IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS takes a closer look at the Queensland Racing Commission of Inquiry and where things stand from an industry viewpoint.
He reports on the anticipated appearance of Tatts Group heavy and harness racing supreme Kevin Seymour and how the industry hopes the Inquiry will ask some tough questions about the ‘missing’ millions.
Butts also has an item on how successful racing is travelling on the Gold Coast and urges more Saturday and possibly Sunday racing for North Queensland tracks.
Here is the Butts’ column:
MUCH ANTICIPATED APPEARANCE OF HARNESS SUPREMO AT RACING INQUIRY
THE much anticipated appearance of business tycoon and harness racing supremo Kevin Seymour at the Government Racing Inquiry is expected early this week.
Seymour is not only a Board member of the Tatts Group, which is at the centre of a huge dispute over claims that it owes the Queensland racing industry over $100 million, but Seymour is also recognised as the power behind the dwindling harness racing code.
He is also reportedly the biggest share-holder in Tatts and has powerful links to the LNP which makes his appearance before the Government Inquiry this week even more significant.
Seymour will be no doubt be questioned over the on again, off again sale of Albion Park that was proposed by the Bob Bentley-controlled Queensland Racing and wound up the subject of a court case before the Government changed.
Bentley and Seymour wound up at great logger-heads over what had been promised for the Albion Park redevelopment. It ended in controversy with the former RQ Board proposing to relocate harness and greyhounds to Deagon, a proposed complex that was rejected by the gallops industry and overturned by the LNP.
IT WOULD SEEM THAT SEYMOUR HAS INFLUENCE WITH BOTH SIDES OF POLITICS
LAST week former Treasurer Andrew Fraser was questioned on the same subject but like many witnesses before him at this inquiry, he ducked and weaved when it was put to him by James Bell, assisting the Commission:
‘Yes, Mr Fraser. That’s all very well, but my point is that a powerful man – I’m going to assume that Mr Seymour was a powerful man, a successful man. He comes to government, not with Mr Bentley and others present, and says, ‘I don’t like this,’ and it ends up – it goes off the table. Is that the way it works?’
FRASER: ‘I think the driving factor in the background was the Government wanted to see money invested in the broad sweep of the racing industry….. blah blah blah.’
And yes, the sale of Albion Park disappeared off the table with Seymour scoring a points’ win over his Tatts Board colleague Bentley, with both sides of politics.
Such is the influence of Kevin Seymour – on any Government it would seem.
HERE’S HOPING INQUIRY ASKS SEYMOUR THE TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT MISSING MILLIONS
BUT Seymour has to be questioned this week on the ‘missing’ $90million-plus that was lost to the racing industry in Queensland and apparently went into the coffers of the Tatts Group – and exactly where he stands on that issue.
Should it, in his opinion be retained by Tatts (on June 30 he held 14,108,306 shares in the company) or returned to Racing Queensland to be divvied up by the three codes - harness racing included, though there would be many who believe that arm getting far too much as it is, given its poor contribution to totalisator betting pools.
There has been plenty of testimony in the past few weeks, and amazing cases of memory loss when various witnesses have been questioned on the money that the new powers-that-be at Racing Queensland claim rightfully belongs to the industry, but so far has been retained by Tatts (pending some sort of court action which we are assured will be taken).
TUTTLE HAD SERIOUS MEMORY PROBLEMS WHEN QUESTIONED AT THE INQUIRY
FORMER Racing Queensland CEO Malcolm Tuttle had serious difficulties remembering certain details of certain meetings. Yet he was fluent on other issues.
The same with the former chairman Bob Bentley, who, according to ringsiders was hardly convincing in his answers to Mr Bell on the issue of the $90 million and more often than not he simply just couldn’t recall.
But the Boris Karloff of the Inquiry was without doubt, ‘Big’ Bill Ludwig, who was admonished by the Chairwoman Margaret White AO for his four letter word profanity - and there will be no exchange of Christmas cards with Mr Bell QC who the Labor power-broken reportedly addressed as “Boy…
I think we will be hearing and seeing a little more of Bentley, Ludwig and a couple of others (possibly including the eloquently spoken one, Tony Hanmer) before the inquiry wraps up – or perhaps after its recommendations are released in February.
But there is a long, long way to go.
Meanwhile, standby for a little bit of good news regarding the missing millions, or so I am told.
RACING GOING GANG-BUSTERS ON THE GOLD COAST UNDER LIVEWIRE CEO
RACING is alive and well – in fact it is going gang-busters on the Gold Coast.
And it is all because of its coveted Saturday race dates and an active livewire CEO and Board of Directors.
The club really knows how to look after its licensees and members.
Plasma screens are wall to wall, all over the track and there are ample food and drink facilities all in an atmosphere that is quite unique nowadays on Queensland racetracks.
Townsville and Rockhampton have Saturday TAB dates looming this month which should boost much needed internal revenue.
The normal TAB days of Tuesday and Thursday are simply to cater for the off-course punters of the nation.
Midweek crowds at both venues are woeful and for the local racing industries to prosper, more Saturday race dates are essential.
And why shouldn’t the northern TAB clubs share some Saturday race dates?
They would not impact on the southern centres.
If the north is essential to the industry as Racing Queensland and the Government continues to insist, then they must support the request for more Saturday or at least Sunday TAB racing. It is that simple.
Frankly, it is a joke that Bowen and Mareeba can attract crowds in the thousands at their recent Saturday meetings while Cluden and Rocky are flat out getting 100 paying customers through the gate.
INNISFAIL CUP AND CHARTERS TOWERS AMATEURS THIS WEEKEND
THIS weekend it is the Innisfail Cup and Charters Towers Amateurs and again they will be sharing the horses and jockeys.
Why one doesn’t opt to race on a Sunday remains a mystery.
For years Innisfail has held its Cup carnival on this week. It used to be a Wednesday-Saturday and attracted horses and trainers from all over the state for the famous Johnstone River sprint on the first day and the Cup that was run on Saturday.
I remember the days when 20 bookies worked the locals and punters jostled to have a bet. Accommodation was at a premium with many begging to sleep on the verandas of some of the old hotels.
At Charters Towers it was always the meeting that preceded the Townsville Amateurs, which in days past was run on Cox Plate Day. That was the era when the Townsville Amateurs was rated as good as any carnival in country Queensland.
How things have changed.
And, really – has it been for the better?
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.
