HAS RACING MEDIA LANDSCAPE CHANGED FOR WORSE IN AUSTRALIA? 

THOSE of us old enough to remember can testify how the racing media landscape has changed for the worse.

Back in the 80’s – sure we can’t live in the past – when there were three daily newspapers in Brisbane each had their own Turf Departments with dedicated harness and greyhound writers.

Today there is one major newspaper in Brisbane – if you can call it that – with no Turf Department, next to no greyhound coverage and one guy is paid to cover major harness events nationally.

The blame is being laid squarely at the feet of the demise of newspapers because of the 24/7 coverage on TV, radio and the internet. The way things are going 30 years down the track there may be no newspapers.

But the takeover of the print media in most states by the Murdoch Empire did not help the situation. They bought out and closed down rivals then spoon fed us with the political, sporting and business beliefs of King Rupert.

Is that a good thing?

LGHR is biased on this topic but poses the question? Are the weekend newspapers in Brisbane worth the $5 price they have now risen to considering the wall-the-wall advertising you now get from Harvey Norman which should keep costs down?

How well is The Courier-Mail travelling circulation – not BS readership survey-wise – when you have to undertake a massive advertising campaign on television encouraging readers to buy what is already a monopoly and has no newspaper opposition in Brisbane?

HOW bad is the racing media travelling when you have to pay a journalist – now working for a major corporate bookmaking organisation – to write stories about arguably the best pacer Australia has seen since Popular Alm.

Like ‘Poppy’, Leap To Fame is beatable but he is an absolute superstar, a drawcard and the pride and joy of his owners, Kevin and Kay Seymour, who have poured millions into the standardbred sport.

 

HARNESS RACING HAS TO PAY FOR STORIES ON BEST PACER IN LAND

ADAM Hamilton is one of the best harness racing writers in the land and today enjoys the exclusivity of being paid by News Ltd (and apparently others) to supply the stories that are published in our mainstream newspapers.

Remember the days in Brisbane when there were three newspapers, Gary Keep led the way for years and was the last survivor as a dedicated harness writer for The Courier and Sunday Mail; David Fowler, who went on to become a Chairman of the Albion Park Harness Racing Club, wrote the trots for the Brisbane Telegraph until it folded and yours truly (LGHR) was his predecessor at The Telegraph before moving to the Brisbane Sun until it was closed down.

Each of those writers had their own dedicated column on harness racing plus daily coverage. The sport never had it so good. The best that can be said for the coverage these days is that it does better than the poor old ‘leg-lifters’.

LGHR lost the job he loved as harness writer for the Brisbane Sun because he dared to criticise and powerful identities like the Minister for Everything Russ Hinze and King Kevin had the ear of one of his gutless  and no-talent bosses.

You look back and wonder whether it was a wise move from The Telegraph to the Brisbane Sun when it was launched. My advice was ‘go with Murdoch’ who had opened The Sun in opposition to The Courier-Mail. But when he bought the latter, the Sun was closed and LGHR was made redundant.

By then he had been appointed Racing Editor after ‘Manuel’ (the less said about his journalist-style the better) moved on to The Courier-Mail and he had lost his role as harness writer.

It was rather ironic that when LGHR moved to The Sun he got the job on a condition from his new boss, John Hartigan, that he stopped ‘spin doctoring’ the ‘red hots’ and ‘Big Russ’.

That cost him plenty. He fell out with his best contact Russ Hinze who had leaked him an exclusive on the closure of the Albion Park sand gallops track to make way for a state of the art harness facility.

Following ‘Harto’s’ advice was fine until he had long gone and been replaced by a weak-kneed editor from South Australia who was wined and dined by King Kev in the Albion Park committee room. Before long, his objective criticism of harness racing cost him the job.

One wonders – looking back at the coverage that Keep, Fowler and I fought so hard for in our jobs as harness writers – if those who wanted to see me gone because I dared to criticise, would prefer to cop that rather than the nothing they receive these days or the coverage they have to pay for.

It’s a sad state of affairs when you consider we have the best pacer in the land based here in Brisbane and, apart from when he races, they struggle to get a few hundred people to Albion Park on a Saturday night and get next to no coverage in the mainstream daily.

Whether the LNP Government plans to ‘save the Creek’ will work remains debatable. From an LGHR perspective we certainly don’t believe the old adage ‘Build It and They Will Come’ has the slightest chance of success.                 

 

GRACE & MANDER GO HEAD TO HEAD ON WHAT’S BEST FOR INDUSTRY

SHADOW Racing Minister Grace Grace has accused her successor Tim Mander of ‘risking the integrity of the industry’ with plans to dump the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission and rush through amendments that will allow a questionable new-look Board.

Grace told Parliament on Thursday that the LNP Government was introducing ‘urgent’ amendments to the Racing Act without any scrutiny and no notice, discussion or consultation.

“This Government that came in talking about transparency and accountability is putting through amendments with absolutely no notice, no discussion and no consultation.

“Not even the animal welfare groups that may have wanted to be heard in relation to these amendments are going to have the ability to have their say.”

In relation to the new-look Board (the one Grace appointed has never been changed), she claimed Mander would be ‘appointing industry people as chairs, deputy chairs and Board members and increasing the number on the Board to nine.

She said the hard work and recommendations of the MacSporran Report (which followed the live baiting controversy in the greyhounds) was ‘out the door’.

“It is an absolute disgrace that these amendments are being moved without any consultation and without any scrutiny whatsoever. It is absolutely breathtaking and an absolute disgrace.”

The Grace response was hot on the heels of the Mander’s statement to the Parliament that:

“I would like to move that urgent amendments to the Racing Queensland Board appointment and composition provisions within the Racing Act 2000”. He said this would fast-track implementation of relevant recommendations approved by the Government from the independent Racing Review to ensure that meaningful and timely change was delivered for the Queensland racing industry and regions.

“This government is about action, not secret reviews. We are getting on with the implementation of the recommendations because we know that the Queensland racing industry cannot afford to wait.

Mander said these amendments sought to implement the legislative component of several recommendations of the Racing Review and would serve to deliver on the Government’s commitment to reform the Racing Queensland Board by increasing the flexibility of the Board to include a pool of eligible candidates,  simplifying the Board appointment processes and ensuring broad industry representation on the Board, including one from each of the codes -thoroughbred, harness and greyhound—‘as well as up to six other members who have skills and experience in one or more of the relevant areas or live in a rural or regional part of Queensland’.

“This Government is committed to moving towards a modern, agile Governance structure. This common sense approach to industry stewardship prioritises transparency, protects integrity and delivers a better deal for Queenslanders.

“Racing’s impact on the State is now close to $2.5 billion per year and is responsible for around 14,500 full-time jobs for Queenslanders, so it is vital we ensure it will grow and prosper well into the future. This Government is backing Queensland’s racing industry.

“Our regions are the heartbeat of racing in this State. For too long the challenges faced by our regional tracks and trainers were overlooked by the former Labor Government. By enshrining regional representation in this legislation, we are ensuring that the voices of those who live and work in our country towns are heard at the highest level of decision-making. It is proposed that these amendments to the Racing Act commence on a date to be fixed by proclamation.”

In response, Grace Grace told the House:

“When we were elected in 2015 the racing industry was on its knees and Alan MacSporran delivered to our Government a damning report which demanded that the greyhound industry and the racing industry clean up their act. We inherited that after three years of LNP Government doing absolutely nothing to address the issues in the racing industry.

“The MacSporran recommendations demanded that integrity and public confidence be restored to the industry. The industry was dealt a significant blow under those opposite, particularly by allegations of live animals being used to bait dogs.

“It was a significant piece of work and his report made 15 recommendations. The report highlighted the shocking details which could not be ignored. The then Labor Government acted. He found that the racing industry’s efforts to self-regulate had been a failure and that we needed to put integrity, animal welfare and safety at the forefront. His report showed that Racing Queensland had operated in an environment in which it could not adequately access and deal with the risks to integrity and animal welfare.

“He made a number of recommendations around QRIC being established. With those 15 recommendations we changed the racing industry from being on its knees to one of the most dynamic racing industries in Australia. We led the nation. It was amazing what we did. We took them out of debt. Prize money increased. Integrity was improved. An incredible amount of work was done.”

Grace said that “after an embarrassing delay with regard to the Queensland Racing Review—I think the Minister got a clip over the ear when it comes to some of the recommendations in it—and after MacSporran had to clean up an industry on its knees by making 15 recommendations, this Review report makes 110 recommendations. It was delayed because some of those recommendations were so controversial and so loopy that even his own team could not agree and they had to be removed.

“When I became minister I spoke to Mr MacSporran about his recommendations regarding the Board. To ensure we had integrity within the Board he recommended a Board of seven.”

Grace said four of the members were to be entirely independent of the racing industry during the period of Board membership and to have had no relevant connection to the racing industry (ownership of horses or greyhounds or membership of a race club or organisation) for a period of at least two years prior to appointment.

“We could have experience on the Board but Board members could not have had direct connection with the industry for two years. When I spoke to him about why he recommended that he said that they could declare an interest but it is inherent. He said it is very difficult not to act in your own interests even though you may have declared an interest.”

She questioned what was included in the amendments that the Racing Minister had circulated with no notice at all?

“They have picked up four of the recommendations. There has been no consultation. The industry is still getting its head around the 110 recommendations. Those opposite claim that urgent amendments are required to the Racing Act to change the Board appointments.

“They are now removing all of the MacSporran integrity recommendations with regard to Board appointments. They are now allowing anybody who is connected to the industry on the Board. There were industry and non-industry representatives on the Board. We had three industry people who represented the harness, greyhound and thoroughbred industries. The non-industry people could be the chair or deputy chair.

“These amendments have been introduced without any scrutiny. This Government that came in talking about transparency and accountability is putting through amendments with absolutely no notice, no discussion and no consultation.

“Not even the animal welfare groups that may have wanted to be heard in relation to these amendments are going to have the ability to have their say.

“The Minister will be appointing industry people as chairs, deputy chairs and Board members and will increase the number on the Board to nine. MacSporran is out the door. It is an absolute disgrace that these amendments are being moved without any consultation and without any scrutiny whatsoever. It is absolutely breathtaking and an absolute disgrace.

“The Minister should hang his head in shame. He was embarrassed when they brought down this report. He could not even get the simplest things through when it came to funding. We now have these amendments being slipped through without any consultation. Any decent Government would have ensured they went through the committee process and the industry was able to have their say and the animal welfare people could have their say. The most important part of the racing industry would have been able to have their say.”

Mander told Parlimane that during 2025 the Queensland Racing Review was undertaken, culminating in a recommendation report being provided to Government in September 2025. The Government response to the report, published on 6 December 2025, is titled The Next Lap: a plan for the future of Queensland racing.

“As outlined in the response, the Queensland Government has committed to making governance of the racing industry more efficient. The Review heard consistent feedback that inconsistencies with the Queensland racing governance model needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“Following Government consideration of the report, the Board has been tasked with developing an implementation plan by no later than 2 April 2026. This implementation plan is expected to detail the timetable of responsibilities to implement the Government’s response to the report, bringing meaningful change to the Queensland racing industry and Queensland regions.

“To drive the development of the implementation plan and to ensure the response is implemented in an efficient and timely manner, it is critical that the membership of the Queensland Racing Board be urgently amended, delivering on the government’s commitment to reform the Board, provide broad industry representation and provide greater flexibility in the appointment process. The amendment to this bill sees these commitments delivered.’

 

HAVE YOUR SAY – PLATFORM FOR CONTRIBUTORS WITH AN ISSUE

NO SURPRISE WHO BIGGEST BENEFICIARY OF JMAC DECISION IS 

RALPH D of MELBOURNE writes:

SURPRISE, surprise! Guess who the biggest beneficiary of the Appeals Panel decision in the James Macdonald whip case was?

The Chris Waller stable of course. JMac is now available to ride their horses in the big races on Saturday week.

Doubling his fine (a pittance for a champion jockey of his wealth) and restricting him from riding at a few midweek races where he probably wouldn’t have turned up anyway, makes a mockery of his major breach of the whip rules winning a $2 million race.

Macdonald is now free to ride the Waller horses in Black Type races on the Saturday he would have missed. What a joke!

Another blow for those who disagree with claims that racing in Sydney is run to suit the Waller stable?

 

PLENTY OF RAIN ON ITS WAY - ANY CONTINGENCY PLANS? 

CLEM K of GOLD COAST writes:

‘THE brains-trust at Racing Queensland has been given plenty of notice of the forecast heavy train that could threaten meetings in south-east Queensland this weekend.

What contingency plans to do they have in place? I’m guessing, next to none.

The Gold Coast meeting scheduled for Saturday has been moved to the poly track and will stay there no doubt despite the fact that surface played disgustingly last week.

Why not look at a contingency of running a double-header on Sunday if rain forces the abandonment of the Sunshine Coast on Friday night and Eagle Farm on Saturday?’

 

CAN THE PROGRAMMING AT SKY CHANNEL GET ANY WORSE? 

BARRY J of BRISBANE writes:

‘WHOEVER is responsible for programming decisions at SKY Channel needs to be shown the door.

We had the situation on Wednesday when the first at Doomben was running a couple of minutes late so was quickly relegated to SKY 2 which no-one watches.

Believe it or not, that was to make way for a lowly Sale greyhound race to be shown on SKY 1. Compare the turnover on the two races and try to justify that decision.

Might I dare to suggest that had it not been Doomben but a race in Sydney on Wednesday and the dog race would have remained in its rightful place on SKY 2 regardless of the delay?

They should rename the joint SKY SYDNEY – that’s all they care about. And I won’t go down the track of how bad SKY RADIO is from a Queensland perspective since it became Harbour City based.

Move big DAVE to the pub circuit. That’s where he belongs with the ferals who go there for a free feed and some bad tips when SKY foots the bill.   

 

RACING NEEDS MORE COMPASSIONATE GUYS LIKE WILL HULBERT 

LGHR EDITOR on the BAILEY WHEELER situation:

WE are a great fan of Will Hulbert – he dares to be different but isn’t scared to tell it as it is in racing.

Will has set his stable a big task taking on the ‘problem child’ of Queensland racing in Bailey Wheeler after more high profile trainers, the latest Rob Heathcote, have given up on him.

 If the father and son Hulbert team can get Bailey back on track, it will be a terrific success story. They have set some rules for him and in return will have the services of a first class jockey for their stable.

Good on you Will for having a go. You might not be the best trainer in Queensland but you care about racing folk who need a hand and that will always be a winner with us.

 

WILL CUSTOMERS EVENTUALLY PAY FOR FOXTEL'S BIG SPENDING? 

BERYL S of SYDNEY writes:

SO Foxtel is spending an extra $1 billion on sports right and production each year.

Question is: What will the sting in the tail be for subscribers?

How long before we have to pay to watch supposedly anti-siphoned sporting events like State or Origin and big race meetings now shown on Free-To-Air Channels?

One would imagine if the Murdoch Media gets their way it won’t be too far off.

As for Foxtel itself, the joint needs a good clean-out. Netflix makes it movie channels look second rate, there are too many repeats of its general programming and unless you’re an extremely right wing conservative it’s political channels offer nothing but biassed right wing crap. And to think they criticize the ABC.

 

TIME FOR 'TIM THE TOOL MAN' TO DELIVER THE 'BAD NEWS'? 

JIMMY K of BRISBANE writes:

‘WELL Parliament is sitting again in Queensland. Is there the slightest chance that the Racing Minister will provide stakeholders and followers with some insight to his plans for the industry?

If what we are hearing is right about who is going to run the show, who he is consulting with and the prospects of integrity coming back under the control of the public servants and RQ Board, God help Queensland racing.

Some say he might as well throw out an invitation to all the crooks to head north. The moment it became public knowledge (nothing yet from the Racing Minister) that he had sacked the popular Integrity Commissioner Catherine Clark (he had to be kidding) and was planning to dismantle QRIC (didn’t the new Government promise that wouldn’t happen), the word was strong that Tim the Tool Man was listening to a far from popular RQ Chairman of the past in the decision-making process (wasn't that bloke and his Board shown the door?).

The trouble with Queensland under the new Government is that we have standover merchants like Jerrod Bleijie declaring: ‘If they don’t hold Olympic rowing in Rockhampton, it won’t be held’. Time to go to your room ‘little Sir Joh and hopefully it’s got a pool full of crocodiles for you to swim with.’

 

QRIC DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DEFENDS STEWARDS HANDLING OF KWT INQUIRY FROM DOOMBEN ARGUING THAT CRITICISM IS UNWARRANTED

QRIC Deputy Commissioner Kim Kelly has responded (from Saudi Arabia where he is a keynote speaker at the Asian Racing Conference) to criticism of the handling of an inquiry involving Kyle Wilson-Taylor and emanating from the Doomben meeting last Saturday.

Here is Kim’ response:

‘THERE has been some commentary and opinions around events emanating out of last Saturday’s Doomben race meeting which I think may benefit from some clarification and explanation, particularly given the regulatory framework which Queensland Stewards are compelled to operate within.

I must say that it is my personal opinion the claim that the handling of the interference in Race 6 on Saturday was a “farce” doesn’t reflect the actions taken by the Stewards on the day, the circumstances they encountered, and what was recorded in the relevant Stewards’ Report at the conclusion of the race meeting.

The incident was readily addressed by the Stewards’ Panel immediately upon return to the Stewards’ Room after the race, however, prior to being able to commence a Stewards’ Inquiry into the matter as had been intended, jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor, who rode Ramp It Up, was stood down by the Club’s medical officers on medical grounds.

In those circumstances, the decision to adjourn the inquiry before any evidence was able to be taken was not only appropriate but required. Stewards are bound by principles of procedural fairness. This requires the Stewards to either not commence or not continue a substantive inquiry into a significant incident when a key participant is unable to provide evidence. To have done so would clearly jeopardise the integrity of any subsequent findings and expose the entire process to serious challenge.

I can confirm that the adjourned inquiry will be finalised at the earliest available opportunity once Mr Wilson-Taylor has been medically cleared, and in a position to appear before the Stewards in person.

I have read criticism that the Stewards’ Report did not disclose the medical reasons which resulted in Mr Wilson-Taylor being stood down, or the nature of Jockey Jag Guthmann-Chester’s illness during the same race meeting, which I believe misunderstands the Stewards’ obligations in respect of these reporting functions. Medical information is confidential. The record reflects that both riders require medical clearance before being permitted to ride again. This is the appropriate level of detail and is entirely consistent with reporting obligations.

Similarly, the suggestion of an earlier matter following Race 3 on the program and which related to an incident between two jockeys as perhaps being some unresolved matter is similarly misplaced. The Stewards’ Report plainly states that the Stewards’ Panel took evidence from both riders and formally advised Mr Guthmann-Chester of his professional obligations. I am very comfortable that was a measured and proportionate response to a verbal exchange in the jockeys’ area, consistent with established practice across major racing jurisdictions.

I fully accept that Stewards should be held to account for their decision making, and that the nature of the position opens them up to criticism at times. However, it must also be remembered that they are required to make difficult, high-pressure decisions in real time, balancing participant safety, fairness, and the integrity of the racing product. I am comfortable that was precisely what occurred at Doomben, and that the decisions made and the subsequent reporting of those decisions was in accordance with transparency and obligations.

WHAT THE STEWARDS REPORTED

BELOW is a copy of the DOOMBEN STEWARDS’ REPORT from RACE 6 on SATURDAY:

RACE 6: GIRLS DAY OUT ON SALE NOW COLTS, GELDINGS AND ENTIRES BM70 HANDICAP 1350 M

EARL OF BANTRY – Severely hampered and carried wider passing the 200m and as a result lost considerable ground. A post-race veterinary examination revealed lacerations to its near fore knee.
 
BOOM SHOT – Hampered on jumping away and lost ground.
 
MAKE A CALL – Slow to begin. Hampered leaving the 200m.
 
RAMP IT UP – Change of tactics – settle further forward. Ridden accordingly. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities.
 
TOO MANY THOUGHTS – Began awkwardly and shifted out. Raced in restricted room for a short distance leaving the 1000m to the inside of ASTRA STAR, which became awkwardly placed on the heels of RAMP IT UP, which shifted in. Approaching the 700m, laid out and had to be steadied off the heels of ASTRA STAR. Continued to lay out rounding the home turn.
 
TOOLATEMATE – Began awkwardly.
 
HE'S FOR THE GIRLS – Over-raced in the early stages. Raced wide. Severely hampered and lost ground passing the 200m. A post-race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities.
 
LARIDAE – Severely hampered passing the 200m, resulting in C. Baker becoming awkward in the saddle and losing ground.
 
LAND BANK – Raced wide. Severely hampered passing the 200m, having its hindquarters turned.
 
An inquiry into the interference suffered to EARL OF BANTRY, HE'S FOR THE GIRLS, LAND BANK, LARIDAE and MAKE A CALL was adjourned to a time and date to be fixed following Jockey K. Wilson-Taylor being stood down.

I trust this is of some assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish for any further information or clarification.’

 

AS IF ROCKHAMPTON RACING DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS 

REGULAR contributor GREG BLANCHARD highlights yet another problem for the Rockhampton Jockey Club. This one does not involve concerns being expressed by various stakeholders which hopefully Racing Queensland is investigting.

Greg’s comment relate to a shortage of trackwork riders in Rocky, a problem that continues to grow throughout the State. Here is his latest email:

‘ROCKHAMPTON, like many other places, has been struggling for track riders.

In the last week or two Ashley Butler and Morgan Butler have moved to Brisbane and I was told another rider has gone to Townsville.

Places like Rocky can't afford to lose these riders. It has a flow-on effect.

I spoke to a trainer from South-East Queensland about the shortage of track riders who confirmed it is a common problem.

As mentioned before, NSW has got Filipino and Turkish track riders coming. Queensland, too, needs to look to other countries.

Hopefully during the current Asian Racing Conference out delegates can make take some steps to ensure Queensland gets something happening similar to NSW.’

 

DEBATING WHAT OZ PUNTERS THINK OF BETTING ON HONG KONG 

SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR has raised an interesting question concerning HONG KONG RACING. He writes:

‘WHAT do Australian punters make of Hong Kong racing?

Not much it seems, having regard to betting turnover of no consequence on the uniquely local TAB pools -- Quadrellas and First 4s – all of this being quite distinct from high-turnover in so-called co-mingled and 'world' pools which -- to comply -- required local tote tax-takes to be raised to 'international' levels.

As is, it seems Australian punters are 'not interested' in Hong Kong racing -- its racing gambling outcomes are typically either 'feasts' or 'famines' -- depending on short-priced favourites winning or falling prey to long-priced runners 'exceeding expectations'.

This would not matter much except the HK model has, disturbingly, been copied in Australia -- to the distinct disadvantage of Australian punters.

The HK racing model -- a local HK gambling monopoly -- is presumably contrived to 'liven up' the mix of  'Zac Purton’s' seemingly 'winning at will', on short-priced favourites, by inflating fields -- accepting runners that the market considers to be 'long-priced no-hopers'.

Alas..............not all 'no hopers' are 'no hopers': one mystery is how some long-priced winners produce last-to-first runs that astonish form-guide expectations, but go unremarked by HK stewards.

............again, what HK racing administrators do in HK is for the HK community to deal with.

What is worrying is the global adulation given to HK racing -- global excellence -- when it is, on the whole, anything but.

Translated to Australia -- paying generous prize-money to runners finishing 10^th is predictably reflected in otherwise inexplicably rough results. Perhaps, it is mainly due to congestion disadvantaging favoured runners – but also, possibly, because inflated fields provide cover to smoke one in, under the radar, to run well 'unexpectedly'.

Whatever – my money is not to bet on HK racing – and it is, ever more warily, bet on local races with big fields of long-priced runners likely to impede fair racing.

EDITOR’S COMMENT: WHILST LGHR respects – and always will – the opinion of PETER MAIR, we have to defend Hong Kong Racing for two reasons - our good mate Terry Bailey is a high profile steward there (and we think he is one of the best in the world) and we run a LATE MAIL service on Hong Kong which our clients seem to be happy to subscribe to which recently tipped a winner at $30.

 

RACING NEEDS MORE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS LIKE PETER BREDHAUER 

WOULDN’T it be interesting if some of the keynote speakers at the Asian Racing Conference opened up about the current state of play in Queensland Racing?

Remember the time when Peter Bredhauer, a Director of the Brisbane Turf Club and Board Member of Queensland Racing, caused shockwaves when he unearthed 'The Sinclair File' at a National Racing Conference. 

Bredhauer was very much a 'rebel with a cause' who has proved a thorn in the side of one of Queensland's high profile racing scribes. But can we expect a similar expose from speakers at the Asian Racing Conference? 

Deputy Commissioner of QRIC, Kim Kelly, might disclose why he’s reluctant to accept at key role with the new-look Integrity body planned for racing in Queensland. 

Tony Partridge, former Brisbane Racing Club CEO, could talk about his days with Queensland’s leading club and why he left?

Elliot Forbes, the former controversial CEO of Racing Queensland, might confirm the rumours that he is being head-hunted for a comeback in the Sunshine State.

And Andrew Harding, now one of the most respected administrators in world racing, might like to divulge what he thinks of the direction racing in his old home state of Queensland is heading.

 

ANOTHER JUNKET FOR 'FREE-LOADERS' DISGUISED AS DELEGATES 

QUEENSLANDERS are among the leading keynote speakers at this week’s Asian Racing Conference but don’t expect any controversy when they address a legion of delegates attending what some would call ‘another junket for the free-loaders’.

Those from the Sunshine State set down to address delegates to the Conference this week include:

Andrew Harding, now firmly entrenched as Executive Director of Racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, after holding down key positions in Queensland and NSW.

Kim Kelly, Deputy Commissioner of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission and former high profile Chief Steward in Hong Kong.

Tony Partridge, former Brisbane Racing Club CEO whose reported Non-Disclosure Agreement will prevent him from talking about dealings with Board Members of Queensland’s leading race club.

Elliot Forbes, former controversial CEO of Racing Queensland, currently head of the New Zealand Racing Integrity Board and if you listen to the rumours could be making a comeback to the Sunshine State.

Then again the story goes that Wade Birch could be appointed to a key stewarding role with the new-look Racing Queensland. The cynics are suggesting that would pave the way for Wade’s good ‘mate’ Stephen Fletcher to get a gig as ‘betting consultant’. Just joking!

Back to the Asian Racing Conference and the keynote speaker is TABCORP CEO Gillon McLachlan, not everyone in racing’s cup of tea.

 

ADAMS UNDER FIRE FOR ALLOWING KWT TO DELAY FACING INQUIRY

ANOTHER Queenslander enjoying the high life in Saudia Arabia this week is under-siege jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor who managed to have an inquiry involving his role in the knock’em down Derby at Doomben last Saturday postponed.

Rather than have to front the fireworks back in Brisbane immediately,  Wilson-Taylor was given a leave pass to accompany his partner Angela Jones who is riding in the International Jockeys’ Challenge in Saudi.

Wilson-Taylor is far from flavour of the month with his riding colleagues these days and the mail is strong that he will provide medical evidence to alibi what many have called ‘a brain snap’ at Doomben on the weekend.

Controversy seems to continually ride shotgun with KWT. He has been accused of inciting an altercation with colleague Jag Guthman-Chester on Saturday after allegedly ‘bagging’ JGC’s jockey girlfriend Emily Lang.

Not all that long ago he was involved in a physical dust-up with jockey Noel Callow who came off worse for wear and copped the blame.

Chief Steward Josh Adams needs to act on this concerning situation before it gets out of hand – if it isn’t already (we’re told the inquiry will resume on Thursday).

Adams and his panel won few friends allowing Wilson-Taylor to swan around in Saudi Arabi before facing the music over what went close to being an absolute disaster on the track at Doomben last Saturday.

 

WHAT WAS WORSE – DISREGARD FOR WHIP RULES OR THE TANTRUM?

WHAT was the worse at the weekend?

The blatant disrespect that champion jockey James McDonald displayed for the whip rules or the tantrum that he threw after being penalised for doing so.

JMac might arguably be the best jockey in the land but he showed unacceptable desperation to win a $2 million feature race only to perform like a pork chop – some might say poor loser – for the punishment received from Stewards.

McDonald was fined $20,000 and suspended for 10 days after pleading guilty to overuse of the whip in the Inglis Millenium at Randwick on Saturday.

McDonald admitted to stewards that he struck his winning mount, the Chris Waller-trained Fireball nine times, four more than permitted, prior to the last 100m of the race and 20 times in total.

