IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS looks back on the Commission of Inquiry and the examination of public witnesses.
He also reports on the sad state of affairs in Townsville where the local daily requires the local Turf Club to pay for coverage. How rich is that?
Butts also has column items on the successful rugby league and racing reunion night on the eve of a meeting at Cloncurry and tells how a backwater club on the Burdekin continues to hold hard-working bookies to ransom with a ‘closed ring’ policy that needs changing.
Here is the Butts’ column:
ONLY REAL SURPRISE WILL BE IN THERE ARE NO ADVERSE FINDINGS AT THE INQUIRY
THE QUEENSLAND Government Racing Inquiry’s public examination of witnesses came to a close last week and to date there have been no real surprises.
Everything played out as many expected. There were no surprises among the list of those called and their answers, under some tough grilling by James Bell QC, were generally predictable.
And there will be no surprise if a few of the star witnesses are recalled – or have ‘adverse findings’ registered against therm.
In fact the only surprise will be if that does not occur.
THE INQUIRY APPEARANCE OF KEVIN SEYMOUR SOMEWHAT OF AN ANTI-CLIMAX
THE inquiry over the past month has focused on the somewhat incredible fact that Tattersalls – the contracted Queensland tote operator – had been allowed to retain fees of $91 million.
That is a figure that has now blown out to well over $100 million, in spite of expert legal advice that it should have been paid directly to Racing Queensland to finance among other things, but most importantly, prize-money.
For those who had not been aware, the revelation that Bob Bentley was both chairman of Queensland Racing and a Director on the Tatts Board would have been quite unbelievable.
And further, that his co-Board member, Kevin Seymour, the recognized power behind harness racing in Queensland, in June this year held the highest number of Tatts shares.
Seymour is also a political heavyweight admired and feared by both major parties, or so it could be gleaned from the evidence of former Treasurer Andrew Fraser.
In contrast to the grilling of Bentley, Seymour’s time in the witness box and under oath, was relatively short. To those who had been glued to their computer screens for the live streaming of proceedings, Seymour’s appearance was somewhat of an anti-climax.
TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB CHAIRMAN TAKES SWIPE AT NEWSPAPER COVERAGE
THE Townsville Turf Club chose last week annual general meeting to showcase the plans (yet to be fulfilled) of the new track and amenities at Cluden Park.
To date the club’s CEO, Michael Charge, hasn’t said much, but you can’t help feeling that ‘something is on the way’.
It was a tough year, said Chairman Kevin O’Keefe but with a few more Saturday and Sunday race dates on the new calendar and even more expected in next year’s dates allocation, the club reckons it is on the right track.
He took the chance to take a swipe at media coverage and was critical in particular of the Townsville Bulletin in which he said the club was ‘disappointed with the coverage of racing’.
Mr O’Keefe told members that the club actually paid for racing articles to appear.
That, of course, is an absolute disgrace.
The Bulletin is content to fill its sports pages with what the Cowboys do (and don’t do), combined with never ending notes of the failed and failing basketball team (whatever they are called nowadays) and other blockbusting features on beach volleyball and the like.
Shame really. For a newspaper that once was hailed as providing the best racing coverage in provincial Australia.
It is not so much the demise of racing. It is the demise of a once great paper.
NIGHT RACING WOULD WORK IN TOWNSVILLE BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE THE RIGHT POSTCODE
THE Tatts payment debacle is now set for decision by the Supreme Court – a move said to be welcomed by both parties but there is an air of confidence that the coffers of Racing Queensland might soon be in for a refill.
And then Townsville might – just might – get its rightful new track and amenities that includes on-course stabling and a StrathAyr track.
You never know it might even get some lights and become the state’s night racing venue. They wish.
Both Cairns and Townsville have everything the southern night racing venues have got, but most of all we have just the right climate and a well-known penchant for going out after dark!
Night racing in either Cairns or Townsville would be a hoot but unfortunately we don’t have the right postcode.
THEY’RE EVEN RED HOT WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING MOLASSES
SO now Queensland Harness Racing has slapped a ban on molasses, but the media release didn’t say exactly why.
And apparently it applies only to trotters and pacers. Now that is intriguing.
Molasses has been used by trainers for decades – and for many reasons. Some (especially Kiwis) are a bit indifferent about using the sweetener, but that could be because a stalk of sugar cane is as scarce as a Taipan (or any other) snake across the ditch.
