mention exorbitant prices for food and drink? It was so much easier to go to the local club or simply watch from the comfort of your lounge room.
Harness racing deserves a mention as well. Remember the days when it was almost a ritual for punters to battle on at the Creek after the races via a pit-stop at the Brekky Creek.
Bookies would do the same – they were there in their dozens – the crowds were enormous. It wasn’t the corporates that sounded the death-knell to the ‘red hots’ – it was a lack of integrity which started in the days of the man who gave them everything, Big Russ.
Who knows where harness racing in Queensland would be without the entrepreneurial help of Kevin and Kay Seymour. It now trails even the greyhounds which once were regarded as the also-rans of the three codes and has to piggy-back off the gallops to survive.
But back to the current state of play with the Government – after months of taking one step forward and 10 steps back – set to implement some sort of ban on gambling advertising. Political pressure will ensure it's a half measure.
Racing industry leaders have retaliated to any ban with claims that the current funding model would take a catastrophic hit if all advertising from wagering companies was banned.
RQ CEO Jason Scott has backed his RV counterpart Aaron Morrison in lobbying the Federal Government for ‘sensible’ reform. Their argument that racing has a different relationship with wagering to other sports isn’t winning too many friends in Rugby League and Australian Rules.
"Over regulation of advertising reform, both on TV and through social media, has the potential to be crippling to the racing industry," Scott told the Murdoch Media. "The current racing funding model will be harmed in the form of cuts to prizemoney and loss of jobs.
“If wagering service providers can't advertise to customers who have opted in, we are going to see a reduction in interest in wagering," Scott said. "Almost 100 per cent of the money Racing Queensland receives comes from wagering through Point Of Consumption Tax or Race Field Fees."
Scott has proven a breath of fresh air since joining RQ but critics say his opinions on this issue are slanted by his background as the former boss of Ladbrokes Australia and his involvement with BetMGM in America.
His comment that: "We accept it has potentially gone too far, things like betting companies on football jerseys and bright signage around football games aren't suitable in 2024 and beyond,” has got up the noses of major sporting administrators in this country.
They highlight the fact that big corporate bookmaking companies have virtually taken over racing in some States with sponsorship of tracks, races and a heavy involvement with Racing.com in Victoria. Their question is: ‘Should this have not been the role of the TAB?’
But back to the good old days when commentators who dared to criticize were banned from the track and had to call races from nearby rooftops while columnists were read because they were not afraid to criticize and didn't have to 'suck up to survive'.
Sadly, today, many of the high profile racing scribes and commentators enjoy two jobs – especially in Sydney – but that comes at a price. Some say they have sold out the punters to become spin-doctors for officialdom.
Dinosaur or not that's my say on the subject. Please address all ‘hate mail’ to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
SHOULD JOCKEYS & TRAINERS FACE MEDIA MUSIC AFTER THEY LOSE?
SHOULD a Rule of Racing be introduced requiring jockeys and trainers to be interviewed by the media after a race whether they win or lose?
It now happens in major sports like Rugby League and Aussie Rules where the coach and captain of sides attend a compulsory post-match media conference.
Punters invest millions on horse racing and are entitled to an explanation of what they backed gets beaten. Should that just be the responsibility of stewards at post-race inquiries?
Having a microphone shoved in your face after the disappointment of defeat can’t be easy for competitive high-profile sportsmen and women, including jockeys.
Perhaps for some, like West Australia’s William Pike who just loves winning, it’s best if you say nothing at all – but even that has it’s pitfalls as he found out on Saturday.
LGHR isn’t privy to any history between Pike and media presenter Michael Heaton but there has to be more to what happened at Belmont races on Saturday after the running of the Listed Fernley Stakes.
There was a verbal blow-up between the pair after Pike offered no comment when he was narrowly beaten on the odds-on favorite Triple Jay by the $9 chance Saloon Bar ridden by Stephen Parnham.
For anyone who watched the race or has since seen a video replay, Pike’s answer would have been obvious. Bar from getting off and carrying the horse, he did everything possible to get it home. Triple Jay walked in front but couldn’t hold out the fighting finish of Saloon Bar which sat outside him.
Who knows why Heaton took the matter further but it also would have been simple for Pike to say: ‘You saw the race. He simply wasn’t good enough on the day.’ But the super competitive jock was obviously disappointed.
Perhaps it was the tip of the iceberg on a day when things just didn’t go his way. It was a day when he rode only one winner, Arcadia Park in the second and the Parnham name proved his nemesis – between them Chris and Steve rode six winners, including the feature Fernley.
Pike also found himself answering questions from stewards after being beaten into fourth place on the heavily-backed Keep Attacking in the fourth (won by Brad Parnham on Eliteone). His explanation was accepted.
The WA Stewards’ Report on the clash between Heaton and Pike reads:
‘PRESENTER M Heaton appeared before Stewards in regard to improper conduct towards Jockey W Pike following Race 8. Mr Heaton subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge under AR228(b) and was fined the sum of $2,000 of which $1,000 will be suspended for a period of two years subject to Mr Heaton not being in further breach of this Rule in that time. When considering penalty, Stewards took into consideration Mr Heaton’s guilty plea, his remorse, unblemished record and that he will apologise to Mr Pike for his actions.’
Heaton is also employed by Racing and Wagering Western Australia and is a jockey manager. Those who saw the incident say he took exception to Pike offering no comment about his ride on hot-favourite Triple Jay while other jockeys in the race were more forthcoming. With the exchange that followed taking place in full view of participants around the scales area, stewards intervened.
Apart from the blow-up, it’s not unusual for jockeys, trainers or high profile sportsmen and women not to want to talk about defeats. Imagine trying to interview the enigmatic coach Wayne Bennett after a loss if he wasn’t required to attend a media conference and even then it isn’t easy.
In a comical aside to this situation LGHR recalls one day when he was covering the races at Eagle Farm as a turf scribe. It was many moons ago and after the great jockey Len Hill got beaten on a hot favourite I asked what he thought.
Hill, obviously upset after visiting all but the pie cart in his ride from a notoriously bad alley, snapped back: ‘Well John, as you would know from your riding experience, it isn’t always easy when you draw off the track.’
Moving on and one race later Lenny came out and rode a perfect race to win. He had no sooner led his horse into the parade ring when he jumped off and charged past the elated owners to embrace me and apologize for what he said before. There was nothing to apologise about.
Perhaps Pike and Heaton should follow Lenny’s lead. After all they were both just frustrated trying to do their job.
BEWARE WHAT YOU WISH FOR JASON – IT COULD COST YOUR JOB!
HERE’S hoping the hard-hitting, no-nonsense Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott doesn’t pay the price for his honesty about how bad harness racing is travelling.
Scott, appointed by a Labor Government and big fan, Racing Minister Grace Grace, would be aware that dating back to the Russ Hinze days, the ‘red hots’ can do no wrong under an LNP Government.
In an interview with SEN SPORT, Scott warned:
“I keep hearing noises, from the TAB and SKY Channel that harness racing is taking up 45 per cent of their time at night for an eight per cent return in revenue. Something has to happen.
“We have to make sure harness racing becomes interesting for the younger generation.”
Whether those running the sport want to admit it or not, punters lost confidence in betting on harness racing in Queensland long ago. Everyone knows why but nothing continues to be done about it.
And don’t expect things to change when the LNP becomes the new Government. If the stories are true, the MP they are grooming for the Racing Portfolio, rather than address the on-going problems, will be keen to throw more wasted millions at the ‘red hots’.
Story goes one of the first major projects the LNP plans for racing is the return to thoroughbreds, harness and greyhounds under their own control bodies rather than the one which was designed to save money and avoid duplicity of services and staff. How dumb is that?
It would mean massive extra costs to the industry and the taxpayers for harness which is already riding on the back of the gallops and greyhounds but still struggling to survive.
Alarmingly, the dismantling of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission would see the return of stewards to the employ of the control bodies which opens the door for easy political interference in the integrity of racing. But that hasn’t worried LNP Governments in the past – almost every major controversy that has occurred in Queensland was under their watch.
As an aside LGHR is receiving some concerning emails and calls about a situation involving a major club but for legal reasons we cannot go into too much detail.
This is not our opinion but what is being alleged and was the subject of a text we received from one of the most respected administrators of the past who still keeps a close eye on racing in Queensland.
He has suggested we pose the following questions. So here goes:
Has there been a major blow-up involving directors of a major club which led recently to one of them resigning in protest over certain issues? He is being urged by supporters to take his concerns to Racing Minister Grace Grace or the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
Has there been a major cover-up of what is happening (including his resignation) with senior officials of the club hoping they can hold out to the change of Government alarmingly under the premise that the MP being groomed for Racing Minister has their support? Does that cover-up involve certain media identities who have been promised high profile jobs in racing with the new Government and for that reason are supporting this MP despite his unsuitability for the portfolio?
There’s plenty more we’d like to say but let’s leave it at that. Racing can become a can of worms election issue if Labor has the courage to take the ball and run with it. If what we are being told is anywhere near right (we’re not saying it is) then an Independent Inquiry into some very serious claims is needed to clear the air.
OLIVER WORD OF WARNING TO ‘ARMCHAIR CRITICS’ OF KAH RIDE
RETIRED champion jockey Damien Oliver has issued a word of warning to ‘armchair critics’ bagging the ride of Jamie Kah on Letsfacethemusic in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Speaking on a post-mortem panel show of the Memsie Stakes meeting on Racing.com, Olle conceded the lack of vigour shown by Kah in the straight was not a good look but suggested there were extenuating circumstances.
He urged critics of the ride, which is the subject of a Stewards’ Inquiry, not to simply judge it by viewing the side-on replay but to look to the front-on coverage which tells a different story.
Oliver said the strong winds on the day had played a significant role. There was a gap easily big enough to drive Letsfacethemusic through but the two horses ahead of the colt were not racing truly facing the headwinds and moved closer together as they advanced down the straight.
The Mick Price-Michael Kent jnr-trained Letsfacethemusic, a runner-up at his three starts since a spell (the latest behind Band Of Brothers in the G3 Vain Stakes) at Caulfield, finished fifth four and a half lengths from the winner Growing Empire but even with a clear run would not have troubled him.
It has also been revealed that Kah rode while she was ill last Saturday and that her condition may have worsened as the day progressed. She obviously battled on keen to ride the promising Another Wil at his winning comeback in the last.
The question will no doubt be asked by stewards if she sought medical advice whether to continue riding on the day. Kah is not entitled to any more start because she is a top rider but there do appear to be some extenuating circumstances in her favour.
In the absence of Chairman of Stewards Rob Montgomery, Corrie Waller was in charge of the meeting with his deputy James Hitchcock. Their report reads:
LETSFACETHEMUSIC: Raced keenly in the early stages. Stewards opened and adjourned an inquiry into the ride of Jamie Kah, particularly in the straight. Evidence was taken from J Kah and co-trainer Mick Price. A post-race veterinary examination did not identify any significant abnormal findings.
Kah has suffered more than her share of setbacks in recent years starting with a near-fatal fall at Flemington in March 2023 which sidelined her for five months.
She was subsequently confronted by a six-month legal battle to clear her name after being charged with conduct prejudicial to the image of racing in relation to the white powder controversy.
In handing down his decision to clear Kah, Victorian Racing Tribunal Judge John Bowman said he was not comfortably satisfied her conduct was prejudicial because she did not know a video was being filmed and sent. A picture had emerged of Kah raking a white powder into three lines during a small gathering at her house.
Kah has ridden 1279 winners at a strike rate of 18 per cent. That includes 14 Group 1’s, 20 Group 2’s, 42 Group 3’s and 40 Listed races.
The last thing she needs now – heading into a Spring Carnival – where she has some very good engagements, is a suspension, especially a lengthy one.
REASON FOR PLAIN PERFORMANCE OF PRIDE OF JENNI REVEALED
THERE had to be a reason for champion mare Pride Of Jenni emerging as the 'lay of the day' in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday – and it has finally emerged.
Forget all the suggestions that she doesn’t perform fresh and opened at ‘silly’ odds, Pride Of Jenni is a furlong better than she performed.
Trainer Ciaron Maher has revealed that the mare was subsequently found to be suffering a ‘minor elevated temperature.’ While tests indicate a possible minor virus of some kind, her symptoms are mild and she appears to be bright just a few days after the race.
“Her bloods have come back not perfect, but OK,” Maher said on Tuesday afternoon. “They (bloods) were very slightly out, but it would be hard to say it was the sole reason (for her defeat).
"The process now is recovery," he said. "A bit of 'R and R 'for a week and she's got a program there," he said.
On the back of her plain Memsie run, Pride Of Jenni has drifted from $3 to $6 for the G1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick and from $4.40 to $8.50 for the Cox Plate.
Stewards’ report from Saturday read:
PRIDE OF JENNI: Rider Declan Bates reported, when asked to quicken from the 600m Pride Of Jenni failed to respond as expected. D Bates added, he was disappointed with the overall performance of the mare, however, was of the view it may be better suited over more ground. A post-race veterinary examination did not identify any significant abnormal findings and a sample was taken for analysis. Trainer Ciaron Maher reported he was surprised in how short the mare was in the market, bearing in mind it had been unsuccessful in seven first up performances in the past. He added, he was somewhat disappointed in the manner in which the mare finished the race off and was of the opinion Pride Of Jenni would be better suited over more ground in future races. Stewards will follow up with the stable.
IS GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO COMBAT GAMBLING ADVERTISING?
MAJOR concerns continue to be expressed that the Federal Government is reluctant to take the necessary steps to combat gambling advertising.
This is despite the latest news that TV gambling advertising would be banned within two years and an almost immediate ban would be imposed on online gambling ads under the Federal Government gambling reforms soon to hit Cabinet.
SKY NEWS has revealed that due to contractual arrangements, a TV ban would take almost two years to come into effect but restrictions could be placed in Federal legislation on bookmakers sooner, preventing them from putting ads on social media sites and online.
A blanket advertising ban, which was what a Parliamentary Committee led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended, is not being considered which for many inside and outside the racing industry is disappointing.