Stewards told the champion rider that they had used a suspension handed to Victorian Damian Lane earlier this year  when he won on Treasurethe Moment ‘as a precedent’ for ‘an almost identical breach’.

An angry McDonald was ‘surprised’ and ‘disappointed’ at the size of the penalty, questioning why ‘a somewhat minor whip breach induced a heavier penalty than one which could impact the safety of a horse and rider’.

"It just seems, a careless riding charge gets less days and that's the welfare of a participant and then you whack this, a significant fine as well as 10 days at this time of year for the welfare of a horse," he said.

"Somebody can clip a heel and not get 10 days, and that's the welfare of a human."

JMac makes a good point but it’s a bit rich in these days when the animal liberationists are watching every move racing makes that he would call ‘belting the crap’ out of a winner as a ‘somewhat minor whip breach’.

It was fuel for the fire for those who want whips banned and they were questioning after the Millenium whether Fireball would have won ‘without such a flogging’.

It was egg on the face for those critics who claim Waller and those associated with his stable are ‘protected species'. Although some are saying the ‘over the top’ whip use should have cost JMac a month on the sideline and his percentage of the winning purse - $50,000.

McDonald begins his suspension next Sunday, February 15 and will miss the Hobartville Stakes and Silver Slipper meeting at Rosehill Gardens on February 21. He returns to the saddle on Wednesday, February 25.

Here's hoping he won't have to apply for the dole to survive during his absence from the saddle. 

 

IS THERE ANY WORSE CHIEF STEWARD IN A MAJOR CENTRE IN OZ? 

JOSH ADAMS showed once again at Doomben on Saturday why he’s not up to the job of a Chief Steward in a major racing centre – like Brisbane.

The Adams Family handling of severe interference – which has been caused by jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor's mount in Race 6 – has left stakeholders and punters absolutely gob-smacked.

The interference caused when Wilson-Taylor appeared to lose control of his mount Ramp It Up caused a domino effect that could have been far more catastrophic than it was but for the quick reaction of rival jockeys.

Critics are asking why Adams and his panel did not question Wilson-Taylor about shifting his whip from his left to his right hand and giving his mount a couple of cracks with the whip which saw Ramp It Up veer sharply out.

There are those who even say Wilson-Taylor is lucky not to be facing a foul riding charge. As our colleague Archie Butterfly reports on peterprofit.com, what worsened the Doomben Stewards’ Report was the following:

'They report that Jag Guthmann-Chester was injured or ill after Race 1 and required a medical certificate prior to resuming riding.

But the report mentions nothing at all about what the injury or illness was. Not a single word.

Then we learn that the two hyphenated ones (JGC and KWT) got into a verbal altercation in the jockeys’ area after Race 3. For reasons unknown Jag reportedly abuses the crap out of Kyle. Stewards haul both jockeys into the room.

Their report reads: Following the running of Race 3, Stewards inquired into an incident that occurred in the Jockeys’ common area between Jag Guthman-Chester and Kyle Wilson-Taylor in which JGC directed foul language toward KWC. After taking evidence from both riders, Stewards reminded jockey Guthman-Chester of his obligation to conduct himself in a professional manner.

As Archie reports, then we get to Race 6 (the knock’em-down derby) and the madness explodes:

The Stewards’ Report says that an inquiry into it has been adjourned to a date to be fixed following Wilson-Taylor being stood down, But nowhere in the report does it tell us why KWT was stood down. All we learn is that he has been, pending the provision of a medical certificate. 

Everything else is just a mystery.

We absolutely agree with The Butterfly when he suggests: This isn’t a proper Stewards’ Report. It’s a farce.

Is it any wonder that Josh Adams isn’t going to the Asian Racing Conference and that Deputy QRIC Commissioner Kim Kelly is taking an underling instead?

Those close to Adams say his trouble is he thinks ‘he’s a genius’. That could be because he keeps listening to his mate, the ‘I’ve been everywhere man of the stewards ranks’.

There has to be a spot for them stewarding in Timbuktu.

 

REDUCED SENTENCE FOR VICTORIAN DUO WHO MADE SEX VIDEO 

A WOMAN has described being left humiliated and ashamed after a picnic jockey and a stable hand shared a sex video of her on Snapchat as well as showing it to a person at a barbecue.

In a statement read to the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Tuesday, the woman said it was “hard to describe what it feels like to know that at any moment anywhere, someone is looking at videos of me getting some kind of sick enjoyment out of it”.

DANNY RUSSELL reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that picnic jockey Sebastian Galea, 20, and stable hand Seamus Fitzpatrick, 19, were on Wednesday suspended from working in the racing industry for 18 months.

They had appealed a decision by Racing Victoria stewards to disqualify them for 21 months in October last year.

They pleaded guilty to four racing industry charges that included recording a mobile phone video of an intimate act without consent on May 15 last year. They have not been charged with any criminal offences.

Galea pleaded guilty to posting a video on Snapchat that was obscene and harassing to another person between May 15 and May 16 last year, as well as engaging in improper conduct by showing a video to a person at a barbecue on May 17 last year.

Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to posting a Snapchat story, tagging other licensed persons, that was offensive and defamatory on May 24 last year.

The Tribunal panel of Deputy Chair Judge Marilyn Harbison, Josh Bornstein and Amanda Dickens ruled that the woman’s identity be suppressed.

In her victim statement, which was given in October last year, the woman said she found it difficult to sleep, was having nightmares and woke up crying.

“My heart starts racing, and I feel sick,” she said. “I have lost weight, I find my concentration levels are poor, I have developed anxiety, my self-worth has diminished, I have felt hopeless.

“There have been days where I just don’t want to get out of bed. I would trade my life if I could, and if only I could turn back time.”

The woman said derogatory remarks made to her included, “It’s Viral Video Girl, can you do a video for me?”, “Didn’t know you were making home videos” and, “No wonder you have no friends”.

She said she had become emotionally detached, did not trust anyone and now preferred to be alone.

“I feel like I’ve lost so much and gained so little since this incident. My grief is heavy,” she said.

“I am worried that when my family and friends are on the internet, they are going to come across the video, and it fills me with shame and embarrassment.

“I will never be free from this nightmare. I want Racing Victoria to know about me and what I have suffered and what my life is like. What happened to me will never go away.”

The woman said she moved jobs and then moved interstate, which left her more than $8,000 out of pocket, but could not escape the issue.

“Anywhere I went, people knew,” she told the tribunal on Tuesday.

She said she returned home after working interstate for two weeks because she needed to be back with her family.

Galea and Fitzpatrick appeared before the Tribunal and read out statements saying they were extremely sorry. They apologised and said that they had undertaken an online respect course.

Legal counsel for the defendants, Matthew Stirling, said it was recognised their conduct was very serious and worthy of punishment, but had been the result of a lack of maturity and a lack of education.

Galea and Fitzpatrick left school after Year 9 to work full-time in the racing industry.

“It was foolish, immature, unthinking behaviour, but not deliberate cruelty,” Sterling said.

The Tribunal heard Galea and Fitzpatrick had initially tried to “skew evidence” presented to stewards such as “talking about the complainant as not having been drunk” and their own level of sobriety.

Galea pleaded guilty to a charge of providing false and misleading evidence to stewards, while Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct that hindered the stewards’ investigation.

“These are not issues that just come out of an innocent lack of maturity, they are deliberate actions,” Judge Harbison said.

“It is a bit of a big ask for us to treat lying to the stewards in an inquiry as peripheral.”

Legal counsel for the stewards, Amara Hughes, said the incident was an example of behaviour the industry was trying to stamp out in response to a review handed down by the Racing Integrity Commissioner in September 2023.

The tribunal ruled that each defendant would be suspended for a total of 30 months, rather than disqualified, and the total time to be served was 18 months.

Harbison said the Tribunal panel could think of “very few things more detrimental to the interests of racing or the reputation of the sport” than a participant recording sexual activity without consent.

“This is conduct worthy of significant condemnation,” Harbison said.

 

QUEENSLAND THE BIG LOSER WITH MORE FALSE PROMISES FROM SKY

SO much for the promises that the coverage of racing in Queensland would not suffer when SKY swallowed up the 4TAB Racing Radio Network.

No sooner had the Magic Millions Carnival concluded – and SKY fulfilled its annual suck-up to ‘Gerry and the Pacemakers’ when the Sunshine State become virtually irrelevant.

Contributors tell us that locally-based programming has been dumped. They say that Press Room was quickly followed out the door by Bush Beat and Mobile Rolling – or at least that’s how it seems unless the latter two are in hibernation.

LGHR wouldn’t know. We haven’t listened to the once-popular Queensland broadcaster since they made redundant the best racing newshound and host in the land in Stephen Hewlett. Those he was replaced by couldn’t dream of doing the job that he did in three working lifetimes.

As soon as the rumours started – many months ago – that SKY was about to ‘merge’ with 4TAB Racing (it was more like a takeover), Racing Queensland should have been talking with SKY about the need to protect local coverage.

It should have been a topic addressed by the Racing Review which unfortunately was more interested in protecting the interests of the corporate bookies. Fortunately, the Government intervened and ensured these ‘parasites’ weren’t rewarded with a reduction in Point of Consumption Tax.

And to think that the Review Chairman, Sydneysider Matt McGrath, who pushed heavily for that to happen, is now being considered for the newlook Board and possibly even the boss of it – the Racing Minister has to be kidding!

One would have thought after what has happened with TV coverage, SKY is only interested in promoting Sydney racing. Queensland will always finish second when it comes to TV and Radio with even the second-string NSW meetings of a Saturday afforded more attention than the major Brisbane fixture.

The only time SKY seems interested in Queensland is the Winter Carnival and the Magic Millions, one suspects because of the massive advertising revenue they receive courtesy of Harvey Norman.

Dave Stanley, the host of SKY Racing Radio, is a Queenslander, quick to remind his listeners of the days when his grandad first took him to the races in Brisbane.

Time to remember your roots mate when it comes to coverage because it seems you have quickly become SKY Sydney-centric and are more at home on promotional stints rubbing shoulders with the drunks at one of the big pubs in Harbour City.

 

JUST HOW GOOD OR BAD IS SYDNEY RACING TRAVELLING NOW? 

PLENTY of support for the Foxcatcher crew of Julian Valiance and Nic Ashman, who unlike the mainstream racing media, questioned the quality of last Saturday’s Rosehill meeting.

They asked why two ordinary Benchmark races were programmed seven and eight, becoming legs of the Quadrella.

On the eve of the Autumn Carnival it was hardly a good look, especially when there were only six runners in one race and seven in another on the 10-race card.

This ordinary showing was overshadowed in coverage by the powerful Chris Waller stable winning five of the eight races they were eligible to contest.

Of course there was the regular Highway and Midway which prove an absolute minefield for the punters and would be better placed on a Wednesday or Friday night card where they are struggling to attract fields.

Once again there was an upset in the Highway which was won by the $21 chance Navy Seal with the heavily-backed favourite Regal Problem, rated a ‘good thing’ by most of the experts, never sighted finishing ninth.

Navy Seal was very one-paced as a $31 chance in a Randwick Highway at his previous start and grew a leg last Saturday whereas Regal Problem had far superior form. Stewards didn’t bother querying the form reversal of the winner but did ask some questions about the flop of the favourite. Their report read:

REGAL PROBLEM: Approaching and passing the 100m was held-up when placed close to the heels of Pensativa before shifting to that runner’s outside near the 50m to obtain clear running. App. B. Nock reported that the tempo of the race did not suit Regal Problem. He said that after racing keenly in the early and middle stages, due to the moderate tempo, Regal Problem dropped the bridle approaching the turn when the pace quickened and then was one paced for the majority of the home straight before closing off satisfactorily over the concluding stages. A post-race veterinary examination did not reveal any abnormalities.

 

TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB HONORS GREAT TRAINER GEORGE COLEMAN

GEORGE COLEMAN (pictured with star galloper Will Carry On) lived life ‘at 100 miles an hour’ after doctors said he’d die young, becoming a racing legend whose horse lost the Cleveland Bay by one devastating stride. TONY WODE pays tribute to a North Queensland racing legend in this story which we reproduce thanks to the TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN:

ALMOST 30 years ago Townsville trainer George Coleman went within a stride of pulling off one of the most daring wins in a major race at Cluden Park.

The horse was a flying machine called Buckskin, and the race was the 1997 running of the north’s biggest sprint, the Cleveland Bay Hcp.

Buckskin, with his tearaway style, was a fireball sprinter who knew only one speed and that was flat out.

The ex-Sydneysider had broken the 1000m Cluden track record in a series of sprint wins, but there were major doubts about him running any further.

Coleman was convinced he could do it and plotted a cunning plan to tackle the 1200m Cleveland Bay, a race he dearly wanted to win.

At his first start at the distance, Buckskin – with his regular rider the late Donna Philpot (then Lewis) in the saddle – lit up the racecourse with an electrifying front-running win.

He won by eight lengths and ran a sizzling 1m 8.38 secs and it was all systems go for the Cleveland Bay bid.

But then Coleman took a gamble. He was worried about the handicapper.

He decided not to start Buckskin again for two months leading into the Cleveland Bay to avoid earning more weight.

It was a bold call.

Jumping from barrier 14 in the big race, Buckskin set a cracking tempo and led into the straight with a commanding lead.

But in the last 100m his lungs and legs began to give out. The last 50m he was running on memory.

Brisbane sprinter Let’s Cheer and jockey Graham Watson stormed out of the pack in a desperate late drive and snatched away victory in the very last stride, denying Coleman a training triumph by the barest of margins.

Memories of that great finish will be revived for many old Cluden regulars on Tuesday when the Townsville Turf Club honours the late trainer with the running of the Vale George Coleman Hcp (1300m).

Coleman, an accomplished trainer, paint shop proprietor and local cricket administrator, passed away peacefully last week at age 82 with wife Del and sons Ian and Mark by his side.

The Coleman brothers recalled this week how racing was always a part of their lives and George’s lifelong passion.

The son of Charters Towers grazier and prominent owner Paddy Coleman, George moved to Townsville in 1974 and built a family home and stables at Minehan Street, Cluden.

They would later move to their current home in Dommett Street, overlooking the Cluden track where racing continued to be an all of family affair.

His first three yearlings were Ohio Park, Kobe Park, which grandad owned and went on to win a Townsville Cup trained by the McLachlans in the Towers, and Bali Star. All went through to open company as did Acrad which George Yardley bred,” Mark said.

“He and George became great mates and raced plenty of good horses together.

“Over the years he had a lot of smart ones, but there were slow ones too don’t worry. He just didn’t keep the ordinary ones for long. He’d give them away.”

The Coleman-Yardley combination was a highly successful partnership that produced a string of topline horses.

They had their biggest wins with the progeny of Yardley’s home stallion Just Darcay who won his only two starts at Cluden for Coleman before breaking down.

The best of them was Prince Hervey, who he educated and raced with Yardley and the late Dave Martin in the 1980s.

He won the feature two-year-old race in Townsville at only his second start before being sent to Sydney where he won a number of races.

Prince Hervey, out of the quality mare Bellona, was then transferred to a little-known trainer at the time at Deagon, John Size, where he won a G3 Katies Cup, ran a narrow third in the Doomben 10,000 and was second in the Stradbroke Hcp to Daybreak Lover in a photo.

Tragically Prince Hervey died of a colic attack without ever racing again.

“Everyone thought dad was mad sending the horse to John Size who was just kicking off. Have a look at him now – one of the best,” Ian said.

“After the Brisbane carnival he came out of the paddock to get ready for the Spring carnival in Melbourne before a gut bug killed him.

“But dad also trained Will Carry On for George (Yardley). He was by Just Darcay as well and he was a brilliant horse.

“Dad and George sent him to Brisbane and he won his first two starts down there with John Size beating the best 3yos at the time. But he went in the wind at his next prep and that was it.”

Mark said while better horses went through the family’s stable, Buckskin was one of his father’s favourites.

“In NSW he was the galloping horse for their top graders. He had a reputation for throwing riders and bolting,” Mark said.

“When he first came here he was flat out getting 1000m. Dad and Donna, who did a lot of work on him, gradually got him to run a strong five furlongs.

“After he won his first go at 1200m dad said ‘do I start him again and get more weight or take the punt on the eight weeks into the Cleveland Bay. He decided to go the two months without a start. If it had been four weeks he probably gets them.

“The heart was in the mouth especially in the last 50m.

“He will always be one of our favourites.”

Ian said his father lived life to the full as a result of a childhood illness.

“He trained horses, ran the Roly Stone’s Paint and Wallpaper shop, was president and life member of the Brothers Cricket Club. He and mum never had a minute to spare,” Ian said.

“Dad’s outlook on life goes back to when he contracted rheumatic fever when he was 12 in Charters Towers.

“A specialist in Brisbane basically said he wouldn’t live beyond 30 to 40 years.

“From then on in his life he went at 100 miles an hour and packed in as much as he could.

“He loved a beer, loved a smoke and went flat out. That was how he lived life.”

Former jockey Bonnie Thomson, who struck up a successful association with George on the last horse he trained Dalon, will start No Love Lost in Tuesday’s memorial race.

“I was very successful on Dalon for George. He was pretty loyal to me. I did all of his work for him back then,” Thomson said.

“He was one of the old school trainers where you do the track work, you get the ride.

“I think No Love Lost will run well and it would be nice to win that race for George.”

George Coleman’s funeral service will be held at St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Stuart at 10am on Friday, February 6. Family and friends will gather later at the Cluden Park racecourse for a fitting send-off.

 

 DO STEWARDS QUESTION  ALARMING BETTING DRIFTS OF HOT FAVS? 

DO stewards still fire shots across the bows of jockeys and trainers before races when hot favourites drift alarmingly in the betting?

One suspects not because the ‘new breed of stewards’ seem hellbent on not offending officialdom or tarnishing the squeaky clean image of racing.

Some punters felt stewards should have intervened with ‘words of warning’ before races at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday when Incognito eased from $1.50 to $2 and Miss Scandal from $2.5 to $3.7. The bookies’ late mail was spot-on once again and both performed well below expectations.

As Richard Callander, one of the main ‘spin doctors’ for Sydney racing commented in his Racenet column this week: ‘Betting is a huge part of racing and stewards should pay a lot of interest to it.’

Richie did his best to alibi the flop of debutante Miss Scandal, trained by his good mate Chris Waller, with whom his family has horses when he wrote:

‘In two-year-old races, with little or no form to guide the price assessors, a lot of setting a betting market is guess work.

Take the fillies’ race on Saturday. Miss Scandal had never raced, only trialled, but appeared to go good. Take this plus J. McDonald to ride and C. Waller being the trainer and the price assessors put her up at short odds.

The thing you should remember is the price assessors were not alone in this judgement because just about every tipster in town (including me) put her on top.

So we were all wrong.

The thing with barrier trials is they are like gymnasium sparring for a boxer or a road test for a race car. Nobody knows what is under the bonnet, nobody knows what is going to happen when full speed is asked for.

With Miss Scandal, there was some guide with her appearance in the enclosure where she was a bit fizzy and did not impress the hardheads. In the race she was keen to get on with it as well and Chris Waller, in his wisdom, has added everything together and turned her straight out for a spell with a Golden Slipper dream now just that.

Smart old judges keep saying to me ‘do not pay much attention to barrier trials'. I'm starting to take that in, but then again that did not explain the betting drift with Incognito which had won the Breeders Plate impressively at his only previous run. Is the Breeders' Plate form only so so? Perhaps it is.’

Just the same it was another short priced favorite being strongly tipped by the Waller stable that blew like a gale in the betting and performed accordingly.

IN the case of Incognito, upon returning to scale, jockey Tommy Berry told trainer Michael Freedman that the horse had made a ‘gargling noise’ pulling up (not unlike the legion of punters who backed another beaten Sydney hotpot), suggesting he may have flicked his palate which in turn caused respiratory issues.

Owner James Harron said further veterinary advice had supported that conclusion which now has connections taking a glass half full approach to their Golden Slipper aspirations.

Once again the bookies’ crystal balls were right and they offered unbelievable odds the favorite despite Incognito’s outstanding form. One wonders if the stewards spoke to the trainer before the race asking if there was any reason for that.

 

‘STEWARDS WILL REVIEW THE BETTING RECORDS’ & DO NOTHING 

REGULAR Sydney contributor PETER MAIR sent this letter to Richard Callander in response to his item on the drifting favourite Miss Scandal which has been spelled after performing like a mule on debut:

Hi Richard,

As you say today (his Racenet column on Monday):

Betting is a huge part of racing and I think stewards should pay a lot of interest to it.

.............and so say all of us!

'Rough results' routinely reflect in stewards opening inquiries into 'betting activity' on the race.

Spare my days!

Tell me when, how often, if ever, these Stewards’ Inquiries even suggest, let alone find, evidence of 'insider trading'.

.............evidence that insider-trading, bets placed, was 'not reasonably doubted'.

It is odds-on that, if you, or many others, were given the brief to find the evidence -- a faithful report of malfeasance could be routinely tendered about a Stewards' Panel itself unable to ever find 'anything untoward'.

How about CCTV evidence of 'big bets' placed with cash, collected with cash, at TAB agencies?

 

THIS BLOKE WAS A WASTE OF SPACE & TIME EVEN QUESTIONING 

LGHR recalls an occasion some years back soon after the controversial Shane Gillard was appointed Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner.

After enjoying a healthy working relationship with the previous Commissioner and his Deputy, we expected Mr Gillard would respond to our questions as had been the case with his predecessors.

Sadly, we were so wrong. This poor excuse for a QRIC Commissioner was only interested in dealing with those in the mainstream racing media who ‘sucked up to him’.

Our question related to whether Stewards spoke to trainers or jockeys before a race when a hot favourite had drifted alarmingly in the betting. It involved a horse at the Sunshine Coast which subsequently went woeful. That was happening on a regular basis with easing favourites at south-east Queensland tracks at the time.

Commissioner Gillard told LGHR to take a hike and via his dumbo communications officer of the day sent a message that he didn’t deal with anyone bar the mainstream media'. He forgot to mention ‘as long as they wrote positive things about him’.

We decided then that the Labor-appointed Mr Gillard was a ‘dill’, more the pity that the Racing Minister of the time (Grace Grace) didn’t share our opinion. The worst QRIC Commissioner that Queensland ever had went on to make a laughing stock of integrity in this State before shooting himself in the foot and resigning.

Senior stewards of today could learn from his mistakes. But as a couple of no-nonsense, tough old stipes of the past have told LGHR. If you want to survive these days, don’t rock the boat! Well God help the punters who keep racing afloat.    

 

IS WALLER SUCCESS IN WINNING HALF THE CARD GOOD FOR RACING?

OPINIONS are divided on whether the domination of Sydney racing by the powerful Chris Waller stable is a good or bad thing.

This was again highlighted at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday when Waller saddled up five of the 10 winners and wasn’t eligible to contest two races – the Highway and Midway.

Statistics show why the bookies are cheering for the Waller runners and the punters continue to cop a carrot up the hindquarters. The corporates have publicly admitted that for the past two years beaten Waller favourites have boosted their coffers by millions of dollars.

It’s not so much his winners that hurt the rank and file punters but the heavily-backed favorites that these seem to upstage. Let’s just look at Rosehill on Saturday.

The rot set in when the Waller debutantes ran the quinella in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes  and – as is so often the case – it was the second string stable runner Hidrix $13 that saluted from Confederation backed from $11-$3.4.

As much as 200-1 has been bet about the $1.7mn purchase Hidrix which is now favorite for the Golden Slipper. “What you saw today is more than what I’ve seen,” a seemingly surprised Waller said after the impressive debut win. The champion trainer shares in the ownership of both Hidrix and Confederation.

Although there was a major move for Confederation, the flop of the race and disaster for punters was Incognito which eased to $1.9 but beat only one home.

Upon returning to scale, jockey Tommy Berry told trainer Michael Freedman that the horse had made a ‘gargling noise’ pulling up (not unlike the legion of punters who backed another beaten Sydney hotpot), suggesting he may have flicked his palate which in turn caused respiratory issues.

Owner James Harron said further veterinary advice had supported that conclusion which now has connections taking a glass half full approach to their Golden Slipper aspirations.

 

BOOKIES CERTAINLY NOT SURPRISED BY FLOP OF DEBUTANTE FILLY 

CHRIS WALLER dealt another blow to punters when one race later boom filly Miss Scandal performed woefully in the Group 3 Widden Stakes.

One suspects her flop was not unexpected by the bookie boys as her price drifted from $2.5 to $3.7 while the winner Chilly Girl was well backed to beat her, running $4.2.

Protecting the interests of those punters, silly enough to back a alarmingly drifting Waller favorite, the ever-vigilent Sydney stewards quickly sought some answers (after the race, perhaps they should have queried the drift beforehand) and their report reads:

WHEN questioned James McDonald stated that he was able to obtain a position outside the lead in the early stages, whereby the filly travelled satisfactorily. He added that Miss Scandal gave limited response when placed under pressure in the straight and over the final 200m did not feel entirely comfortable in its action. A post-race veterinary examination revealed the filly to be slow to recover. When questioned trainer Chris Waller (he actually fronted an inquiry into one of his horses) stated that he had anticipated a forward showing from Miss Scandal (why then did she drift so alarmingly in price?), which had demonstrated ability in its barrier trials. He said that in light of the filly’s disappointing performance Miss Scandal will now be spelled. So there you have it!

 

ONLY ONE OF FIVE WALLER WINNERS WAS A WELL-BACKED FAVORITE 

BUT the work of the Waller horses in blowing the punters out of the water was far from done when Pippie Beach (overdue for a win) proved too strong for the rising star Cross Tasman $1.5 and the resuming Sixties $4.2 upstaged the heavily-backed Roselyn’s Star $1.85.

It has to be said that the win by the Waller duo, despite the hotpots they were opposed to, could hardly be regarded a major upset. In fact if you were a client of the LGHR LATE MAIL we would have told you that.

There was good news for those who still had some ammunition left to follow a Waller favorite when he saddled up the quinella in the B78 with Willie Oppa $2.60 beating stablemate Existential Bob $5.

But like every good Kiwi does, Waller sent the Aussie punters home with their tails between their legs when he won the last with Eagle Express $5, in the process beating the well-backed favorite Nepo Baby $3.4 into third place.

He didn’t miss the poor old punters interstate either when the heavily backed stable runner Pure Alpha, $3.7 FAV, never looked like winning the fifth at Caulfield and Noble Conqueror $11 upstaged the plunged Brindavan $1.5 at Eagle Farm.

The Magic Millions carnival might have been a non-event for Waller (to be fair he didn’t have a lot of starters) but back at his happy hunting ground in Sydney (little wonder he's not interested in Hong Kong offers), the stable has sent an ominous warning to rivals for the upcoming Autumn Carnival and so has champion jockey JMac riding half the Rosehill card on his return from Honkers.

 

MATT DUNN PROVING JUST AS DOMINANT IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS 

AND speaking of a Waller-like domination, Matt Dunn is proving the ‘King of the Northern Rivers’ circuit.

Dunn trained three of the seven winners at Murwillumbah on Sunday and saddled up the favorites in five races.

Again whether this is good or bad for NSW racing – as is the question being asked in Sydney of Waller – the answer is debatable.

Dunn won with Puligny $3FAV, Tophet $1.7FAV and Shredded $2.15FAV but followers of his stable lost heavily when Joanjett at $1.4 ran second and $2.3FAV Zweigelt, an unlucky third.

It’s par for the course when a Northern Rivers meeting is run – midweek or Sundays – that Dunn will saddle up the majority of the favorites.

Matt is a popular trainer – who doesn’t divide the industry like Waller seems to – and not only one of the best in the country but capable of winning whenever he brings one to the big smoke.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: LGHR makes no apologies for our continuing critique of Chris Waller and his mammoth team of horses. With due respect to his champion qualities, punters are fed up with the ‘spin doctoring’ of the top stable by the mainstream racing media and the number of beaten favorites that he saddles up.

 

WRITING ON THE WALL FOR SALE OF DEAGON  WITH PLANS FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIFTY IN-FIELD STABLES AT EAGLE FARM - A GOOD MOVE  

THE writing is on the wall that the State Government plans to sell Deagon racecourse to fund major projects recommended as part of the recently-released Racing Review.

A feasibility study being undertaken involves an additional 50 in-field stables for the Brisbane Racing Club at Eagle Farm.  

One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to suggest the stables are for horses currently trained on the track at Deagon that would need to be moved if that complex was sold.

