NO doubt Olympic Rowing will grab the spotlight when State Parliament resumes next week.
But the Minister for Sport, Racing and the Olympic and Paralympic Games is under pressure from another of his portfolios.
Industry pressure is mounting on Tim Mander to explain a claim made by Chairman Matt McGrath that in the space of four months he has converted a $20 million loss into an $8 million profit at Racing Queensland.
LGHR recently reported ‘exclusively’ that Mr McGrath made this amazing and to some – unbelievable – revelation in a tele-conference link with the Queensland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
What stakeholders want to know is: Why isn’t the Government and the Racing Minister shouting this news from the rafters? Or why hasn’t McGrath or his loyal ‘lap-dop’ Interim CEO Lachlan Murray distributed a Media Release to the industry?
Here’s the story as told to LGHR by prominent and respected breeders who witnessed the bombshell announcement. Their recollection is that McGrath said: “In the space of four months we (the new RQ Board) have converted a $20 million loss into an $8mn profit.”
Asked how this was possible the RQ Chairman reportedly suggested it was major money owed by bookies that they hadn’t been paying. This needs to be explained by McGrath or the Minister. Those close to the Government coalface that we have spoken to know nothing of it.
One breeder who refused to believe it suggested the Queensland industry should look at some alleged rubbery figures produced by McGrath when he was chairman of the Australian Turf Club. LGHR is not suggesting these were correct simply recalling a story that was written in an independent report after McGrath completed his Review and became the surprise choice of the Minister as new RQ Board Chairman.
Another thing that surprises many in the industry is the wall of silence from Matt McGrath’s ‘spin doctor’ at the Murdoch Media who is always the first to pump up his tyres’. All stakeholders want to know is how the ‘miracle man’ managed to wrestle $28 million almost overnight from corporate bookies.
There is also a wall of silence from Lachlan Murray as he continues to see out what has to be the longest ‘interim’ term of any CEO on the planet. High profile racing officials have joined the chorus for this extension to be shortened and the decision on a new CEO to be announced forthwith.
No-one wants to see’ likeable Lachie’ put out of work but feel he would be better suited in a role liaising with his ‘old mates’ from the corporate bookmaking industry. In their opinion, Murray and some of his First Lieutenants are holding the industry back in Queensland and need a broom put through them.
The questions we have been encouraged to ask are these:
Is the Matt McGrath claim about a mammoth financial turnaround for racing in Queensland partially designed to ensure Murray retains the CEO role?
Why did new RQ Board Member, Kym Daly, the right hand man of McGrath during his Review and an old school friend of the Minister, refuse to comment on his Chairman’s statement to the Breeders, when questioned about it at a recent Brisbane race meeting?
ONCE again we call on the Racing Minister and Racing Queensland to explain the statement made publicly by Matt McGrath to a meeting of the QSBA. We are not suggesting he played ‘Pinocchio’ but the industry is entitled to an explanation of something this important.
HE’S NO ‘SIMPLE SIMON’ WHEN SORTING OUT THE BEST RIDES FROM THE BAD
ONE of the most interesting contributions we received in the past week was from a VICTORIAN punter who wrote:
THERE are times when I watch former top jockey Simon Marshall on TV that his attempts to be a comedian infuriate me. I just wish he would stick to promoting whatever corporate bookie backs his presence and does his best to tip the punters some winners. He’s by no means the worst when it comes to that.
Simon has launched a new segment on the Get On show on racing.com where he examines bad rides by top jockeys which is a somewhat refreshing approach from one of their former colleagues.
It most certainly wouldn’t happen at SKY where Corey Brown, in his post-race assessment, can almost be relied on to say: ‘That was a great ride by (jockey …).’ It would be a full moon before Corey – one of my favorites in his riding days – would dare to criticize a ride of one of his nowadays colleagues.
That’s more the pity because there are more terrible and questionable rides by leading jockeys on well fancied runners in Sydney racing in a day than you would see in Melbourne for a month. Might have something to do with punters believing it isn’t a level playing field when it comes to a big stable and its jockeys. Just a thought!