But the ban that will be introduced is being aimed at three areas of concern: the current saturation of gambling ads, the amount of exposure of children to gambling ads and the issue of gambling advertising during sporting matches.
The advertising aspect – which Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has been consulting the industry about – is part of a suite of reforms set to be approved by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Many of the recommendations of the parliamentary committee report are being handled by Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth.
Ms Rishworth told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program that the recommendation to establish a national online gambling regulator would not be carried through which has come as a major surprise.
“At this point that is not in the discussions with states and territories,” Ms Rishworth said. “What is in the discussion with states and territories is around how we better co-ordinate and move forward a unified effort when it comes to online gaming.”
CUP LOOKS BATTLE OF MAHER & WALLER v THE INTERNATIONALS
THE two most powerful trainers in Australian racing – Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller – have 37 of the 123 nominations for the Melbourne Cup between them.
Add to that 20 international entries for the $8.56 million two-miler at Flemington and that’s almost half the field.
In early markets on the Cup, Maher has two of three equal favourites at $15 (Circle Of Fire and Saint George). The other Vauban is from the Willie Mullins stable in Ireland, who also has Absurde on the third line of betting at $21.
The shortest of the Waller runners is Riff Rocket at $26 and the Irish import Birdman at $34.
CAN CITY RACING AFFORD TO KEEP PROPPING UP COUNTRY COUSINS?
INTERESTING contribution from PETER MAIR about the City propping up the survival of Country Racing in Australia:
‘THOSE who followed the links to what RVL and Racing NSW are saying about the shortfall of money for racing may be wondering if either is facing up to critical issues frankly.
Both will draw on cash reserves to maintain current commitments in the short term. Money will be taken from city racing to prop-up country racing in Victoria. A plan to sell Rosehill, to cover running commitments in NSW, is looking likely to be scratched.
Surely neither state could tighten the screws on punters. More low-grade races and higher tax-takes from dividends could be self-destructive. At some point the culturally-addicted, most-punter set may take a rain-check, to wait for better quality racing offering a fairer go.
The next bit may be contentious, incorrect perhaps, but the issue warrants clarification.
As I see it, both RVL and Racing NSW are spending too much of their funds available overall, on country racing. There seems to be a view, in Victoria, that there is a structural imbalance in funding as between city and country racing -- that metropolitan racing will not suffer if excess prize-money for 'black-type' races is shifted to country racing.
Even if so, how much can be shifted is limited while there is no limit to revenue shortfalls.
A contentious inference is that 'they' – the anons that really make the decisions – are determined to prop-up country racing. However politically correct that preference may be it is hardly sustainable – the ubiquitous 'they' may need to reconsider.
The question of 'how to explain this contention' may be best answered by the evidence Racing NSW gave to the Parliamentary Inquiry on 9 August [link below see page 44&61].
In essence this evidence was:
At page 44…........... our statutory requirement is to act in the best interests of the industry as a whole. The ATC.........makes 50 per cent of the wagering turnover........... It's the provincial and country clubs that make up the [other 50%] of the turnover. ….. have to consider everybody. ….........to balance the interests of everybody: jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, bookmakers, punters et cetera.
At page 61・............ the ATC gets 55 per cent of the distribution, yet it only generates 49 per cent of the revenue.
As I read this evidence, in NSW, both city and country racing attract 50% of betting turnover and both get about 50% of the available funds.
This evidence does not, however, tell the full story.
The Racing NSW Annual Report for 2023 shows the numbers for race meetings held and races run – on both scores the ATC's metropolitan-racing has 20% of the meetings and races run – but ATC-racing returns 50% of the revenue. One corollary, is that provincial country racing runs 80% of the races and race meetings but generates only 50% of the revenue.
The city-country relativities in these costs and revenues in NSW do not seem to align reasonably with the apparent preference to foster country racing. Victoria may be different but probably not much. One inference is that some country racing may not be commercially viable, not paying its way.
Some hard but important questions seem to be left hanging in the air, and thin air at that.
As alluded to previously there are issues fairly on the table about the independence of the racing administrators in distributing funds to pay for the conduct of racing – and beyond that, about administrators responsibilities if their current business model is not sustainable and commitments made cannot be met.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/transcripts/3312/Transcript%20-%20UNCORRECTED%20-%20Rosehill%20Racecourse%20-%209%20August%202024.pdf]
CUP ATTRACTS 123 ENTRIES & 21 OF THOSE FROM WALLER STABLE
THE Victoria Racing Club has confirmed 123 nominations for the G1 Melbourne Cup (worth $8.56mn) to be run at Flemington in two months’ time.
A total of 103 local and 20 international horses have been entered for the 164th running of the big two-miler.
Reigning Cup winning trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman hold a strong squad of nominations including 2023 winner Without A Fight and international import Royal Champion.
Fellow Melbourne Cup winning trainer Chris Waller has a record 21 horses among the nominations including 2023 Victoria Derby winner Riff Rocket, whose pedigree dates back to 1945 Melbourne Cup winner Rainbird.
Efficient and Phar Lap are the only two horses to have successfully won the Melbourne Cup as four-year-olds after winning the Victoria Derby the previous year.
Victoria’s leading trainer Ciaron Maher has nominated a total of 16 horses in this year’s Cup headlined by current race favourite and Sydney Cup winner Circle of Fire.
A handful of international imports will enter Maher’s stables in the coming weeks with plans toward the first Tuesday including Middle Earth and Sayedaty Sadaty.
Nominations from international connections are of strong quality with horses from Japan, Ireland, France and England signalling their intention to travel to Australia.
Leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins will have a trio of horses travelling to Melbourne including Vauban and Absurde who are returning to Flemington for a chance at redemption.
Vauban returned to career best form at York in his most recent start winning the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup late last month.
South Australian galloper The Map features among the nominations for Murray Bridge trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillvray. The talented stayer is guaranteed of a start in this year’s Melbourne Cup after her impressive win in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) earlier in the year.
Further opportunities for horses and connections to receive ballot exemption at Flemington include the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) which has been moved to Makybe Diva Stakes Day on Saturday 14 September and the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) on TAB Turnbull Stakes Day. Outside of Flemington, the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) offer ballot exemption.
STEWARDS MESSAGE TO TRAINERS OF HORSES PERFORMING POORLY
PUNTERS have been quick to applaud the action of Stewards in barring a Chris Waller-trained horse until it trials satisfactorily after running last when bookies were keen to risk it at Rosehill on Saturday.
Despite the import UP AND UNDER being labelled a black-booker first-up, the five-year-old was deposed as favorite by No Drama (which ran fourth) with big late money for the eventual winner Too Much Caviar.
Stewards, under the chairmanship of international experienced Steve Railton, sent a message that inexplicable flops like that of Up And Under are not going to be tolerated. Here’s hoping this sets a precedent in Sydney racing where punters complain that it happens far too often.
Here is the Stewards’ Report after Up And Under ran last (beaten over 13 lengths) in the fifth at Rosehill after drifting alarmingly in the betting to $4.6.
UP AND UNDER: When questioned regarding the horse’s performance, James McDonald stated that soon after straightening, he directed his mount out to improve its position. He said after initially being reluctant to shift out the gelding then commenced to hang in significantly and lost its action prior to the 300m. He said as he had concerns that the horse had gone amiss, he eased it out of the race from this point.
A post-race veterinary examination of Up and Under immediately after the race and a subsequent examination after the horse cooled down did not reveal any significant abnormalities. When interviewed trainer Chris Waller said that Up and Under had not experienced any setbacks and had been expected to perform well in this race. He said in light of the horse’s performance and its obvious inclination to hang in the early part of the straight he would consider varying its gear. Mr Waller undertook to report to Stewards on the post-race condition of Up and Under in the days following. Mr Waller was advised that Stewards will require Up and Under to perform satisfactorily in an official barrier trial prior to racing again.
Waller had four runners in the race with the roughest Cadetship performing best and finishing a close 2nd while Unusual Legacy was third, Yasuke 7th and Up and Under last.
Punters complain that on far too many occasions when a Waller fancy performs badly, a lesser-fancied stablemate wins. With the number of horses the champion trainer has in work this is bound to happen but it isn’t a good look.
An example of this occurred in the fourth at Rosehill when the Waller stable saddled up three runners. Favorite First Light performed worst of the trio finishing fourth but never looked a winning chance while the roughest Matusalem beat stablemate Monarch’s Brae.
Form students found Matusalem hard to have after he ran 11th of 13 at Rosehill after winning over the track and distance before that. Monarch’s Brae had run 10th in the same race that Matusalem flopped but improved despite jockey Tim Clark losing an iron for a short distance soon after the start on Saturday.
Stewards reported:
When questioned regarding the improved performance of Matusalem trainer Chris Waller echoed the post-race comments of jockey Kerrin McEvoy from its disappointing performance on 17 August where the horse got back in the field and was not suited by the tempo of the race which developed into a sprint home. Mr Waller said that the firmer track would also, in his view, explain the improved performance as the horse has always displayed a preference for a good racing surface.
Full marks to the Railton Panel for questioning the Matusalem improvement and requiring Up and Under to barrier trial satisfactorily before racing again.
This should happen on a more regular basis with horses that perform poorly without a satisfactory explanation rather than just put the flop down to one of those things in racing.
The upside of the day for the Waller stable was another outstanding win by the heavily-backed Autumn Glow in the Up and Coming Stakes. The downside was the defeat of Gatsby's which never looked like beating brilliant colt Storm Boy at his comeback despite jockey Adam Hyeronimus dropping his whip at the 300m mark.
Stewards reported on the below expectations performance of Gatsby’s:
James McDonald stated that the horse travelled satisfactorily. However did not let down in the home straight which he attributed to a firmer racing surface compared to the soft tracks on which it has previously performed well. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no abnormalities.
CHEEKY SUGGESTION: BAN KIWIS & CORPORATE BOOKIES FROM OZ
LGHR received a cheeky message this week posing the hilarious question of how better racing in Australia would be without the involvement of Kiwis of Corporate Bookmakers.
SID from SYDNEY suggested that rather than ban gambling advertising and the offering of bonus bets to punters, the Federal Government should bite the bullet and replace the Corporates with a National Tote.
Wash your mouth out with soap Sid for even daring to suggest that we send a boat-load of Kiwis, headed by Chris Waller, Bjorn Baker, James Macdonald and company back across The Ditch.
Don’t you realise there would be no Sydney racing without Waller. And where would the great PVL be without his ‘Sir Echo’ when it comes to criticising the sale of Rosehill. For starters the Hall of Famer would have nowhere to jog around twice every morning.
Is it fair to say gambling on Australian racing has been well and truly stuffed since the late Bob Hawke jumped into bed with some of his big bookmaking mates and introduced the corporates to Australia via Mauritius and Darwin?
Just look at those major racing countries that lead the world – Hong Kong and Japan – where there is no corporate bookmaking and the tote (admittedly granted exclusivity) pumps hundreds of millions back into prizemoney every year.
IT’S TIME FOR GOVERNMENT TO REIN IN CORPORATE BOOKMAKERS
CORPORATE bookmaking is out of control in this country – more and more companies are popping up, many failing to survive, because they are answerable to no-one and the big losers are the punters – not to mention the racing industry.
Looking at the situation objectively, there has never been a better time to set a limit of the number of corporate bookmakers (restrict to the respected ones, if there are any left) and force them to operate under a new set of rules.
The Federal Government has pussy-footed around for too long. This is what should happen:
- A total ban on gambling advertising and a closer look at sponsorship by Corporate Bookmakers of racetracks and major sporting teams.
- A restriction to only a handful of the more respected Corporate Bookmakers with the establishment of a National Tote (which would operate under the same guidelines).
- A complete ban on inducements (bonus bets) for racing and sport.
- Punters who are successful to be protected from having their accounts closed simply because they are winning.
In the Racing NSW Strategic Plan there is an initiative to help punters with the introduction of a condition that, where legally permissible, wagering operators cannot suspend or close a punter's account if a complaint has been lodged and an investigation begun. This would allow the punter to continue betting, and not be disadvantaged pending the outcome of the investigation.
The ridiculous downside to this is that the Plan suggests punters be permitted to operate their betting account to make deposits and place bets but would be restricted from making withdrawals until the complaint is resolved by Racing NSW. That is fundamentally unfair and flawed in favor of the Corporates. They have to be kidding!
DOC CHAPMAN WEIGHS INTO DEBATE ON EAGLE FARM SAFETY ISSUES
FEW of us will ever forget the respected and outspoken Sydney trainer Geoff Chapman, now living in retirement on the Gold Coast, but still a keen follower of all things racing. Dr Geoff has weighed into the debate involving the closure of Eagle Farm for ‘jockey safety reasons’.
Here’s his take:
‘THERE has been much aggravation (from the Jockeys), about Racing at Eagle Farm.
This problem has arisen recently, even though there has been considerable racing there, previously, including while the external building was going on.
The Jockeys have decided that the new construction, some distance from the course, is causing the horses to shy away from that direction, and consequently cause disruption to other riders.
This is not always the horse on the outside, with what one would imagine would be the one most likely to cause the interference.
I would like to dispel this scenario.
As evidenced by many horse experiments, by, amongst other people, Federico Tesio, and others, who conducted many experiments with racehorses.
One of these showed that horses had VERY POOR VISION and could not make out DETAIL BEYOND FOUR TO FIVE METRES. They also, could not see, ABOVE THEIR EYE LEVEL. Also, they were COLOUR BLIND, and could only differentiate between BLACK AND WHITE.
Which is why they have DEVELOPED OTHER SENSES TO A GREATER DEGREE e.g. SMELL AND HEARING.
This is a development affectation so that they can compensate for their lack of vision and SMELL OR HEAR THEIR PREDATORS and thus ensure the SURVIVAL of the breed. When these are attuned, they can induce the “FIGHT OR FLIGHT” response and escape from their predators, if they smell or hear them.
Hence Windy days, make them skittish, unless DOWNWIND (where they would easily smell their predators), and when the herd gallops, e.g. racing, they instinctively “take off”.
It also explains why a lot of racehorses, don't want to lose the security of the pack, and remain constrained in the pack (definitely a non-winning racing proposition!).