Much has been made of what prominent legal eagle and hobby trainer Jim Murdoch might do in an attempt to prevent the sale of Deagon. He reportedly has major real estate and stabling interests near the track.

Here are a couple of emails that LGHR has received on the subject:

JACK D of HENDRA writes:

‘Jim Murdoch is a top bloke but his legal ‘smarts’ should not intimidate the Government into changing their mind on the sale of Deagon which is what is in the best interests of the industry heading forward and what the majority of stakeholders want. Surely if the track was sold that would not devalue his real estate investments.’

And his one from DOUG K of GOLD COAST:

‘I am an owner with a successful stable that was forced to move from Eagle Farm. It will be a bit rich if a handful of trainers who have been given favourable treatment for far too long at Deagon can stop its sale. With all due respect my trainer was extremely successful not a hobbyist who is leading the charge at Deagon and he was still show the door.’

Insiders say the decision concerning the sale of Deagon will be announced around Easter. As Archie Butterfly wrote on his subscriber-only website, www.peterprofit.com:

WHY would Racing Queensland have set aside asset funding for an Apprentice Jockey Centre at the Gold Coast when they already have one at Deagon?

The Butterfly wrote:

‘RQ – or whatever it is going to be called after the Mary Collier-led reformist group is finished with it – is going to sell Deagon, because the Government is going to tell them to.

The only thing that stands in their way is ‘The Magic Man’, Jim Murdoch KC, who trains at the track, and owns a number of stables in the suburb that surrounds it.

Murdoch is a formidable opponent, as anyone who has taken him on can attest.

Will the power of his intellect and influence be enough to stop the State from selling Deagon to property developers who are going to turn it into a housing estate?

The Brisbane Racing Club who holds the lease on the place won’t care.

On paper the Government is $1.10 to succeed but only a fool would back them.’

HERE’S hoping the plans for a new look racing scene in Brisbane are not hijacked by a handful of trainers who many believe have had it too good at Deagon for too long. The days when Bob Bentley and his First Lieutenant Bob Mason bowed to their every wish should be buried once and for all.   

 

IS RACING NSW NEGLECTING MIDWEEKS AT EXPENSE OF POP-UPS?

IS racing in NSW so focussed on pop-up races worth absurd prizemoney for the ‘rich and famous’ that they are neglecting the bread and butter meetings for the battlers?

All the mainstream media want to tell you about is how Sydney is leading the way, courtesy of the $20mn The Everest,  leaving prizemoney on offer for the Melbourne Spring, like the big Cups and Cox Plate in its wake.

But they aren’t keen to talk about how bad midweek racing is going in NSW – especially Sydney and night racing which has become a non-event at Canterbury despite all the efforts of the club to make it family friendly.

Just take a look at today’s (Wednesday) midweek at Canterbury when there were only sufficient acceptances to program six races and one of them is a Midway Maiden. There was public holiday racing at Warwick Farm on Monday but most WednesdayS without horses from the Chris Waller stable Sydney would struggle to attract enough horses for a seven-race card.

Is it time the incredible achiever PVL and Racing NSW decided enough is enough with the wonderful pop-up races and struck a blow for the battlers by looking at ways of improving midweek and night racing in Sydney and the State in general?

 

INQUIRY INVOLVING TOP TRAINERS IN WA WATCHED WITH INTEREST

THE major states are watching with interest the outcome of a controversial inquiry in Western Australia where leading trainers Grant and Alan Williams have been stood down by Stewards.

The premiership-winning duo had their licences suspended following a post-mortem blood sample taken from Kalgoorlie Cup hopeful Starry Heights detected traces of Ritalinic Acid.

Ritalinic Acid is listed as a metabolite of human medication methylphenidate (Ritalin), a prohibited substance under the Thoroughbred Rules of Racing as a controlled drug.

The emergence of the positive swab follows Starry Heights being humanely euthanized after being eased out of last October’s Kalgoorlie Cup. Jockey Willie Pike eased the gelding out of the race at the 400m mark with veterinary examination revealing the horse ruptured a off-fore suspensory ligament.

Speaking in the aftermath of being stood down by stewards, Grant Williams said he was “extremely surprised” and “concerned” by the findings.

“At no stage have we knowingly administered, or authorised the administration of, any prohibited substance to Starry Heights,” Williams said.

Stewards are under fire for suspending the training duo when they have NOT been charged or suspended, especially as the drug involved is reportedly a non-performance enhancing one

Questions have been raised about ‘presumption of innocence’ and ‘restriction of trade’. One thing's for sure it wouldn’t happen in other States, especially in NSW where you have the other end of the scale with top stables accused of being a ‘protected species.’

 

GREG HOPES HE ‘DOESN’T DIE IN DESPAIR’ WAITING FOR RQ TO ACT 

GREG BLANCHARD of the GOLD COAST continues his fight for overseas apprentices to be allowed in Queensland. Here is his latest contribution:

THE recommendation from the Queensland Racing Review to get CRICOS to enable overseas kids into our Apprentice school is a must.

A few years back I was told we were getting Hong Kong apprentices here but that never happened.

South Australia has Isaac Sitt, WA has Jefferson Tsang and Rocky Cheung and Victoria has Chris Pang.

Last year two Koreans were riding trackwork on the Gold Coast. They returned home and are now apprentices in Korea. I doubt Racing Queensland even knew they were here.

Prinish Goordin, who wasted near on  two years in Rocky on the promise he could be an apprentice in Queensland, has his first barrier trials at Scone later this week and will become apprentice in NSW.

Where Queensland is concerned I live in the hope that I don't die in despair.’

 

QUESTIONS WHETHER NEW RACING WEBSITE FULFILLING PROMISES 

OPINIONS are mixed on the popularity or otherwise of THE STRAIGHT, a relative newcomer to the racing websites in Australia, which wasted no time asking for a subscription to view its content.

Just how successful that has proved to be is debatable but one man (PETER MAIR of SYDNEY), a respected follower of all things racing, hasn’t been backward in expressing an opinion on THE STRAIGHT.

Here is a letter he sent to the Editor of The Straight which he has forwarded to us and we publish it in the interests of delving into how stakeholders and others in this industry feel about numerous websites including our own. It reads:

Hi Bren,

YOU will not be surprised to guess that many would no longer have confidence in The Straight meeting the expectations conjured at the outset.

(Those interested can go to the website and view is ‘mission statement’).

That 'many' would be surprised  that you even pondered commercial viability in an industry renowned for demanding sycophantic 'loyalty' to its mantra -- nothing said against racing in a popular media forum would be 'acceptable'.

The Straight has said many things that, so needed to be said, would have 'not-pleased' the administrators: who has applauded those 'not acceptable' contributions?

Conversely, it seems, you are pressured to run 'rubbish' as news.

That is hardly grounds for criticism -- the rest of the captive media runs racing-rubbish routinely  -- The Straight at least tried to buck the bucks.

The wash-up, alas, is that The Straight is at a fork in the road, a familiar dilemma in a brutally monopolised industry.

............ the 'mission' or 'the money' ........... you will need some well-resourced backers to pursue 'the mission'.

Peter Mair

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Mission Statement reads in part:

THE STRAIGHT is committed to providing independent, thorough, accurate, and insightful coverage of the wagering, racing and breeding industries. Our mission is to be a trusted source of information for those involved professionally and/or commercially in the thoroughbred industry.

We offer in-depth analysis, engaging narratives, and comprehensive reporting that reflects the passion and complexity of thoroughbred racing.

The editorial coverage and decision-making of The Straight is determined by the editorial team, headed by the Managing Editor. 

Any advertisers, commercial partners or investors in The Straight will have no influence on the editorial agenda. 

Core Values:

Accuracy and Integrity

The Straight prioritises accuracy in our reporting, using fact-checking and verification to ensure the highest standards of content.

We value integrity utmost in our dealing with both our audience and the subject matter of our stories. 

In an instance where we make a mistake, we will acknowledge it in an appropriate way and where possible and practical, issue a correction. 

Fairness and Impartiality

We strive to provide a platform that encourages open dialogue and diverse perspectives within the thoroughbred industry.

We may publish opinion or agenda style commentary, which may present personally held views, but such commentary is held to a standard that it is fair and accurate.  

Comprehensive Coverage

The Straight aims to cover all facets of the thoroughbred industry across the wagering, racing and breeding/bloodstock industry. We encourage our journalists to delve into the complexities of the industry, exploring the nuances that shape the world of thoroughbred racing.

Audience Facing

We actively engage with our readership, fostering a sense of community and connection among the thoroughbred industry. Feedback is valued, and we are open to constructive criticism that helps us improve our content. However, published comments on the platform must conform to our editorial standards.

 

IS PROGRAMMING OF MORE NIGHT RACING ANSWER TO ‘HEAT’ WOES?

WITH animal welfare a major concern during the hotter summer months, should Racing Queensland be looking at the programming of more twilight and night racing during this period?

We now have three tracks with lights – Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast – and it could be argued that the latter isn’t being used as often as the major investment in lights demands.

Toowoomba is locked in to the Saturday twilight timeslot although for some reason there has been no racing at Clifford Park since January 3 and it won’t resume there until February 7.

Perhaps the track is undergoing maintenance or, heaven forbid, the Government has finally coughed up the millions promised for the installation of new lighting – night racing has been running on a band-aid fix since last year’s blackout during a race.

The Sunshine Coast successfully matches and mixes its programming these days. Where once it was the traditional Sunday afternoon venue, Corbould Park Park now races on many Friday nights and other intermittent afternoons throughout the week.

Gold Coast racegoers have shown how much they prefer Friday nights to Saturday afternoons and although the club has a goal of achieving stand-alone status on a Saturday (where the turnover is much better), they wanted the lights – so the club should use these more often.

These major south-east Queensland clubs have a role to play on the TAB circuit but the fact remains that Brisbane has primary status and the majority of Saturday racing will continue to be run at Eagle Farm and Doomben.

But with turnover and prizemoney being lost to the industry on occasons because of the hot weather protocols – this problem needs to be addressed. (Monday's Eagle Farm meeting has been transferred to Wednesday when the forecast high is 31 degrees). 

Unless the Brisbane Racing Club wants to face an intrusion into their space by those clubs who have lights, perhaps Racing Queensland needs to look at a change in programming.

 

MORE BRISBANE TWILIGHTS OR REST FOR EAGLE FARM & DOOMBEN 

 IS the solution more twilight meetings in Brisbane or a rest for the two big tracks in January and February with a sprinkling of Saturdays but the majority going to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts where they have the lights and can quickly change the time-frame of races from the hottest period of the day?

The Sunshine Coast is already playing a significant role in trying to establish an east coast night racing circuit but maybe an occasional meeting to coincide with feature racing in Hong Kong would prove popular with the punters.

The Friday night circuit is being frustrated because Sydney doesn’t seem interested at present. Sure they have meetings at Canterbury but not as often as the Sunshine Coast. Melbourne has successfully headed down the night racing track and makes Sydney look second rate.

Were it not for the horses from the powerful Chris Waller stable, Sydney would struggle to program even seven races some Friday nights (and at their midweeks) where the quality of the racing is pathetic despite Canterbury providing first class off-field food and entertainment for families.

 

WHY WAS GOLD COAST NIGHT TURNOVER SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN? 

LAST Friday’s free night at the Gold Coast was another blockbuster from a crowd perspective but no doubt the club would be looking at the turnover the meeting attracted.

Figures provided to us by a regular who compared these to last year (also run under lights on a Friday) suggest:

THE Mayor’s Vase at the corresponding meeting in 2025 had 10 runners and there was over $22,000 in the win pool and close to $7,000 in the place. This year there were nine runners and the win pool was just over $9,000 and the place just under $4,000.

The feature Goldmarket had 13 runners last year for win and place pools of over $19,000 and $9,000 respectively. This year there were 12 runners and the win pool was almost $14,500 and the place just under $6,000.

One has to question, why the difference in turnover?

 

WHY DIDN’T EAGLE FARM FOLLOW LEAD OF KILCOY & RACE EARLIER? 

CRITICS of the cancellation of the Australia Day meeting at Eagle Farm – who obviously have no respect for the hot weather protocols now locked in for Australian racing – want to know why the meeting wasn’t brought forward to an earlier start.

They are highlighting how Kilcoy changed their times to adapt to the searing heat while Eagle Farm didn’t. The maximum temperature at Kilcoy on Monday reached 36 degrees.  In Brisbane it was 36.5 degrees at 1.30pm.

To ensure prizemoney was not lost to the industry Racing Queensland transferred Monday’s meeting to Eagle Farm on Wednesday. Officials explained that due to the forecast hot weather on Monday, the transfer had been made in the interest of animal and participant welfare.

How times have changed. LGHR can remember covering a Magic Millions Day 20 years ago when the temperature reached 40 degrees. Officials of the time would not have dared postpone or abandon a meeting fearing a backlash from the private enterprise company running the show or one of Australia’s richest men who owned it.

 

SUSPENDED FINE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR APPEALS TRIBUNAL?

AND speaking of getting hot under the collar, trainers Peter and Will Hulbert are entitled to be just that after the fine imposed for daring to air their frustration over the enforced scratching of a stable two-year-old from a Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield on Saturday.

Racing Victoria stewards have fined Will, who trains alongside his father, Peter, $2,000 for breaching an Australia Rule of Racing which relates to conduct considered prejudicial to the image, interests and integrity of racing.

They had to be kidding. What about all those who escape for making far worse comments because they are out of reach of the racing police? Surely these guys have something better to do with their time in protecting racing and more importantly the interests of punters.

Hulbert has indicated he intends to appeal the decision, confirming that legal action will be pursued. “Yeah I’ve got three days to lodge it with the Racing Victoria Tribunal. Corey Cullen (a lawyer) who owns horses with me is taking care of things.”

The penalty followed comments made via the stable’s X account after Lady Of Five was scratched when traffic delays made it impossible to get to the track in time. “We allowed two hours for a 50-minute trip to Caulfield and some retard crashed on the highway and stuffed everything.”

In a subsequent reply to another user, the account stated: “They’re everywhere, might go jump in a machete bin so I don’t call anyone a poof.”

Racing Victoria confirmed the fine was issued following a review of the social media posts and the circumstances surrounding the scratching. Surely Will Hulbert was entitled to ‘left off some steam’ considering his frustration.

A more appropriate penalty might have been a suspension of the $2,000 fine providing Will doesn’t ‘upset the authorities’ in the next 12 months. Here’s hoping common-sense prevails when the Tribunal hears the appeal.

 

FAIR SUCK OF THE SAV – THE HULBERT’S ARE DINKY DI AUSSIES – HOW CAN FRUSTRATION OVER MISSING A START HARM RACING'S IMAGE?

A racing trainer being investigated by Racing Victoria stewards for using the terms “retard” and “poof” in social media posts says he “spoke the truth” and stands by his comments.

DANNY RUSSELL & ALEXANDER DARLING report for FAIRFAX MEDIA that the posts first appeared on the X account of the father-and-son Hulbert Racing after their horse was scratched from Saturday’s Caulfield meeting because of a traffic jam caused by a series of crashes.

The first involved an allegedly stolen Mazda that hit a Mercedes on the Monash Freeway at Endeavour Hills in Melbourne’s south-east, leaving the female driver of the Mercedes in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Up to eight teenage boys fled in the stolen car, with one of them – a 15-year-old – arrested by police after a citizen’s arrest.

As police responded to that crash, they noticed a Nissan parked in the emergency lane of the freeway, but it sped off as they attempted to intercept it, eventually colliding with six cars before the driver and passenger got out and fled on foot.

Hulbert Racing is based in Brisbane and run by Peter Hulbert and his son Will. Their two-year-old filly Lady Of Five was scratched from the $250,000 group 3 Blue Diamond Preview by stewards on Saturday because the horse did not arrive at the course on time.

The filly had been flown down from Brisbane and was being stabled at Pakenham.

“Lady Of Five is fine guys,” Hulbert Racing posted on its X account on Saturday afternoon.

“We allowed two hours for a 50-minute trip to Caulfield and some retard crashed on the highway and stuffed everything.

“She will have a jump out Tuesday at Pakenham and race next weekend at Caulfield in the 1000m Group 3 Chairman’s.”

Hulbert Racing then posted a follow-up message on their social media platform, saying: “They’re everywhere … might go and jump in a machete bin, so I don’t call anyone a poof.”

When contacted for comment, Will Hubert told FAIRFAX MEDIA, “I spoke the truth and stand by my comments”.

“Next time a bunch of teens steal a car and someone dies, let me know how their family feels about the teens being called retards,” he sent via a text message.

While Hulbert admitted using the word “poof” in a follow-up post, he said it was not aimed at a specific person.

Racing Victoria stewards confirmed that the social media posts were brought to their attention during Saturday’s race meeting. They have adjourned an inquiry until Monday.

“Stewards have not been able to speak with the stable at this stage but will look to conclude (our investigation) as soon as possible,” a Stewards’ statement said.

Trainers have been fined in Victoria in the past for comments made on social media that are deemed prejudicial to the image, interests and welfare of racing.

A VicTraffic post on X soon after 11am announced that all inbound lanes of the Monash Freeway were being held at Belgrave-Hallam Road because of a police incident.

“Consider exiting and taking the Princes Highway then South Gippsland Freeway back to the Monash Freeway,” the post said.

The in-bound lanes were later opened after midday, easing delays.

Caulfield races were brought forward to an 11.20am start on Saturday to avoid the extreme heat later in the afternoon.

The third race started at 12.20pm but Hulbert Racing was unable to get outsider Lady Of Five to the track by an 11.50am deadline extension. The Lindsay Park-trained La Gitana was also caught up in the Monash Freeway incident and scratched from the same event.

The 1000-metre race was won by the 23-1 Greg Eurell-trained outsider Rubi’s Choice, while the blue diamond preview for colts and geldings was one by favourite Alibaba, trained by Ken and Kasey Keys.

 

 

QUICK RESPONSE FROM QRIC TO GREYHOUND LICENSING QUERY

EARLIER this week we published the following email which read:

‘WHY is no-one talking about QRIC's Draft Licensing standards?

This will cancel hundreds of licences in the Greyhound world because they do not understand the guarding rule and the requirement to hold a trainers licence for "training" meaning these licence holders will never attend a track?’

QUEENSLAND Racing Integrity Deputy Commissioner Kim Kelly has been kind enough to provide a quick response which we are thankful for and hope that when the Government makes Integrity changes the public will still be guaranteed this sort of transparency. It reads:

‘THANK you for the opportunity to respond to the query published on Wednesday, 21 January 2024 under the title “WILL HUNDREDS OF GREYHOUND LICENSES BE CANCELLED IN QLD?”

It is our desire to clarify a number of misunderstandings in relation to draft amendments to the Standard of Licensing for greyhounds. It is important to clarify their intended purpose or practical operation to encourage balanced and informed review and consideration. 

The proposed amendments are not intended to reduce participation in the industry, exclude hobby participants, or force individuals out of racing. Rather, they are designed to strengthen the licensing framework, so it more accurately reflects contemporary industry practices, supports improved animal welfare outcomes, and ensures the licensing scheme remains proportionate, modern, and fit for purpose.

More broadly, many of the proposed amendments are already reflected in the licensing frameworks of other jurisdictions, and aligning with these approaches is considered appropriate to promote consistency and best practice across the industry.

It seems to me that the two principal issues which have been raised are the local government authorities permit and minimum activity requirements.

Minimum Activity Requirement

The proposed minimum activity requirement of 10 official race starts in the 12 months prior to licence renewal is intended to support the integrity of licence categories by ensuring they reflect genuine racing activity. It is not intended to operate as a blanket or automatic removal mechanism. Similar activity requirements apply in other jurisdictions, with some requiring greater than 10 starts, so this is not a new or unique concept within the greyhound racing industry.

The proposal is designed to assist QRIC in ensuring licences are held in a way that aligns with their purpose, while retaining appropriate discretion to consider individual circumstances. These circumstances may include breeding cycles, injury, health issues, and temporary absences from racing. The intent is not to remove long-standing or experienced participants who may have had a period of reduced activity for valid and legitimate reasons.

No licences will be “automatically lost” if the minimum activity requirement is not satisfied (should this amendment be adopted).  Our current practice of working with license holders in respect of their individual circumstances will continue. 

Local Government Authorities Permit Requirements

The proposed requirement to provide a current Local Government permit is to align QRIC’s licensing framework with existing obligations under the Rules of Racing, in particular Local Rule LR11 (1) which provides that “A person having care of a greyhound shall: (a) comply with the requirements of any relevant Local Government Authority; and adhere to the standards prescribed within Schedule 1, of these Local Rules; the Queensland Greyhound Racing Minimum Standards of Care. (Emphasis added).

This proposal does not introduce a new permit requirement beyond existing Local Government Authority laws and the requirements of an existing Local Rule of Racing. 

Industry participants must comply with the Rules of Racing which compels them to also comply with applicable Local Government animal management regulations. 

The proposed amendment to the Licensing Standard is intended to ensure compliance with existing rules, support regulatory consistency and transparency, and not to disadvantage hobby trainers or small-scale participants. QRIC does not issue Local Government permits and does not intend to impose requirements beyond those already set by Local Government Authorities. Where a Local Government Authority does not require a permit due to the number of dogs kept at a property, no permit would be required to be supplied to QRIC.

In respect of the consultation period, QRIC is committed to meaningful consultation and has released these proposals in draft form to ensure industry participants have the opportunity to provide feedback before any decisions are made. It is critical to note that no final amendments have been or will be adopted prior to consideration of all feedback.

QRIC recognises the important role that hobbyists, breeders and professional trainers all play in sustaining the Queensland greyhound racing industry. The proposed amendments are intended to strengthen confidence in the licensing framework, compliance with the Rules of Racing, and not to undermine participation or industry capacity.

I trust that this factual information is of some assistance to your readers.’

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY – CLARK, McGRATH & MANDER 

THE ‘Next Lap’ – a phrase coined for the future of Queensland racing – promised a new operational model that would deliver streamlined governance and broaden expertise on the Control Board.

It highlighted how ‘integrity must be the foundation of the industry in Queensland’ under-pinning community confidence, protecting animal welfare and ensuring a fair and transparent sport for all.

If some of the rumours sweeping the industry are correct those assurances were a load of BS and there are urgent demands for a ‘please explain’ from the LNP Government and Racing Minister Tim Mander.

Widespread industry anger is mounting amid reports that Sydnersider Matt McGrath will be retained on a new-look body to administer and police racing in the Sunshine State while Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Catherine Clark will be punted.

Most believed that McGrath did a good job as Chairman of the recently-completed Racing Review but surely there are enough talented Queenslanders with industry and business experience to head up any new control body without looking interstate.

Whispers that Ms Clark has been advised her services will no longer be required (one wonders what is happening to QRIC) when the new format is announced has aroused both anger and concern.

WHAT DOES FUTURE HOLD FOR QRIC – IS IT BACK TO BAD OLD DAYS?

SURELY the new Government isn’t going to dismantle QRIC and head back to the bad old days when high profile officials and politicians had influence over integrity. One of the reasons QRIC was established was to ensure a separation of powers between administration and integrity.

But from the days of Racing Minister Russ Hinze, through the RQ Chairmanships of Bob Bentley and Kevin Dixon, concerns were expressed about just how independent Stewards were allowed to be.

It’s been a failure of both sides of politics but the worst scenarios have occurred when the LNP has been in Government. The industry, racing public and punters need to be assured that the latest one will live up to its promise of ‘no interference’ in the ‘policing’ of racing. Giving politicians and public servants power would be an absolute disgrace and open the door to racing in Queensland becoming a national joke.

Catherine Clark has been a ‘gem’ since her appointment as QRIC Chairman and the reason for dispensing with her talents would need a major explanation from the Minister. He has been accused of listening to the wrong people when it comes to the implementation of Review recommendations. Here’s hoping any decision already made to dispense with the services of Ms Clark can be reversed.

Perhaps she could have an ally in Mary Collier, who has been appointed to head a committee (we’re still waiting to hear who the others are) to implement recommendations of the Review. Ms Collier, the first female chairman of a metropolitan racing club in Australia (the former Brisbane Turf Club), is reportedly destined to become the CEO of Racing Queensland which would be a popular choice.

As the industry patiently awaits (it was 15 months ago that the LNP won Government) the promised changes to the administration and integrity arms of Queensland Racing, stakeholders are wondering just how many more ‘Next Laps’ need to be run before they get an answer and what changes the Minister has in mind.

 

WHY DID RQ NOT PROGRAM ANOTHER SUNDAY MEETING?  

HERE are some of the brief WHINGES we have received in the past week:

ALBY of the SUNSHINE COAST wrote:

‘WHY did Racing Queensland not program a Sunday meeting to replace the one that was washed out at the Sunshine Coast?

It’s not as though they didn’t have sufficient time. The Callaghan Park course was declared unfit for racing before acceptances because of another big flood in Central Queensland.

Owners and trainers with horses not eligible or good enough to contest the Magic Millions did not deserve to lose this sort of prizemoney.

Why wasn’t the Rocky meeting relocated to Toowoomba, Kilcoy, Beaudesert, Ipswich or even Townsville or Cairns? The Sunshine Coast, which provides such a great service, is obviously being saved for their stand-alone day next Saturday and the Gold Coast has a ‘free entry’ twilight meeting on Friday.’

 

WILL HUNDREDS OF GREYHOUND LICENSES BE CANCELLED IN QLD? 

CHRISTINE provided an interesting question that we will seek an answer from Kim Kelly, the QRIC Stewarding Commissioner:

‘WHY is no-one talking about QRIC's Draft Licensing standards?

This will cancel hundreds of licences in the Greyhound world because they do not understand the guarding rule and the requirement to hold a trainers licence for "training" meaning these licence holders will never attend a track?’

 

ARE UNSCRUPULOUS CORPORATE BOOKIES RORTING THE SYSTEM? 

MARK wanted to alert punters to a story which most would not have access to on the racing website The Straight which is now subscriber-only. It reads in part:

NORTHERN Territory-licensed bookmakers have been urged to review their terms and conditions to help mitigate the rise in customers selling access to their betting accounts to third parties.

Several outfits have emerged in recent years, offering betting companies’ customers one-off cash payments in exchange for access to their accounts.

It is believed the marketing efforts of one of these, Cavalry Accounts, caught the attention of the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission (NTRWC), for its use of Facebook to promote the sale of betting accounts to it as a third party.

Earlier this month, the NTRWC reminded licensees of the importance of remaining vigilant to any third-party activity that seeks to obtain, use or control customer betting accounts. 

It also noted that other organisations or individuals may be engaging in similar practices.

There is nothing expressly illegal about the practice of selling access to betting accounts and The Straight is not suggesting that Cavalry Accounts is engaging in anything illegal or nefarious.

However, many wagering operators’ terms and conditions prohibit third parties from using accounts. All NT-licensed bookmakers have been urged to review their terms and conditions

The Commission also reminded bookmakers that it is the responsibility of licensees to ensure ongoing monitoring of customer behaviour, promotional activity, and account usage patterns to “identify potential indicators of third-party involvement”.

But it also cautioned that any action taken must be supported by evidence and be consistent with the licensee’s terms and conditions and regulatory obligations.

That comes after anecdotal reports that the number of punters whose accounts have been blocked is rising, with suspected third-party use often cited as a reason.

Some punters opt to use third parties, or bowlers, to place their bets as they have been restricted from betting on their own accounts.

 

IS 'LACK OF ACTION’ PROTECTING PUNTERS ON SYDNEY RACING? 

MERV the ‘Mad Punter’ gives the Sydney stewards another backhander:

‘AS I have so often asked what is going on with the Sydney Stewards or is it just a case of what officialdom wants and that is ‘no serious rocking of the boat’.

Despite the critics suggesting that at least once big stable is a ‘protect species’ and punters continually questioning why there are so few running and handling inquiries, the show rolls on.

Take Rosehill on Saturday for example when Thyme To Go blew like a gale in the opening race, raced accordingly and not a question was asked. Even one of the ‘spin doctors’ of Sydney racing in Richard Callander saw the need to write an article about it in his Racenet column (you need to be a subscriber to read it):

MONEY from betting is the financial lifeblood of racing in New South Wales.

I would have thought therefore that gambling and betting would be of some importance to the stewards. Not so, its seems.

What other conclusion can you come to when considering the case of Thyme To Go in the opening race at Rosehill on Saturday.

At her only previous start Thyme To Go was backed from $4.80 to $3.80 and showed great speed to lead clearly before running second to Knightsbridge over 1000m at Randwick on January 3.