But what amuses this scribe about this sudden and hastily imposed ban is that it’s OK to purchase a sachet of molasses from the Harness Club office AFTER a horse has raced to put in the horse’s water to drink before the trip home – at $3 per 500ml sachet.
Around town, a 20 litre drum costs around $20.
And they used to give it away on a help yourself basis at the sugar mills – and maybe they still do.
Talk about the red hots!
LICENSING OF VETERINARY SURGEONS BY RQ A WELCOME INNOVATION
AND then there was this very interesting release from Racing Queensland which states it will soon commence consultation with Trainers and Veterinary Surgeons with a view to ensuring ‘the successful implementation of a process for licensing of Veterinary Surgeons.’
RQ intends to adopt Local Rules which govern the activities of veterinary surgeons who treat thoroughbred horses in Queensland.
In the interests of uniformity, RQ will submit the proposed rules to the Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board with an effective date of December 1, consistent with Racing New South Wales.
This was news to leading Mackay equine vet, David Lemon, who has just returned from a world veterinary conference in Budapest. But he welcomes the new ruling.
“I think it will be good for the industry overall,” said Dr Lemon.
“I was an accredited vet with the Queensland Harness Racing industry 25 years ago and it was like a brotherhood.
“We swapped information and discussed different issues as they arose.
“I don’t think anyone has any reason to be wary of this new Racing Queensland innovation.
“It will at least provide uniformity and transparency which is obviously the plan,” Dr Lemon said.
RUGBY LEAGUE AND RACING RE-UNION A MAJOR SUCCESS AT CLONCURRY
CLONCURRY is reportedly one of the wealthiest race clubs in country Queensland with a bank balance the envy of many much larger clubs in the state.
And the committee under hard working president Nathan Keyes never stop trying.
Their latest ‘promotion’ was a rugby league and racing re-union night on the eve of their meeting last Saturday week.
All the old time footballers who played in the famous Douglas Rugby League competition were invited to a re-union dinner at the Shire Hall on Friday, along with many of the region’s racing identities.
And all 400 of them saddled up for the races on Saturday. Some pulled up a little better than others but it was, well, a ‘most memorable night’.
There was a tribute to Frankie ‘Horse’ Douglas who was a legend in western footy as well as a keen punter until his passing much too early in life.
CLONCURRY MAYOR A BIG HIT TIPPING HIS OWN FUNDS INTO THE WEEKEND
THERE was no shortage of food or the washing down fluids. They partied like they played and word has it that the Cloncurry Mayor, Andrew Daniels, even tipped in some of his own funds to ensure the success of the weekend.
Nathan ‘Redman’ Keyes is following in the footsteps of his parents John and the late Judy Keyes and her parents Carmel and the late John Bulley, in ensuring that racing will not die in the west.
Redman is certainly hands-on. He set up tables and chairs and loaded fridges on Saturday morning and was back at the track as a barrier attendant for the first race.
Then after the last it was the presentation and all the myriad other things that a President has to do on race day.
And they came for miles. Nippy Seymour from Hughenden (a 700+km round trip) and Richard Simpson from Longreach (1000+km) were just two.
The Joe Bakhash Senior Memorial Race ensures that his legend lives on. They say Joe will never be gone while sons Ronnie, Mick and Joe are around.
That famous Cloncurry front row that terrorised the north for a decade, Ray Seymour, Dick Zeller and Buster Seymour were there - and the front row has got even bigger all of a sudden.
Even Vern Daisy was told on Saturday night by someone (was it John Wehlow?): “Daisy I was shit scared of you 40 years ago, and you know what? I still am.”
John, a former prominent council CEO out west and now mine-host of the Sanctuary on Flinders in Townsville, reckoned it was a great concept.
“I think we all scored many more tries and over greater distances,” he said.
TIME FOR THIS BACKWATER ON THE BURDEKIN TO GET WITH THE TIMES
ON the score of overall importance, the question of betting ring closures would hardly rate.
But there seems to be an on-going problem with a policy of one northern club that perhaps needs more investigation by Racing Queensland authorities.
According to a leading fielder, the club is hell-bent on keeping him out.
And he is hell-bent on getting into their ring.
Punters can only hope that it gets sorted soon before Government agencies (lo and behold) start investigating restrictions of trade etc.
And really…why closed rings anyway in these days of dwindling crowds, of fewer jockeys, trainers, owners, horses and yes bookies.
Shouldn’t it all the more the merrier?
The club in question might even get a few more through the gate….even if it is a bookie’s clerk or two.
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.