This is so that the predator will attack the slowest animal or the one on the outside of the herd.
Hence we utilise these characteristics to our advantage by:
Using WHITE FENCES on properties or running rails, so that the horses can easily identify and avoid them.
Also the outside fences at racetracks if necessary, but NO HIGHER THAN EYE LEVEL, for obvious reasons.
Many horses on spelling farms run into fences because they can't properly see the wire or brown colored wooden rails until they are on top of them.
My point is this.
The present kerfuffle about horses shying away from a construction site some 100-200m away is a complete furphy UNLESS there is a tremendous amount of NOISE from the site.
And I think a few Jockeys might be using it as a bit of an argument for attenuation of interference charges.
If they think horses are affected, then maybe they could use PACIFIERS or BLINKERS.
All of which would allow Racing to proceed at Eagle Farm.
Perhaps an OUTSIDE FENCE, HORSE HIGH, would satisfy the jockeys, or certainly satisfy W.H. & S. worries?
I might also inquire as to why the horses trained there, don’t similarly shy away on the home bend?
Just a few thoughts.
‘RACING INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS IN NSW & VICTORIA’
THE following was sent to LGHR & my old boss, veteran Sydney turf scribe MAX PRESNELL by respected racing identity PETER MAIR. (By the way Max now has his own website –RACING TO THE MAX – it’s worth a regular read at maxpresnell.com.)
PETER writes:
‘I am thinking that your admirers are still mainly separate groups.
The first part offers links to industry news in Victoria and NSW that may be (should be but won’t be) of general interest. The second part is a couple of personal observations about what is going on and next steps.
Following are three links to media releases about both programming and prizemoney changes in Victoria and RVL's new CEO (Aaron Morrison).
At the end is a link to the transcript of the Rosehill-sale inquiry in NSW on 9 August -- an interaction that attracted attention is within pages 41 to 62.
https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2024-08-23/prizemoney-realignment-and-all-star-mile-home-revealed
https://www.racing.com/news/2024-08-21/news-industry-morrison-to-hit-ground-running
https://vrc.com.au/latest-news/all-star-mile-makes-for-a-super-saturday-at-flemington/
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/transcripts/3312/Transcript%20-%20UNCORRECTED%20-%20Rosehill%20Racecourse%20-%209%20August%202024.pdf
AS regards RVL and Victorian racing one can only wonder what is going on. Under financial (and political?) pressure we do not know the full story behind the real movement at the station – expect ‘Regret’ to arrive home soon enough.
As regards RNSW, similar pressures in play are also unlikely to be resolved happily if the sell-Rosehill plan is abandoned, as seems likely. Any guess as to what Plan B might be, but trouble is brewing
As for drawing additional responses, I am thinking the best option is a couple of letters to RVL and RNSW asking policy questions about what seems to be going on.
I will be giving that some thought.
I can never tell if the key industry players are smart or not – they sure talk like politicians, weaving stories that no one can understand.
My mind never wanders far from the idea that it is State politicians who run the game -- which-party rarely matters -- and the-game is about shifting money from the take on profitable city racing to subsidise provincial and country racing that is often not commercially viable on its merits.
Whenever there is 'administrative discretion' in the way money is distributed there are handmaidens corrupting the outcome. Time has taken its toll, it is now looking like more than one ‘Regret’ is about to come home, nationally.’
WHAT’S BEHIND QJA & THOROUGHBRED ALLIANCE FALLOUT?
When ‘BETH HARRIS’ sends us an email we always take note as this contributor is very well-informed, especially if it involves racing in North Queensland. Here is the latest:
‘Did you know the Queensland Jockeys’ Association have removed themselves from the Queensland Thoroughbred Alliance?
Yes, it’s happened.
Apparently some of the other members of the Alliance (trainers/owners/breeders) have then in turn reached out to some members of the QJA Executive Committee seeking clarification on their position and a well-known, long-standing, red-headed riding member of the QJA has subsequently stood down from his elected position.
The Review into the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission ordered by the Government has still not been released publicly but it appears that some sections of the industry have actually seen it.
Queensland Racing – shambles one day, absolute shit-fight the next.’
TIME FOR RACING QLD TO CATCH UP WITH NSW & PAY STABLE HANDS
HERE is the regular contribution from GREG BLANCHARD on the Gold Coast. We thank him for the continued support and the industry should be delighted to have someone prepared to fight for it as much as him.
‘I read how NSW jockeys and stable hands get more pay than any other State.
My take on this is they will consequently get the best jockeys and they realize the need for incentives for stable hands to make sure they stay in the industry.
I spoke to a bloke who has been following racing for nearly as long as me and suggested the biggest problem is not enough track riders here in Queensland who reminded me that it's a problem in other states as well.
The other week I heard an interview with (Central Queensland racing identity) Tony McMahon who said a trainer in Rockhampton had eight horses spelling because there was no-one to ride them if he put them into work.
It’s time for action on this issue as it's getting worse.'
‘TAB AMBASSADOR GRACE CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE OVER BAD TIPS’
EVERY week LGHR receives ‘hate mail’ against tipsters failing to deliver. It started with David Strehlau (aka The Sultan) on rsn.com; then Mark Guest at racenet and this week TAB Ambassador Grace Ramage was caught in the crossfire.
Our critic of Grace had this to say:
“Would Ms Ramage by the TAB Ambassador if she wasn’t the better half of top trainer Ben Hayes?
Surely when it comes to her tipping program on RSN Racing Pulse Grace should be better informed than the results she is delivering.
It’s always a worry for anyone connected with a racing stable – not to mention the wife of a top trainer – when she gets it wrong involving their horses.
On Saturday Grace declared for heavily-backed Dom at the Valley. Sadly, for her, it not only ran fourth but the winner was the stablemate Evaporate at $6.5. You’re either a bad judge Grace or that winner got under the stable guard.
Let’s spare Grace the embarrassment of looking closer at her tips for last Saturday except to say all the Ambassador did was boost the coffers of the TAB from those who followed her.'
‘DEVIL IN THE DETAIL’ AS JMAC SURVIVES SATURDAY SUSPENSION & WALLER MARCHES ON GANG TACKLING THE BIG RACES
MESSAGE from SYDNEY STEWARDS to champion jockey JAMES MACDONALD:
The BAD NEWS: You are suspended for four meetings for decking a couple of rivals when crossing the finish line in the Silver Shadow Stakes.
The GOOD NEWS: Surprise, surprise, the suspension will not include a Saturday meeting so you can continue to ride the big race winners.
Stewards reported:
ZEITUNG: On jumping was bumped by Ameena, which shifted out. From a wide barrier was shifted behind runners in the early stages. Raced wide and without cover from the 800m. J. McDonald (Ameena) pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under AR131(a) in that after permitting his mount to shift out under hard riding over the final 25m he permitted his mount to shift into the rightful running of Zeitung just prior to the finish line and to shift out further after the finish line, resulting in Zeitung being severely hampered when crowded onto Uno’s Cube. J. McDonald’s licence to ride in races was suspended for a period to commence on Sunday 1 September 2024 and to expire on Saturday 7 September 2024, on which day he may ride. In assessing penalty Stewards had regard to the more significant interference occurring after the finish line.
We’re not suggesting JMac should have got any more than four meetings but question whether it’s a lesser penalty for knocking them down past the finish line than during the race which simply doesn’t make sense. It’s still careless riding until the jock jumps off.
MESSAGE to RIVAL STABLES from champion trainer CHRIS WALLER:
DON’T bother to turn up during the carnival. My plan is to plunder the Black Type races and I’ve got the fire-power to do it – that’s what happens when you have hundreds of horses on your books.
MESSAGE to CHRIS WALLER from the long-suffering punters on SYDNEY racing:
WHEN will one of your favorites win these big races where you have multiple starters rather than a stable second-string? Guess it doesn’t matter to you which one wins, but when you are a battling punter or a form analyst finding that 'one' is sometimes a mission impossible.
MESSAGE to RACING NSW from industry stakeholders:
WHEN one stable provides half the field for the first Group 1 of the season what does the future hold? Second-tier stables continue to be run out of the city. Will it reach the stage one day where Waller has the entire field for a Group 1 rather than just the majority of the runners with the rest made up of also-rans from the Waterhouse-Bott and Cairon Maher barns?
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WALLER COUP DAMPENED BY STABLE SECOND-STRINGS BEATING FAVORITES
ANOTHER four winners on a major Saturday card for CHRIS WALLER. Another magnificent training effort and for ours the highlight was the comeback winner of JOLIE STAR in the Group 3 Show County with this rising superstar three-year-old bursting into contention for The Everest.
That was the win of the day, taking nothing away from the superb effort of import Via Sistina to beat stablemates Zougotcha and the heavily-backed favourite Fangirl to provide Waller with the trifecta. It is fair to say Via Sistina, which cost millions, was a superstar before joining Waller.
The downside to Saturday’s racing, which has been swept under the carpet yet again, was the continued pain inflicted on punters by the Waller stable with favourites going down to lesser fancied stablemates.
Fangirl was the main example finishing third to Via Sistina. To be fair her defeat can be forgiven as she got too far back in a race not run to suit.
Medatsu landed some big bets for the stable winning the fourth. Some of the ‘good judges’ were tipping stablemate Unlimited to cause a boilover after an eye-catching and unlucky third over the track and trip second-up. On that occasion he was ridden much quieter but on Saturday without making the punters or stewards aware for some strange reason there was a change of tactics and after working early to race on the pace he not surprisingly dropped out to finish last while barn mate Medatsu stormed to victory.
The eagle-eyed Sydney Stewards, under the chairmanship of internationally experienced Steve Railton, were quick to seek an explanation and reported:
UNLIMITED: Stumbled on jumping. (jockey Tim) Clark reported that he allowed his mount to roll forward in the early stages, in accordance with his instructions. He said that Unlimited travelled satisfactorily throughout the early and middle stages, however, quickly came under pressure and gave ground in the home straight. He said that the manner in which Unlimited weakened in the straight gave him the impression that there must be something amiss with the gelding. A post-race veterinary examination revealed Unlimited to have cardiac arrhythmia for the first time. Trainer Mr C. Waller was advised of the provisions of the Racing Australia Code of Practice under AR88B(2)(b).
(In other words Waller copped a slap on the wrist for failing to advise a change of tactics with Unlimited, something that continually occurs with this stable and needs policing more often as happened here).
Kureder opened favourite for the second in a race where Waller had three starters. The best move was for Strathtay which was heavily-backed from an opening quote of $8 into $3.3 while bookies struggle to attract anything but ‘mugs’ bets on Kurederer which eased to $4.4 and never looked like winning finishing fifth behind Strathtay and Kapakiri. There were no hard feelings from LGHR as STRATHTAY was one of OUR LATE MAIL SPECIALS of the DAY – GO WALLER GO!
THERE appears to be some conjecture over whether favorite SPRING LEE (for the Bjorn Baker barn) should have been allowed to start in the last with some SKY tipping experts suggesting the horse was lame. Here’s what the Stewards reported:
SPRING LEE: Prior to the start Spring Lee was examined by the veterinary officer. After consultation with rider M. Zahra, Spring Lee was passed suitable to race. Raced keenly in the early stages when being steadied to obtain cover. M. Zahra reported to Stewards that Spring Lee proceeded to the barriers satisfactorily and he had not voiced any concern to the veterinary officer who inspected the horse of her own
Those who follow Sydney racing closely say that Spring Lee has a deceptive action and tends to give the impression most days that she is lame. Perhaps the extra distance of the race at Randwick had more to do with her defeat. She was a certain beaten over the lesser trip at Rosehill at her previous start.
LGHR MAKES NO APOLOGIES FOR SORTING POWERFUL STABLE OUT FOR SPECIAL ATTENTION
LGHR makes no apologies for sorting the powerful Waller stable out for special attention. We don’t have to pussy foot around his form reversals and change of tactics like the mainstream racing media who need to deal with him on a daily basis.
But if you think we are a lone voice on this issue, here’s what one highly-respected, one-time columnist told clients when previewing the Group 1 Winx Stakes:
‘SADLY, for both the future of the industry, and for punters, Waller has six of the 12 acceptors, or 50 per cent of the entire field. Then Maher and Waterhouse-Bott each have two starters. Who would know what horses are fat and which ones are fit? No-one. Any person who could tip a horse in this race, or who could have an investment on this race, has no respect for money, as they are betting blind, given the fact that 11 of the 12 acceptors resume from a spell.
He also referenced the flop of odds-on Barbie’s Sister at Doomben the previous week in his preview to the fourth at Randwick:
After final scratchings Waller has four runners and Maher has 3, so between them they have more than half the field which is totally absurd. Do many idiotic racehorse owners in Australia think that only three people can train racehorses – Waller, Maher and Gollan? All three stables are impossible to follow, and are repeatedly bending punters over and violating them, via their short-priced runners going over, with stewards seemingly useless and powerless to do anything about poor runs. So that your memory doesn’t have to go back further than seven days, last Saturday at Doomben, Gollan’s runner, Barbie’s Sister, could only finished 12 lengtsh fourth of six at $1.6 in Brisbane. Just last Wednesday, these three short-priced commodities of Wlaler’s all got rolled – Mr Vivaci at $2.9 (6th), Influential at $2.45 (2nd) and Imperial Force $1.85 (5th). As for Maher, his $2.3 favorite on Wednesday, Qatars Choice ran 7th and Maher’s only 2 Saturday city winners (before last weekend) in his last 50 starters across all venues have been Running Bay at $15 and A Little Deep $7.5, which most punters would have been unable to find.
Like the LGHR LATE MAIL, the highly-respected and successful form expert we quote above thought UNLIMITED was an UPSET HOPE at $11. If either of us had known it was going to be butchered and there would be a change of tactics going forward, chances are both of us would have tipped the heavily-backed stablemate MEDATSU. But we didn’t because Waller did what he liked and failed to advise the change. LGHR will continue to highlight the inconsistencies in Sydney stewarding until something is done about it.
HAVE ‘CROOKS IN INDUSTRY’ WORKED HARD FOR DEMISE OF QRIC?’