On Saturday, she began awkwardly but showed none of that speed and finished seventh of nine behind Outspan, which had run fifth behind her at Randwick.

Now, what is even more relevant than that fact is that it was expected by some.

Whereas it had been heavily backed at Randwick when it ran a great race, on Saturday it was totally unwanted in the betting. 

“Friendless” as the TAB's Chief Bookie Tim Ryan told television viewers before the jump.

At 8am in early morning fixed odds betting with the TAB she was $2.60. At 9am she was $2.70.  She eased to $3 at the track and by the time the horses left the enclosure she was $3.80. At the jump she was $5.50.

Why? An unbelievable betting drift. 

I could not wait to read the Stewards’ Report to find an explanation. Was it just the wet track? Did the big players who backed her at Randwick drop off? Were the bookies or betting analysts quizzed? Were the stewards still examining betting sheets? Were the connections quizzed?

Apparently, the stipes thought it was just par for the course for a horse to ease from $2.60 to $5.50 because their report did not mention the betting. There was nothing.

If Thyme To Go had shown speed and given a sight perhaps I could understand it more. But that was not the case. From the time the field jumped she was not in the race.

 

HOW LONG BEFORE GOLD COAST CLAIMS MORE PRIMARY SATURDAYS? 

THERE are fears in some quarters that the continued success of the Magic Millions Carnival will boost the prospects of the Gold Coast securing more primary Saturday timeslots at the expense of Brisbane.

Some of the old guard who ran racing at the State’s leading club for so long are not happy with what they perceive is more recent Boards of the Brisbane Racing Club ‘jumping into bed’ with the Gold Coast Turf Club and helping promote Magic Millions.

A highly respected former administrator of what was then the Queensland Turf Club told LGHR: ‘Those running Brisbane racing need to protect their product. Let’s not forget the Magic Millions is a private enterprise company with the major beneficiary of this carnival the owner, Gerry Harvey. Before we know it the Gold Coast will be granted primary Saturday status on a monthly basis at the expense of Eagle Farm and Doomben.’

The ‘spin doctors’ have already started promoting the success of another Magic Millions with Gold Coast Mayor declaring the event now part of the world racing calendar. Racing and political heavies have dubbed the carnival which ended on Saturday ‘the best in years.’

More than 22,000 attended on Saturday, many more than attracted by Queensland’s best and biggest race, the Stradbroke at Eagle Farm where the prizemoney was far less than the $13 million paid out at the Gold Coast. They feasted on 1000kg of prawns, 900,000 litres of champagne (including 250 bottles of Dom Perignon, who cares if it costs $400 a shot), along with 100,000 cans of beer and other beverages.

Meanwhile, the first work will begin soon on a $1 billion expansion of the GCTC – the Sunlight Retail Precinct a world class residential and retail entertainment centre, with plans for three towers reaching 21, 16 and 18 storeys. The project is being undertaken by the Turf Club in conjunction with developer Aquis.

Mayor Tom Tate said the project, coupled with continued growth of the MM, would make the Gold Coast one of the world’s racing capitals.

 

GOLD COAST SHOULD BE MAKING MORE USE OF NIGHT RACING 

EVEN stakeholders are concerned about the intrusion Gold Coast is making into Brisbane racing. They say any decision on the granting of more Saturday primary meetings to that venue should not be based on the popularity of the Magic Millions.

Rather than grant extra Saturdays to the Gold Coast at the expense of Brisbane, there is a strong argument that the tourist strip now has lights and should race more at night.

Lighting the venue cost many millions, there is no venue more suited to night racing than the Gold Coast, so why not grant more Friday nights than primary Saturdays?

Hot on the heels of the MM blockbuster, the Gold Coast will host an Australia Day weekend twilight meeting this Friday where the tip is attendances will be high dependent on fine weather.

There are those, who will remain opposed to the MM on the basis that it restricts the trade of run-of-the-mill owners and trainers on two Saturdays of the year, who want a two questions answered: 

• HOW much do Magic Millions and its owner Gerry Harvey actually contribute to the more than $13mn in prizemoney paid on the big day? Attempts to get an answer to this from Racing Queensland have failed for some strange reason.
• OVER the years how much has the Queensland Government (through the coffers of taxpayers over and above Racing Queensland Tourism Queensland) paid to MM to remain on the Gold Coast amid threats by Gerry Harvey to move it when it wouldn’t work as well elsewhere? Perhaps FOI should be used to see if some of the stories about what happened in the era of the Bentley Board in particular are correct.

 

THEY HAVE TO BE KIDDING WITH CLAIMS MM WAS QUALITY RACE DAY

NOT everyone agrees that the MM is a ‘quality race day’. This story by Richard Callander in his Racenet column this week sums up the feelings of many, local included:

THE Magic Millions is a huge success with the Sales, a huge prizemoney race day and a week's entertainment to keep everybody happy.

However, don't fall for the hype that it was a top quality race day. A few average horses won the million dollar races against average quality fields and, without being a spoilsport, I doubt the form that might come out of the $3m 2YO Classic.

Remember Paradoxium, the horse everybody wanted to tip, went amiss a few weeks out from the race and then on race morning the short priced favourite Warwoven was found to be lame.

I would have backed both of those horses to win the race.

Unit Five and Tornado Valley look handy, but I would not go overboard about them, and the third placegetter By Choice had finished only fifth to her stablemate Shiki at the Gold Coast the week before.

If I was looking for one to follow out of the race it could be the unplaced Shiki which was hampered down the running when baulked a couple of times by her stablemate Knightsbridge.

As for the other million dollar race winners on the day, Snitzanova, Poster Girl, Axius, Torque To Be Sure and King of Roseau.

Don't go looking for them at The Championships at Randwick at Easter.

 

IS THIS WHAT RACING JOURNALISM HAS BEEN REDUCED TO?

THESE thoughts from regular SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR about racing in Victoria would well apply to what is happening on the Gold Coast. Peter writes:

‘A story on The Straight reproduces, as news, without qualification, an 'advertorial' apparently supplied by the Victorian Racing Club (VRC).

The 'evidence' for a glowing endorsement of the contribution made by the VRC, and Victorian racing more generally,  was compiled by a couple of well-established firms -- one, saying it is a leader in measuring the impact and performance of major events -- the other says, very correctly in my case,  "our work gets under the skin of Australians". 

The story acknowledges that the 'studies' supporting the story were published by the VRC -- but leaves open the question of whether the VRC commissioned and paid for the studies.

Whatever, this story has hallmarks that gathering future supporting 'evidence' might be outsourced to a well-known, economic and marketing consultancy in Sydney -- Moore, Bulltish, and Worse Pty. Ltd. (MB&W).

A report prepared by MB&W would never be so crass as to give figures in 'thousands', 'millions' and 'hundreds of millions', ending in a number other than zero -- and would certaily never suggest spurious accuracy by adding decimal-points to measurements inevitablty ball-park 'rubbery' at best. Check-out the numbers in the story.

Nor would MB&W reports ever solicit 'Mandy' endorsements of studies that the VRC chairman and chief executive may well have authorised:  

• "the record result reflects the Carnival’s evolution with growing appeal across generations"
• "these figures confirm the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s position as one of Victoria’s most valuable major events"

[I politely pass reflecting on the similar endorsements of the Victorian Racing Minister, one in a national stable of Ministers-for-Racing not comprehending the concept of 'credibility'.] 

Spare my days.

Sadly perhaps, the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival has been losing caste, nationally, for some time -- as has Melbourne and Victorian racing more generally.

It does not help to say otherwise in the face of the reality.

It would help if RVL's administration of Melbourne racing, at least, returned to a more ethically, principled ethos.’

 

 

HOW MUCH EASIER WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO UPHOLD MM PROTEST?

HOW much easier, less controversial and more popular would it have been for Stewards to uphold the protest in the $3mn Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast on Saturday?

The biggest losers would have been the TAB and bookies who stood the hot favorite Ninja ($1.55) for millions, plus the long-suffering owners of the winner Torque To Be Sure $13, which shed his Maiden status in the most amazing of circumstances.

And if body language counts for anything even trainer Matt Dunn and top jockey Ben Melham would not have been surprised had they lost the race in the Stewards’ Room.

Whether you liked the protest decision or not but look at it objectively rather than with vested interests or talking through your pocket, it was a brave decision by Stewards.

Instead of winning the popularity contest of the Millions Carnival, they could not be convinced that without the significant interference suffered in the straight Ninja would have overcome the margin he was beaten by.

That decision has provoked some angry reaction like: ‘Did Tommy Berry need to be unseated from the saddle for Stewards to uphold the protest? The margin was significant because Ninja lost momentum at a vital time.’  

‘Josh Adams and his Panel are the laughing stock of Australian racing after this ludicrous decision. Not only did they dismiss the protest but also added insult to injury by failing to charge Melham with causing interference and imposed a ‘slap on the wrist’ fine of $1,000 for overuse of the whip’.

There are a couple of aspects of the race that have been lost amid all the drama. While the wide barrier was no help for Ninja, Torque To Be Sure also drew out and he did a lot more work early.

Berry did nothing wrong on the hot favorite who arguably was ready to charge past the winner but for the interference suffered. By the same token, Melham might have emerged the ‘bad boy’ of the big race but his early ride to secure cover on a horse that is headstrong to say the least was terrific.

As LGHR has maintained for years, given the same opportunities Melham would hold his own with the best jockeys in the land. He had only the one ride on Saturday but on this occasion upstaged his superstar wife, Jamie – which only happens on rare occasions.

 

MAHER DINES OUT WINNING CLOSE TO $3.5mn IN STAKES ON MM DAY

TALK about a BIG DAY OUT – horses from the stable of champion trainer Ciaron Maher enjoyed a Magic Millions bonanza.

They won close to $3.5mn in stakes on one day of racing highlighted by the quinella (Unit Five and Tornado Valley) in the MM Two-Year-Old Classic; and wins by Snitzanova in the Subzero and Axius in the Snippets.

But the stable success on Saturday didn’t end there. Maher landed the Listed January Cup at Rosehill with Future History and a double at Flemington with Immortal Star and Saint George.

How the wheel can turn in racing. It was a very rare day when the powerful Chris Waller outfit did not saddle up one winner at the Magic Millions, Rosehill or Flemington.

In fact it was not a good year for ‘Wally World’ at the MM but while the winners were sparse the stable and its owners were plotting ahead as biggest buyers at the Yearling Sales outlaying almost $8.7mn, including some incredibly bred lots for over $1mn. Standby for a rebound next year.

HOOFNOTE: AWAY from the two most successful trainers in the land, the feel-good story of Millions Day was the win by Sir Carter in the $500,000 MM Country Cup. Raced by the ‘Mugs Punting’ Syndicate and trainer by two of LGHR’s favorites, Peter and Will Hulbert, Sir Carter struck a blow for the ‘battlers’ who were not out of place mixing shoulders with the multi-millionaires. And they would have partied as big as the best of them.

  

MM HIGHLIGHTS LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GRASS ROOTS OWNERS

‘BILL FROM BREAKFAST CREEK’, the moniker chosen to spare a prominent owner from on-course intimidation and verbal attacks, offers an interesting take on the Magic Millions which we absolutely agree with:

‘I read with lots of interest your stories of the Magic Millions carnival. As I've told you before, I am part of a battling (but prominent) syndicate of small time owners which is likely to disband later this year because of the totally unbalanced opportunities for people at grass roots level. Yes, we are being squeezed out!

When I heard (your words) that ‘finger down the throat’ interview by McLachlan the other day it reminded me of all that is wrong with the industry.

As for the interviewer, you are spot on. Hamish simply doesn't have ‘it’ and is likely to die in the industry of over-exposure, like his colleague Richo.

Perhaps both of those talking heads could spend a little time listening to the excellent and respectful style of Gerard Whately, whose simple attitude seems to be....this interview is about the person being interviewed and not about me being best mates or pretending to know all about them before we start.

Whately's questions last about three seconds, unlike the rambling introductions of the other two.

And aren't we glad the MM continues to line the pockets of one of the country's richest men, year after year?

Meanwhile country trainers and jockeys wrestle with the reality that their meetings are scrubbed for the weekend (unless you want to take the hike to Atherton).

Seems to me it's another example of the PVL style, grow it from the top and the rest will follow. Reality: it is crumbling from the lower level.’

 

GREG HONCHIN STILL ENJOYS LOVE FOR RACING – ON THE TRACK 

A FEELGOOD STORY for the third day in a row on LGHR – must be a new year – but rest assured we’ll address that situation before our readership drops to the level that the daily fish and chips wrapper boasts about.

This is about Greg Honchin, who devoted much of his life to racing, only to be thrown under a bus for political reasons during a time when the regime running racing in Queensland destroyed the lives of many good people.

Almost from the time he left school, Honchin worked for the old Queensland Turf Club, graduating over the years to become First Lieutenant to long-time CEO David Laing under the chairmanship of Sir Edward Williams.

When the then Labor Government and Racing Minister Bob Gibbs stripped the QTC of its principal club powers and established Queensland Racing, Greg joined the new control body and before long was the CEO.

There were those on the Board at the time who believed Honchin was still too close to the QTC and felt that Kevin Hasemann (now the boss of Queensland Swimming) would be ‘more loyal to their cause’.

This was decades ago but LGHR, then writing a weekly racing column for Fairfax, remembers all too well the job that was done on Honchin. The news came in the form of a phone call from the late Brian Allom, an RQ Board Member, who said: ‘I’ve been left to deliver the bad news to our mate Greg that his services are no longer required. Bob (then Chairman) Bentley is in Mission Beach and Neville (his Deputy) Stewart is in New Zealand. Please encourage him to go without too much drama.’

The ‘hatchet job’ left Honchin devastated. Try as he might there was no real support from either side of politics. With a ‘cloud’ hanging over him, Greg found it difficult to pursue a career in racing. He finally gave up and worked for some time running a community radio station. It was totally unfair.

The devastation of the job loss didn’t help his health which was already suffering. For years he was in the wilderness, relying largely on the support of his loyal and loving wife, Robyn, but retaining an interest in the ‘on track’ side of racing to try and shut down the ‘bitterness’ he was entitled to still feel after what had happened to him.

 

GREG HAS STRUCK PAYDIRT WITH SYNDICATION INVESTMENTS 

WELL they say ‘good things come to he who waits’ and Greg Honchin was entitled to a change of luck. It arrived in the most unexpected form.

An astute form student, he entered a competition run by broadcast station TVN some years ago and was the only one to tip the card at a Melbourne midweek meeting, earning $30,000 for his trouble.

After paying some bills and getting overdue maintenance work done on the house that he and Robyn have lived in for decades, Greg decided to buy a small interest in several racehorses that were being syndicated.

That resulted in a small windfall, not to mention a lot of fun. He now has a share-holding in (among others):

• APOCALYPTIC, a three-year-old that has already won over $1mn in prizemoney, highlighted by the G1 Flight Stakes at Randwick in October.
• NINJA, hot favorite for the $3 million Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast on Saturday after her amazing last start win in the G3 Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben
• And ENGINE OF WAR, a one-time favorite that went around luckless and three wide in the Victoria Derby.

Greg had hoped to make the trip to the Gold Coast on Saturday to rub shoulders with some big name winning owners in the enclosure if Ninja managed to beat a horrible draw and justify her short quote in the MM Guineas. But, being virtually wheelchair-bound these days, doctors felt he would struggle to cope with the arduous day.

Instead he will be cheering home Ninja from the comfort of his lounge room couch, alongside Robyn and his three beloved dogs. But if Engine Of War manages to run in the Queensland Derby in June, Greg is on a mission to defy the odds and be there on Stradbroke Day to cheer him home.

 

FOR TOP JOCKEY, RAWILLER SHOULD EXPLAIN THESE ‘POOR’ TACTICS 

PUNTERS want to know why stewards did not ask top jockey Nash Rawiller to explain the tactics he adopted on Sydneysider Storm The Ramparts in Saturday’s $1mn The Syndicate on the opening day of the Magic Millions Carnival at the Gold Coast.

They believe Rawiller’s determination to hold the lead on Storm The Ramparts cost the heavily-backed favorite Golden Boom, which finished a close fourth, certain victory.

Ryan Maloney, obviously expected to lead on Golden Boom, found it near on impossible to settle the Tony Gollan-trained Golden Boom when Storm The Ramparts refused to surrender the lead.

Golden Boom still got to the front on the home turn but was overhauled late to be beaten three-quarters of a length. Storm The Ramparts dropped out to finish over 11 lengths behind the winner Spirewire which enjoyed the perfect run behind the hot speed (the last 600m was run in 33.76secs).

Here are some of the emails that we received from disgruntled punters who backed Golden Boom:

‘Thanks Nash for destroying any chance I had of collecting on Golden Boom. Adding insult to injury I backed him each-way and he was cut out of third in the last stride thanks to your suicidal tactics’.

‘Talk about being asleep at the wheel. Instead of asking Rawiller about the tactics he adopted, Stewards queried the performance of Storm The Ramparts and he could offer no explanation. It pulled up with a slow recovery but why wouldn’t the horse after the task Nash set it?’

‘My mates and I believed that Payline was the ‘lay of the day’ at the Gold Coast and consequently backed Golden Boom because we felt he was the main danger and would secure a nice run. We didn’t expect what happened. Stick to the pokies Nash or perhaps riding in Sydney where these sort of tactics seem to go unnoticed.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: STORM THE RAMPARTS had never missed a placed second-up. If Nash Rawiller had told Stewards the addition of blinkers were to blame it would have been a feasible explanation but to simply offer no excuse for the disappointing performance only infuriated some punters more. Perhaps they should have delved more into his tactics and at least required the horse to trial before racing again.

 

TAKE A BOW ROSS STANLEY FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO RACING 

HERE is the latest from regular contributor GREG BLANCHARD of the GOLD COAST:

I was at the Magic Millions race meeting at the Gold Coast last Saturday and among all the so-called celebrities and VIP’s (I detest all that palava) I bumped into Ross Stanley.

Ross has been a great servant to racing for I would say around 50 years. He started as a race-caller in 1976 and has written and photographed country meetings mainly for decades.

There was Ross, with camera in hand on Saturday. Speaking to him I could not help but notice that he still retains his passion for the industry.

I think racing officials should acknowledge Ross for what he has contributed to racing especially in the bush.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I couldn’t agree more Greg. And I think Phil Purser should be added to the Racing Hall of Fame for the pioneering work he did with racing websites, not to mention the charity contribution he made to needy causes through Justracing and personally.

 

AUSTRALIAN RACING – A MATTER OF TRUST 

PETER MAIR from SYDNEY has built a great following with the regular contributions he makes on Australian racing. Here is the latest:

RACING has always been a bit ambivalent to 'trust' – connections contriving one in to run a blinder, are lauded without regard to others disappointment.

That's racing – so to speak.

A more worrying concern is about clearly unexpected successes of  ‘smokeys' in better quality-metropolitan races with otherwise well-disclosed form. 

An easily-understood, reliable form guide is the bed rock of punting predictability.

Trust in The Sportsman was biblical – 'just the facts ma'am' perhaps, but the truth. As Joe Friday might have said: 'Concise, objective information, cutting through unnecessary details to focus purely on relevant evidence'.

Gradually that familiar trust carried to digital formats, especially Racenet. A complementary print version, The Form in the SMH, is also now digital for most subscribers.

Sadly, the 'facts' now being presented are not always clean cut. A 'benchmark' for most races is no longer clearly disclosed – often the only context is the sponsored race name and prizemoney paid. Not good enough.

Punters could better compare form if the detail was prefaced with a benchmark equivalent rating for the race contested. Adding a benchmark to be shown for races in later form-guides could be done easily enough. Don Scott, a legendary guide to disciplined punting success, would likely agree it should be.

That heartfelt preamble is itself a preface to recognising concern for the 'integrity' of the business of racing – that too-many metropolitan races are not running true to form.

Structural 'reforms', degrading product-quality, contributed to unexpected 'rough' race results. Local administrators adopted 'the Hong Kong model'. Accepting long-priced, no-hoper runners to inflate race-fields adds obstacles to races being fairly run. A cursory glance at 'feast or famine' Hong Kong race results tells a story. Paying good prizemoney down to 10^th ensures crowded fields and rough race results.

Those seeking refuge in black-type racing have not been spared. Blatant breaches of trust are never run to ground. Stewards saying betting activity, around rough results, will be reviewed never seem to find anything untoward. It is about time some professional detective resources were engaged to help out. Who got the money is where to look – no one looks.

One obvious focal point going forward will surely be dramatic form-reversals -- not least consecutive successes of the same horses in the same races – outcomes, or near outcomes, often plainly contradictory to disclosed recent form. There would be no harm done by an open, retrospective stewards ' review of a few of these inconsistencies.

An apparent trend gaining in popularity is the 'readiness', if not to say resurrection, of first-uppers starting at odds which belie prospects soon revealed to have been demonstrably very good.

Administrators not aggressively pursuing apparent breaches of trust are failing their responsibilities. Similarly, we see politicians sponsoring industry reviews intended to endorse business-as-usual – albeit needing more money from the public purse.

Also worrying, of course, is the consequences of the mainstream media being politically and financially beholden to racing industry administrators. Relationships that preclude independent investigation, analysis and reporting of racing industry matters betray a community relying on the media to meet that obligation. Statistical inference is seemingly proscribed in analysing racing's integrity.

The glorious uncertainty of racing precludes observers risking pack-drill by naming names. Even so, not all the uncertainty so surprisingly dispelled is in any way glorious.’

A SEVEN OUT OF 10 SATURDAY, WHAT CAN WE HOPE FOR THIS WEEK?

LET’S make the most of it while we can – seven of the 10 races on Day One of the Magic Millions Carnival won by Queensland horses with the star of the show trainer Kelly Schweida (feature double with Grafterburners and Miss Joeline).

It will be no surprise to see the interstate invaders bounce back when the big Millions are distributed next Saturday, headed by Bjorn Baker and the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott barns. Heaven forbid the ‘great one’ Chris Waller finishing the carnival with a ‘duck’ – the flags at SKY will be flying at half-mast for a week.

The locals have become almost blasé about champion trainer Tony Gollan winning big races in his home state and he didn’t let them down on Saturday with Itchintogo (Gold Nugget), Spanish Treasure (MM Maiden) and Now Is The Hour (Rising Stars) all saluting.

It’s always a mixed reaction from the punters when Chris Munce wins a big race but isn’t his son, Corey, a breath of fresh air. They delivered again with MM specialist Poster Girl (Rising Stars).

And whenever the Sears stable celebrates big race success it’s another opportunity to get a glimpse of the delightful Maddie with no offence meant there to her dad Tony and that happened when Yellow Brick won first-up in the QTIS Open.

It was left last Saturday for Ciaron Maher (Spywire in the $1mn Syndicate) and Gai & Adrian (Miss Freelove, Sunlight Consolation & Shiki, Gold Pearl) to claim the remaining three races.

 

BIG QUESTIONS BEING ASKED ABOUT MAJOR MAGIC MILLIONS DAY 

THAT leaves three big questions being asked about Queensland’s richest race day (still doesn’t compare to the class of the Stradbroke for us traditionalists) to be run next Saturday:

• WOULD it be more popular in the twilight timeslot (with the big races under lights) like last weekend’s opener when it is not so hot for the horses, still attracts free-to-air live TV coverage and the turnover doesn’t suffer because it isn’t run in the afternoon?
• HOW much of the rain from the tropical cyclone that has just battered the north will continue to filter down to the south-east corner? There’s a 50 per cent chance of up to 5mm of rain forecast for Friday and an 80 per cent chance of 10 to 20mm on Saturday.
• AND how many of the big races on MM DAY can the locals hope to win? The Munce-trained Zip Lock is no pushover for start colt and hot favorite Warwoven in the Two-Year-Old Classic; Yellow Brick is favoured to back-up and win the MM Cup for Team Sears; Miss Joelene is early favorite for the Subzero if Schweida decides to back her up; Hidden Wealth has a great hope of adding to the Gollan MM tally in the Snippets & the Munce-trained Lohnro’s Queen is one of three early fancies for the MM Fillies & Mares.

SOME HIGHS & LOWS OF THE MAGIC MILLIONS TWILIGHT MEETING 

HIGHS:

THE popularity of the decision to race in a twilight timeslot proving the many millions spent on lighting the Gold Coast venue was money well spent.

NO sign of the problems that have plagued the track – apart from the supposed sabotage of last year which forced the big meeting to be transferred to the Sunshine Coast. The circuit looked spectacular and in the main seemed to play fairly.

IT’S already been well-documented but the success of the locals winning seven of the 10 races, spearheaded by the Kelly Schweida double in two of the main races and Tony Gollan saddling up a winning treble.

LOWS:

NETWORK Seven presenter, Hamish McLachlan, doing his annual suck-up interview with MM husband and wife supremos, Gerry Harvey and Katie Page. Everyone knows how hard Katie works to make the event a huge success but it also immensely benefits her husband, one of the richest men in the land and their private enterprise company, Magic Millions Bloodstock.  The finger-down-the-throat performance of McLachlan with ‘Gerry and the Pacemakers’ no doubt ensures the welcome mat is rolled out for him at the MM again next year but his performance made some of Jason Richardson’s better performances look Cinderella stuff.

OVER at SKY it was a much more professional performance by the team of regulars and what a delight it was to see a hit-and-run visit to Queensland by the super popular Kiaarn Holland who did the mounting yard reports. Punters have missed her ‘expert tips’ and combined humour with Paul Joice at local TAB meetings since she returned to NSW. Here’s hoping Kiaarn is part of the SKY coverage again on Saturday rather than some ‘hot shot’ Sydney boofhead.

 

RACING UNANIMOUSLY CELEBRATES BIG DOUBLE OF ‘MR POPULARITY’

RARELY does a leading trainer win a big race when his or her fellow stakeholders, the punting fraternity and racing public are unanimously delighted.

But such was the case when Kelly Schweida, one of the best and most popular in the business, saddled up not one but two feature race winners at the opening meeting of the rich Magic Millions Carnival.

LGHR has known Kelly since he was a pint-sized apprentice in Townsville and our opinion of him has never changed. There are no skeletons in the closet, he’s a great family man, a fair-dinkum bloke and a champion trainer with an unblemished record. He remains as down-to-earth and humble today as he was a half century ago.

Rather than LGHR wax lyrical about how happy we were to see him win with Miss Joelene in the $500,000 The Wave and Grafterburners in the $3 million MM Sunlight Plate (not to mention a legion of followers who won plenty backing the double), here’s an email received from a good mate and another fan who sums up the feelings of most.

SCHWEIDA ONE OF HARD-MARKER GORRIE'S ALL-TIME FAVORITES

FORMER North Queensland-based bookie, Gary Gorrie, still keeping a keen eye on OZ racing from his retirement mansion overlooking the beach in Phuket, Thailand, wrote:

‘I was very thrilled on Saturday watching Kelly Schweida win the two feature races at the Gold Coast.

Kelly was interviewed (on SKY) after the first winner, Miss Jolene, and the lady host (Bernadette Cooper) suggested he would give the Trainer’s percentage to his beautiful wife, Vera. Without hesitation Kelly replied: ‘Yes, Vera can have it.’

After the second winner, Grafterburners, he was asked how he would celebrate and his answer was not with Magic Millions champagne, not with a beer, but the good old North Queensland reply: ‘a Stubby or two!’

It’s wonderful to see Kelly has not changed one bit from the young trainer who first came down from the bush and now one of the best in the land.

What the southerners probably don’t know is that Kelly was one of the best Jockeys in North Queensland back in the 70s. In fact 50 years ago (1975) he rode the feature double in Mackay (the Newmarket on Creolita for Tom Symons and the Cup on despised outsider Oncidium Court).)

I was a good friend of the trainer’s son, Mick Symonds and put the commision on Creoleta and then we had a lazy $100 each-ay Oncidium Court at 33/1. I offered to chip in for a sling for the jockey but was told ‘Old Tom’ had given Kelly ‘two boxes of gold as a sling’. Mick thought Dad had lost his marbles as he was not known as a big slinger.

Mick and younger brother Tom searched everywhere on the family property (Mt Flora) for the ‘gold mine’ where the two boxes must have come from. ‘Old Tom’ died and took the location to his grave. The mine was never found.

Years later I was at Kelly’s stables in Brisbane. They were immaculate. I had heard that Kelly had paid cash for them so over a stubby I asked if it was true ‘Old Tom’ had given him two boxes of gold as a sling. Kelly, with that sly grin, said "Yeah Gary it’s true" but it was ‘‘F….n Forex Gold!’

