IN his widely-read column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS attacks the Queensland Government over its discriminatory licensing laws which prevent under 18-year-olds from attending race meetings but does not apply at other sports.

Butts calls for changes after children as young as two and four were turned away from the Ingham Cup meeting last Saturday. He reckons Premier Campbell Newman should add Licensing to his departmental cut back list.

‘Silks & Saddles’ also reports on a back-flip by the Cairns Jockey Club after their disgraceful treatment of visiting owners and trainers on Cup day. A special area will be set aside for the visitors at the Amateurs. And there are big changes in the air at the Townsville Turf Club.

Here is the Butts column:

 

CHILDREN BANNED FROM ATTENDING INGHAM CUP MEETING

THEY did it again – at the Ingham Cup day meeting on Saturday – kids were banned from attending.

The brain-dead licensing authority of this state chose to enforce their deplorable, discriminatory, stand-over tactics on the town’s annual race day.

Their action kept many of the mums away from the races - one of the few major social events of the year for the entire Herbert region.

In Victoria kids are welcome at the nation’s greatest racing spectacle – the Melbourne Cup.

At Ingham – like many other racing venues on feature days in Queensland – all kids under 18 are barred. That is the bare and disgraceful fact.

The previous weekend at Mackay’s fun beach race day 6,000 turned up. And a large fun park was set up just for kids.

 

WHY DOES THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HORSE RACING?

KIDS flow through the gates (as they should) to V8 car racing and footy matches and to rodeos and basketball.

Yet they are not allowed to go racing in this State?  Why is Queensland the only State where this downright discrimination occurs?

Licensing should be in the same firing line as many other Government departments currently being downsized by the new LNP Government.

Obviously its overpaid officers have nothing better to do than stand over race clubs with threats of fines if anyone under the age of 18 is caught having an alcoholic drink.

Well, if the officers are so incensed about under-age drinkers they should get off their backsides and catch them – then deal with them as the law allows.

Licensing should not be placing the onus on race clubs. 

I am told by club secretaries that Licensing actually encourages them to impose the 18+ restriction.

 

THE LICENSING DEPARTMENT A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR ‘CAN’ DO’ CUTBACKS

LICENSING not only makes the threats of unrealistic fines but also dictates how many security officers must be hired – at considerable cost to the club.

It’s time they got back into their stys.

Come on Campbell, these bully boys are surely candidates for the Can Do cut backs.

Clubs can’t afford the fines, nor the cost of extra security.

That should be a function of the police as it used to be.

Ironically, on the way to the races – who was seen hiding behind a power pole at the town entrance with his radar gun – just doing a little bit of Saturday arvo revenue raising? You guessed it – the fat local copper.

Why couldn’t he have been at the races? A visible presence is usually enough to keep a crowd in check.

This is totally wrong.

 

TWO LITTLE GIRLS ALL DRESSED UP BUT NOWHERE TO GO WHEN REFUSED ENTRY

AND I can relate the story of two little girls, aged two and four, who on Saturday were on their way to their first ever race meeting.

All dressed up in new outfits complete with hats, the kids were going to watch their dad’s horse race at Ingham.

Excitement was hardly the word – until the family got to the racetrack gate!

Can you imagine their total disappointment as the little girls drove away with mum after dropping dad off and being refused entry themselves?

It’s pretty hard – if not impossible – to explain to kids that age that the jack-boots from licensing won’t let them in to see the horses.

And the question: What could little girls at that age do to wreck a race meeting?

Drink the bar dry?

C’mon.  This is a case Australians being totally un-Australian.

 

BOOF-HEADS WITH A BADGE SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON PINCHING THE REAL LOUTS

THESE boof-heads with a badge should concentrate on pinching the louts and under-age drinkers – not discriminate against the clubs.

Clubs should be allowed to run their meeting without being threatened or scared of these jack-boots from licensing.

WE wonder now if the same licensing heroes will attempt to a put an 18+ ban on the Ewan annual next month.

Would the boys with the badge have the temerity to stop the kids from rolling up at Ewan?

Of course they wouldn’t! They wouldn’t have the guts to interfere.

So why should they single out other race meetings for special attention?

Mind you if the teenagers were going to have a drink it is more likely to be at Ewan, anyway.

 That’s how downright stupid (and totally discriminatory) the Licensing law is.

 

T WASN’T ALL DOOM AND GLOOM AT THE BIG DAY OF THE YEAR IN INGHAM

BUT it wasn’t all doom and gloom at Ingham on Saturday. It was, in spite of the lack of a level playing field, a near-record day.

And for two little female apprentice jockeys it was a classic case of the Agony and the Ecstasy.

Emma lJung, who defied the stern wishes of her parents to become a jockey, was the toast of the track when she guided Mighty Mite home for her first ever win.

There were teary moments when she trotted back to scale to a noisy reception – and an emotional Olivia Cairns, the winning trainer to whom young Emma is indentured.

And in the very next race pretty Juliet Kuskoph went within one hop of notching her first win on the favorite Touch of Elegance for her master Jeffrey O’Dea. She was in front everywhere but right on the line.

The girls began their riding careers at virtually the same time.

Both have worked very hard and no doubt will be great acquisitions to the local riding ranks which has not seen an active apprentice based at Cluden for many years.

One of the last in fact was in fact Olivia Cairns when apprenticed to John Petersen.

It was fitting that young Emma should win on Mighty Mite who has been the stable pin-up since he first arrived at the Cairns stable as a yearling – nine years ago.

He is known only around the traps as PJ (whose initials are they?) and he has a special place in the heart of his trainer.

That all emerged at the presentation on Saturday as the trainer hugged her new star and welcomed her to the winner’s circle.

There no doubt will be plenty more visits to come.

And for Juliet...it’s a visit just ready to happen.

Must say the track and facilities at Ingham on Saturday were the best they have been in a long time.

It is just a crying shame that those on-track stabling facilities are not being used.

Ingham is an ideal base for a young trainer who can ride his/her own work. And all within a 150km radius of four other race tracks.

 

CAIRNS COMMENDED ON BACK-FLIP WHICH WILL BE WELCOMED BY VISTORS TO AMATEURS

AT Cairns on Saturday owners and trainers will be welcome at a brand new air-conditioned facility just for them.

The FNQARC has decided to show some appreciation for the efforts of those who put the show on - that’s the owners and trainers - and the recognition will be greatly appreciated.

Not only will owners and trainers now have free admittance, and the use of a lounge with refreshments, but they will also be able to watch their horses perform from the members’ stand landing which is one of the few vantage points at Cannon Park that provides an uninterrupted view of a race.

It’s a far cry from the shoddy treatment many visitors received on Cairns Cup Day and a BIG leap forward. The club is to be commended.

 

TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB SET TO ELECT NEW CHAIRMAN TO REPLACE RETIRING ALAN PARRY

CHANGES too at Townsville Turf Club with a new chairman likely after the annual meeting on September 25.

It is widely reported that long term president Alan Parry will step down, though he is expected to remain on the committee.

Alan recently announced his retirement from business with the sale of his highly successful Parry Nissan motor franchise – a sale that might prompt the question about the future of the Parry Nissan Great Northern, one of the best feature races in the North – and other Parry Nissan races that are held annually all around the north and north west.

 

COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.

TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..