WITH the much-maligned QRIC certain to be dismantled when the LNP wins Government, it’s concerning to learn that highly-respected former Deputy Commissioner believes crooks in the industry have worked hard to see the demise of the peak Integrity Body.
Natalie Conner, who insiders say resigned in frustration, has told the ABC that QRIC was ‘undermined by forces within the racing industry after its crackdown on illegal conduct, including the use of stimulants’.
In her first interview since she resigned in March, Ms Conner also told the ABC that QRIC had been left grossly underfunded with a toxic staff culture that saw ‘backstabbing’, ‘nastiness’ and ‘general discontent’ that had festered for years.
In the opinion of most, the QRIC demise started from the time Mark Ainsworth, a former Detective Superintendent who headed the investigation into the Allison Baden-Clay murder, saw the writing on the wall and declined an offer to replace Ross Barnett as QRIC Commissioner. He was the right man for the job.
Racing Minister Grace Grace showed her ignorance of the problems festering at QRIC and only worsened them by making the political appointment of Shane Gillard as Commissioner which proved a total disaster.
Gillard resigned in June and efforts by the ABC to speak to him about the reasons for that were unsuccessful which comes as no surprise. The only ones he wanted to speak to in the media during his controversial tenure in Queensland were News Ltd/Racenet and in the end his supporters there jumped the sinking ship as well.
Even one of Gillard’s few supporters early days, award-winning Racenet scribe Ben Dorries, sunk the boot when he wrote in the past week:
‘WHEN an integrity body is itself being investigated, you have a monumental problem.
And it could be the final nail in the coffin of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.
Racing participants in the Sunshine State lost faith and confidence in QRIC many moons ago.
But the latest allegations from former staff which include bullying and sexual harassment take things to a toxic new level.’
Dorries didn’t mention the fears of the former Deputy Commissioner that the crooks were working hard to undermine QRIC. And therein lies a big problem for the incoming Government.
HISTORY SHOWS RQ RESPONSIBLE FOR INTEGRITY FRAUGHT WITH DANGER
CHANCES are an LNP GOVERNMENT will revert to the old system whereby Racing Queensland is responsible for Integrity (Stewards). As far back as the Russ Hinze era, history shows that system is fraught with danger.
As recent as the Bob Bentley and Kevin Dixon Boards there were accusations of political interference in the work that stewards were doing. One chairman got rid of many good stewards. The other refused an offer from some of the best in the land to come here.
The only way the dismantling of QRIC will work is if the LNP Government appoints an independent panel to police the Stewards – removing any perception of political interference. And they have the right man to do the job on their doorstep in recently-retired Chairman of Hong Kong Stewards Kim Kelly but they need to go ‘cap in hand’ to him sooner rather than later.
It’s refreshing to learn that former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk will be asked to take over as RQ Chairman after the election. But he will need to keep a close eye and ‘read the riot act’ to some of those being touted as Board members. His success will also be governed by who becomes Racing Minister.
The big failure of the Labor Government when it comes to racing has been Integrity. There is a smell about the industry on and off the track with a belief in some quarters that the borders are open to those who want to walk the tightrope with little chance of being caught in Queensland. QRIC under Gillard has been a total disaster. There is little confidence in the Chief Steward Josh Adams or some of his panel especially in the country but we are told he is likely to survive a change in Government.
LGHR could say: Be careful what you wish for when it comes to racing and a change of Government. Just remember the biggest controversies in the Queensland industry occurred under the watch of an LNP Government.
Personally we don’t care. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter. It won’t be the politicians, the stakeholders, the club officials, Racing Queensland or the crooks who decide the final outcome for the sport. It will be the ‘court of public opinion’ – the punters – and if they aren’t happy with what is happening on the track it will be reflected in turnover which will ultimately affect the success of the operation through lack of prizemoney.
RACING NSW SHOULD HOLD INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO LATHAM CLAIMS
QUEENSLAND isn’t the only state that should be addressing serious concerns expressed about Integrity. Like him or hate him, Mark Latham has made some outrageous accusations about racing in NSW that need to be investigated.
Latham has used his position as an Independent Member of Parliament to make a scathing attack under Parliamentary Privilege on Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys.
Latham accused V’landys of ‘impropriety’, ‘dictatorial behaviour’ and a ‘constant pattern of regulatory abuse’ – calling on the racing powerbroker to resign. As expected, PVL immediately challenged Latham to repeat his claims outside the protective privilege of the House.
But Latham’s most explosive allegation was: “Evidence has been presented to the committee that the worst of this dictatorial behaviour is V’landys’ persistent interference in stewards’ inquiries … I’m shocked to learn that the CEO intervenes in active inquiries to benefit his favourite licensed individuals and punish those who are either powerless or refuse to toe the V’landys’ line.”
LGHR is not suggesting for one moment that this statement is correct but it needs to be investigated thoroughly by an Independent Inquiry and not simply swept under the carpet and accusing Latham of being ‘off the planet’.
For too long there has been a dark cloud hanging over integrity in NSW Racing (well before Latham made his accusations) with a perception among stakeholders, racegoers and punters that the big stables have ‘too much start’.
Surely, from an integrity perspective, the Chairman of Stewards for Racing NSW, Steve Railton (or his predecessors), need to clear the air. It’s as simple as this highly respected, international experienced individual saying there ‘is’ or ‘is not’ any interference in the conduct of Stewards’ Inquiries. Anyone in his role in the past should be asked as well.
Latham told Parliament: “Megalomania is a dreadful thing, and it’s really ruining the NSW racing industry. For the sake of a sport I dearly love, I believe V’landys should resign and hand over to someone with the best interests of racing in mind, rather than the relentless pursuit of a toxic power.”
Not unexpectedly V’landys has called on Latham to repeat his allegations outside of Parliament, insisting he had always remained at arm’s length during stewards’ inquiries and there was ‘zero evidence for these baseless attacks’.
“There is no doubt Mr Latham is running an agenda for some very wealthy breeders who don’t wish to be held to account for animal welfare. They have at all times resisted having their horses traced from birth to retirement. They are attempting a smear campaign on steroids,” he said.
“I challenge Mr Latham to say all these things outside Parliament and produce some evidence because there is none. Anyone can say anything in coward’s castle. Because everything he is saying is completely and utterly rubbish.”
As he called on V’landys to resign, Latham said the laundry list of problems had so far been ignored by NSW Racing Minister David Harris, and his predecessors, Nationals ministers Kevin Anderson and Troy Grant.
It’s hard to understand how breeders’ issues over animal welfare would have anything to do with allegations of interference in stewards’ inquiries. The longer the NSW Government, Racing Minister or those responsible for the sport wait to clear the air on this issue, the worse the situation will become for the image of Racing in NSW.
Forget about pumping up the prizemoney, more pop-up races, using ‘spin doctors’ in the media to provide wall-the-wall coverage or attempting to destroy the best racing carnival in Australia (the Melbourne Cup), it’s time to clean up your own backyard Racing NSW – whether the media in that state won’t to accept there is a problem there or not.
CONTINUING THE FIGHT TO OVERCOME LACK OF RIDERS IN THE BUSH
ONE of my long-time racing mates posed the question the other day of why LGHR & in particular Greg Blanchard from the Gold Coast keep hitting our heads on the wall over a solution to the lack of riders in the bush.
‘Don’t you guys realize that it doesn’t matter who is in Government they won’t do anything about it. The only time it would matter is if this was happening at major TAB meetings in the metropolitan area,” my mate said.
If high profile racing identities (like Tony McMahon from Rockhampton) hitting the radio airwaves to highlight the problem has no effect, one wonders where the solution lies.
GREG BLANCHARD isn’t giving up and nor are we. Here’s his latest contribution:
‘THE on-going problem of not enough jockeys (and track riders) in the bush is also impacting on south-east Queensland tracks.
But opportunity knocks for Racing Queensland. From August 27 until September 1 the Asian Racing Conference will be held in Sapporo, Japan.
This is a great opportunity for Queensland and other states to look at relationships that would help our situation.
The problem continued last weekend when eight horses had to be scratched from Richmond and one each at Gympie, Longreach, Cunnamulla and Bowen because there were insufficient jockeys.’
EVEN ASLEEP-AT-THE-WHEEL’STEWARDS’ PANEL COULDN’T MISS THIS
LGHR received several inquiries asking why there was no mention in the Stewards’ Report of an alleged incident in the parade ring after the running of one of the races at Doomben on Saturday.
There was mention on SKY of police being on the track before a race but most viewers thought that might have related to preventing some scallywags from jumping the fence on Mecca Day.
Reports suggest connections of a well-backed runner from a leading stable were far from impressed by its poor performance and expressed their feelings to the trainer.
Archie Butterfly at peterprofit.com apparently received the same feedback as us with one contributor suggesting that the trainer of the horse told the owners if they weren’t happy to ‘f..k off and take their steed with them.’
We’ve had a look at a replay and apart from the said horse being slowly away in a race that lacked pace, it was given every chance and couldn’t pick its feet up. It was certainly an out-of-character run for the in-form mare.
The horse in question has so many owners that we’re not suggesting all were unhappy with the run but it seems some were. Stewards had to be asleep at the wheel not to have been aware of the commotion that took place.
That poses the questions:
Why did they not inquire into the incident and ask those involved what were their concerns?
Had it been a smaller stable would there have been an inquiry?
Is the mare in question still in the leading stable? If not, who will prepare her in future?
Most importantly, if stewards were doing their job of protecting the interests of punters, why did they not ask some questions about the poor performance of this favorite?
Just another reason – in our opinion – that the current Chief Steward isn’t up to the job!
BORDERTOWN BLUES – ANOTHER SA RACING DIABOLICAL SHAMBLES
IF you thought things were bad in Queensland racing where the tracks in the south-east are a diabolical shambles, spare a thought for the stakeholders in South Australia.
Racing SA has been forced to apologize to participants involved in Sunday’s race meeting at Bordertown where the seven-race card was abandoned by stewards when most had already been on course for hours.
A plane carrying officials, including Racing SA stewards, was late to depart Adelaide due to thick fog, so the meeting was initially delayed before the decision to postpone the program was taken almost two hours after the first race was scheduled to be run.
A routine track walk didn't take place on Saturday as the district steward was on leave, so the concerns with the track were not identified until jockeys arrived one hour before the scheduled start of the first race on Sunday.
It is the third time since February that a meeting in the state's south-east has been postponed or abandoned after scratching time on race day. Racing SA has promised a Full Review of the debacle.
Racing SA CEO Vaughn Lynch said: “I would like to offer the industry a sincere apology for the events pertaining to Sunday's abandoned meeting at Bordertown. The decision not to race was the correct one given the state of track after heavy rain.
“However, Racing SA should have made this decision earlier, in conjunction with the club, to ensure that participants were not inconvenienced. Communication with industry during the day was not acceptable. We have commenced a full review of the internal processes both prior to a race meeting and on the day of the race meeting to ensure that this circumstance does not re-occur.”
Too little, too late mate! The geographical isolation of Bordertown meant a long float trip for many of the runners. There was no compensation for owners who had to foot the cost without any chance of a return. In contrast stewards had a nice day out at full pay without having to do much work.
But it’s typical of South Australia racing where the majority of punters have little confidence in the product on or off the track. The rocket scientists running the joint are now a furlong in front of their colleagues in Queensland – and that’s a major achievement.
Once again in the Sunshine State, racing on Sunday was transferred to the Poly track at Corbould Park – just take a look at the turnover – it was disgraceful. Perhaps they should have transferred the Monday Ipswich meeting to Sunday. And if we get any more rain, what happens on Wednesday – surely, as one contributor suggested, they wouldn’t dare transfer that meeting to the Poly.
This has all been caused by another debacle at Eagle Farm – thank God for Doomben. And is there any word yet on whether the Gold Coast will return to turf racing before the Olympics are held in Brisbane?
WEEKEND FEEDBACK FROM THE PUNTING BRIGADE
‘BARBIE’S' IS BETTER THAN THAT – IT CAN’T JUST BE HEAVY TRACKS
‘WHY did the powerful Gollan stable even bother starting Barbie’s Sister when the track was so heavy at Doomben?
Wasn’t it obvious she didn’t like those conditions after her failure in Sydney?
Yet the mugs backed her into $1.60 believing Barbie’s would bounce back after she trialled well in the heavy only to get burned again.
Apparently the horse is off to the spelling paddock. Good move as regardless of the state of the track, she is obviously lengths better than her current form indicates.’
‘WALLER, WALLER, WALLER – SPRING IS IN THE AIR FOR TOP STABLE
‘THOSE of us who believe there should be a limit on the number of horses the powerful stables are allowed to have are in for a long Spring.
Waller cleaned up with four winners at Rosehill on Saturday and two of those – newcomer Autumn Glow and Gatsby’s – look outstanding prospects.
And the stars of his stable are only at the trial stage. We’ll need a bucket of water as the Spring countdown continues to control his ‘fans’ at SKY.
Of course the focus was on the positives last Saturday. Little mention was made of the massive form reversal win of Kazou which overcame a slow start to score an enormous win. No mention in the Stewards’ Report that at its previous start she pulled up lame when last of 12 at Rosehill only a fortnight earlier.
That’s just par for the course in Sydney racing and what most punters have come to expect from the Waller stable. He’s such a great trainer that he can just turn their form around almost overnight without a question being asked. Spare a thought for those trying to do the form – the Waller horses are mission impossible to follow.
And then we have Cadetship which wins impressively when resuming for Waller and couldn’t pick its feet up on Saturday. The Stewards’ Report it was badly crowded on jumping away and that Tommy Berry said the five-year-old didn’t feel comfortable in its action and as a result became detached from the field.
Why then did they not order the horse to trial satisfactorily before racing again? It doesn’t make sense!’
TALE OF TWO TIPSTERS – MARK THE HERO & JOHN THE VILLAIN
ONE of our contributors wanted to point out ‘a tale of two tipsters’ from Saturday’s racing.
Mark Hunter, part-owner of the promising Rhapsody Chic, tipped Rise At Dawn to win the second at Caulfield. He was on a belting to nothing – and Rhapsody Chic was unlucky – but the heavily-backed Rise At Dawn got the chocolates and in the eyes of the punters, Hunter was a hero.