Congratulations Kelly and Vera you have had many good horses over the years you deserve every success.’

GONE FISHIN- THE KELLY SCHWEIDA STORY, BY JOHNNY TAPP (2018)

LGHR remembers the association that Kelly Schweida had with a great sprinter of the north when he was an apprentice in Gay James, winner of his first 16 starts in Townsville when mostly ridden by Paul Gordy.

The Les McLellan-trained galloper held the record for most consecutive wins in Queensland until it was broken by Picnic In the Park in the mid-70’s. His major wins included a Listed Cleveland Bay at Cluden. He suffered his first defeat when 4^th in a QTC Lightning at Eagle Farm.

Here’s a story that the great Johnny Tapp, wrote back in 2018 under the heading: GONE FISHIN’ – the KELLY SCHWEIDA STORY

(*PHOTO courtesy of Johnny Tapp story shows Kelly Schweida as an apprentice along side his master, top Townsville trainer of the time, Les McLellan, after a win at AYR).

KELLY’S forefathers emigrated from Germany several generations ago, and his surname has aroused a great deal of curiosity throughout his life.

Despite the absence of racing in his background, Schweida was sufficiently smitten to become indentured to respected Townsville trainer Les McLellan in 1972.

“He was a great horseman and a wise mentor, and I think his influence has remained with me throughout life. Stable life was tough back then. I got half a day off once a month, and my first pay packet contained eight dollars. Meals were thrown in, and Mrs. McLennan looked after me like a son.”

A mare called Rocky Girl holds a special place in Kelly’s heart. She was his first fast gallop, and his very first winner. At that stage of his career, young Schweida tipped the scales at 5 stone 11 pounds or 37kg (in today’s terms).

A promising young trainer called Brian Mayfield-Smith was based at Cairns in the early 1970’s, and often took horses to Townsville. “He used to stay in an old caravan at the track, and stable his horses on course. I’m proud to say I rode a winner or two for the man destined to reach the big time in Sydney.”

Schweida left his mark as an apprentice jockey, winning 150 races and three Townsville Apprentices’ premierships. He was just 18 when a near fatal car accident, terminated his riding career, and almost ended his life. ‘I was in Innisfail to ride a horse called Nipalong in the Innisfail Cup. A trainer friend asked me to drive to Cairns just one hour away, to gallop a horse for him one morning, and I was a victim of the dreaded micro sleep’.

As his new Mazda 808 coupe rolled, it crushed his right arm which had been extended out of the open driver’s window. His arm was badly damaged, and doctors were initially doubtful that they could save it, but the prognosis improved day by day. Kelly had to wear a plaster cast for one full year, but was grateful his fate hadn’t been worse. “To rub salt into the wounds, Nipalong won the Innisfail Cup with a replacement jockey”, Kel lamented.

Schweida’s training career began in Townsville, where for several years he worked a small team of horses before reporting for duty as a storeman at the Department Of Defence. He and wife Vera had two young daughters at the time, Jodie and Tina, who are still valued members of the team.

He trained at Townsville for around 13 years, winning the premiership in his final season. He’d been “testing the water” in Brisbane for a few years, taking a small team down during the peak of the Northern Queensland summer. Some of his all-time favourite horses were around at this time.

One of them was Harvey’s Gold which won nine races including three in town, but gave his trainer a huge thrill in winning the 1996 Townsville Cup.

Another Schweida favourite was Easy Dancer, a grey entire who had the impressive record of 13 wins and eight placings from 36 starts. Easy Dancer was by Celestial Dancer, as was Inside Edge, still rated by Schweida (back then) as the best he’d trained. Inside Edge won eight from 13 before a tendon injury halted his career. “He won six straight at one stage, and ran a close third to Cohort and Chief De Beers in the BATC Sprint”, reflected Kelly. “He was second emergency in the Stradbroke with only 48kg, and I gave him a super chance if he got a run. He missed out, and Rouslan who finished behind him in the BATC Sprint went on to win the Stradbroke”.

Vera Schweida stunned Kelly and the two girls in the early 90’s, when she announced that she wanted to ride in races. “Vera had been a terrific work rider for me, but I never imagined she would want to race ride”, said Kelly looking back on the shock news. “It took a bit of getting used to, but finally we relented and gave her our blessing”.

Vera went on to prove her point, becoming a very competitive jockey. “She won around 80 races, and still dines out on the fact that she beat Mick Dittman a couple of times in town”, Kelly said.

In the year 2000 the trainer was suddenly aware that he was facing an emotional upheaval, and needed to take a complete break before it got the better of him. “I’d been working seven days a week for close to 30 years, and it suddenly caught up with me. With the support and understanding of our owners, we closed the training operation, and decided on a complete change of direction.”

Vera knew she had to get Kelly away from racing, and enlisted the help of her brother who was an established barramundi fisherman in the Gulf Country. “And so began the most enlightening few months of my life”, Schweida recalled.

“Vera and I joined my brother-in-law and his wife, and two deckhands under the most primitive conditions I had ever seen. We lived in an open-sided tin hut, which had weld mesh panels in place to keep out the wild pigs and crocodiles. Daily rations of barramundi heads and entrails kept the pigs and crocs happy enough, and we rarely saw them near the shack. What we did have to battle every night, were enormous swarms of mosquitoes. If you happened to get your ‘mozzy’ net off during the night, these mongrels would eat you alive. With every passing day horse training wasn’t looking as tough as I thought it was”.

Kelly has great admiration for the work ethic of the people who fish the rivers of the remote Gulf Country. “When the barramundi are running they use dinghies to tow the nets, and they stay out until the job’s done. Sometimes they don’t even think of lunch until two or three o’clock in the afternoon.

“When they achieve their quota of 4,000kg of barramundi fillets, they load them onto a 12-metre long boat with freezer compartments below, and head off on a three-hour trip to the Aurukun Mission, 100km from Weipa. Here the barramundi consignment is sold to agents, who quickly get it on flights to all parts of Australia. While at Aurukun, the fishermen stock up on food and supplies, which has to last until the next consignment of barramundi is delivered.”

After many weeks of total isolation, Kelly was pleased to get back to the horses. He and Vera surprised family, friends and themselves by announcing that they were going to be parents again, and some months later another girl arrived. Samantha is coming up 14 (when this story was written), and like her sisters is horse crazy.

Several more nice horses passed through the Schweida barn, in subsequent years. One of them was Better Than Ready, winner of eight races from just 16 starts for $485,000. He won four Listed races including the Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick, bettering Northern Meteor’s track record. Better Than Ready went on to be stationed at Lyndhurst Stud.

Miss Cover Girl was an outstanding race mare for Schweida Racing, posting eight wins and nine placings for $848,000. She won the G3 P.J. Bell Stakes at Randwick and the G1 Tatts Tiara at Eagle Farm in 2016. Kelly watched the Tiara on a television monitor at Callaghan Park Rockhampton, where he later completed a unique double by winning the ‘Rocky’ Cup with Ruling Force (13 career wins).

Kelly thought the world of a mare called Nova Star, a daughter of Iglesia, who won seven races for $886,300. She came from an impossible position to win the G2 Queensland Guineas for Michael Rodd, who was also on board a year later when she won the G2 QTC Cup. Stathi Katsidis partnered Nova Star to win the Listed Silk Stocking, and G1 Winter Stakes (now the Tiara). With Jim Byrne up, she ran a slashing fifth in the 2007 Stradbroke, only 3.2 lengths from the winner Sniper’s Bullet.

Kelly marvels at the support he’s had from loyal owners down through the years. Owners like Talbot Heatley who gave him horses to train in Townsville years ago and continued to support the stable into his 90’s.

By his own admission, the family have to put up with a few of his quirks. Kelly can’t stand a picture hanging off centre on the wall, and he goes berserk if he sees a mat even slightly ‘skew-whiff’ on the floor. He claims to be completely useless at any job, other than training racehorses.

And he absolutely loathes mosquitoes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s been a long journey from success at Mingela to Melbourne and the Magic Millions but Kelly Schweida remains with his feet on the ground. Our photo (courtesy of the Johnny Tapp story) shows SCHWEIDA as a young apprentice next to leading Townsville trainer of the time LES McLELLAN after a win at Ayr, a track no longer used.

 

GOFUNDME PAGE FOR QUEENSLAND HORSEMAN WHO NEEDS HELP

WHEN it comes to hard times, the racing community is renowned for rescuing one of their own. That time has arrived again in the case of Brian Counihan, whose decline has been relayed by his good mate, former North Queensland jockey Andrew Cox.

Friends of Brian have established a GOFUNDME campaign. Here is Andrew’s story about his good mate for those who may not be aware of what has happened:

Many in the racing community know Brian Counihan as a dedicated horseman and a loyal friend. His life took a tragic turn on August 17 when he was kicked in the head by a horse, resulting in a catastrophic brain injury.

Since then, Brian has been in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at the PA Hospital, facing a long and uncertain road to recovery. The severity of his injuries has left him totally incapacitated, unable to work, and in need of ongoing medical care.

Brian has always been the quiet achiever, the one who shows up early and stays late, helping wherever he can. Now, he needs our support. This GoFundMe campaign aims to assist with his living expenses, rehabilitation costs, and medical needs that are not fully covered by the public system. Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant difference in his quality of life and help his family focus on his recovery.

Please consider donating and sharing this campaign with others in the racing community. Together, we can show Brian that the industry he has given so much to is here for him in his time of need. Thank you for your kindness and support.

You can donate by logging into https://www.gofundme.com/f/brian-counihan

Help Support Brian Counihan (61) After a Life-Changing Injury

 

D-DAY FOR DEAGON - FIRST BIG TEST FOR RACING MINISTER MANDER

RACING Minister Tim Mander faces his first big test in the eyes of many stakeholders when State Parliament resumes today (Thursday) and the future of Deagon Racecourse becomes much clearer.

One of the major assets of Queensland racing needs to be sold to ensure taxpayers aren’t forced to pay for some of the costly implementations of the Racing Review. With the decision to redevelop Albion Park, the obvious choice is Deagon.

But therein lies a major problem for the Minister and the LNP Government. Will they bow to political pressure from influential racing identities with major property interests at Deagon?

On December 9 last year, Ms Bisma Asif, the Labor Member for Sandgate and the State’s first Muslim, Pakistani and Punjabi Parliamentarian, put a Question on Notice to the Racing Minister which is due to be answered today.

Ms Asif asked:

Will the Minister

• Detail the process which will be followed to make this decision
• Advise what community consultation will take place regarding the future of the Deagon Racecourse and Queensland racing site in Deagon
• Advise the time-frame for any decision to be made on such a sale
• Guarantee all employees, local community and relevant unions will be consulted before any decision is reached
• If the decision is reached to sell Deagon Racecourse, provide a no job loss commitment
• If the decision is reached to sell Deagon Racecourse, guarantee no privatisation of this important community asset
• And guarantee that the local community will be consulted regarding the future of this site?

From the feedback that LGHR has received the stakeholders – especially trainers – are divided on this issue. There are those who feel that Deagon is an asset that the industry should not consider selling and others who believe that for too long trainers based there have enjoyed a ‘boutique facility’ courtesy of the closeness of certain individuals to those running Racing Queensland over a long period of time.

Whether real estate interests should be considered or not, many believe that one ‘hobby’ trainer with reportedly major investments at Deagon, Jim Murdoch, already has the Racing Minister and RQ on the ropes because of his expertise as a King’s Counsel (especially in racing issues) and the last thing the industry needs is a costly legal battle.

Stakeholders in general are calling on the Government to do what’s best for the future of the industry. They cannot afford to dip into the public purse to pay for racing projects when more important things like health, police, teachers etc are more worthy of financial assistance.

LGHR is tipping that once again DEAGON will survive. We don't think the Racing Minister has the 'balls' to tackle the strong political forces opposed to the sale for whatever reason.  

 

EVEN MM ADMISSION PRICE FOR PENSIONERS SEEMS A ‘BIT RICH’ – SURELY ‘GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS’ COULD HAVE SHOUTED THEM 

IT might be heavily-discounted but pensioners who like a big day out at the races still think it’s a bit rich for the Gold Coast Turf Club to charge them $25 just to get through the gate for Saturday week’s major Magic Millions Day.

If ‘Gerry and the Pacemakers’ spent just a fraction of what they do on entertaining freeloaders (from politicians to the mainstream racing media) during the Carnival they could have provided free entry for our seniors and thrown in a betting and food voucher as well.

We have been told that attendance to what is really the biggest race day of the year in Queensland - Stradbroke Day - was free to pensioners and veterans last year. The GCTC should take a leaf from the BRC book.  

Here are the General Admission Gate Entry charges for what is being described as ‘one of the richest and most renowned race days in Australia now worth $13.24 in prizemoney across 10 races, highlighted by the MM Two-Year-Old Classic and Three-Year-Old Guineas (worth $3mn each):

• Early-Bird General Admission: $50 (limited allocation)
• At The Gate General Admission: $70
• Concession, Seniors & Pensioners: $25 (available on the day only)
• Children (6-17 Years): $25 (available on the day only)
• Children (0-5 Years): FREE (available on the day only)

And that’s before you get ‘ripped off’ for food and drink. Pensioners will hardly be pushing their motorised wheelchairs to the limit or hop, skipping and jumping with the aid of their walking sticks to enjoy the action packed afternoon where the GCTC invites racegoers to:

Sip & explore their way through pop-up bars: XXXX Pavilion, El Jimador Bar, Hard Fizz Arcade, The Orchard Lemsecco Bar, Tempus One Chill-Out Bar and the Bundy Rum Barn which will include live entertainment from 2pm–6pm.⁠
Fuel up with food trucks and delicious eats throughout the precinct (Where one suspects a hot pie will cost in the vicinity of $8 and who knows what for a carton of chips).⁠
Pacific Fair Fashions on the Field showcase.⁠
Punters’ paradise, head to the TAB Clubhouse or TAB Stayer’s Lounge for all the action and atmosphere (after the poor old pensions have paid $25 for the privilege of losing their money..⁠
After the last, keep the party going with audacious, fun-loving icon DJ David Subritzky performing live at GG’s from 5pm–9:30pm.⁠

 

A SHOOT OUT AT EAGLE FARM – IT HAD TO BE OMEN BET OF THE YEAR 

THOSE who like to follow omen bets should have collected big time on one of the feature races at Eagle Farm last weekend.

It was rather ironic that Sun Worshipper, a horse part-owned by Wally Gleeson, would win the appropriately named the Shoot Out, run at Eagle Farm where he has had off-the-track dramas with the Brisbane Racing Club Board.

There was no sign of hostilities though when Gleeson and his fellow owners were entertained in the Winner’s Room after the race where Wally had nothing but nice things to say about the lady director who hosted his party.

Sun Worshiper was a great example of the old adage ‘never take a horse out of his comfort zone’ no matter how desperate you are to win a race. The decision to ride the four-year-old mare closer to the pace at her previous Eagle Farm start backfired when she dropped out to beat only one home.

Back to her normal tactics of being ridden quietly and with star apprentice Emily Lang in the saddle at the weekend, Sun Worshipper stormed over the top and qualified for a rich race during the Magic Millions carnival.

 

MEMO MATT: ‘YOU CAN’T PUT A POSITIVE SLANT ON EVERYTHING’ 

MATT STEWART is a local hero in the WARRNAMBOOL, whose on-air coverage focuses on promoting racing in the region and the local horses, trainers and jockeys.

But not everyone is a ‘fan’ of Matt’s ‘approach’ to broadcasting as evidenced by this email received after ‘comments’ he made covering Sunday’s Stawell meeting.

‘Matt Stewart is no doubt a good bloke but putting a positive on everything can make a mockery of his job of hosting race meeting in a region where they love him.

After a wall of horses fought out the finish of the third race at Stawell on Sunday when even the camera found it difficult to sort out the placings, Matt commented: ‘What a great call by Ric McIntosh.’

These were the wrong words at the wrong time. Ric called Dance Lady running fifth when it actually won the race by a wart causing one of the owners to highlight the mistake.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you look at how little separated the top five or six full marks to Ric for having a go. If you think he’s a ‘bad caller’ mate, give yourself an upper-cut. The punters love his colourful calls. Better still, tune in to legendary NSW country caller Col Hodges OAM. He’s been calling for over half a century, his contribution to country racing cannot be questioned and he’s a highly-respected gentleman of the turf. But Sorry Col, it’s time you hung up the binoculars!

 

DYLAN WAS DREAMING HOPING TO WIN WITH THIS TYPE OF RIDE 

WE had a couple of emails highlighting the ride of former Kiwi jockey Dylan Turner on Dream Lantern, favorite for the seventh at Ipswich last Saturday.

Neither was suggesting that Dylan should have been the subject of a running and handling inquiry but pointed out that this wasn’t one of his better rides and that the horse arguably should have won.

Here’s what the Ipswich Stewards reported:

DREAM LANTERN – Began awkwardly, steadied from heels near the 800m, checked and shifted out passing the 600m and for a short distance after was awkwardly placed close to heels. Held-up for a run from the 400m until passing the 50m where it was shifted to the inside of BOLD JULIUS in the home straight.  

DYLAN TURNER, rider of DREAM LANTERN pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under AR131(a), in that passing the 50m, whilst being ridden along, he permitted his mount to shift in when not clear of RUSSIAN SUB, resulting in the gelding being tightened, checked and lose its rightful running. Turner’s license to ride in races was suspended for a period of thirteen (13) days, commencing midnight 11/01/2026 and concluding midnight 24/01/2026.

EDITOR’S NOTE: DYLAN’S ride was luckless and Dream Lantern should have won BUT it was no worse than punters have to cope with every Saturday of the year from senior jockeys in South Australia where on most occasions the Stewards have little or nothing to say about it.   

 

THERE’S NO GUESSING WHAT GREG’S NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS 

IT'S a NEW YEAR but that hasn’t stopped the determination of Gold Coast-based Greg Blanchard to overcome the problems involving the use of Asian apprentices in Queensland in a bid to overcome insufficient riders for runners in the bush.

Here’s the latest contribution from GREG:

“LATE last year Racing NSW, to their credit, advertised for a person to liaise with Filipino and Turkish workers (I gather mostly track riders).

There is a shortage of track riders around Australia, as highlighted recently by South Australian trainer John Macmillan.

So it's time here in Queensland to finally do something about it. People will leave the industry or move elsewhere if they can't get their horses worked.

Once again I encourage RQ to implement CRICOS to enable young overseas riders to join our Apprentice School.

I saw an old text from 1/5/2020 that I kept from a person from the Training Department saying: ‘Good news is we are getting CRICOS.’

I've been told a lot of wrong information over the years and I’m sure it was to shut me up.”

 

‘LARRY THE LOSER’ WASTED NO TIME CONTACTING THE WA STIPES 

OUR story during the week about inaction of Stewards in some States, prompted ‘LARRY THE LOSER’ to relay another of his interesting punting tales of woe to publish for our readers.

It happened a few months back when Larry walker into the TAB at his Bowls Club with the aim of doubling the $100 he had in his pocket.

‘I was just having a much around when the young fellow claiming 4kg aboard the one I had backed stood up in the irons and stopped riding two or three strides before the line cause me (in my opinion) to miss out on third place. Not surprisingly, I let go with a few expletives along with the obligatory theatrics.

Other punters there just looked at me as if I was a madman. I brooded about it for a few minutes before I decided enough is enough and quickly found the email address of those who needed to know, and I fired off the necessary email (see below). Later when I got home, I found a reply email (see below). The rest is history as they say. 

So yes, stewarding is piss poor, but on this occasion kudos to the WA Stewards. The young fellow and his advocate must have wondered ‘how the hell did they pick that one up?. 

I have my own suggestions on what needs to happen to clean up racing in Australia for the betterment of all participants. But here are the emails that were exchanged:

Dear Mr REDACTED

Thank you for your email regarding your concerns about Apprentice Tsang (on One Punch in R7 at Pinjara). Please refer to today’s Stewards’ Report for details relating to Apprentice Tsang’s penalty for failing to ride his mount out to the end of the race.

Race 7: STATE WIDE TURF SERVICES HANDICAP – 1400m 

On inquiry, Apprentice J. Tsang (ONE PUNCH), the fourth placegetter, in the presence of a Riding Coach, pleaded guilty to a charge under AR131(b) for failing to ride his mount out to the end of the race, specifically over the final two strides. Apprentice Tsang was subsequently fined $300. In assessing penalty, Stewards considered his guilty plea, relative inexperience, and his explanation that the gelding had begun to lay inwards. Stewards were not fully satisfied that his actions materially affected his finishing position. Apprentice Tsang was reminded of his obligation to fully test his mounts to the finish to avoid similar inquiries in future. 

MY REPLY

From: REDACTED
Attention: Chief Steward Thoroughbred Racing.

Dear Sir / Madam.

I refer to the email subject matter.

Please take the time to review the stated race, specifically the last 20 metres.

For the record, I had $35 the place on the stated horse – hardly the national debt but still important to me. I know the young fellow is a 4kg claimer and the risks that go with backing the horses he is riding. However, he still has to ride his horse out to the finish to give it the best possible chance of gaining the best finishing position, even though that is only third place. He just can't stop riding and sit up on it 10 to 15 metres before the line. The margin between third and fourth was slim.

Regards 

REDACTED

 

HOW MUCH OF CLOSE TO $20MN IN STAKES DOES MM CONTRIBUTE? 

IT’S that time of the year when the Queensland Government (of any persuasion), the industry and the mainstream racing media bow and scrape to one of Australia’s richest men whose company benefits most from the Magic Millions.

Once again those stakeholders – owners and trainers who cannot afford to rub shoulders with the rich and famous buying million dollar yearlings – want know how much of the close to $20 million in prizemoney paid over two big carnival days is contributed by Gerry Harvey and his MM Sales company.

Those at the coalface, who have done the sums, say the majority of the $7.3mn and $12.5mn over the next two days comes from industry funds and supplementary payments made by owners of yearlings desperate to qualify for the big money races.

The lure of three $3mn races, one of $2mn, one of $1.5mn and four of $1mn sees cashed-up owners from all over the world do battle over several days of feverish MM Sales for some of the best bred yearling stock from many of Australia’s leading studs.

At the end of the day the biggest beneficiary is Magic Millions Bloodstock – a private enterprise company largely owned by Gerry Harvey whose wife Katie Page has done a marvellous job promoting a carnival that each year proves a bigger winner and attracts some big name celebrities, including Royals.

 

EVEN THE QUEENSLAND TAXPAYERS HELP MAKE GERRY EVEN RICHER

EVEN the taxpayers kick in to make Gerry and the Pacemakers richer with the Government alibiing its massive contribution on the tourist dollar that the MM attracts. Sure there are thousands who converge on the Gold Coast for the big races and the Sales.

But when it comes to heads on beds when Tom, Mary and the Kids arrive from Melbourne, they are there more for the family attractions (like Seaworld, Dreamworld etc) than the races and so are tens of thousands of others during the holiday period.

When the MM started to gain momentum some years back, Racing Queensland faced growing criticism because it was a ‘stand-alone’ meeting.

Those owners and trainers who could not afford to buy yearlings at the MM Sales accused RQ of a ‘restriction of trade’. They believed – and rightly so – that prizemoney allocated to the primary meeting in Queensland of a Saturday should have been up for grabs by all comers not just those sold at a ‘restricted’ sale.

Like it or not at the end of the day the big winner is Gerry Harvey and his Magic Millions Company which benefits not only from the stack of publicity that the two big race days attract but also from the massive profits of their annual Yearling Sales.

 

IT’S TIME SUPPORT MEETINGS RAN FOR METROPOLITAN PRIZEMONEY 

TO appease the critics back then RQ decided to program a support meeting at Ipswich or Doomben which many still believe should be for metropolitan and not midweek restricted prizemoney. Why should horses inelibigle for MM stay at home in their stalls for two Saturdays or race for second-rated stakes?

While the majority of races at the Gold Coast over the next two Saturdays are still exclusively for MM qualifiers, especially the Two & Three-Year-Old Classics, one of the features next weekend is a ‘slot race’ to be known as the MM Sunlight.

Eagle Farm trainer Kelly Schweida has a great chance of taking home the big money from two feature races this Saturday with Grafterburners and Miss Joelene (favorites for the Sunlight Slot Race and MM The Wave).

Grafterburners is an early $2.8 favorite ahead of Sydney filly Akaysha (trained by Peter Snowden), the David Pfeiffer-trained Ice Kool and another Sydneysider Swordplay (Bjorn Baker).

Miss Joelene is $2.6 favorite for The Wave ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott-trained Shangri La Miss and You Wahng from the stable of Newcastle-based Kris Lees.

The following Saturday, when $12.5mn will be distributed on Queensland’s richest race day, the Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven is $2 favorite for the MM 2YO Classic ahead of Tornado Valley (Ciaron Maher) & Ziplock for local training duo Chris and Corey Munce.

 

WALLER & SA RACING TOP BOOKIES NEW YEAR’S HONOURS LIST 

WHEN it comes to New Year’s Honours there were two big winners in the eyes of the Corporate Bookmakers and TAB’s across the country – champion trainer Chris Waller and South Australian racing.

For the second successive year some of our biggest Corporates have admitted that beaten fancies and upset winners from the Waller stable poured millions of punters’ money into their coffers.

Beaten favorites in South Australian racing proved an absolute goldmine for the TAB and the Bookies – little wonder the Corporates have been keen to reinvest some of those winnings in sponsorship of major races in Adelaide.

Waller is one of the best trainers Australia has seen when it comes to winning big races and producing stable stars. But in the bread and butter races – where he has more than half the fields on occasions in Sydney – these are a nightmare for punters.

No-one in the mainstream racing media wants to talk about the number of second-string runners that are backed to beat stable fancies. Nor do they care to mention how some favorites are slaughtered, how main dangers from rival stables wind up off the track or blocked for runs or how a runner contributes to the speed up front while a stablemate storms home from the back. Not suggesting anything toward just describing what isn’t a good look from a punting perspective.

Nor is the fact that on too many occasions Racing NSW stewards either see no problem with what we have just mentioned or when they do accept one of the 30 or 40 excuses that are well documented when the Waller stable is questioned – which doesn’t happen too often.

Perhaps the reason for the second-string runners upstaging stable favorites and the all-to-often form reversals is because Waller has too many horses in work. How does one keep a close eye with stables in three States?

As great as Waller is at producing Group 1 winners, the punters who bet across the board on a regular basis prefer horses from the Ciaron Maher stable. They regard him as a better trainer because his runners are easier to follow the form of and his First Lieutenant is regarded as an excellent ‘tipster’ pre-race compared to Waller’s who most say ‘talks in riddles’.

 

WHY DO SO MANY HEAVILY-BACKED FAVORITES GET BEATEN IN SA?

ANYONE who does the statistics on South Australian racing will tell you that backing a favorite there is a ‘wealth hazard’ – the number of shorties that get beaten is unbelievable.

So are some of the Adelaide results. Just look at the Christmas-New Year period when one of six favorites won on Boxing Day, three of 10 on December 27; two of eight at Gawler on New Year’s Day and one of nine at Gawler on Saturday.

It’s no better at the provincials – Strathalbyn on Sunday saw the $1.30 favorite Australia Power finish third (never looked like winning) and the favorite in the sixth, Greatestofease settle a distinct last and beat only two home.

We would like to tell you that Stewards queried the performance but as usual they were too tired after a big day out that their Report on the meeting had still not been posted this morning.

Trouble is the Stewards in South Australia seem too tired to even open an inquiry on some occasions when a favorite performs badly. Unlike NSW where the punters describe some stables as ‘protected species’ (LGHR refuses to believe the top stewards there would allow themselves to be victims of political interference), in SA it looks to be just a case of ‘laziness’ or dare we say ‘poor stewarding’. They make ‘the Adams Family’ in Queensland look like geniuses.

While many favorites continue to perform like mules in SA, some of the plunges being landed on outsiders without a question being asked continues to amaze punters. On form you wouldn’t back these horses to win at Oodnadatta.

 

STEWARDS NOT ‘WYLDE ABOUT SYMON’ OVER LACK OF INFORMATION

EVEN when they win, the Victorian Stewards aren’t backward in firing a shot across the bows of a top trainer.

Darkbonee was long odds-on and declared by all the top tipsters to win at Geelong but gave those who took the ‘shorts’ a big fright before falling in.

Stewards interviewed trainer Symon Wilde relative to comments he had made in relation to the gelding following its win at Sandown on 10 December 2025 and in particular the references  Wilde made to Darkbonee having been treated for skin issues.