IT’S A WONDER THE WALLER GANG TACKLE DIDN’T EXTEND TO THE BIRDSVILLE CUP
AND this email from PAUL who described himself as not just a punter but a lover of horse racing:
‘IS it just me being cynical or are other followers of the great sport of throughbred racing in this country sick of reading in the lead up to feature events of the weeks how the Chris Waller stable will gang tackle another Group race?
We have just headed toward another Spring Carnival and the signs are there that we better get used to it. Such is the stable strength of Waller that he has the numbers to dominate many of the feature races in this country.
The headline for Saturday at Flemington was more of the same: ‘Waller set to unleash five for Makybe Diva showdown’. Here’s hoping there’s not as much ‘trick’ from the stable this weekend as there was when Beiwacht upstaged a number of his stablemates in the G1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield a fortnight ago.
Waller not only has the numbers but more importantly the quality to dominate. He’s a great trainer with stables in three States now. But I found it rather amusing when one of his biggest supporters (Richie Callander) wrote:
‘I’m starting to wonder if other trainers know the Wyong Cup is on every year. On Friday, Chris Waller won his tenth Wyong Cup when Matusalem won the $300,000 feature.’
Well Richie perhaps it’s because rival trainers are sick of being gang tackled by Team Waller in big races not to mention his domination. His tentacles spread so far and wide these days that I was surprised he didn’t have a couple of starters in last Saturday’s Birdsville Cup.’
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT REVIEW RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING CRICOS?
GREG BLANCHARD of the GOLD COAST continues his fight to have overseas apprentices accepted in Queensland racing and sees this as a means of overcoming the shortage of jockeys whereby horses are scratched with no riders from bush meetings on a weekly basis. Here is his latest contribution:
‘IN December, part of the recommendations from the Racing Review, was to enable CRICOS (Commonwealth registered institutions courses for overseas students) – international (Asian) kids into our Apprentice School in Queensland.
It is now September and nothing seems to have happened. I’ve seen no advertisement for a CRICOS compliance jobs. I also wrote to Racing Queensland about CRICOS a few weeks ago but have received no reply.
This could help overcome the continuing problem where in the past seven weeks we have seen 103 horses scratched from bush meetings because there were no available riders. I fear the only hope of getting these numbers down is getting CRICOS but it appears this is not going to happen.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE sad aspect of this Greg is that Matt McGrath, who chaired the Racing Review which recommended CRICOS, is now the Chairman of Racing Queensland. What has he done about it? And what action has his First Lieutenant Lachlan Murray, who he wants to become the full-time CEO, taken on the issue. If any, we’d love to hear about it.
SYDNEY contributor PETER MAIR sees some light at the end of the tunnel with inflated field sizes in Victoria. Here’s his latest:
A FAIR GO AT SANDOWN
‘IT is remarkable what a difference racing on a fair track makes to race results. Sandown raced well on Saturday.
Those looking for ‘inflated fields’ and rough results, found them at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Over the next five weeks, at Caulfield and Flemington, RVL has scheduled some 23 races to be run, over the ‘cd’s’ notorious for rough results if the fields are inflated.
… will the penny drop at RVL in time to ballot out those hoping to run 10th?’
A COUPLE OF TIDBITS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO READERS
A big night racing program will be launched at the Sunshine Coast this Friday. It will continue with a month of successive meetings under lights from late September into October. One readers asked why there isn’t more night racing as well at the Gold Coast. The Show Holiday night meeting there last week showcased what a great venue the tourist strip is under lights.
EVERY year the LGHR LATE MAIL introduces a SPRING into SUMMER deal for those punters prepared to outlay a few dollars a week to help find a winner. This services starts now and extends through the big Spring racing into the Magic Millions Carnival in the Summer. If you’re interested and want more details simply email letsgohorseracing.com.au OR text 0407175570. Our Late Mail subscriptions contribute to the maintenance and operation of the LGHR website.