Over in South Australia, racing.com continues to beat the drum of their star tipster, John Kelton who had a well-fancied runner on Saturday at Morphettville Parks. Kelton threw punters into the five-year-old, which was desperately unlucky at Murray Bridge but it went like a mule.
On this occasion the SA Stewards weren’t asleep at the wheel and reported that Cullen Skink lost a plate in running and jockey Ben Price reported never travelled and when asked for an effort failed to respond to his riding and was disappointing. Perhaps stewards should have ordered the horse to trial before racing again but they didn't.
Speaking of tipsters, those who subscribe to Tom Waterhouse bit the dust on his two Best Bets – Dawn Service trained by 'mummy' in the first at Rosehill and Amor Victorious later in the card. Both ran second. In his round-up Tom explained: ‘Little consolation, but the winners of both those races will be well worth following through the spring.’
And if you followed Racenet’s tipping ‘genius’ Mark Guest on Saturday, here were his tips at Caulfield:
His top tips Kuroyangi (4th at $2.5 FAV) & Sandpaper (4th at $8.50). And his Value Bets: Moor Mumm (6th at $11), Vagrant (8th at $26) & Aegon (4th at $16).
One of our readers suggested: ‘You pay for the Guest tips as part of the Racenet subscription. Just a suggestions but why doesn’t he tip in Sydney where I believe he is the manager of James McDonald who rode five winners at Rosehill on Saturday? Maybe that would be an easier task for him’.
BREEDERS’ BOSS DEFENDS BLACK CAVIAR’S OWNERS – CRITICISM MISPLACED
THOROUGHBRED Breeders NSW president Hamish Esplin has defended the owners of Black Caviar after social media posts suggested they had sacrificed the champion mare’s wellbeing in the pursuit of an intensive breeding program.
ADAM PENGILLY & CHRIS ROOTS report for FAIRFAX MEDIA that Black Caviar was humanely euthanized on Saturday, just hours after giving birth to a Snitzel colt, because of laminitis – inflammation of soft tissues that attach the foot to the hoof – which had stopped the blood flow to her feet.
Some questioned on social media if she had received the best possible care. After retiring from the track in 2013 with a perfect record of 25 wins from 25 starts, Black Caviar gave birth to nine foals in 11 years. She didn’t have a foal in the 2022 season, when she was given a year off. She died a day before her 18th birthday.
“The amount of expense, time and effort, and structures that go in place dedicated to purely keeping these animals healthy is mind-boggling,” Esplin explained.
“I would estimate that close to 100 per cent of every dollar spent by a breeder, like the owners of Black Caviar, post-racing would be spent purely trying to keep the animal healthy and fit. They want them to live a long and healthy life for as long as possible.
“It’s true they’re very valuable animals and their progeny can be very valuable, but case in point with the owners of Black Caviar, they decided not to sell any of their bloodstock. A criticism they’re in wholly for the money is misplaced, in this case.”
Black Caviar’s owners – the Madden, Hawkes, Wilkie, Taylor and Werrett families – remained close to the champion after she finished her racing career and would gather a couple of times a year at a Scone farm to see her together.
They would remember her deeds on the track, and the great mare would come and nuzzle up to each of them. They were intimate moments that reinforced the bond between horse and human.
Black Caviar was the only mare on the property that did not need an identification collar. Everyone knew who she was. When she developed mastitis – a bacterial infection of the milk ducts dangerous in horses as it often develops into laminitis – last week, she was rushed to Scone Veterinary Hospital. Mick Malone, the man who cared for her after she stopped racing, never left her side.
Malone and those closest to her are shattered at the loss of the great mare who was like a member of his family.
“Because of the way their bodies are structured, they are on their feet for the better part of most of the day, and blood flow is critical to the foot,” Esplin said. “Laminitis is one of the most common ways animals die. You wouldn’t want any horse to suffer that condition.”
It was a desperately sad ending for Black Caviar. But she will be remembered for her perfect record on the track often overcoming injury, more often simply being the supreme athlete that couldn’t be matched.
Big winning margins showed the gulf in class between the mare and her top-class rivals, who would go on to beat the rest by big margins once she retired.
Hay List would win three times at Group 1 level, including a weight-carrying record in the Newmarket, while Buffering took five Group 1 races after Black Caviar bowed out, including an Al Quoz at Dubai.
She went from Melbourne to Sydney to Brisbane and Adelaide as she became a national treasure and kept winning, before her memorable conquest of Royal Ascot in 2012.
Her win in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes was the narrowest of her career but the runner-up that day, Moonlight Cloud, won five group 1 races, including her next start in France by five lengths. Black Caviar mightn’t have been at her best in front of Queen Elizabeth, but she willed herself to win.
“She saved me,” said jockey Luke Nolen, who had dropped his hands on her in the final climb to the finish.
Her best in Australia was devastating. It came on her first trip to Randwick for the TJ Smith 2011, where Hay List was waiting. His trainer, John McNair was convinced he had her measure.
“I got up that morning thinking, ‘This is going to be the day’. He was flying,” McNair said. “I have never had a horse close to him. I have never seen a horse like her.”
Hay List skipped four lengths clear coming up the Randwick rise and McNair’s vision seemed set to become reality – until the big mare started to chase.
“I felt her coming and heard the crowd roar, and then she just went past me and away from me,” jockey Glyn Schofield said. “I didn’t think that could happen the way Hay List was going.”
In her peak years, the nation stopped when Black Caviar ran. She was that special – one of a kind. Winx would come along a couple of years later and break some of her records, but she never had Black Caviar’s aura of invincibility.
“I don’t know how I would have coped if Winx had stayed unbeaten,” trainer Chris Waller once said. “It is pressure only Peter Moody and his team know.”
Moody probably summed it up best on her retirement. “She’s been a great shining light for our industry and my career,” he said. “[So] let’s stop now before something can go haywire.”
ABC REPORTS THAT QRIC IS FACING SECRET PROBE BY EXTERNAL INVESTIGATORS
QUEENSLAND’S embattled Racing Integrity Commission is facing a secret probe from external investigators, with former staff making allegations of bullying, sexual harassment, suspect hiring practices and excessive expenditure, the ABC has confirmed.
An ABC investigation by RORY CALLINAN reports that concerns have also been raised about the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) sending retired greyhounds to a laboratory to be used for blood harvesting and allowing owners to send retired dogs to a university for experiments.
But the Commission's former Deputy Commissioner Natalie Conner has rejected most of the allegations, instead claiming the agency had been undermined by forces within the racing industry after its crackdown on illegal conduct, including the use of stimulants.
In her first interview since she resigned in March, Ms Conner also said the Commission had been left grossly underfunded with a toxic staff culture that saw "backstabbing", "nastiness" and "general discontent" that had festered for years, and that she had lobbied to improve greyhound welfare.
Racing Minister Grace Grace last year ordered a Review into the QRIC, which is responsible for overseeing the welfare of racing animals in the state.
The review, conducted by KPMG, was in response to concerns raised about the efficiency, culture and management of the organisation, including cost blow-outs and high staff turnover.
QRIC's commissioner Shane Gillard resigned in June. Efforts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
The review, which cost $510,000, was completed in May but is yet to be released despite calls for its publication from the industry and the state opposition.
The ABC has confirmed that the state government has now ordered a new investigation related to allegations by former staff.
This workplace investigation is being undertaken by McGrathNicol.
The QRIC has declined to comment on the investigation, which is being led by McGrathNicol investigator Mark Wheatley, a former Federal Police officer and anti-corruption expert, who has been interviewing former and current staff over the past two months.
Staff have been told not to discuss the investigation.
FORMER staff members spoken to by the ABC, who have asked not to be identified, have alleged that while at the agency they raised concerns about bullying and other issues that were never appropriately addressed.
One allegation raised by former staff related to the bullying of a vet.
This allegation involved claims the vet was badly bullied and even threatened by another staff member who raised his fist at him.
The senior staff member accused of the fist-shaking incident has denied this occurred.
Other allegations included staff being given unachievable tasks or put in situations which were designed to make them fail.
Another claim was that during one hiring process, staff were allegedly told they could not hire existing employees who had applied despite their eligibility.
"There were a number of reports to the CCC (Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission),'' said one former staffer.
Former staff members also raised issues around the handling of alleged sexual harassment including a case where a male employee was alleged to have been running his hand up a female colleague's leg in a work setting.
The former staff members alleged it had not been properly investigated.
Staff alleged other HR matters were regularly mishandled including one incident involving an employee who had been running a private side business selling bondage equipment.
The side business was being promoted online with photos of a current QRIC staff member and a former QRIC employee posing in her underwear modelling for the business.
Staff became concerned about privacy issues and potential sexual harassment when a senior manager revealed the existence of the business in a meeting, showing photos of the former staff member modelling on the site and making comments about the situation.
A former QRIC employee said that the matter should not have been aired in a meeting and should have been better handled by HR.
BULLYING being a major issue at the agency was also raised in a case filed to Queensland's Industrial Relations Commission last year by QRIC's former principal advisor for culture and capability, people and safety, Emma Davies.
Ms Davies alleged her QRIC contract was not renewed within days of her raising concerns about staff being bullied, according to documents obtained by the ABC.
Her complaint stated that she had warned management about colleagues showing "signs of a high level of psychological distress", and believed they were being bullied and harassed by management.
She also expressed concern about an internal email that she believed threatened disciplinary action and was not appropriate.
Just days later, she alleges she was given a letter notifying her of a change in business requirements which meant that her temporary employment was completed, according to the complaint sighted by the ABC.
The matter is believed to have been settled, and Ms Davies has declined to comment.
SPRING INTO SUMMER WITH SPECIAL LGHR LATE MAIL OFFER
IT’S that time of the year when we have a special offer for those considering subscriptions to the LGHR LATE MAIL.
Our Spring into Summer Special is available now and costs only $150 for all the big racing in Sydney and Melbourne (during the entire Cup week carnival) as well as the Brisbane and Perth summer carnival and finally the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.
At a cost of $5 a week there is no better value and the results of the LGHR LATE MAIL are as good, if not better than, most of the major tipping services who cost one hell of a lot more to obtain.
If you are interested in this offer please send a text to 0407175570 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
IS A ROYAL COMISSION NEEDED INTO THE PROCESS SURROUNDING SALE OF ROSEHILL – ANSWERS NEEDED TO SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS?
PETER MAIR, a one-time Punters’ Representative at Racing NSW, had this to say after sitting in on the proceedings in Parliament House last week involving the proposed sale of Rosehill:
‘A couple of those questioned were straight shooters. Most of the rest, the more important players, were fast-talkers speaking very fast. Very fast, about a process that can only be described as a shambles from the start and likely to be ongoing until a Royal Commission opens the can of worms.’
Mair went on to write:
‘I would be interested in having a professional, insider, industry take on some observations on the 'business of racing'.
As background, one of the issues arising from the sell-Rosehill-saga is the prospects for funding of racing at current levels of betting turnover given the present industry commitment to the number and distribution of races run and prizemoney paid out.
The transcript of Friday's hearing will show the 'actual' numbers being tossed around but RNSW said turnover was down 'some 16%' and there is a need to 'boost industry revenue' to keep the show going.
One element in RNSW plans is/was, apparently, using the proceeds of sale of Rosehill to fund the current level of activity in NSW. [This intention implicitly involves RNSW taking 'part' of the proceeds of a sale that the ATC considers would belong to it -- stand-by for who-gets-what to be discussed.]
Not explained was whether the 'capital' recovered from the sale would be just run down as current outlays or a 'capital trust' would be established and the funding would come from the earnings on its investments.
That said, as things stand, it seems Rosehill will remain a racetrack and rail access will still be a short walk from the light-rail station at Camelia (shown on maps as Rosehill Station).
So, in broad terms, there is a need for some rethink of the way the business of racing is being conducted (probably nationally).
This brings me to racing business being done today & he made special reference to meetings at Dubbo, Wagga and Echuca (on the same day last week).
A lot of money, some $800,000, was paid out over 24 races. It is reasonable to ask 'how much of that was recovered from levies on betting turnover' and if, as looks likely, there was a substantial net-cost to the industry-- where did that money come from and for how long is such net-cost racing sustainable?
These current-cost issues are additional to the financial problems with maintaining industry infrastructure of a standard conducive to good racing.
In broad terms it seems to me that the business of racing might sensibly be reviewed -- the sooner the better.’
‘IS THERE NEED FOR CLARIFICATION FROM STEWARDS ON CLAIMS?
THE scathing attack on Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys by Independent MP Mark Latham would have had more impact on stakeholders and industry observers had he not used the Cowards Castle of the NSW Parliament.
Latham accused V’landys of ‘impropriety’, ‘dictatorial behaviour’ and a ‘constant pattern of regulatory abuse’ – call on the Racing Powerbroker to resign. PVL immediately challenge Latham to repeat his claims outside the protective privilege of the House.
“Megalomania is a dreadful thing, and it’s really ruining the NSW racing industry. For the sake of a sport I dearly love, I believe V’landys should resign and hand over to someone with the best interests of racing in mind, rather than the relentless pursuit of a toxic power,” Latham told Parliament.
He claimed an on-going Parliamentary Inquiry into the proposed development of Rosehill Racecourse revealed critical problems of “nepotism, regulatory abuse … and a lack of financial accountability”.
“Those who work there describe Racing NSW as a toxic workplace plagued by intimidation, favouritism, electronic surveillance and constant decision-making and interference by the CEO,” Latham said.
“Evidence has been presented to the committee that the worst of this dictatorial behaviour is V’landys’ persistent interference in steward inquiries … I’m shocked to learn that the CEO intervenes in active inquiries to benefit his favourite licensed individuals and punish those who are either powerless or refuse to toe the V’landys line.”
Surely, from an integrity perspective, the Chairman of Stewards for Racing NSW, Steve Railton (or his predecessors), need to clear the air. It’s as simple as this highly respect, international experienced individual saying there ‘is’ or ‘is not’ any interference in the conduct of Stewards’ Inquiries. Anyone in his role in the past should be asked as well.