Wilde explained that Darkbonee, following its most recent start, had suffered skin rashes and a boil which necessitated him altering the style of work he was able to do with the gelding leading into Saturday’s race.

Wilde added, however, he was satisfied that Darkbonee was fit and in good enough condition to run up to the stable's expectations. He was reminded of his obligations under AR 105 in that he must report any condition or occurrence that may affect a horse's performance in a race to Stewards.

 

NATION’S DE FACTO GAMBLING REGULAR DECLARES ‘BAD BOOKIES IN 2025’ – WHY PUNTERS SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF THESE PARASITES 

 FROM a 17-hour punting session raising no red flags to unsolicited marketing texts to problem gamblers, find out who’s been pinged by the nation’s de facto gambling regulator and been a bad bookie in 2025.

It oversees an industry which had a betting turnover of $42.4 billion, according to the NTRWC’s latest annual report, with more than 10 million customers placing 1.8 billion punts in the latest reporting period.

GERA KAKAOV & ZIZI AVERILL report for NORTH TERRITORY NEWS that among all those punts, sometimes the NT-registered bookies don’t always play by the rules, the NTRWC determined on more than one occasion last year.

From a 17-hour punting session being raising no red flags to unsolicited marketing texts to problem gamblers, read on to find out how the big bookies got pinged by the commission in 2025.

BETTING GIANT FINED TWICE IN 2024

THE NT Racing and Wagering Commission pinged betting giant Sportsbet twice in 2025, resulting in the bookie copping fines totalling $405,640.

Sportsbet was first pinged by the NTRWC in June 2025, after sending marketing texts to 30 punters who’d self excluded from the bookie’s services.

The bookie also sent a further 124 texts to punters who were “either on a short-term or long-term break” from Sportsbet’s services.

The texts were deemed a breach of the 2019 Responsible Service of Online Gambling code of practice, and the Commission fined Sportsbet $92,500.

In November last year, Sportsbet was slugged a further $313,140 fine for failing to issue activity statements on “18 separate and distinct occasions,” the NTRWC determined.

The statements were supposed to be sent to a “large number of its customers” between November 2022 through to April 2024.

Sportsbet first notified the NTRWC in September 2024 that statements could not be sent because of “several technical issues,” the NTRWC noted.

“The licensee advised that it became aware of the issue in late April 2024 after three of its customers contacted the licensee and advised that they each had not yet received an activity statement for April 2024,” the NTRWC wrote in its decision to fine Sportsbet a second time in 2025.

The NTRWC determined there was “a lack of internal audit controls” by Sportsbet, resulting in the breach.

“This failure to meet their obligations with respect to ensuring that each of its eligible customers received a monthly activity statement had a significant consequence in that at least 3,021 individual customers did not receive a monthly activity statement for 13 or more months,” the NTRWC wrote.

MARATHON PUNTING SESSION ENDS IN MAMMOTH REIMBURSEMENT

A 17-hour punting session, one of many over a four-month period, resulted in BlueBet having to pay back a punter $522,020.01 – the second time the bookie was pinged by the NTRWC in 2025.

Mr P first brought his complaint against the bookie in January 2022, with NTRWC deciding his marathon session – among other factors – was worthy of the fine and reimbursement in July.

In its decision, the NTRWC outlined four months of problem gambling by Mr P, with BlueBet further incentivising him by providing him more bonus bets.

In one 48 hour period, Mr P deposited and lost $45,900 – making more than 450 punts and not collecting his winnings, some of which were as high as $21,105.

On his first punting session alone, Mr P put down $40,000, placed over 250 bets, and spent 11 hours on the punt.

But his longest punting session was 17 hours, the NTRWC wrote.

BlueBet submitted that a phone call was held with punter to address his problematic gambling, but the NTRWC rejected this, instead determining the call was about “in part” about payment processing issues.

The NTRWC determined it “took less than 48 hours from the first deposit” before Mr P displayed signs of problem gambling.

“BlueBet did take some form of responsible gambling action by sending a generic responsible gambling email to the complainant reminding him of the responsible gambling tools available,” the NTRWC wrote.

The bookie gave Mr P “VIP status,” according to the Commission, leading to the bookie’s second breach in 2025.

BlueBet’s first fine in 2025 was laid by the Commission in May, from a complaint brought by Mr Y in June 2024.

Mr Y alleged he was allowed to reopen an account despite previously self excluding, and further was able to deposit $988 into the account.

BlueBet submitted the punter had fudged his details to open a new account, and after losing the deposit, he lodged the complaint, according to the Bookie.

But the NTRWC said “several core identifying data information fields did match,” and wrote that online bookies need to “maintain and continuously enhance their systems to prevent such occurrences”.

BlueBet was fined $17,952 by the NTRWC for the breach, and ordered to reimburse Mr Y the $988.

BOOKIE PINGED FOR ‘INADEQUATE’ APPROACH

IN February 2025, BoomBet was slapped with a $17,952 fine and ordered to return $1,666.70 to Mr C after the commission determined the bookie did not have sufficient responsible gambling procedures in place.

The bets in question were placed between July and September 2023, with the commission determining they were lawful despite also determining Mr C suffered harm from his betting.

The punter lost more than $40,000 during the betting period, and emailed BoomBet “stating he had placed bets beyond his control,” the Commission wrote in its decision.

BoomBet responded by closing the punter’s account – but not before he placed more bets – and “as a gesture of goodwill” deposited $886.30 to Mr C.

Reviewing BoomBet’s processes, the Commission determined “there were multiple instances” where the online bookie should have flagged Mr C as being at risk of experiencing harm from gambling – despite him being in profit for much of his betting.

“BoomBet’s approach to monitoring the (Mr C’s) account was inadequate, and beyond sending two generic RSG (Responsible Service of Gaming) emails, no further action was taken to assess the (Mr C’s) situation in greater detail,” the Commission wrote.

The Commission wrote BoomBet has made “considerable improvements” to its responsible gambling practices, “including increased resources and the implementation of system-driven alerts”.

BAD RECORD KEEPING RESULTS IN FINE FOR BOOKIE

INTERNATIONAL bookie PlayUp – which operates in Australia, New Zealand, India and the US – was pinged by the NTRWC in March 2025 over a failure to record two phone calls made four years ago.

Playup was fined $13,345 for not recording the calls between Mr Q and his account manager on September 9, 2021.

During the calls, Mr Q alleged he was “enticed” to punt again with the bookie and reopen his closed account, and further alleged he lost $234,000 as result of PlayUp.

Playup submitted to the Commission that Mr Q’s account was not closed but “suspended”, and that the punter also did not tell the bookie he had problems with gambling.

The Commission reviewed Mr Q’s accounts with the bookie, a determined PlayUp did not try to entice the man to open an account with the bookie.

The man’s bets were lawful, the Commission determined, but a failure to record the calls was a breach of the bookie’s license conditions, resulting in the fine.

UK BETTING GIANT PINGED 

ENGLISH betting giant Bet365 was slapped with a $13,430 fine in April by the NTRWC over a complaint filed by Mr G back in 2021, where he alleged he was allowed to reopen his account while displaying signs of problem gambling, and before a self nominated closure period expired.

Investigating the complaint, the NTRWC analysed the three account closure options Bet365 provides: “self-exclusion”, “time-out”, or “account closure”.

Mr G closed his account four times with the bookie, but would reopen his account almost immediately after – such as two minutes after his fourth closure, the NTRWC noted in its decision.

Recognising his activity as emblematic of problem gambling, the NTRWC wrote that Bet365 sent a “web message” guiding Mr G to “responsible gambling tools” on offer to him, such as: taking a short break from having a punt; self excluding from gambling to prevent further harm; or setting deposit limits.

The bookie submitted that while Mr G “elected not to use” any of the “tools available to him”, the “web message” did lead to Mr G self excluding for three days after he considered his gambling behaviours, the NTRWC wrote.

But the bookie’s “tailored web message” did not go far enough in preventing problematic gambling behaviours, the NTRWC determined, leading to the fine.

“A primary responsibility of an online wagering operator is to protect the wellbeing of its customers,” the NTRWC wrote.

“When they notice repeated account closures and re-openings within short periods, they should treat it as a potential sign of problem gambling and take appropriate steps to assess the activity on the account further.”

Bet365 was also ordered to pay back $999 to Mr G.

‘SOPHISTICATED, EXPERIENCED’ PUNTER TARGETED BY BOOKIE

AN “unsolicited approach” to a “sophisticated, experienced, and wealthy punter” resulted in a bookie being slapped with a close to $30,000 fine in 2025.

Bet Deck was fined by the NTRWC in June, following a complaint made by Mr R alleging a representative from the bookie “contacted him directly to entice him to open an account,” the commission’s decision said.

The representative allegedly offered the punter bonus bets, but the bookie submitted there were no “red flags” from the man, who’d presented himself as a “sophisticated, experienced, and wealthy punter” who owned race horses in the UK.

Bet Deck further submitted “an individual not employed” by them was “authorised” “on a trial basis, and without remuneration” to act as an “affiliate” for the bookie.

In its decision, the NTRWC said the bookie did not challenge evidence presented by Mr R that a Bet Deck representative made “a number of unsolicited phone calls” to him.

While the NTRWC said there was “no evidence” before them showing inducement, given the bookie did not oppose or challenge the evidence presented by Mr R, it opted to fine Bet Deck.

The bookie was hit with a $27,540 fine by the NTRWC, who also found all the bets placed by Mr R with Bet Deck were lawful.

QUEENSLAND-BASED BOOKIE FINED

BRISBANE-based but NT registered bookmaker Crossbet was ordered to return $60 – and pay a $14,960 fine – by the NTRWC, after punter who was self-excluded was able to open a new account.

The complaint was lodged with the commission by Mr F in 2024, with the bookie slapped with the fine by the NTRWC in July 2025.

“Self-exclusion is a responsible gambling tool that assists customers to self-exclude themselves from their betting account either for a set period of time or permanently,” the NTRWC wrote in its decision.

“Once a time frame has been selected it should not be possible for the account to be reactivated for any reason until the set period has expired.”

But Mr F was able to “circumvent the automatic, initial checks undertaken by (Crossbet’s) third-party provider” to open his second account, a little over a fortnight after closing his first account, the NTRWC wrote.

“CrossBet has submitted that as the second betting account was opened outside of its responsible gambling team’s operating hours of 8:00am to 8:00pm, it did not ‘knowingly permit’ the Complainant to open the account.”

Despite this, “several core identifying information data fields” for the punter “did match”, the NTRWC determined, leading to the fine, and the bookie having to pay back the punter.

NO FOLLOW-THROUGFH BY BOOKIE LEADS TO FINE

A BOOKIE who didn’t do right by a punter was slapped with a more than $10,000 fine by the NTRWC – but all bets placed with the bookie were lawful, the commission determined.

Bet Right was fined $13,430 by the commission in September 2025, after Mr N lodged a complaint against them in June 2022.

Mr N alleged Bet Right did not follow up a phone call with him, after he raised concerns about his betting with the bookie back in 2021.

Because the call was not followed up, Mr N further alleged he “wagered beyond his means,” the NTRWC wrote in its decision.

An automated email was sent to the punter by the bookie, checking “to make sure you’re ok,” the email included in the decision read.

“Your deposit and withdrawal patterns made us think that you might be over extending yourself,” the email said, before notifying the punter his account was suspended.

Bet Right submitted no follow up call was made as Mr N was assessed as “low risk due to the absence of red flag behaviours,” and that the original email also “outlined available responsible gambling tools”.

But the NTRWC determined that Bet Right did identify “red flags and committed to a welfare call but did not follow through,” constituting a breach and warranting the fine.

 

TIME FOR S.D., ‘RICHO’ & LIZZIE TO ‘HEAD FOR THE HILLS’ – NOT TO MENTION PET HATE OF PUNTERS THE CORPORATES ‘TALKING HEADS’ 

PUNTERS can be a cruel bunch – especially those who prefer to watch the races from an armchair in the comfort of their lounge rooms – rather than pay for the privilege of losing their money at the track or rubbing shoulders with drunken ferals at the local pub.

LGHR surveyed a cross-section of those who follow racing from young to old – some betting regularly during the week, others only on a Saturday or Public Holidays – and it seems they have some pet hates.

Many who watch the regular Preview Shows on SKY and RACING.COM or listen in to the big tipsters on the radio have listed three top personalities as the most annoying – S D Marshall, Jason ‘Richo’ Richardson and Lizzie ‘I’ll Go Anywhere They Pay Me More’ Jelfs.

The overwhelming dislike of those who watch racing on TV is the increasing presence of the ‘boofheads’, headlined by Marshall, who promote the major corporate bookies and their ‘specials offers’ to suck in the mug punters.

Why does every show on racing.com have to include the presence of a ‘talking head’ from the corporates? In this area SKY leads the way by promoting only the TAB which pours the most money into the industry.

When it comes to the one the punters love to hate on SKY, it’s Richard Callander. Some of the criticism of the ‘not so big fella’ these days is so bad that we refuse to publish it. In a nutshell those who watch him on SKY don’t like his outspokenness, ‘love affair’ with Chris Waller and the fact he has bounced back from that ugly incident involving the sale of a horse to Hong Kong which cost his credibility plenty not only with the racing public but also some of his closest friends.

 

PUNTERS CAN BE CRUEL IN CRITICISMS OF HIGH PROFILE HOSTS 

IT seems that some of the bigger names on the racing channels, SKY, SEVEN and RACING.COM have fallen out of favour with those who spend race days in the comfort of their lounge rooms.

The three most high profile personalities that the punters we spoke to wish would ‘go to their rooms’ or ‘disappear from their screens ‘(not likely) in 2026 are Richardson, Marshall and Jelffs.

Here are some of the criticisms of them by contributors to LGHR and there were plenty in recent months:

‘Good old Richo seems to bob up at the races most whenever it’s a big day and wherever he can make the most political mileage. His attempt at comedy on Get On (Thursday night Preview Show on Racing.com) is finger-down-the-throat stuff. Pity there weren’t more Winter Olympics for him to cover so that he could head overseas and stay there.’

‘Simon Marshall loves to play the class clown – if you throw him in the same bin as Richo on Get On it’s an unsuccessful attempt to emulate The Footy Show. He can hang his hat on being a former top jockey but that doesn’t seem to help him tip winners, Worst of all he is just another ‘spin doctor’ for these terrible corporate bookies’.

‘Lizzie Jelffs is too pretentious for your run-of-the-mill battling punter. At Magic Millions we hear about the horse she’s got in the big race then low and behold another share in an import at Melbourne Cup time. There must be good money in hosting and tipping for TV racing shows.’

 

‘GET ON NOW’ LEAVES ‘GET ON’ IN ITS WAKE IN POPULARITY STAKES 

THOSE who like to listen to Saturday morning Preview Shows on radio (some simulcast on TV) have voted RSN in Melbourne panels ahead of SKY out of Sydney. They prefer tipsters Mark Hunter and David Gately, not that Ron Dufficy doesn’t have a big punter following.

But the show that wins hands down is GET ON NOW, not to be mistaken for GET ON or the ‘copycat’ radio show that Richardson and Jelfs compared during the Spring Carnival.

The favorite of the legion of fans who tune in each Saturday morning to GET ON NOW on RSN is David Strehlau, AKA ‘The Sultan’, not everyone’s cup of tea but his tipping skills are building a big following. The team that join him most Saturdays don’t mind calling a ‘spade a spade’ in racing (a refreshing change) and have a popular segment called ‘Go To Your Room’.

Our survey of punters, old and young, big and small, but restricted to those who ‘prefer to stay at home' than go to the races or the local pub, revealed:  

MOST POPULAR: From SEVEN & SKY: Bruce McAvanay, Greg Radley, Michael Maxworthy, Paul Joice, Billy Slater (for the role he played on horseback during the Melbourne Cup coverage), Ally Mosley, Chantelle Buckley, Kiaarn Holland (wish she was still doing a duo with PJ in Queensland) and Steve Hewlett (before being made redundant, the biggest loss of the year for Racing Radio).

MOST UNPOPULAR: FROM SEVEN & SKY: Richard Callander, Lizzy Jelfs, Dave Stanley (the jury is out on him but 2026 will decide), Ray Thomas (they feel it’s time he retired permanently not just from the Sydney Telegraph or take up a job doing what he does best, promoting Racing NSW and PVL) and Kirsten Duke (depending on who you talk to).

MOST POPULAR with Racing.com & RSN: Nigel Carmody, Kate Watts (wins hands down), Clint Hutchison (tipping-wise he should stick to Hong Kong), Gareth Hall (makes Felgate look second rate), Tim Yeatman (a rising star) & Charlotte Littlefield (a real charmer and a good trainer).

MOST UNPOPULAR with Racing.com: Jason Richardson, Simon Marshall, Lizzie Jelfs, Michael Felgate (doesn’t he know how to turn the punters off?) & the latest ‘Pom’, some say ‘Richo’ import, Olivia Kold, punters feel instead of a coldie they would be better off with cucumber sandwiches listening to her.

When it comes to tipsters: Mark Hunter, David Gately & Ron Dufficy are the most high profile but those building a big following are David Strehlau, Ben Azgari & John Kelton (but would his sidekick Terry McAuliffe please stop ‘cracking a fat’ every time this great judge tips a winner).

THE up and coming race-caller that punters have taken a liking to in Australia is Jarod Wessel from Queensland. Darren Flindell is quickly becoming the punters’ choice of the leading callers in each state, edging ahead of Melbourne’s ‘Benny’ Hill. It was a year when racing farewelled Terry Bailey who might not have been the best broadcaster but punters loved the way he shot from the hip.

 

'FLEMINGTON NYE RACING, PRETENTIONS, PROMOTIONAL NONSENSE'

REGULAR contributor PETER MAIR from SYDNEY rounds off the year with another interesting observation:

THE Flemington program, on New-Year's eve, has six of the eight races offering prizemoney of $65,000. Two 'Listed' races, 3&4, offer $175,000.  The other six are low-grade and overcrowded. Too many of the horses listed to run should not have been accepted as credible contestants.

It can be amusing to read what the Murdoch Media says in apparent contradiction of their obligation and, commitment, to be objective. The following 'blockbuster' prediction, published on Monday on both Punters.com and Racenet, is planted, pretentious, promotional nonsense.

FLEMINGTON crowd to surge for New Year's Eve blockbuster: Victoria Racing Club Chief Executive Kylie Rogers has revealed an ambitious goal to grow NYE into a blockbuster date on the Flemington calendar. Early ticket sales and dining packages point to a 12,000-strong crowd for Wednesday's twilight racing and even fixture, more than double  traditional  New Year's Day Flemington attendances in the past. "We get on average about 4,000 on New Year's Day...if we could turn 4,000 to 12,000 in our first NYE, I have ambitions to get to 30,000-plus in the coming years."

This is an illustration of 'hope is not a strategy' -- there is no point saying it on New Year's Day.

PS: ....... there is always a risk that RVL is learning, from RNSW, about how 'free tickets' allocated to guests of members can help in contriving popularity about a race day. As you also know there is not much to do in Melbourne, tributes in The Age routinely ask that only those who knew the deceased attend the wake.

 

LARRY DECLARES THE Q ‘SHIT SHOW’ EVEN IF IT HAS DRINK STATION 

OUR old mate LARRY the LOSER – believe it or not – has been winning on the punt, mixing his investments over the three codes.

Larry has been out and about, visiting various tracks and we might even get him to do a regular spot on LGHR in the New Year telling the punters what to expect when attending a certain venue.

Here’s his latest:

‘I am at The Q.

Flashiest Greyhound track, in fact flashiest racetrack I have ever been on.

I’m getting some stories ready for you, including no race form screens at all.

I spoke to somebody who looked like they were ‘the boss’. He told me a few stories.

No bookmakers and – believe it or not – only ONE TAB betting terminal.

For all the glitz The Q is soulless.

What a shit show.

But – unlike the big city gallops tracks – at least they have a water station, so one doesn’t go thirsty when losing his or her money.’

 

WISHING OUR VALUED READERS AND CONTRIBUTORS A VERY HAPPY, SAFE, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR WHERE YOU CAN FIND MANY WINNERS AND IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE DOING THAT WHY NOT JOIN THE INCREASING NUMBER WHO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LGHR LATE MAIL? Just text 0407175570. IT’S A LEISURE SERVICE, DOESN’T PROMISE ANY ‘GET RICH’ RESULTS BUT PRODUCES WINNERS TO RIVAL THOSE THAT PUNTERS PAY BIG MONEY FOR.

AS FOR OUR WEBSITE WELL IT CONTINUES TO ATTRACT MORE ‘HITS’, NOT SURPRISINGLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT QUEENSLAND’S NO 1 NEWSPAPER STRUGGLES FOR CIRCULATION, HAS A POPULARITY RATING OF ZERO AND SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN PROMOTING THOSE POLITICALLY, BUSINESS AND SPORTING WISE WHO ARE ‘MATES’ OF THE EDITORIAL TEAM RUNNING THIS ‘ONCE GREAT NEWSPAPER’ THAT IS NO LONGER FIT TO BE PART OF THE MURDOCH STABLE. HOPE SOMEONE SENDS THIS TO THE GREAT MAN at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

NEW YEAR WISH-LIST FOR THREE CODES OF RACING IN QUEENSLAND 

HERE’S the NEW YEAR wish-list from a majority of industry stakeholders and the racing public that LGHR has surveyed. One hopes that Mary Collier and her team, appointed by Minister Tim Mander to implement recommendations of the Racing Review are listening.

MOST important from an industry perspective is to obtain the cash needed to make things happen without digging into the public purse already stretched by more important needs associated with health, hospitals and aged care, police, teachers and addressing youth crime.

With Albion Park set for a massive upgrade and no longer on the market, the industry needs to sell one of its most valuable assets (property wise) and that is Deagon. With the racing and training facilities available at Eagle Farm, Doomben, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Ipswich there is no longer the need – nor can the industry afford to finance – a boutique venue at Deagon for a handful of trainers.

Most believe it’s time the ‘privileged few’ were moved on – the Apprentices’ Training Centre relocated to the Gold Coast – and Deagon sold. It should attract hundreds of millions, unlike the $4 million the old Brisbane Turf Club received when they were forced to sell it to finance a new grandstand at Doomben without any financial support from Queensland Racing or the Government at the time.

The general industry feeling is that for too long political influence has swayed the future in favour of a handful of trainers with major property and stabling investments there. When the Bob Bentley Board wanted to transform Deagon into a world class harness and greyhound venue they stopped it. Enough is enough.

Surely these ‘real estate speculators’ have made enough millions out of their property purchases at Deagon. If the facility is sold for unit or shopping centre development it should not affect the value of their properties which have already increased significantly since purchase, even if stabling in the area was to be discontinued.

 

COULD THE SALE OF DEAGON BE CHALLENGED IN THE COURTS? 

DEAGON could be the test case for how effective Mary Collyer and her team will be in implementing recommendations of the Racing Review. The rumour mill suggests those trainers now based there won’t go without a fight.

The question doing the rounds is will the sale of Deagon be challenged legally. One of the trainers and property owners largely affected by its sale would be Jim Murdoch, a highly respected and successful King’s Counsel who doesn’t lose too many legal battles.

Do the Government and Racing Queensland have the sole rights to sell Deagon as owners of the property? It was Heritage Listed by the Brisbane City Council in early 2012.

The Racecourse, established in the early 1880’s is now the home of RQ Headquarters, which would be more suitably placed in the Hendra racing precinct. Latest reports suggest it is used by 12 on-course and 30-off course trainers preparing around 120 horses. It is also the base of the Queensland Apprentices School.

No doubt Ms Collyer and her team have or will be involved in discussions and negotiations with trainers before Deagon is sold. But this has to be independent of any political attempts to influence their decision making – which has occurred in the past.

The bottom line is: Heritage Listing aside, Deagon trainers could be accommodated elsewhere, as can the Apprentices School. Looking forward, which the industry needs to do, Deagon needs to be sold ASAP freeing up big cash needed to ensure other projects recommended in the Racing Review are implemented.

 

'HOT POTATO’ IS QRIC – WHAT PRICE INTEGRITY IN HORSE RACING?

AMONG the first of those has to be the Government’s promised contribution to a much-needed new Eagle Farm Grandstand which hopefully will not be for sole use of Members but as a public facility.

Just as important is the installation of new lights at Toowoomba which have been promised for so long with this pioneering night venue continuing to race under a band-aid solution since repairs were undertaken since a ‘blackout’ occurred last year.

QRIC remains the political ‘hot potato’ for the Government. Cutting costs of running it remains a problem but what price integrity in racing and let’s never return to the dark days of Queensland racing when policing, especially in harness racing, was virtually non-existent.

Who can forget when stewards were afraid to take action against the private trainer for then Racing Minister Russ Hinze or the Fine Cotton ring-in at Eagle Farm? And here’s hoping Stewards never again turn a blind eye to any prominent racing scribe receiving messages from the Sydney underworld on the Press Box phones and running ‘bets’ from the jockeys’ room to the bookies’ ring.

It is imperative that Kim Kelly takes up the role of Commissioner of Stewarding – move heaven and earth to keep him Mr Minister. Many are still worried about a separation of powers. Who can forget the days when RQ Chairmen – two in particular – had too much influence over the jobs being done by Chief Stewards? And the last thing the industry needs is a return to the days of ‘Dr Dolittle’ and his ‘First Lieutenants’ who adopted a ‘my way or the highway’ approach and dispensed with anyone – from Chief Stewards to CEO’s – who dared to disagree with them.

 

INDUSTRY HAS ALREADY WAITED FAR TOO LONG FOR NEW RQ BOARD

THE appointment of a newlook RQ Board needs to happen ASAP. Can you believe the one that Labor appointed well over a year ago still runs the industry albeit the former Chairman has now left after some might say hanging around for far too long?

What the industry needs is a Board with a Parliamentary overseer like Ray Stevens, an MP with more racing knowledge than anyone in the Government, who should have been Racing Minister long ago but for political roadblocks within his own Party.

Steps need to be taken to convince former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, the current Thoroughbred representative on the Board, to stay. The last thing racing needs is a Sydneysider telling us how to run racing in Queensland. The jury is out on the job Matt McGrath did on the Racing Review but he is certainly not needed on the Board or heaven forbid as Chairman. The mail is strong that a son of a former RQ Board Member will be front and centre when announcements are made and that sounds like a good move.

 

HERE’S KISS OF DEATH – WHAT LGHR & PUNTERS WANT TO HAPPEN

THAT’S what we’re reliably informed the stakeholders and the racing public want – now for the ‘Kiss of Death’ – what LGHR and those who pay for racing to survive – the punters – would like to see happen:

• A QRIC free of political or administrative (Government or RQ) interference with a panel of stewards who can make a difference. Not a do-little bunch headed by a Chairman who hasn’t held an Inquiry involving a top stable, trainer or jockey since Adam was a boy. And the replacement of seemingly ‘incompetent’ stewards outside the south-east corner, like the ‘I’ve Been Everywhere Man’ of the panel who would be better suited policing racing in Poland. Get on your hands and knees and beg Terry Bailey to return from Hong Kong and provide punters with the confidence needed to bet on the gallops and ‘red hots’ in Queensland once more.
• PROVIDING much-needed multi-million dollar cash injections for the industry through the sale of Deagon and refusing to allow political influence from those who have massive real estate interests in the area to halt proceedings. It’s time for an end to this ‘boutique training centre’ which for too long has served the purposes of a privileged few.
• JUSTIFY the millions being spent to ‘save’ Albion Park and reward a great supporter of the LNP, ‘Harness King’ Kevin Seymour with the fulfilment of his long-term dream even if the foundations of any high rise development sink into a watery grave created by the nearby Brisbane River. BUT if the worse performing of the three codes in Queensland – harness racing – is to benefit from this massive expenditure of industry and taxpayer funding, something needs to be done ASAP about the ‘jokes’ that continue on the track and the start arguably afforded to some big stables and trainers. It’s time the new Chief Steward, brought here to clean the joint up, got off his arse and did something about what continues to happen.
• STOP the ‘arse-kissing’ with those corporate bookies – including some big ones - who continue to ‘rob’ the industry and the punters. Show some loyalty to the TAB which arguably pours more millions into prizemoney than the ‘corporates’ would ever dream of. Dismiss any suggestion of reducing Point of Consumption Tax, like the Review under Matthew McGrath wanted to. In fact make them pay more.
• STOP pussy-footing around and install a new set of lights at Clifford Park, the ones operating now have existed since Toowoomba pioneered night racing and are reminiscent of the primitive oil lamps used by ancient civilisations.
• ADDRESS the governance, integrity and transparency issues that have dogged some clubs in all three codes in Queensland – ala the BRC-Gleeson family saga at the gallops; attempts by the Albion Park Harness Racing Club to return an under-siege CEO to his job before the Racing Minister intervened; and grading concerns at the greyhounds, not to mention the need to keep giving the Animal Liberationists a free kick with track problems at what has been dubbed ‘the killing fields’.
• STOP pouring public and industry funds into the pockets of one of Australia’s richest men during Magic Millions (a privately-owned sales company) and spend more on increasing prizemoney (we continue to fall behind NSW and Victoria), attracting a better quality of no-nonsense stewards (that’s if the powers-that-be are fair dinkum about policing racing and harness racing) and put a halt to the problem where owners buy horses to race in the country and bush, get them ready to race only to find out there are no jockeys available to ride them (unbelievable).
• AND finally our suggestions for a Racing Board to run the three codes in Queensland where appointments are made on ability rather than politically. RACING: Catherine Clark, Graham Quirk, bush bookie Richard Turnbull (he’ll keep the corporates honest) & Matt Nicholls (publisher of the North West Daily and more aware than most about what racing in the bush and the country needs). GREYHOUNDS: Lyn Keep, David Brasch (respected stakeholder & media man who has held down many roles in the sport) & Mark Rowe (might not be known to many) but is a successful young businessman in Beaudesert who loves greyhound racing and has outstanding qualifications. HARNESS RACING: WHO Knows? Bring back David Fowler as a Board member; add Phil Purser (deserves an Order of Australia for pioneering racing websites. Knows the sport well and would even make a good Thoroughbred Board Member – probably too fair-dinkum for most to handle). Away from Phil, no idea, perhaps ‘Archie Butterfly’ – no-one knows more about the ‘red hots’ than he does. ONE MORE QUESTION? Why isn’t there a Punters’ Representative on these Boards – no group invests more in the three codes than them?

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS – if you don’t agree with our sentiments above ADDRESS ANY HATE MAIL TO ‘HAVE MY SAY’ at LGHR.com.au.

 

A COURT CASE WITH INTERESTING CONSEQUENCES FOR INDUSTRY

A TRACK rider who claims he suffered a career-ending leg injury after his horse shied at a parked car has launched legal action against two prominent Victorian trainers and a well-known breeder.

DANNY RUSSELL reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that Robert McKenna, 56, has filed a Supreme Court lawsuit for damages against Grahame Begg, Anthony Freedman and GSA Bloodstock, a breeding operation owned by billionaire Jonathan Munz.

In his civil suit, lodged on December 1, McKenna says he was riding a horse for Begg at a private training property at Mt Eliza, owned by GSA Bloodstock, when his horse took fright and threw him onto an unguarded steel post.

He broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg and needed extensive surgery. He claims the injury left him incapacitated, and he has not been able to work for almost six years.

Fifteen-time Group 1 winner Begg and the 2023 Melbourne Cup-winner Freedman train horses for Munz, and were based at his private training property, Pinecliff, at the time of the incident on January 24, 2020.

McKenna’s writ claims he was working his horse on a sand track when it shied at a car that had been “wrongly parked” near starting stalls by a ‘servant or agent’ connected to Freedman.

The writ alleges that Begg failed to ask for the car to be removed, failed to speak to Munz’s company about the steel post and did not carry out an adequate risk assessment.

The writ accuses Freedman of placing the track rider in a ‘position of peril’ and creating a hazard in an area that McKenna was required to ride his horse.

It alleges Freedman failed to heed Begg’s requests to not park the car ‘in an inappropriate location’ – an area that was ‘likely to cause the horse to take fright’.

The lawsuit also alleges that GSA Bloodstock failed to adequately guard the steel post, and did not display appropriate warning signs.

All three defendants are accused of failing to comply with occupational health and safety regulations, as well as failing to take heed of WorkSafe Publication Horse Stables and Track Riding Safety.

McKenna, who is being represented by Ryan Carlisle Thoms Lawyers, is filing for damages, claiming his accident happened as a result of the negligence of all three defendants.

WorkSafe is acting as the insurer in the case, but declined to comment. The defendants are yet to file a defence to the allegations.

McKenna says the fall left him with a deformed left leg, scarring, chronic pain, the development of deep vein thrombosis, post-traumatic stress and depression.

He says he was earning $1,113 a week at the time and expected to work until he was 67. He says he is likely to be incapacitated indefinitely.

The lawsuit says McKenna has not been able to claim hospital and medical expenses according to conditions set out by the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

Begg and GSA Bloodstock declined to comment when contacted by this masthead. Freedman was contacted for comment.

Freedman, who now co-trains with his son Sam, won the 2019 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas for Munz with Super Seth, a Dundeel colt that carried the owner’s red-and-white vertical-striped silks.

They also combined to win the 1200m Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington in 2024 with the now-retired mare Right To Party.

Begg has also had Group 2 successes for Munz, winning back-to-back Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick with Passive Aggressive in 2023-24.

 

ATTACK ON SIMON GLEESON BACKFIRED, HE'S MORE POPULAR THAN EVER BUT ANGER AT CM REPORT NOW HEADED TO LACHLAN MURDOCH 

GODFREY SMITH, a contributor with close ties to LGHR, has weighed into the debate over why The Courier-Mail took so long to do what he called a ‘hatchet job’ on Director Simon Gleeson who quit the Board of the Brisbane Racing Club in controversial circumstances well over a year ago.

Here’s what Godfrey had to say and many of the issues he raised were among ‘Whinges’ to LGHR which we haven’t published today because they were well covered by him.

‘ONE has to question the timing of the story circulated throughout the Murdoch Media on Simon Gleeson claiming he resigned from the BRC Board after fiery verbal disputes with several directors. That might be right but those close to the action say it gutlessly ‘covers up’ the real reason for his departure.

SIMON was frustrated by the lack of action from some colleagues on the Board and did what so often happens in that situation elsewhere. Ask the no-nonsense Peter Bredhauer about the dust-ups that occurred when he was on the old BATC Committee at Doomben and he will tell you if every time a Director resigned after swearing at a colleague there would have been no-one left to run the club. ‘It’s the Australian way. If these blokes at the BRC can’t cop a bit of a rattle up with a few expletives involved, they must be a bunch of pussies’. Bredhauer suggests instead of delving into what happened with a good young man like Simon, the CM should examine what happened when one of their own used to cover the races in Brisbane, have phone link ups to the Media Rooms at Eagle Farm and Doomben with certain undesirables in Sydney and run betting business from the jockeys’ room to the bookies’ ring right under the nose of the stewards who did nothing about it. Read the article on the new Victorian Racing Club Vice Chairman Jonathon Munz claiming in a phone hook-up with the Racing Victoria Board that he staged ‘a massive tantrum … yelling and abusing members of the Board”. One source told Fairfax: “His behaviour was appalling. There were personal attacks. He played the man.’ In the end they catapulted him on the VRC Board as Vice Chairman.

PERHAPS it’s time for Sir Rupert or his son Lachlan who now runs the show to move on the Editor of The Courier-Mail (Chris Jones) who was appointed in 2019 and in the eyes of many has over-stayed his welcome and got far too close to some of those running the BRC. Where is his objectivity and journalistic fair play when Mr Jones allows a story which farcically was run as an ‘exclusive’ while allegedly permitting another by one of his own investigative reporters to be closed down? We all know that The Courier-Mail struggles to break news but when you put ‘exclusive’ on something that happened over a year ago it’s a farce. Those who were aware that for some time Simon Gleeson’s father, Wally, was attempting to obtain a copy of the AGM Minutes of the 2004 meeting and to expose why his son really parted company with the BRC Board, claim the State’s leading newspaper placed road blocks in his path. The industry, loyal Members of the Club and the racing public deserve an explanation from Mr Jones of not only why the story done by one of his own journalists was canned but also why the latest one on Simon Gleeson was run. Those close to how the mainstream racing media works in Queensland also want to know why Greg Stolz, the Head of the Gold Coast Bureau of the CM, wrote the story that appeared this week when there are many Brisbane-based journalists capable of doing so. Surely it wasn’t because it would have been embarrassing after a story written locally never saw the light of day and the locals would have been upset. Some say Stolz and Jones have an association dating back to days at the Hobart Mercury. Who knows?

A MESSAGE TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE – and in the country they are in their thousands – who are upset by the story written about Simon Gleeson and the timing of it, don’t bother contacting the Editor of the CM, send an email expressing your anger to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He’s a ‘chip off the old block’, a respected newspaperman who I am sure wouldn’t tolerate what is happening  in Queensland if he was aware of it. Tell him, that like me, this wonderful masterhead is not even worthy of wrapping fish and chips in now and moreso even whipping your arse on.

EDITOR’S COMMENT: LGHR has never met or spoken to Simon Gleeson. We have the utmost respect for his father, Wally, who is not only a supportive dad but is prepared to fight for what is right in racing and the way clubs operate. What we can say is that Simon has a mountain of support in the country. Instead of driving him away from racing, the Minister should be targeting young, enthusiastic people like him for important roles ensuring the sport gets out of the rut of being run by Directors using it as a Saturday afternoon ‘pigs in the trough’ social situation for themselves and their mates, not to mention feeding their own political appetites by getting the right people in business, politics and the media on side. So what if Simon let off a bit of steam. Painting him as some sort of ‘angry and uncontrollable young whipper-snap’ achieved one goal – shotting themselves in the foot. The Government and the newlook Racing Queensland, should be encouraging more young, enthusiastic and popular racing and business identities with knowledge of the bush and the city, to stay involved – not driving them away. As for The Courier-Mail this sort of ‘one-sided combined with protective’ journalism will only further dismantle the fine reputation the State’s leading masthead once had. Its circulation is falling, have a look how many people read it a decade ago compared to now and it seems to rely almost entirely on advertising revenue from Harvey Norman. There goes any chance of Magic Millions criticism where one of the country’s richest men is basically ‘paid’ by the Government and the racing industry to run race meetings associated with Yearling Sales that pour more millions into his pockets.     

 

MASTERS AND SERVANTS: RACING NSW AND THE NSW GOVERNMENT 

WITH all the bad publicity that racing in NSW is receiving courtesy of an Administrator being appointed to run the Australian Turf Club and subsequent court action challenging that, regular and respected SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR offered his thoughts on the situation:

‘NSW racing is in disarray at the administrative level.

A 'mad' Spy v. Spy story is unfolding with no one knowing 'where to look' next.

RNSW has masterfully played a crushing hand, displacing Melbourne racing as the best. 

Along the way RNSW is accumulating a reputation for aggressively taking over control of the NSW industry --- at the expense, not least, of race clubs with substantial respected histories (as well as of the wider community). 

The saying 'who holds the purse strings'.....has 'the power to control and decide how money is spent'...is resonating as a practicality and now also reverberating through the courts as resistance sets in.

Not surprisingly, the noisily sharp focus is on RNSW.

In my mind, however, the purse-power is much more diffused...the unshakeable bipartisan commitment of the NSW Government to protect rural racing has found a co-operative ally at RNSW.

Understanding what has happened in the administration of racing in NSW is assisted by what RNSW recently said when opining on the 'way' to save British racing:

The essence of that advice was to mirror the formula for the success of Australian racing -- have a good relationship with the Government and, from the Government, get 'all' the funds for racing from an earmarked share of the racing tax-take.

This is sound advice perhaps but unlikely to find favour in the House of Commons.

As I see the game being played in NSW, it is driven by politicians wanting to protect rural racing -- generously funding its 'dead loss' commercial irrelevance -- possibly because who winsGgovernment now depends on winning rural racing electorates. 

The 'hands-off racing'  is so bipartisan that the, so called, review of NSW racing legislation  is not only chaired by a 'former' politician recruited from the party nominally opposed to the Government,  it expressly eschews any review of the funding and unquestionable independence of RNSW. 

So, as I see things it is a 'marriage of convenience' not well suited to the broader public interest -- RNSW gives the politicians what they want while they give RNSW more exclusive control of the money to do what they want. 

This, with the discretionary power to brook no opposition -- including an 'open cheque book' to ensure that any backbiting, calumny and detraction is discouraged.

A long story is still unfolding.’

 

‘DOGS’ DOUGIE TRIED TO COCK HIS LEG ON LGHR BUT ALL HE MANAGED TO TO WAS MISSFIRE & PISS ON HIMSELF

‘DOGS’ DOUGIE from BRISBANE has given LGHR an upper-cut over a story we ran last week on the greyhound industry. He didn’t have the balls to include his ‘real name’ but we published his ‘Whinge’ simply because it was a personal attack.

‘THE story you wrote calling Lynette Keep a ‘guardian angel’ of the greyhound industry in the work she did as a consultant to the Racing Review was finger-down-the-throat stuff.

There are those who remember the days when you were regularly in the company of Ms Keep in her younger days. So how much of this story was what you really felt about the job she did and how much of it were memories of your past friendship with her?

Opinions are mixed on the contribution Lynette and her family have made to the greyhound industry. Apparently she got the ‘gig’ as a consultant because of closeness to a Gold Coast MP. Many don’t believe she had the right credentials or background to do the job, was too close to the ‘wrong’ people and don’t support your fawning bouquets for the job she did.

Read this report in the BRISBANE TIMES by CAMERON ATFIELD, which of course has been ignored by The Courier-Mail and LGHR if you believe things are so ‘hunky-dory’ since the Racing Minister started listening to Lynette Keep:

RACING Queensland considered temporarily abandoning its new $90 million flagship facility if the spate of deaths at the troubled Ipswich track continued.

Documents obtained through right to information legislation show Racing Queensland decided to return to Albion Park if conditions at The Q, a newly built $90 million racing complex at Purga near Ipswich, continued to be unsuitable for racing.

The revelations come days after the death of another greyhound at The Q – the 21st to die from injuries sustained at the track this year.

Racing at The Q was suspended in July due to unsafe conditions, leading to the cancellation of the annual Brisbane Cup.

Meeting minutes obtained by this masthead show the Racing Queensland board decided to move greyhound racing back to its former home at Albion Park if The Q’s problems continued.

That was to happen in the “event of further track failures at The Q” but greyhound races would not otherwise be scheduled at Albion Park, now predominantly a trotting track.

Data presented to the board showed an injury rate at the two-turn Q2 Parklands track of 3.73 per cent and a mortality rate of 0.25 per cent, meaning one in every 400 greyhounds that raced at on that track perished.

A month earlier, on June 25, board meeting minutes showed optimism about The Q, despite its deadly operational start.

Q2 was expected to have a higher injury rate than the one-turn Q1 in the same complex, the board was told, but features such as transition turns, radius and cambers provided “reason to expect improved rates over time”.

“As reducing serious injuries is an ethical imperative, a transition to a predominance of one-turn and straight track racing should be prioritised,” the FY25 Greyhound Injury Summary and Benchmarking report presented to the board found.

The same report sought to downplay publicity about the greyhound deaths at The Q.

The fall that killed Cool Hand Rio, the 12th greyhound to die as a result of racing at The Q, on July 22.Racing Queensland

“The Q facility has drawn media attention in relation to greyhounds sustaining injuries or being euthanised as a result of injuries. There are several nuances behind the headlines that warrant noting,” the report says.

“To 30 June, 12 greyhounds were confirmed as being euthanised as a result of sustaining injuries during racing (4) or trialling (8) at the venue. The majority of these greyhounds were euthanised off-track (7), despite the [Race Meeting Injury Scheme] being available to cover the cost of treating the injuries [redacted text follows].

“The reporting of serious injuries and fatalities and subsequent off-track euthanasia for trials was unique to The Q during the period of familiarity trials overseen by stewards, with no other jurisdiction currently publishing trial data.”

The documents showed trainers were “now happy” with the track in July, yet the deaths continued to mount. By October, the toll had risen to 16.

The documents’ release to this masthead came as yet another greyhound death was recorded at The Q, bringing the total to 21 since races started in March.

The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds reported the death of Dynamic Ethics, following a serious leg injury on Q Straight last Monday. The FastTrack database showed she was dead by Wednesday.

Less than a month earlier, and after the release of a damning report that found poor track design has contributed to greyhound deaths, Casemiro Magic suffered a serious leg injury on November 20. The FastTrack database showed he was dead by December 9.

Among the governments responses to a review into Queensland racing industry were a new greyhound retirement program and a dedicated greyhound racing media team that would “better recognise the sport’s social contribution, ownership benefits and commitment to strengthening animal welfare”.

“The industry is more interested in creating a propaganda unit than addressing the systemic failures of greyhound racing in Queensland,” Coalition president Amy MacMahon said.

“The state’s animal protection groups are urgently seeking a meeting with Racing Minister Tim Mander to discuss the ongoing failures.”

Mander declined to comment.

The report into The Q’s three tracks – a large one-turn track, a two-turn track and a straight track – was released in mid-October.

It found faulty track designs had contributed to the deaths of 11 greyhounds in less than five months of racing after The Q’s opening. The toll has almost doubled since then.

“The Q is supposed to be the benchmark for greyhound racing but has become a taxpayer-funded, deadly nightmare for dogs. It has claimed at least 21 lives,” MacMahon said.

“Even the straight track at The Q, supposedly the safest form of racing, is killing greyhounds.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: YOUR criticism of any past friendship I had with Lyn Keep is drawing a long bow mate. I haven’t spoken to her in years and had no agenda in writing what I did. She was born into family with a love for greyhound racing and has shared that passion throughout her life. I stand by my comments that the sport will be much better thanks to what Lyn is trying to do.          

 

JONATHON MUNZ QUOTES ‘THE GODFATHER’ & HAS A PRIVATE JET – SOME SAY HE WIELDS TOO MUCH POWER IN VICTORIAN RACING 

DANNY RUSSELL & CAMERON HOUSTON wrote this story published in THE AGE which we reproduce courtesy of FAIRFAX MEDIA:

BARELY five minutes into a Racing Victoria phone conference, billionaire racehorse owner Jonathan Munz ran out of patience.

Munz – who last Friday agreed to join the Melbourne Racing Club Board as Vice Chairman – had dialled in from a holiday in France and could no longer tolerate hearing the industry’s new CEO Andrew Jones explain his vision for the future.

Jones had been hire as an agent of change in July 2022 and had quickly driven an agenda to lure young fans back to the sport.

In February the next year, he announced plans to reorder the time-honoured spring racing calendar, added a 10th race to Saturday meetings to boost wagering, and was forecasting millions of dollars in prizemoney cuts.

There were even suggestions that Jones and his executive team of Ben Amarfio and Matt Welsh would move the Melbourne Cup to December.

Munz, a wealthy breeder, owner and racing traditionalist, could not stomach the ideas. To him, none of the changes made sense.

But there are two versions of what happened next as anxious stakeholders, the Racing Victoria executive team and agitated board members argued their points of view.

Some with knowledge of the virtual meeting say Munz’s anger came thundering down the phone. One critic of Munz told his FAIRFAX that the businessman had “a massive tantrum … yelling and abusing members of the board”.

“His behaviour was appalling,” the source said. “There were personal attacks. He played the man.”

Others disagreed. They say Munz called the meeting in the first place, acting on behalf of a “participation alliance”, hoping Jones and the Racing Victoria board would “listen to reason” and dial back their ideas.

“But it became apparent they weren’t listening to anything we [the stakeholders] were saying,” an insider said.

“They were trying to provoke and bait Munz, to get a rise out of him. He was reasonably blunt but professional and polite. They were rude to him, not the other way around.”

The tone of the phone call might be disputed, but there is no doubting what happened next: Munz went on a crusade to get rid of Jones.

He privately told Jones that he was coming for his job, and publicly called for him to be sacked.

Less than 12 months later, Jones was gone.

The Age spoke to more than 20 people involved in various levels of racing across several months to understand Munz and his powerful influence on Victorian racing. Some declined to comment, others requested to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Munz and Jones both declined to be interviewed for this story.

HOW MUNZ MAKES THINGS HAPPEN

Munz moved a step closer to racing’s coalface last Friday when he agreed to join the Melbourne Racing Club Board as Vice Chairman, filling a three-year casual vacancy created by the resignation of John Kanga, the former chairman who stood down on the eve of the Caulfield Cup carnival. Munz will remain as Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association chairman.

In the past, Munz has used his position as chairman of the association to file a motion for an emergency general meeting to spill the Racing Victoria board.

In February last year, he called for five directors to be removed because they wouldn’t sack Jones.

The motion was lost after a flurry of last-minute phone calls between racing clubs and Racing Minister Anthony Carbines’ office but ultimately, it had the desired effect.

Sensing he had lost the support of the board, Jones resigned in April 2024. Amarfio and Welsh followed him out the door.

“The Board should have moved against him after the EGM because he lost; he didn’t get the votes,” a critic of Munz said.

“But they didn’t. He won the power struggle, and then he took control of the Melbourne Racing Club.”

Munz formed an alliance with Kanga and, according to a supporter, helped orchestrate a plan in August last year to overthrow the MRC board.

“He wields too much power,” said one concerned source, claiming the Racing Victoria constitution allows individuals to build voting blocs by installing allies in positions of power. “It’s an integrity issue for the industry.

“In my view, it can only stop by the government – and it would have to be bipartisan – saying we don’t think this constitution is fit for purpose any more, and we are going to change it.

“Name one regulatory body where those who are regulated can overthrow the regulator. It’s bizarre.”

When Carbines was approached for comment, a Victorian government spokesperson said: “Racing Victoria is an independent company established under the Corporations Act, and its constitution is a matter for its members.”

MUNZ’S FIVE-POINT PLAN

Munz’s vision for the future of racing in Victoria, as outlined in a series of press releases on the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association website, has taken shape in the past year.

He called for prizemoney for the All-Star Mile to be slashed. Tick.

He demanded Racing Victoria cut $10 million of “spending wastage” and slash another $10 million from its integrated media businesses, such as Racing.com. Tick and tick.

He insisted that prizemoney should not be cut, even following the alarming drop in wagering after the COVID-19 sugar hit. Tick.

He called for regular stakeholder meetings at Racing Victoria to ensure all parties were across any proposed changes – because “consultation means you make less mistakes”. Tick.

He said Melbourne Racing Club had to fix its spring calendar. He wanted the Thousand Guineas moved back to Caulfield Cup week for a start. Tick.

He called for the group 1 Orr Stakes and a new three-year-old fillies race to be staged at Caulfield on the Saturday after Melbourne Cup week. Tick and tick.

All these things, according to those who side with Munz, were for the betterment of the industry.

But not according to one detractor, who said it simply proved that Munz was in control.

“The only reason he’s got any power at all is because he’s the chairman of TROA and meant to be representing 70,000 owners who he never talks to,” the source said.

“Most of them wouldn’t even know they are members of TROA. This is an organisation that advertises its annual general meeting by putting a very small ad beside the death notices in the Herald Sun.”

When asked if Munz had too much influence, a Racing Victoria spokesperson said it had strengthened engagement by creating a racing forum for stakeholders under the leadership of chief executive Aaron Morrison.

“These forums have proven to be valuable platforms for transparent, collaborative dialogue on key industry matters, including race dates and prizemoney decisions which remain the responsibility of the independent RV board,” the spokesperson said.

“RV can’t always agree with every stakeholder’s views and there are plenty of times where we have not.”

VICTORIA'S ANSWER TO PETER V'LANDYS 

Munz is considered the most powerful and influential person in Victorian Racing. This state’s answer to NSW supremo Peter V’Landys, who wields immense power as that state’s racing CEO and also chairs the NRL.

Munz made his fortune working alongside his father, Philip, building an Australian plumbing supplies business into a global brand called Reliance Worldwide Corporation – an organisation that manufactured and supplied products for the plumbing industry, including pipes, valves and push-to-connect (PTC) fittings.

They floated the business in 2016, selling their shares for more than $1 billion by February 2019. Munz stepped down from the board that year.

Apart from thoroughbreds, Munz has a private jet and is a movie fanatic.

He has been known to drop lines from favourite films such as The Godfather into conversations and had a horse named Excommunicado, a term taken from the John Wick movies, starring Keanu Reeves.

“He’s always introducing himself as a billionaire,” one source said.

But rather than direct traffic from a position of power as V’Landys does, until Friday Munz operated behind the scenes.

While some paint him as a dark overlord or puppet master, others describe him as one of few people prepared to stand up for what is right.

He is either feared or respected for his ability to get things done.

“He has the intellect and ability to convince people on the right way to go,” a source aligned with Munz said.

But there is another side to Munz. He likes it known that he “can’t be intimidated, can’t be bought and that no one can leverage him”, the same industry source said.

If you can’t be convinced to join a Munz alliance, don’t get in his way.

“He will play the man if anyone gets in the way,” they added.

“More than that, he’ll shirtfront people if treated unfairly.”

Many have been critical of Munz for having too much to say from behind the scenes. If he wants to have an impact, they say, why doesn’t he join the Racing Victoria Board?

That position shifted slightly with his MRC board appointment.

A source close to Munz says that he “likes to have a positive influence in the background because it allows him to stay separate and be independent”.

But an opponent said Munz once told an RV meeting that nobody should be on their board unless they were worth $40 million because then they could not be “got at”.

A Munz insider said that quote was taken out of context. He said Munz believed that RV board members had to have the correct qualifications – a background in commerce or racing – the right intentions and independence, so they could make decisions without being “got at”.

He was suspicious of people beholden to a free lunch in a race club committee room, or dependent on a director’s annual fee. Racing Victoria directors are paid an annual fee of about $100,000, while race club directors are honorary positions.

His role as Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association chairman gives him leverage because the association is a shareholder of the regulatory body and has to be informed and consulted as part of the regular racing forums.

THE CAULFIELD CONNECTION

Munz toured the Melbourne Racing Club’s new $160 million facilities with Kanga in April last year.

Munz called the development “an insane waste of money”.

He helped Kanga form a strategy to topple the board and become chairman.

Nine months later, Munz’s associate Tanya Fullarton – who worked alongside him on the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners’ Association board – was named the MRC’s chief operating officer at the same time Tom Reilly was sacked as CEO. Last Friday, she was appointed the club’s new full-time CEO.

The Age reported in June that another Munz employee, Kenneth Neff, the manager of his Mornington training facility, was hired by Kanga on a $25,000-a-month contract to help prepare the club’s racing tracks.

Munz sat in on meetings between the MRC and Mount Scopus College before an agreement was reached in December last year to sell 7.5 hectares of land at Caulfield Racecourse to the Jewish private school to build a new campus.

A source aligned with Munz claimed the deal was in danger of falling over before he stepped in. The MRC said the Mount Scopus land deal was all completed through the correct channels.

The source said Munz, a former Mount Scopus student, saw the proposed sale as mutually beneficial.

The AGE revealed that Munz also took part in merger talks between the MRC and VRC in February this year when he hosted Kanga and VRC chairman Neil Wilson at his Toorak mansion.

Talks focused on bringing Flemington and Caulfield racetracks under one administration, and undoing 150 years of tradition by creating a super club that would oversee both the Melbourne and Caulfield cups.

Sources told The Age that proposed merger would have resulted in the two clubs operating under the VRC banner, with a combined board, while Wilson would act as temporary chairman before handing over to Kanga after 12 months.

Such an entity would also have created a strong voting block and a powerful voice at the Racing Victoria table.

RESULTS ARE VITAL

Munz is rarely seen at the races, preferring to watch from his Toorak mansion.

There is no guarantee that he will be at Flemington on Saturday to watch his filly, Getta Good Feeling, in the Wakeful Stakes or his superstar, Giga Kick, the following week in the VRC Champions Sprint.

He owns about 80 broodmares in NSW and New Zealand, runs a private training facility at Mornington called Pinecliff and races horses with several trainers across the state, including former Sydneysider Grahame Begg, Danny O’Brien and Clayton Douglas.

“He lets you do your own thing as long as you can get results for him, which is vital,” Begg told Fairfax last year.

“He’s a big investor in the industry, a massive investor in the industry. People don’t realise the amount of money he puts into it.

“So he likes to get results. But he is pretty meticulous with what he does. It has never been an issue to train for him.”

Munz has also ventured into political fields. The Age revealed in February 2023 that Munz’s company, GSA Capital, had paid $250,000 in membership fees to the short-lived Victorians Party, which folded two months before the November 2022 state elections.

A Victorians Party spokesperson said the payment was publicly declared and permitted under the Victorian Electoral Act.

The Age also reported that Munz was approached by Mitch Catlin – the then-Chief of Staff of former opposition leader Matthew Guy – in 2022 to make more than $100,000 in payments to Catlin’s private marketing business.