Not unexpectedly V’landys has called on Latham to repeat his allegations outside of Parliament, insisting he had always remained at arm’s length during stewards’ inquiries and there was zero evidence for his baseless attacks.
“There is no doubt Mr Latham is running an agenda for some very wealthy breeders who don’t wish to be held to account for animal welfare. They have at all times resisted having their horses traced from birth to retirement. They are attempting a smear campaign on steroids,” he said.
“I challenge Mr Latham to say all these things outside parliament and produce some evidence because there is none. Anyone can say anything in coward’s castle. Because everything he is saying is completely and utterly rubbish.”
As he called on V’landys to resign, Latham said the laundry list of problems had so far been ignored by NSW Racing Minister David Harris, and his predecessors, Nationals ministers Kevin Anderson and Troy Grant.
The controversy – which is doing the image of NSW racing no good at all – has flowed over to the Rosehill inquiry where top trainer Gai Waterhouse has blamed Racing NSW for driving the potential Rosehill sale and excoriated the organisation’s Board members.
“No one would know who they are because they don’t attend the races. You never see them. They’re a headless group of people, poor things,” she said.
Rosehill is owned by the Australian Turf Club, which said it was responsible for instigating the unsolicited proposal to sell the track. Premier Chris Minns and ATC chairman Peter McGauran announced the proposal at a press conference late last year.
Under that plan, up to 25,000 new homes would be built on the 60-hectare site, along with an additional station on the Metro West line, which is due to be completed in 2032. However, ATC members would need to agree to sell the prized asset, and Minns has acknowledge it is ‘not a done deal’..
During the Parliamentary Inquiry into the ATC proposal to sell Rosehill to residential developers, V’landys claimed that “cheats” and “undesirables” were “using the inquiry to undermine” him and Racing NSW.
“I’m aware of an email that’s going around that’s basically saying: ‘This is your chance to get rid of V’Landys, so make up whatever you can, put a submission in’.”
V’Landys accused Latham during the hearing of trying to “bully” and “smear” him with “zero evidence”.
The sooner they bring on The Everest and attract some positive publicity the better things will look for Racing NSW – and that’s despite all the ‘spin doctors’ they have in the Racing Media.
CONTROVERSIAL TABCORP MOVE TO SHUT DOWN ON-COURSE TOTE TERMINALS ACROSS VICTORIA
RACING clubs across Victoria are bracing for the Gillon McLachlan-led Tabcorp to start shutting down on-course tote facilities at the end of the spring carnival.
DANNY RUSSELL reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that in a blow to punters and years of tradition, the gambling giant is looking to cut back face-to-face terminals at tracks in all three racing codes as it strives to keep pace with corporate online rivals such as Sportsbet and Ladbrokes.
Smaller race clubs spoken to by THE AGE are expecting to be given the option to fund staff at tote windows or lose the service altogether beyond November 30 – an option that greyhound, harness and country gallops tracks say they cannot afford.
Tabcorp’s historic joint venture and profit-sharing partnership with Victorian racing’s three codes finishes on August 15, bringing to an end a number of long-term commercial contracts.
As a result, Tabcorp is no longer obligated to provide minimum services – such as staffed tote windows – at any of the state’s race clubs.
The gambling company is also renegotiating its sponsorship of RSN 927 in a move that could have a significant impact on the day-to-day operations of the industry-owned radio station.
Two sources not authorised to speak publicly said that Tabcorp had withdrawn its $3 million yearly funding, and in its place offered a four-month partnership extension at a reduced rate.
A Tabcorp spokesperson said the company had presented RSN 927 with a revised offer and was waiting on a response.
Racing Victoria acting chief executive officer Aaron Morrison said a revised partnership “may or may not have the exclusivity attached to it that it historically has”.
“Other wagering operators may come into the frame, but that is subject to the ongoing discussions with Tabcorp,” he said.
McLachlan was long touted as the next chairman of an unsettled Racing Victoria Board before he withdrew his nomination in June to become the new managing director and chief executive officer of Tabcorp. He officially started in the position on Monday.
Because most recreational punters now bet on their mobile phones, face-to-face on-course operations have long been seen as a loss-making channel for Tabcorp, despite being one of the few options for gamblers to place cash bets.
Tabcorp initially intended to revise on-course operations from August 15, but agreed to extend the deadline until November 30 to allow further negotiations with racing’s three codes.
The developments come as Racing Victoria board looks to appoint a new chief executive officer from one of four candidates as early as Friday.
The candidates are Morrison, former Australian Turf Club head of racing and wagering James Ross, Royal Ascot director of racing and public affairs Nick Smith, and Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Aushorse chief executive Tom Reilly.
Morrison, who is also RV’s chief commercial operator and chief financial officer, has been at the forefront of discussions with Tabcorp and race clubs about life after the joint venture.
“Our clubs are aware that we are in dialogue with Tabcorp regarding a suitable future service model that recognises the significant changes in the wagering market,” Morrison said.
“Ultimately, any future model needs to balance changing customer behaviours and a desire for efficiencies, with a unique opportunity to attract and service on-course customers across all three codes.
“We are approaching things in the spirit of goodwill to achieve the best outcome for all stakeholders. Tabcorp are working cooperatively with us, and we’ll continue our discussions over the coming months to achieve a sensible outcome that doesn’t undermine Victorian racing.”
In December, Tabcorp announced it had retained the sole rights to operate betting in Victoria’s TABs, pubs and clubs for the next 20 years, in a deal with the Victorian government worth more than $860 million.
For that reason, two sources not authorised to speak publicly told this masthead that Tabcorp would want to maintain its on-course presence at metropolitan tracks as well as big regional race meetings such as the Warrnambool May carnival and Geelong Cup.
But Melbourne Racing Club and Moonee Valley, which have partnerships with corporate bookmakers Sportsbet and Ladbrokes, will have the option to stage race days without oncourse TABs.
Harness racing and greyhound tracks are already looking at reverting to on-course bookmakers as a way for racegoers to have cash bets. Tabcorp’s electronic betting machines no longer accept cash, but only dockets purchased from a TAB operator.
*Melbourne Racing Club is in a state of leadership flux with chairman Matt Cain announcing on Wednesday that he is retiring from the board at the club’s annual general meeting next month.
Cain’s departure follows the resignation of chief executive officer Josh Blanksby, who steps down at the end of this month.
Cain’s resignation will create a vacancy on the MRC committee at a time the club is still working through the future of Sandown racecourse.
A COUPLE OF SURPRISES IN OUR ‘MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ BUCKET LIST
WITH another super successful Darwin Cup run and won before a big crowD to start the new season we thought it might be timely to conduct a survey of what major meetings racegoers have on their bucket list.
The group we chose love to ‘get away and go racing’ and there few surprises among their selections apart from the fact that Sydney’s major drawcard The Everest rated a lot further down the list than we expected.
LGHR asked participants to nominate their MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ‘bucket list’ meetings or carnivals and to provide a reason why their choices were so high or so low on the list.
It came as no surprise that MELBOURNE CUP week specifically the CUP and Derby Day were top of the list. The Cup has its critics but most believe the four days of the carnival will continue to survive attempts by NSW to destroy its quality.
Surprisingly, second on the ‘bucket’ list was the Magic Millions Carnival where the surf meets the turf every January. Those surveyed obviously don’t care that this is sales-related and enjoy watching millions paid for yearlings despite the fact that the taxpayers (courtesy of Tourism and Racing Queensland) are pouring more profits into the pocket of one of Australia’s richest men.
Third choice was Cox Plate Day – from a purists’ perspective the best day of horse racing in the land but also popular with those who like the amphitheatre of Moonee Valley and the combination of day and night meetings which may eventually be races exclusively under lights.
The Everest came in No 4 – some of those surveyed blamed the reason for the biggest day in Sydney racing not rating second to the Melbourne Cup on its outrageous prizemoney and the concept of the race. They claimed the same horses would go around on a big carnival day in Sydney for a 10th of the money being offered to slot-holders. It was also highlighted that no matter how much the stakes increased The Everest Day would struggle to attract a crowd of half that which attends the Melbourne Cup.
Golden Slipper Day rated 5th on the bucket list – the world’s richest two-year-old race. Where else would you see a former Prime Minister and one of Sydney’s richest men rolling around on the grass in the enclosure after their horse won the big race? But those keen to attend Slipper day had better get in before they sell Rosehill and it will take a ‘cut lunch’ to get to the replacement venue.
The Warrnambool Grand Annual came in 6th – thousands attend this three-day combo of jumps and flat racing in early May at the western end of the Great Ocean Road. The Grand Annual over 5550m, run in open paddocks over 33 obstacles, is the longest Steeplechase in the World.
The Darwin Cup Carnival was No 7 and has been run at Fannie Bay Racecourse since 1956. It has continued to grow in popularity and attracts many visitors from Victoria determined to enjoy the warmth of the Top End during the cold winter in the south. If there is a drawback the oil and sand surface of the Darwin track is not everybody’s cup of tea.
FNQ AMATEURS ON THE OUTER & JERICHO CUP DAY MORE POPULAR
TWO surprises that fell short of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ List were the Far North Queensland Amateurs – no longer the drawcard it once was and one of the country’s newest features, Jericho Cup Day at Warrnambool.
Approaching the end of the First World War the Australian Light Horse was planning a major offensive against the Turkish Empire. In order to lull the enemy into believing nothing unusual was afoot, a race meeting was organised on the eve of the assault. The main race was called the Jericho Cup over three miles through the desert sands. The winner was Bill The Bastard, probably Australia’s Greatest War Horse.
To commemorative the 100th Anniversary, our country’s version of the Jericho Cup was run for the first time in 2018. The meeting with a difference has been run every year since in front of bigger crowds in memory of Bill The Bastard, the Australian Light Horsemen and their magnificent mounts – The Walers 1914 to 1918.
No doubt some of our readers will have different views to those surveyed above. Like everything in racing it’s opinion-based and hopefully thought provoking.
HERE’S HOPING FOR NO MORE FALSE STARTS AT MAJOR TRACKS
SPRING is in the air for racing at major tracks in south-east Queensland and here’s hoping the industry won’t be disappointed with another false start.
Eagle Farm hopes to have the safety issues which has seen jockeys refuse to ride there rectified in time for a return to racing on Saturday, September 14.
The mesh covering on the construction site will this week begin to come down, while the Brisbane Racing Club, Racing Queensland, the Queensland Jockeys’ Association and the Australian Trainers’ Association have agreed to construct a sightscreen around the outside of the troublesome part of the track.
The Gold Coast Turf Club has pencilled in Saturday, September 21, for the return to turf racing highlighted by the Pink Ribbon Cup. They have programmed a twilight meeting a fortnight later when for their first meeting under lights.
Racing Queensland has advised participants of the following changes to programming:
- Friday, August 23 – was Doomben, is now Ipswich Turf Club;
- Saturday, August 24 – was Eagle Farm, is now Doomben;
- Wednesday, August 28 – was Doomben, is now Sunshine Coast Turf Club;
- Saturday, August 31 – was Eagle Farm, is now Doomben; and
- Wednesday, September 4 – was Eagle Farm, is now Sunshine Coast Turf Club.
As a result of these changes, and to allow sufficient time for a course renovation to be completed at the Ipswich Turf Club, the race meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 12 will be transferred to another venue, to be determined later this week.
Due to the additional race meetings being added to the Sunshine Coast Turf Club, consideration will be given in the coming weeks to transferring either the September 1 or September 8 meetings to the Polytrack if appropriate.
WHEN WILL RQ LEARN TO DISPENSE WITH TAB MEETS ON THE POLY?
MEMO RQ:
THE long-suffering punters who still bet in south-east Queensland do not consider it ‘appropriate’ to transfer TAB meetings to the Polytrack at the Sunshine Coast. Like the Gold Coast this surface is not considered up to standard to bet on (and in some cases race on).
One prominent trainer, who for obvious reasons preferred not to be named, sent us this email regarding Sunday’s switch to the Poly track at the Sunshine Coast:
‘Because Eagle Farm can’t be raced on, Saturday’s primary meeting in Queensland will be run at the Sunshine Coast which officials claim necessitates the move to the Poly on Sunday. It was never a problem racing on the turf on Friday night and again on Sunday afternoon but all of a sudden the main track can’t handle two meetings in a row. Many trainers (with the exception of the Kendrick stable which cleans up) don’t want to race on the Poly and punters certainly aren’t interested in betting there. Why couldn’t they have transferred Sunday’s meeting to another venue? I guess because about the only options would have been Beaudesert or Toowoomba.’
If these problems with our major tracks are not overcome by then, the baton will be passed from the Labor Government to the LNP which is odds-on to takeover in October. It’s Russian Roulette for racing in Queensland depending on who becomes the new Racing Minister.
The more things change the more they stay the same!
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IT’S that time of the year when we have a special offer for those considering subscriptions to the LGHR LATE MAIL.
Our Spring into Summer Special is available now and costs only $150 for all the big racing in Sydney and Melbourne (during the entire Cup week carnival) as well as the Brisbane and Perth summer carnival and finally the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.
At a cost of $5 a week there is no better value and the results of the LGHR LATE MAIL are as good, if not better than, most of the major tipping services who cost one hell of a lot more to obtain.
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TIME FOR BUCK-PASSING TO STOP ON WAY TO RECTIFY SHORTAGE OF BUSH JOCKEYS: FRUSTRATION FOR TRAINERS, DISINCENTIVE FOR OWNERS
THE long-running shortage of jockeys at bush meetings in Queensland has reached the stage where unless the Government or the Control Body are prepared to do something about it the industry is going to suffer (it alredy is).
The problem was highlighted at Yeppoon on Saturday when up to an estimated 20 horses missed a start because trainers either did not accept or were late scratchings because they could not source a rider.
The blame game has been played for far too long for this anomaly, which has frustrated trainers in recent years and proved a disincentive for owners thinking of investing in thoroughbreds to race in the bush.
The buck-passing started in the days of RQ CEO Brendan Parnell, who was accused of sweeping the problem under the carpet. It was easy to blame red tape for preventing overseas riders from coming to Queensland (there are hundreds that want to in Asia).
That still seems to be a drawback which suggests not enough pressure is being put on politicians – State and Federal – to rectify the situation. There’s a State Election approaching in Queensland and there is no better time for the industry to ask the LNP to do something about it as Labor Racing Minister Grace Grace has had long enough and has done next to nothing.
Perhaps the likely new Premier David Cristofulli and his Shadow Racing Minister Tim Mander should be reminded of the ‘Joh Days’ when what Yeppoon wanted, Yeppoon got. In 1980 the Bjelke-Peterson Government supported wealthy businessman Yohachiro Iwasaki's vision to develop a major tourism destination there with taxpayers funding the multi-million dollar construction of a super highway from Rockhampton to the Resort.
Greg Blanchard, now based on the Gold Coast, but a keen follower of bush racing, has for too long been a voice crying in the wilderness for RQ to do something to correct this shortage of jockeys problem.
Tony McMahon, a highly-respected long-time racing participant in Central Queensland – both on (as a trainer) and off track (as a turf columnist), last week weighed into the debate when he wrote:
Locally racing resumes at Keppel Park, Yeppoon on Saturday which is a joy to the ears of raced starved Capricorn Coast followers. The Yeppoon Turf Club hasn’t raced at Keppel Park since Derby Day races last November. Regrettably, after all the toils of the dedicated voluntary YTC committee and loyal followers, the club’s April meeting was cancelled becoming the victim of wet weather. Such is not the scenario on Saturday where holidaymakers and locals alike are sure to flock to the Keppel Park racecourse which is so appealing.
The YTC was delighted with the entries last Tuesday when 58 horses were entered and equally thrilled with the final acceptances of 53 horses to start. However, I can imagine their disappointment when trainers could only muster eight jockeys to ride at the meeting. Believe me the trainers tried sourcing jockeys from all over Queensland. Apprentices Shae Neilson (Mackay), Jamie-Lee Devine (Thangool) and Tom Orr (SEQ) will make the trip. Earlier today (last Friday) little known SEQ based apprentice jockey, the 4kg claimer Claire Ramsbothan, answered an SOS from Mackay trainer Joshua Manzellman. That prevented five more scratchings. As well jockey Adam Spinks comes from Brisbane while locals Tash Chambers, Chris Mc Iver and Colin Lennon make up the “Magnificent Eight.” As a consequence of the severe shortage of jockeys (I’ve said for ages they are as scarce as hen’s teeth) to service Saturday country race meetings in Queensland some 15 horses are likely to be scratched from Keppel Park because of “no jockeys available”.
Imagine if you were an owner of any one of those 20 horses just how you would feel? Gutted that’s how. This on-going problem has been exacerbated somewhat for the Yeppoon meeting through circumstances completely beyond the control of the YTC. For instance, Warwick Satherley is suspended for a week while Ashley Butler is riding at Townsville. Brooke Johnson is on the injured list as are Adam Sewell, Natalea Summers and apprentice Olivia Kendall. Mackay’s Jade Doolan is very sadly through injury unlikely to ride again while Nicky Seymour has retired and is expecting her first bub. As well former Rocky apprentices Erin Molloy and Nicky Olzard have transferred their indentures from that city. It is quite possible I have missed one or two others including Rocky apprentice McKenzie Apel who has not ridden since Mt Isa a few weeks back. There are nine race meetings programmed in Queensland this Saturday and from what I can see Yeppoon does not have this jockey shortage all to its own It is very concerning.”
The problem worsened for Yeppoon on Saturday when apprentice Tom Orr was taken to hospital after the first race reducing the number of available riders to seven and that was the capacity field for each race on the card.
The Stewards’ Report suggests there were seven late scatchings but taking into account those stables that did not accept knowing there would be no rider available the number could be as high as 20.
Here are extracts from the Stewards Report on the day at Yeppoon:
The following horses were declared late scratchings due to no available riders
Race 1 - ENTERPRISE MOUSSE @ 8:15am – No available rider
Race 1 – THE QUICKENING @ 8:15am – No available rider
Race 1 – TOHUKU @ 8:15am – No available rider
Race 3 – CYBER JAM @ 8:15am – No available rider
Race 3 – DAWN REBEL @ 2:05pm – No available replacement riders
Race 5 – TYCOON BABY @ 2:05pm – No available replacement riders
Race 5 – TORQUE ESPAGNA @ 8:15am – No available rider
Race 3: – CYBER JAM @ 8:15am
MISS SHALLA @ 2/8 4:01pm – Stewards approved the early scratching with no rider available due to the limited number of riders at the meeting and the time that trainer W Winters would have to leave his stable address in order to arrive on time to the course with limited chance he would gain a jockey.
Race 5: – TORQUE ESPAGNA @ 8:15am
Due to the lack of riders at today’s meeting stewards extended leniency in relation to the late declaration of riders.
LOVE ON DISPLAY – Apprentice T Orr was permitted to not claim his full allowance as there were no other riders available. However, Mr Orr was subsequently reprimanded under AR 143(14)(a). When considering penalty stewards were mindful of his unblemished record in relation to this Rule and his guilty plea. The horse raced wide throughout and fell approaching the 300m dislodging apprentice T Orr. A post-race veterinary examination failed to reveal any apparent abnormalities. Nonetheless, stewards advised trainer L Manzelmann that LOVE ON DISPLAY would require a veterinary certificate prior to racing again. Stewards intend to open an inquiry into the circumstances of LOVE ON DISPLAY falling approaching the 300m at a time and date to be fixed.
Following the running of the race apprentice T Orr was assessed by QAS officers and was showing signs of a concussion. He was transported to hospital for further observations. Mr Orr was advised that under the concussion protocol he would be stood down from riding for a period of 12 days. He was also advised that he would require a medical certificate and is to complete a COG test prior to returning to riding again.
Race 4: As apprentice T Orr was stood down from the remainder of his rides trainer L Manzelmann made application to stewards for apprentice S Nielson to replace Mr Orr on CHICKERARTIE and for Ms Nielson to be replaced on DIASONIC by jockey Colin Lennon as he was the last rider available. He made this application as he would have preferred an apprentice to ride CHICKERARTIE. Due to the lack of jockeys at the meeting stewards approved the request and the rider changes were disseminated by the race day broadcaster.
CHICKERARTIE – Apprentice S Nielson was approved as the replacement rider by stewards. DIASONIC – Jockey C Lennon was approved as the replacement rider by stewards.
Race 5: TYCOON BABY – Declared a late scratching at 2:05pm as there was no rider available to replace injured apprentice T Orr.
Greg Blanchard reports that apart from the seven left without riders at Yeppoon, the same occurred for three others at Tambo and one each at Roma and Corfield. He suggests the number was actually a lot higher at Yeppoon because trainers realized beforehand that no jockeys would be available. Of the 58 horses nominated for the meeting only 36 gained a start.
This situation cannot be allowed to continue. New RQ CEO Jason Scott, unlike his predecessor Brendan Parnell, tackles problems head-on. The first thing that needs to happen is political pressure to breakdown the red tape and enable Queensland to draw on the big number of young overseas riders keen to extend their careers here.
But that will take time and in the interim perhaps when it is obvious that insufficient jockeys will be available for these meetings RQ needs to subsidise replacements from other centres to travel to the bush (similar to the deal that was done for major NQ centres).
Programming is another area that needs to be looked at. There were nine race meetings programmed in Queensland last Saturday. These centres are entitled to race but is nine too many on the one day – especially when it was Townsville Cup day.
Words can’t explain the frustration confronting bush trainers doing their best to ensure owners get a start with the horses they are being paid to prepare. But spare a thought for the industry in the bush as well – will owners continue to invest in horses to race there when it’s hard enough to get one ready to win without worrying they will have a jockey to ride it?
MEECH CREATES A NEW MILESTONE FOR AUSTRALIAN LADY RIDERS
AT the risk of being proved wrong, LGHR believes that LINDA MEECH is statistically the most successful Australian-based female jockey after taking her career wins past the 1900 mark on Saturday.
Meech, who landed a treble on Chimed, Sleep Deprived and Adrett at Hamilton, started her apprenticeship in Queensland then moved to NSW before settling in Victoria.
Born on a farm in New Zealand, Meech in 2013 became the second woman after Clare Lindop to ride 1000 winners. She won her first Group One on Plucky Belle in the Coolmore Classic in 2015.
In 2019 Meech was the first female jockey to win the Victorian premiership claiming 145 wins from 755 rides. She also has a Trainers’ License (winning her first metropolitan race recently) but rates her biggest win, giving birth to son Anthony Wilbur with then partner and trainer-jockey Mark Pegus.
As far as LGHR can ascertain the only other Australian-born lady jockey to ride more winners was Elizabeth ‘Mother’ Berry who rode an amazing 4200 winners in the late 1800’s, the first of those at Moonee Valley when aged 10.
At 13 she started riding professionally disguised as a man under the name of Jack Williams. ‘Mother’ Berry rode in Australia, the United States, South Africa and the United Kingdom. She died in the US in 1969 at the ripe old age of 114.
Julie Krone, regarded as the best American female jockey of all time, rode 3704 winners (including a Belmont Stakes and Breeders Cup) before her retirement in 2004. Colleague Rosie Kapravnik, the first female to ride in all three legs of the American Triple Crown, rode 1878 winners before retiring in 2105.
Before her retirement in 2018, Clare Lindop rode 1434 winners while Jamie Kah, the first female to beat the men in the Melbourne Metropolitan Premiership, has ridden 1268 winners. Kathy O’Hara has ridden 1062 winners and Melbourne Cup history-maker Michelle Payne 772.
But the list of Australian women who have pioneered and will be remembered as major achievers in the riding ranks also includes (with apologies to those we have missed): Pam O’Neill, Linda Jones, Bev Buckingham and Bernadette Cooper.
Perhaps we should also mention the controversial Wilhelmina ‘Bill’ Smith, born in 1887, the daughter of English immigrants who settled in Perth. At the age of 16 she ran away from home and dressed as a man got a job on a boat ending up in Cairns.
She had a day job at the Cairns Brewery and in the then male-dominated world of racing also worked as a stablehand before becoming a jockey and trainer, riding under the pseudonym of ‘Bill’ Smith. She rode hundreds of winners in North Queensland and it wasn’t until after her death at the age of 88 that she was a woman.
Back to where we began and Linda Meech, born in 1980, still has more years of riding ahead if that is the career she chooses to continue with. She is riding so well that who knows what her current tally of 1903 will eventually reach.
TRAINING LEGEND OF NQ NEARING THE END OF AN AMAZING CAREER
WITH the amazing career of North Queensland training legend Errol Sewell drawing to a close it would be fitting if the ‘Cups King’ was recognized on the 150th anniversary of the Townsville Turf Club.
A race will be run in Sewell’s honor tomorrow (Saturday) on Cup day which is fitting as he has won the big race five times. Perhaps when the club celebrates its major milestone in October, Errol will be among those recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sewell (photograph courtesy of CAIRNS POST) is one of the best known and longest serving trainers in North Queensland. He has enjoyed success in all the big races and for a long time, he and jockey son Darin were virtually unstoppable at Cluden.
It’s almost as hard to get a ‘tip’ out of the wily old trainer as it is to learn his age. We suspect he is in his 80’s and still going strong – with the help of family and friends – but will take time out to be a guest of the TTC in the Members’ Lounge on Cup Day.
The Rangewood trainer has been described as ‘the Bart Cummings' of the Townsville Cup. His one-time stable star Party King won three straight Townsville Cups from 2000 to 2002. Sewell also won the Cup with Super Cavalier (1981) and Crewshade (1984).
“You never dream of getting three in a row. You might get one or two. It was unbelievable,” Sewell told the Townsville Bulletin at the time.
He also achieved the rare feat of wining the Cairns Amateur Cup as both a jockey and trainer. Originally from Charters Towers, Sewell booted home 1976 Cup winner Tropical before turning his hand to training. He also won it in 1984 with Crewshade.
Not even a broken femur after he was kicked by a horse, or a broken hip slipping in a horse float, dimmed his enthusiasm for training. “I was into driving trotters when I first started and went from there to racing,” he told the Cairns Post.
“I’d done a lot of work with the shows before I went into racing. I followed the horses because I loved them. “I was also an amateur jockey and you knew what your horse was going to do because you were riding him yourself, but you rely on your jockey now.”
And he shared one of his secrets back them: “You can do anything with your horse if you give them a ginger nut (biscuit),” Sewell said. “I just like the animal. They’re a friend, I enjoy their company.”
Townsville Turf Club Chairman Geoff Weeks was quick to clarify why the Cup Calcutta was moved this year which has attracted some criticism.
‘The Calcutta on Friday is at Metropole. We are taking it off site this year to try something different. This option does save us labour costs of set up, then break down, and reset for carnival day on the Saturday.
“What I would contribute to this decision is community businesses share in the economic benefits and impact of the Cup Carnival. I'm sure you will see future race week sponsorships from the Metropole Hotel which is the ‘race name’ sponsor of the first on Cup Day – the most expensive sponsorship fee.’
THE Ricky Vale-trained NAMAZU (Ashley Butler) is favorite for the TOWNSVILLE CUP from Fortified (Lacey Morrison) Warp Speed (to be ridden by Michael Cahill).
NORTHERN PRIDE, to be ridden by record-breaking NQ jockey Lacey Morrison is favorite for the CLEVELAND BAY HANDICAP ahead of Tiger Legend (Nathan Day) and Smart Image (Ashley Butler).
Hopefully with Doomben and Gold Coast also racing on Saturday, SKY will see fit to broadcast as many races (especially the features) from Townsville on their main channel.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As a young turf scribe working for the Townsville Bulletin I had the privilege of getting to know Errol and son Darin well. Many moons down the track and few stakeholders in racing have left a bigger impression on me. Not only were they successful but absolute gentlemen to deal with.
CLEAN SA RACING UP BEFORE WORRYING ABOUT BROADCAST DEALS
RACING.COM has announced this week it will continue to broadcast South Australian racing for the next two years.
What’s second prize?
Apart from carnival time – when interstate invaders chase the big prizemoney – punters are terrified to bet there. Massive form reversals, accusations of team riding and a lack of confidence are being blamed.