Munz declined to make the payments. Catlin quit his position as Chief of Staff to Guy in August 2022.

There are two perceptions of Munz’s views.

“He believes that owners and breeders put all the money in, while the rest are parasites,” a critic said. “He thinks the clubs are just social clubs. He has no respect for wagering input.”

But a supporter said Munz always fought for causes he believed would improve the industry.

“People go to him with problems because there is no one else to fix them,” the source said.

In 2022, he took on V’Landys over NSW’s refusal to pay other states’ licensed strappers their bonuses.

“In my view, it is fundamentally improper and unfair,” Munz told the AFR. “You can’t treat a worker differently for doing the same work in NSW, just because they live in Victoria.”

After his intervention, the strapper for his horse, Giga Kick, was paid $122,000 for their share of winning The Everest.

As ever, Munz got results.

 

MAINSTREAM RACING MEDIA NOW WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS 

SUPPORTERS of Simon Gleeson, the Director of the Brisbane Racing Club who resigned in controversial circumstances over a year ago, are questioning the coincidence of the timing of a story about him in today’s The Courier-Mail.

They are hoping it is not an attempt by the State’s leading daily newspaper, known to enjoy a cosy relationship with the State’s leading race club, to discredit Gleeson because of serious issues that he has raised regarding governance and integrity at the BRC.

Lawyers have advised LGHR that reports of a CCC investigation involving the BRC Board are ‘false, misleading and entirely without foundation.’ We understand how Directors are keen to distance themselves from this sort of bad publicity which reflects on their credibility. From our perspective, a complaint has definitely been made to the CCC who don’t make Media Releases about this sort of thing so all we can say is ‘time will tell’.

What we are more concerned about is how the mainstream racing media works in mysterious ways these days. Not a word has been written by The Courier-Mail about the war of words traded between high profile Club Member Wally Gleeson, father of former Director Simon, and the BRC Board in his battle to obtain a copy of the Minutes of the 2024 Annual General Meeting.

Gleeson snr was frustrated in attempts to have some form of media coverage of his unsuccessful attempts to obtain what Members are entitled to (in fact one of the recommendations of the Racing Review corrects an anomaly whereby Clubs will soon be required to release Minutes soon after the AGM and not a couple of weeks before the next one).

An investigative journalist from the CM was previously contacted by the Gleeson family and she compiled a report on concerns of governance issues within the BRC Board that were raised by Simon Gleeson. LGHR understands that an editorial intervention saw her story ‘canned’.

Along came the AGM and there was no coverage of the controversy that occurred behind closed doors over the failure of the Board to advise Members of the sale of an apartment to a company associated with then Chairman Neville Bell.

No-one was suggesting that Mr Bell did anything wrong. He was entitled like any other investor to buy the unit. Problem was the Board didn’t report the transaction to Members in the financial section of the Annual Report and many were not happy about that and attempted to stop the Minutes of the AGM from being adopted. That failed by a narrow show of hands vote.

All these things were happening – LGHR was providing reports of the battle between Wally Gleeson and the BRC Board – but The Courier-Mail and its scribes arguably turned a blind eye. Fairfax tried to attend the AGM but was told it was a 'closed shop'.

Then along came a dual Walkley Award winning journalist Grace Tobin who wrote an extensive investigate report involving what happened at the AGM at the BRC. She reported that ‘alleged governance failure and misconduct at the BRC’ had been raised with the CCC after Racing Queensland and the Racing Minister had failed to act on same. If we are to believe the BRC lawyers, the ABC like LGHR have been ‘misinformed on this issue’.

The question that those who have followed this saga are now asking is: Why the sudden end to the ‘silence’ on what has been happening behind the scenes by The Courier-Mail. The only one that can answer that is the Editor and we would love to publish his reasoning.

Failure to do so will only convince the critics that the story today has an ulterior motive. Having once worked for the Murdoch Media, LGHR cannot for one minute believe what is being suggested has any substance. Circulation is dropping, like with all newspapers, but it was once a great publication and a 'voice' of the people.

 

HEADING IN RIGHT DIRECTION WITH COLLYER APPOINTMENT – LET’S HOPE HER IMPLEMENTATION TEAM DOESN'T INCLUDE 'BUMS’ OF PAST 

RACING Minister Tim Mander should be applauded for the appointment of experienced racing administrator Mary Collier to lead the implementation of the Queensland Racing Review’s recommendations.

Ms Collier commences at RQ on Monday, December 22, and will establish an implementation team to progress the Review’s recommendations endorsed by the Queensland Government, with a roll out plan to be developed in the New Year.

This includes significant legislative reform, operational changes and infrastructure works to deliver on the recommendations.

Earlier this month, Racing Minister Tim Mander provided the Government’s response to the independent review - click here to see The Next Lap - which was overseen by Matt McGrath with assistance from Kym Daly, Lynette Keep and Scott Neaves.

More than 1,200 stakeholders, owners, trainers, breeders, clubs, racing fans and animal welfare advocates contributed to the review, with the Government accepting more than 100 of its recommendations in full or in part.

Minister Mander said measures outlined in The Next Lap would be implemented in a staged manner.

“The Crisafulli Government has delivered a plan which presents an opportunity for generational change in Queensland racing,” Minister Mander said.

“RQ has been tasked with implementing the reforms outlined in The Next Lap, and I look forward to a timeline being handed to government by April 2026.

“Mary Collier’s extensive background in racing administration and positive relationships across the industry made her the ideal choice to lead this process.”

Having been involved in the racing and wagering industry for more than two decades, Ms Collier has previously held senior executive or board roles within RQ, the National Jockeys' Trust, the Brisbane Turf Club, industry associations and wagering bodies.

Most recently, Ms Collier has served as the President of Tattersall’s Racing Club and Vice President of Tattersall’s Club, where she was the first woman in its 140-year history elected to the board.

“I truly believe everyone in the industry has a role to play to secure the long-term strength of racing in Queensland,” Ms Collier said.

“The Next Lap provides the clear roadmap, but it’s what comes next that is critical to the plan’s success.

"As recommendations move into implementation, ongoing consultation and constructive cooperation across the industry are paramount as is disciplined sequencing and transparency.

“It is an equally exciting and challenging time, and I can’t wait to get started.

“In accepting this role, I have also resigned from my role as President of Tattersall’s Racing Club to ensure best practice governance and independence.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: It seems an appropriate time to recall something that happened involving Mary Collier when LGHR was Communications Manager for Racing Queensland in the Bob Bentley era. I felt it was a significant milestone when Mary became the first lady elected to Chair a Metropolitan Race Club in Australia. This was a time when the Brisbane Turf Club was a separate entity to the Queensland Turf Club. I went ahead and did a feature on Mary for the Queensland Racing Calendar and in no time was told by Chairman Bentley that it had to be canned.  Bob didn’t like Mary for some reason but said it was an instruction from Dr Bob Mason who was at that stage Head of Integrity. It turned out Mary was in the same class at High School as one of Mason’s First Lieutenant’s and there were some skeletons in the closet leading to bad blood between the pair. On this occasion I stood my ground and published the story much to the protestation of the trio who were then running the show at RQ. Sadly, that was to end and within weeks I lost my editorial responsibility. The rest is history and I won’t go into detail about the Kangaroo Court that followed. That will make good reading in the book I am writing and what the ‘real’ story was behind the scenes. Mary Collyer is the right person for the role she has now be chosen. I just hope she picks the right people for her implementation team and not some of the 'bums of a bygone era' who sadly seem to have the ear of the Minister pushing their personal political platforms and objectives.  

 

RACING NSW NEEDS TO GET ITS OWN HOUSE IN ORDER IF IT WANTS TO BE THE LEADING STATE – OFF TO COURT WE GO WITH THE ATC 

THE Board of the Australian Turf Club has claimed Racing NSW has lost its way as an industry regulator as the warring parties go head-to-head in a Sydney courtroom.

CHRIS BARRETT reports for FAIRFAX MEDIA that the ATC, which owns and operates major racecourses in Sydney, launched legal action in the Supreme Court after racing’s controlling body announced on Monday it was removing the club’s board and placing its affairs into the hands of administrator.

The directors are fighting their dismissal, arguing in court on Thursday that Racing NSW, whose chief executive is Peter V’landys, had acted beyond its authority in moving to unseat them.

“This is a regulator that has lost its way,” said Scott Robertson, SC, appearing for the four remaining members of the ATC board including Chairman Tim Hale, who was in court.

“This regulator has taken it upon itself to effectively act as a supervisor for the decisions of my client,” Robertson told the court, saying the dispute seemed to have at least started as a disagreement over the proposed $5 billion sale of Rosehill Gardens racecourse.

The ATC board was split over selling the track, which is owned by the club, with former chairman Peter McGauran having been the most prominent advocate for the plan and Hale and others on the ATC board resisting it.

McGauran stepped down in July, two months after the sale was voted down by club members, and was followed out the door by the resignations of two other directors in September days after the sacking of ATC CEO Matt Galanos.

Racing NSW said it intervened due to serious financial and governance concerns and a breakdown in trust with the leaders of the race club and an erosion in confidence in them to perform their duties.

It opposed the ATC board’s request to suspend the instalment of an administrator until the case can be heard in full in February.

Racing NSW’s counsel, Oliver Jones, SC, told the court it was concerned about the ATC meeting its financial obligations during that period and it was “having to prop up the club with tens of millions of dollars of funds”.

“Racing NSW is the most exposed financially to the affairs of the ATC,” Jones said. “Our concern is that this club, under its board directors, has allowed itself to get into a position where it cannot maintain solvency unless large amounts of money are guaranteed by Racing NSW.”

Of particular issue according to the V’landys-led organisation is a $30 million loan the club has with the Commonwealth Bank, which is due in late 2026 and for which Racing NSW is the guarantor.

Jones told the court Racing NSW had a broad suite of powers under the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Act including the authority to appoint an administrator to a race club.

The ATC directors have maintained the club is solvent, with $22 million in the bank and $350 million in property assets, according to its 2024-25 annual report.

The club is a company limited by guarantee under corporation law and Robertson said Racing NSW had “proceeded under a misapprehension of the scope of its powers”.

“This is a regulator with regulatory functions, not commercial functions,” he said.

He told the court the funding received from Racing NSW was “money earned from my client’s racecourses”.

“It’s not right to say this money is purely voluntary or a matter of largesse from the regulator,” he said.

He rejected as “scurrilous” any suggestion the ATC would conduct a “firesale” of its assets if the board remained in charge until February.

The hearing will resume on Friday.

 

FALLOUT FROM THE ABC EXPOSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE BRC  CASTS BAD LIGHT ON RQ & RACING MINISTER 

MAIN feedback in this week’s WEDNESDAY WHINGE involves fallout from the ABC expose of what has been happening behind the scenes at the Brisbane Racing Club with many wanting to know why the Racing Minister and the Racing Queensland Board failed to intervene.

Questions are also being asked by loyal readers of The Courier-Mail why the Murdoch Media has censored coverage of this controversy and want The Editor to respond to allegations that some of those responsible for content in the State’s leading daily are too close to high rollers at the Brisbane Racing Club.

Here’s what NEVILLE AGANOFF of CHAPEL HILL, a long-time reader of the CM and follower of racing had to say (and it expresses the opinion of others who emailed LGHR):

‘I was shocked to read the ABC report of the BRC Annual General Meeting that you effectively paraphrased with acknowledgement to the ABC throughout. We both read the same story.

The amazing thing for me was in our little cocoon called Brisbane, with one Racing Club, was that there was no mention in the Courier Mail about this. The CM serves us daily racing stories, which is good. In off days the stories are about Sydney horses, but mostly Brisbane.

And here we have the most controversial issue aside from the Government not reducing the tax rate on punters, and the CM did not even mention it.

That is astounding. The ABC went on to record questions at the AGM of extravagant travel by the directors, then the Bell issue of receiving $1000 a week in guaranteed rental. And the CM didn’t mention it.

The CM is not doing anything a reputable newspaper should be doing, that is, reporting the news. Hopeless!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Couldn’t agree more Neville but when you have one of their leading racing scribes in the Directors’ Room with his snout in the trough most race days it’s hardly a good look. But why would he think he was doing anything wrong when some of his bosses are so close to Directors and former Directors of the club that they are being accuseD of shutting down any constructive criticism of the BRC Board? LGHR understands this went as far as refusing to publish a story on the issue written by one of their leading investigative reporters. We understand the matter – along with control of the racing media by a former Turf Editor now working for the BRC as a consultant – has been raised with the Press Council.

 

‘DICKY’ IN HONKERS WHILE CARNIVAL ROLLED ON AT EAGLE FARM 

EXCESSIVE spending on travel by Directors of the BRC was a question raised by Members at the AGM and a matter that the Government has accepted a recommendation from the Racing Review that needs to be addressed.

Here’s an email from a BRC Member (no it isn’t Wally Gleeson) but this gentleman wanted to remain anonymous to ensure he wasn’t the subject of intimidation at his regular Saturday visits to the Brisbane races when he isn’t one of the privileged few with their noses in the trough in the Directors’ Room:

‘BRC Directors are under fire over excessive spending each year on ‘junkets’ to major race meetings throughout the world. But that didn’t stop Chairman Richard Morrison from swanning around in Hong Kong during International Week.

‘It wasn’t a good look with ‘red lights’ flashing about what individual directors have spent of club funds on individual travel in recent years. Then again ‘Dicky’ was just following the lead of his predecessor ‘Nifty’ Neville who was a regular at the big Hong Kong meet (along with many others far and wide) for many years.

‘Should Morrison not have been at home where Eagle Farm hosted feature races of the Summer Carnival last Saturday? What was more important that he could have gleaned from the Hong Kong visit apart from a ‘free holiday’ and ‘a gut full of food a drink?

‘One could suggest that the current Board are thumbing their noses at the recommendations of the Racing Review – on the matter of travel expenditure at least.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: Just wondering if the trip was a ‘freebie’ courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and not in fact an expenditure for the BRC – perhaps someone might let us know, then again they only want to deal with turf writers they can control – like Big Ben, whose services no doubt warrant another award.

 

‘RACING MINISTER MANDER NEEDS TO EXPLAIN HIS LACK OF ACTION’ 

HERE’S another interesting ‘Whinge’ which touches on some delicate issues that the Government and Racing Queensland failed to address for some inexplicable reason:

‘THE ABC report last week revealed that four independent auditors it had contacted all agreed that the Party Related Disclosures and the payments of Entitlements and Discretionary amounts to key personnel at the BRC (CEO, senior staff and the Property & Asset Manager) during the 2024-25 financial year should have been reported in the annual financial statements.

These questions were asked of retiring Chairman Neville Bell at the 2024 AGM and again of his successor Richard Morrison at the 2025 AGM.

The audio tape at the 5:13 minute mark of the BRC AGM held on October 17 2025 concerning the adoption of the previous AGM Minutes of October 16 2024 recorded the following statement from a concerned Member:

‘I’d just like to highlight the financial statements for presentation within these minutes. As I said, Number 6 in the minutes, Wally Gleeson asked whether directorship Related Party Disclosure had been the only disclosure for all directors in the Annual Report. The Chairman, Mr Bell, confirmed that was correct. Does this Board stand behind this? This statement of being correct?

CHAIRMAN Morrison at 5:46 minute on tape:

“Is there any other disclosures? Is that your question?”

MEMBER’S response:

“Yes, and Chairman at the time Mr Bell confirmed there were no further disclosures other than that of (Director) Mr Schatz. I want to know if the Board stands behind that?”

CHAIRMAN Morrison at 6.02 Minute on tape:

“Well we are passing the minutes from last time. Yes the Board stands behind that Wally.”

Subsequently to this and other issues raised by concerned BRC Members at the AGM the first (a show of hands mind you), to adopt the 2024 AGM Minutes was indefinable and required a second counted vote to scrape through adoption. One wonders what the result would have been if a secret ballot had been held.  

The 2024 and 2025 BRC Board and its external auditors, Bentley’s, have twice refused to acknowledge their requirement to disclose all Party Related Disclosures and Entitlement and Discretionary Payments to key personnel. It is ironic that four specialist accounting businesses contacted by ABC journalist Grace Tobin agreed that these should have been disclosed.

The BRC’s external auditors Bentley’s were unable to be contacted by the ABC despite phone messages left. Furthermore, the BRC Board Director responsible for Finance and Governance and the Board Company Secretary are both qualified accountants working in very senior positions in the business world.

The circumstances of this demanded an investigation which the regulator, Racing Queensland and the Racing Minister Tim Mander refused to undertake full well knowing the position for the last 12 months.

The industry and racing followers want to know why. In a normally functioning Parliament questions would have been asked by the Shadow Racing Minister but Grace Grace has been too close for too long to some of those running the BRC that she has refused to do her job which is an absolute ‘disgrace’.

While Neville Bell or a company associated with him was entitled to buy an investment property in the apartment block built at Eagle Farm, surely there was a requirement on him as Chairman at the time and the BRC Board to report same to Members in the Annual Report, especially as the unit in question was reportedly formerly owned by the club.

 

STEP CLOSER TO ASIAN APPRENTICES TRAINING IN  QUEENSLAND 

HERE is regular GREG BLANCHARD of the Gold Coast final contribution for the year:

THE GOOD 

GOLD Coast Turf Club hosting a huge amount of retired jockeys at the Reunion this year.

Government acceptance of a Racing Review recommendation that we get CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions & Courses for Overseas Students), so that Queensland can have overseas kids in our Apprentice School.

THE BAD 

THE on-going lack of jockeys in country areas – a shameful seven enforced scratchings from the TAB meeting in Townsville on Saturday because there were no riders, along with another three each from Atherton and Gladstone.

The worst thing I witnessed was the promises made to Mauritius track rider Prinish Goordin in Rockhampton that he could be in our Apprentice school. Prinish wasted nearly two years at Rocky on false promises made. I knew he couldn't be an apprentice. People in high places on good money should have known too. There is no accountability for this bad decision-making.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The mail is strong when Deagon is sold the training centre will move to the Gold Coast. In the interim a deal has been done for at least one Hong Kong apprentice to ride on the Coast during the off-season in Honkers which is a start.

 

‘LARRY’  BACK AT TRACK LOSING HIS MONEY & GOING THIRSTY

IT’S been a while since we heard from our old mate ‘LARRY THE LOSER’ but he's back and firing on all cylinders. He touched base during the week with this little gem:

‘I went to the races recently for the first time in years – at Doomben.

 I was going to write you a bit of a story about my day out, but I thought you probably had better things to publish.

I could rant about much but in essence I had to pay $25 to get through the gate just for the pleasure of doing my money.

Saddest thing though was in the Queensland summer heat, not one water station to be found, not one.

Even the Capalaba Dogs has water stations, and they don't charge you one red cent for the pleasure of letting you in to do your cash.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘LARRY’, we might have to organize you media accreditation to represent LGHR at the gallops. Being an ex-motor bike cop and security guard, I’m sure you would qualify. That way you could get to know ‘Big Ben’ and he could show you the ropes on how to ‘suck up to survive’ and before you know it, no worries about water, you will be enjoying crumbed leg of mongoose washed down by cheap motor mower fuel alongside Ben and all the other free-loaders in the Directors’ Lounge. I would like to be sure your mail is right ‘Larry’ about no water stations being available at Doomben because I believe it is a legal requirement of race clubs, sporting clubs and entertainment venues to provide same these days.

 

IF KIM KELLY 'WALKS' IT WILL BE AN INTEGRITY NIGHTMARE FOR RACING IN QUEENSLAND - RISKING A RETURN TO THE 'BAD OLD DAYS'? 

THE mail is strong from reliable sources in the QRIC bunker that Kim Kelly is no ‘shoe on’ to accept the role created for him by the Racing Review – Commissioner of Stewarding.

If the international experience of Kelly, current Deputy Commissioner of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, was lost it would be a major blow for the ‘policing of racing’ to a State that finds it near on impossible to attract quality stewards.

Those close to the coalface say Kelly retired after a virtual ‘life-time of service’ to Hong Kong racing and before that in Queensland and Sydney, to spend more time with his family.

He answered an SOS after QRIC was near rock bottom due to the ‘questionable management’ of former Commissioner Shane Gillard who eventually fell on his sword.

There were fears that QRIC would be dismantled when the LNP won Government because of a cost ‘blow out’. There is always the question: What price integrity? But not when valuable funds are spent in the wrong direction, like was arguably happening when Gillard was running the show.

A newlook QRIC headed by Commissioner Catherine Clark and ably assisted integrity-wise by Kim Kelly, did a remarkable job in a short time but it wasn’t enough to stop the new Government from accepting a major Review recommendation to create a hypbrid RQ – QRIC model.

 

WHEN IT COMES TO POLICING OF THE GALLOPS & THE ‘RED HOTS’ NO-ONE TRUSTS THE LNP - WHO CAN FORGET THE DAYS OF 'BIG RUSS'?  

DESPITE assurances that a separation of powers with no high profile Board Member having influence over Integrity there are those in the Stewarding ranks and many stakeholders who don’t trust the LNP.

That’s because of their track record – and you don’t have to go back as far as the days of Racing Minister Russ Hinze when harness stipes in particular were virtually powerless to control what was happening on the track with horses owned and trained for the ‘Big Fella’.

In more recent times – again under an LNP Government – we saw an unhealthy relationship between the RQ Chairman and the Chief Steward. He was even advised by the RQ CEO of the day that it wasn’t a good look when the Chairman spent more time in the Chief Stipe’s Office than attending to racing matters of the day. This same RQ Chairman rejected an offer for a no-nonsense Chief Steward and Integrity Manager from the south to move to Queensland on a ‘joint package’ because he apparently felt they would be too tough.

Now we have high rollers from that era apparently trying to influence Racing Minister Tim Mander on the direction he heads with Integrity. If LGHR was Kim Kelly we would be having second thoughts about taking the job of Commissioner of Stewarding if we were answerable to the Minister. Surely this position should be totally independent of any Board or political influence.

Those concerned about what could happen in the next month are tipping Kym Daly, the gallops consultant to the Racing Review, to be a front runner for the job if Kelly walks away. Apart from his experience as a steward, they point out that he is an old ‘school buddy’ of the Racing Minister.

Without Kelly keeping the RQ Integrity ship clear of the icebergs, there is little hope for the punters. They have no confidence in current Chief Stipe Josh Adams and many of his team. When was the last time Adams conducted an inquiry involving the running of a horse from a leading stable or one of the top jockeys?

Perhaps racing in Queensland is squeaky clean. On a positive note a Review recommendation for more swabbing has been accepted and if you listen to the punters and some stakeholders that is certainly overdue.

 

‘OFFICIALS DON’T WANT TOUGH STEWARDS’ – JUST THOSE WHO WON’T ‘ROCK THE BOAT’ ENSURING NO BAD PUBLICITY FOR RACING 

LGHR recently sought the advice of a couple of highly respected senior stewards – one still working and the other now in retirement – on what needs to be done to strengthen integrity in racing.

Both were adamant that the problem lies with officialdom and that nothing will happen while they adopt the philosophy of promoting Chief Stewards who don’t want to ‘rock the boat’.

‘Inquiries involving top trainers and jockeys are not good for the image of racing. Those stewards running the show don’t have to be told. They know such action will be frowned upon by high profile officials, some of which they can’t afford to get off-side.’

The general consensus of opinion among punters is that South Australian racing is on the nose but not because of political interference – they blame it simply on poor policing. Watching odds-on favourites that looked like good things get slaughtered is commonplace.

There are so many form reversal and double priced winners every week, that in our LGHR LATE MAIL we warn clients: ‘BETTING ON SA RACING IS A WEALTH HAZARD’.

For those who like to follow the form in the major centres, punting on Sydney racing is an absolute nightmare, largely because top jockeys have a habit of riding like raw apprentices on some heavily-backed favourites and it is impossible to assess the chances of Chris Waller runners when his stable has multiple runners.

In Queensland, if Kim Kelly walks out the door, it will be a ‘back to the bad old days’ scenario. He already faces an uphill task with a team of second-rate stewards, especially some in the country headed by a Chairman in the Far North who isn’t fit to run a race meeting in Afghanistan.

Major concerns that stakeholders and punters have about racing in the Sunshine State at present rests with swabbing and how some horses have grown a leg in recent times. Enough said on that issue.

Over at Albion Park – where according to the Racing Minister the ‘red hots’ have a bright future (he has to be dreaming) – the powerful Grant Dixon stable is under fire from rival trainers, the racing public and the punters, for allegedly having too much start.

It pays to train for a big owner with political influence like Kevin Seymour – but not a good look when they are associated with the best pacer in the world, Leap To Fame.      

  

GRACE GRACE TAKES HATCHET TO RACING REVIEW AND ITS CHAIRMAN MATT McGRATH - GOD HELP US IF HE'S ON RQ BOARD

AFTER a year in hibernation since Labor lost Government in Queensland, former Racing Minister Grace Grace has finally emerged from under her Eagle Farm rock and taken a hatchet to the Racing Review instituted by the LNP and its Chairman Matt McGrath.

Speaking at the last session of State Parliament for the year, Ms Grace described the Review recommendations as ‘so lack lustre and such a waste of money that it is not even worth the paper it is written on.

‘All the things that we did were absolutely fantastic. This is nothing more than tinkering around the edges. It is a Review that was done by someone who left a mess in New South Wales and wants to bring it up here to Queensland.’

Ms Grace told Parliament of the delayed release of the Review recommendations:

‘Well, it finally arrived following an embarrassing two-month delay after the Racing Minister was sent to the sin-bin regarding possible changes to the Point Of Consumption Tax. Of the 110 recommendations made in the McGrath Review into the Queensland racing industry, the State Government has accepted 79, accepted 26 in principle and rejected five.”

The former Racing Minister claimed the previous Labor Government in 2015 inherited a racing industry plagued with integrity issues, governance and debt, with financial year 2016 being the sixth straight year of losses for Racing Queensland.

“We implemented the MacSporran recommendations and turned around the Queensland racing industry to be worth more than double the $1.2 billion in financial year 2016 to $2.5 billion, employing 14,500 full-time jobs—an extraordinary effort and a pleasing result.

“Since 2017, prize money and annual club payments have risen from $165 million to $370 million—more than double. The infrastructure spend both in the regions and in SEQ has amounted to well over $400 million including at The Q, the world’s best greyhound racing complex, the Gold Coast Turf Club, the Ipswich Turf Club and the Townsville Turf Club, and millions in upgrades to country-rural racing clubs right throughout Queensland. We are the only state that returns 80 per cent of the POCT to the industry—leading the nation.

“Any suggestion by the Government and this incompetent Minister that the Queensland racing industry was neglected is absolute nonsense. I challenge the Minister to find any stakeholder—just one—in the racing industry who agrees with him and who does not find such statements simply laughable.

Finally we get the recommendations of the lacklustre review after 12 months of inertia only to discover that things are operating pretty well here in Queensland and we did not need someone from New South Wales to tell us what to do.”

 

 

STORY THE MURDOCH MEDIA COVERED UP & STOPPED A  JOURNALIST FROM WRITING BUT THANKFULLY ABC INVESTIGATIONS INTERVENED 

By WALKLEY AWARD winning ABC journalist FROM The 7.30 REPORT, GRACE TOBIN, who showed 'ethics' are still alive in Australian journalistm.

MEMBERS of Queensland's richest horse racing club are demanding answers after they discovered its former Chairman struck a lucrative deal with the developer of its luxury residential precinct while he had oversight of the $850 million project.

The Brisbane Racing Club's recently retired chair, Neville Bell, has been receiving more than $50,000 a year in rental income from property giant Mirvac for use of his trackside apartment as its display suite.

The revelation emerged at a recent Annual General Meeting with one member claiming it was a "conflict of interest", while another asked the Board if the Club had "foregone regular income for the benefit of the former Board member".

There is no suggestion (by the ABC) that Mr Bell has broken any law which LGHR reiterates in republishing this story which we believe is of public interest, especially to the racing industry and its stakeholders.

Mr Bell told the ABC that he only ever acted in the best interests of the club and its members "in compliance with all relevant laws".

The Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) said it had "followed all corporate requirements in relation to its governance responsibilities … at all times".

The historic race club is also facing a backlash over ongoing integrity and transparency issues, and ABC Investigations has learned that complaints about alleged governance failures and misconduct at the BRC have been raised with Racing Queensland, the Minister for Racing and the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

It comes as the Crisafulli Government announced a major commitment of public funding towards replacing the Club's ageing grandstand, estimated to cost at least $100 million.