Just look at yesterday’s midweek meeting at Balaklava. Apart from the fact that only one outright favorite was successful, it was the outcome of Race 6, won by Nisko Tu that angered those punters who still bet in SA.
Nisko Tu started at $26 but on exposed form should have been a $260 chance. Coming into the race it had run last of 13 at Strathalbyn, 9th of 12 at Mt Gambier, last of 14 at Murray Bridge and 13th of 14 at Murray Bridge. It would have been hard to pick with a pin but it bolted in.
Stewards reported that they questioned trainer David Huxtable about the improved performance of Nisko Tu. He explained that he had varied its training by increasing its workload since its last run in an attempt to have it fitter, and had also removed the visors and nasal strip from its gear. He added that given the changes the stable had hoped for an improved performance but had not supported the horse in betting.
They would have been ‘asleep at the wheel’ not to ask some questions after Terry McAuliffe, Racing.com host of the day and no bigger supporter of SA racing, made no secret of his surprise at the form improvement of Nisko Tu. He also referred to a text received from one of the leading form students in the State, James Jordan, concerning the result which McAuliffe inferred was 'too hot' to read on air.
Punters have no confidence in the product in South Australia and even less in the stewards policing racing there. Those still prepared to bet there say what happens in Brisbane and Sydney racing doesn’t even qualify for a weekly whinge in comparison.
TOP TRAINERS SPITTING THE DUMMY ISN’T WINNING ANY FRIENDS
TOP trainers can spit the dummy all they like unless a majority of jockeys are confident it is safe to ride at Eagle Farm they should continue to withdraw their services.
If a solution to the problem can be reached – and that is starting to look a longshot – then those jockeys who still have some concerns should simply not ride at the supposedly premier track.
There is no room for standover tactics by anyone in this extremely serious situation. Safety remains paramount regardless of whether Racing Queensland or the Brisbane Racing Club feel they have a resolution to the issue involving the construction of an apartment block on the home turn. The jockeys have the final say!
It is easy to understand the frustration of champion trainer Tony Gollan and 12-time Group 1 winner Rob Heathcote and it is not surprising to see the latter resign from the Australian Trainers’ Association which many others questioning the failure of that body to act strongly enough on their behalf on several issues for some years.
There is no return date set for racing at Eagle Farm but this week’s meeting of jockeys during the trials which caused a flare-up with top trainers discussed a series of potential remedies.
The Murdoch Media reports that Gollan was livid that a trial morning was chosen for the latest meeting between jockeys, Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott and Queensland’s Chief Steward Josh Adams. It apparently resulted in a war of words between Gollan and veteran jockey Jim Byrne.
And has anyone in authority – QRIC or Racing Queensland – asked the Chief Steward to explain why he did nothing about complaints from jockeys for months on this issue? It’s evidence once again that Josh Adams isn’t up to the job and should be sacked.
It would be nice to hear what the LNP – set to take Government in a few months – thinks on the issue or – as many are saying – are they too close to the fiefdom at the Brisbane Racing Club to want to rock the boat. The more things change the more they stay the same.
On the meeting held during the trials on Tuesday with the jockeys, Gollan told the Murdoch Media: “I just felt it showed very little care or understanding of the rest of the industry, we (trainers) are annoyed and disappointed at the situation which could have been handled outside of these hours.
“To my knowledge some riders are more than happy to ride, and there’s a certain faction who either don’t want to ride the way things are or they feel like they haven’t had a voice or been heard.”
FIX TO FARM SAFETY CONCERNS FAR FROM STRAIGHTFORWARD
THE fix for the Eagle Farm building situation, which has caused jockeys’ to refuse to ride there, is far from straightforward and nor is the solution.
Changing the colour of a substance used in the construction of the building from black to blue also presents as many questions as answers. The CFMEU has apparently advised this can only be done one floor per week, potentially taking four months to complete. Why?
Scott said the “time for talking was done” over the Eagle Farm drama. The RQ CEO is extremely popular for his communication skills and how he gets things done. Perhaps those have been misunderstood by some who are saying he needs to be careful ‘putting the gun at the head of the jockeys on a safety issue.’
“Racing Queensland and QRIC would like in the next 48 hours a log from the jockeys explaining what they need us to provide and do for them for them to offer their services to ride at Eagle Farm again.”
One would have thought the answer is simple: Make the track safe for racing. And there’s no band-aid solution to that. Finding an amicable solution is just another problem for the basket case that is racing in Queensland.
TOWNSVILLE RACING DESERVES A STAND-ALONE DATE FOR CUP DAY
THE issue of whether Townsville should program its major race meeting of the year on a Sunday has again raised its ugly head.
The Townsville Cup – Cleveland Bay double will be run this Saturday at Cluden Park but as a support fixture to Doomben where there are no feature races just two Open Handicaps.
That means any log-jam during the afternoon and good old reliable SKY Channel, which treats Queensland racing like crap, will quickly dispense with a Townsville race to SKY2, hopefully that won’t include one of the features.
Townsville hosted a successful Sunday card last weekend featuring the Lightning and Guineas. Officials claim racegoers don’t want the Cup run on a Sunday because they have to go to work on Monday. There are plenty of major Country Cups run in Victoria on a Sunday but it doesn’t seem to worry fans there.
Then we have the situation at the Sunshine Coast the following weekend where the club has inherited the Saturday meeting because of the Eagle Farm closure meaning the Sunday fixture has been transferred to the unpopular Poly track.
Programming suggests the other problem child of Queensland racing, the new multi-million Gold Coast track will be back racing on the turf the first Saturday in September. Time will tell.
PIKE LEADS THE WAY IN THE AUSTRALIAN JOCKEYS’ PREMIERSHIP
ONCE again West Aussie Willie Pike has won the Australian Jockeys’ Premiership from Queenslander Jimmy Orman and Victorian Damian Lane.
Nearing the end of the season Pike had landed 172-1/2 winners of nears $8.9 million from 680 rides. Orman had 160-1/2 from 854 and Lane 155-1/2 from 749 rides.
James Macdonald was 10th on the list with 119 winners from 486 rides while Blake Shinn was fifth (144 wins from 693 rides).
Pike had the best strike rate at 25.4% from James McDonald 24.5%, Aaron Bullock (NSW) 21.3%, Blake Shinn & Damian Lane 20.8% and Queenslander Ryan Wiggins 20% (111 winners from 555 rides).
With strong suggests JMac will be lured to ride in Hong Kong on a permanent basis in the not too distant future, there is talk that a high profile Victorian jockey (perhaps Blake Shinn) has been testing the water of opportunity with leading Sydney stables. Shinn has been flying in Melbourne but the jockeys ranks there are arguably much stronger.
WHEN WILL RACING QLD ADDRESS LACK OF BUSH JOCKEYS PROBLEM?
REGULAR contributor GREG BLANCHARD has kept us up to date on the on-going problem of insufficient riders being available enforcing scratching at bush meetings in Queensland.
Last month I mentioned there were 28 scratchings due to no riders. Here are the stats for July.
July 27: Julia Creek 6, Atherton 3, Longreach 1.
July 20: Thangool 3, Gympie 1.
July 13: Gold Coast 1 (can you believe a metropolitan meeting not having sufficient riders available?), Ilfracombe 2, Roma 1
July 6: Bluff 2, Charleville 3.
That gives us a total of 23.
When is someone in authority or a politician going to have the guts to say ‘we need to look to Asia as part of a sustainable future’? New Zealand worked that out years ago.
SPRING INTO SUMMER WITH SPECIAL LGHR LATE MAIL OFFER
IT’S that time of the year when we have a special offer for those considering subscriptions to the LGHR LATE MAIL.
Our Spring into Summer Special is available now and costs only $150 for all the big racing in Sydney and Melbourne (during the entire Cup week carnival) as well as the Brisbane and Perth summer carnival and finally the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.
At a cost of $5 a week there is no better value and the results of the LGHR LATE MAIL are as good, if not better than, most of the major tipping services who cost one hell of a lot more to obtain.
If you are interested in this offer please send a text to 0407175570 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
IS DOMINATION OF THREE STATES IN EASTERN STATES BY THREE STABLES THAT HEALTHY FOR RACING – ESPECIALLY THE PUNTERS?
AS the curtain falls on another season of Australian racing, the question has to be raised whether it is a healthy situation to have such domination by two major stables.
The same applies in Queensland where Tony Gollan has again finished a furlong in front of his nearest rivals. Stuart Kendrick, courtesy of a windfall on his home track at the Sunshine Coast, was second on the national tally.
Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller with earnings of more than $51 million finished more than $20mn ahead of their nearest rivals Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott & Godolphin’s James Cummings with $30mn in stakes.
Maher and Waller had more than 2000 starters each for the season over 800 in front of their nearest rival Annabel Neasham. Maher currently has 342 winners for the season and Waller 291. Neasham had 184. It was also a good season for Team Hayes with 199 winners and almost $17mn in prizemoney.
Waller dominated the NSW scene easily beating Waterhouse-Bott, Neasham, Kris Lees, Bjorn Baker and James Cummings. Whilst he had 194 winners for over $37mn in stakes, the return on investment from his 1372 starters was a miserable -12.6% for punters who followed the stable.
The best strike rate, however, didn’t belong to any of the top stables. Matt Dunn, now training solely out of Murwillumbah, has a 25.5% strike rate due largely to his domination of the Hi-Way races.
If you combine the winners Maher enjoyed in Victoria when in partnership with now Hong Kong based Dave Eustace, the stable netted 217 winners for over $27mn in stakes. His nearest rival was Team Hayes (185 winners for $14.6mn), Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr then Anthony & Sam Freedman.
Tony Gollan again dominated in Queensland (187 winners for $10.5mn) from Stuart Kendrick (119 & $4.7mn) while Grant & Alana Williams were the most successful in Western Australia with 108 winners netting $6.6mn in stakes.
Statewide in South Australia, Richard & Chantelle Jolly finished in front with 74 winners and $3.6mn stakes from Will Clarken-Nikki O’Shea (64 winners for $2.8mn) who snared the metropolitan premiership on the final day of the season. Philip Stokes, courtesy of stables in South Australia and Victoria, nears the end of the season with 107 winners and $7.5mn in prizemoney.
In NSW, Waller finished with 148 winners, 60 in advance of the next best Waterhouse-Bott, Cummings, Bjorn Baker and Joe Pride. Interestingly, the Maher stable in NSW netted 34 winners.
TOP STRATEGIES TO SUCCEED WHEN BETTING ON HORSE RACING
HORSE RACING, which is also known as the “Sport of Kings”, is a blend of tradition, speed and strategy. This game originates from the ancient civilizations where it was not just played as a sport, but it was used to test the excellence and prowess among riders. In today’s world, horse racing is a premier event where spectators come from every division.
The popularity that it has gained it is not just because of the love of the people for the game but it also includes horse racing betting. Placing a bet is not just a wager we are investing, it’s also about knowing the animals, jockeys, tracks and other factors which can affect the outcome of the race.
This appeal of racing and betting practice depends on the availability of betting options. Even if you’re a casual observer or you’re a seasoned punter, there’s something for everyone. But which we enter in the world of Horse racing betting, it is imperative to approach towards it with respect and understanding of the strategies.
In the next section, we will explore some of the top strategies which can be useful in betting on a horse race. We will also try to break down some jargons and how to navigate the odds.
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS: KEY JARGON EXPLAINED
Before going further, one should be aware about some of the jargons from the betting world as well as from horse racing. “Odds” represent the likelihood of an outcome which is directly related to payout. The “favorite” is considered as the horse which is most likely to win. “Longshots” are the horses which are less likely to win but at the same time they will offer higher payouts if they win.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ODDS
Odds should not be considered as simple numbers. They are the chances of a horse winning the race. The odds change rapidly during the game as it is also based on the number of people betting on the horse as it will lower the odds. In simple terms, if you place a bet on a favorite then you will have a smaller payout but higher chances of winning. On the other hand, if you place the bet on a longshot, then the risk is high but the payout is even higher.
STRATEGY 1: RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
Your homework matters a lot in horse race betting. You should undertake your own research on the performance history of the horse and under what conditions they perform better, how they are trained and what’s their background (or form).
The performance of a jockey should not be forgotten with the similar insights. This approach can uncover potential winners and determine the chances of winning for the horse.
STRATEGY 2: BETTING TYPES & THEIR USES
There are different types of bets used in horse racing. Apart from the normal “win” bet where we are betting on a horse to win, there is a “place” bet and “show” bet. A “place” bet is betting if the horse will finish first or second and “show” is first, second, or third. There are other bets like "exactas," "quinellas," or "trifectas" which includes predicting the exact finish order, or top two or more horses and they also offer a higher payout as it requires precision.
STRATEGY 3: MONEY MANAGEMENT
Money management is always a critical element in betting. One should always set a budget and stick to it which can help you refrain from placing a bet for more than you can afford. Normally, you can place bets by setting a fixed percentage of your total betting budget.
STRATEGY 4: DIVERSIFICATION
A common strategy that can be useful is to diversify your bets. This can spread the risk associated and increase your chances of success. This is similar to investment diversification in stocks to mitigate loss and capitalize winnings.
STRATEGY 5: EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
In the current world of technology, data is seamless. One can also use online resources, betting apps and some databases to enhance your strategy. They can offer up-to-date information on horse statistics, race conditions and sometimes even predictive analytics and providing a competitive edge in making better decisions.
STRATEGY 6: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT
No doubt, the horse race bets require knowledge and strategy but it also requires control over your emotions. To remain in discipline is an art and you can avoid impulsive decisions based on your recent losses and wins.
TO CONCLUDE...
The world of horse race betting demands more than your passion. It requires mindset, understanding and discipline. We have uncovered different approaches which can contribute to your success and can help you use the jargons appropriately.
Apart from the strategies like effective money management and leveraging technology, approaching Horse racing betting in a responsible and informed manner cannot be overstated. As the bettors refine their strategies and deepen their understanding, they also contribute to the culture of horse racing.
Embrace the challenge, enjoy the overall process and may your passion to the Sport of Kings bring you not just financial rewards but deeper connection too with horse racing.