IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS questions what is going on with TAB dates and reports on a draft document that is bound to cause a stir.
Butts debates why some clubs seem to fare so well in the dates and others don’t. He also highlights how badly Townsville continues to be treated by the new hierarchy of RQ.
Here is the Butts column:
MAJOR STIR INEVITABLE AS DRAFT TAB RACE DATES LACK EQUALITY
A DRAFT document of recommended TAB race dates and venues for next year is doing the rounds and bound to create a major stir if these are adopted by the Racing Queensland Board.
While clubs like Cairns, Beaudesert and, of course, Toowoomba, are said to be celebrating, others are not.
Mind you it is only a draft, explained RQ CEO Darren Condon when he declined our request to supply a copy of the dates that have the champagne bottles popping in Cairns – which, according to my usually reliable northern source, could have an amazing eight prized TAB dates next year – up from three.
“But Beaudesert apparently did even better. They are in for 15 TAB dates next year,” my informant explained.
“Surely that can’t be right,” I responded.
“Just wait and see.”
TOWNSVILLE RELEGATED TO THE ‘HORROR TUESDAY’ LIST AGAIN
THE same ‘spy’ promised to send me the proposed dates that RQ has deemed NFP (not for publication) but they hadn’t arrived in time to meet an early deadline this week as I am Darwin-bound to attend a Northern Territory State Funeral for an old mate on Tuesday – so everything is a day early.
But I have also been assured the document contains a tentative allocation of 10 Friday TAB dates for Rockhampton which will surely keep the Central Queensland stakeholders and the RJC happy, if the dates are ratified by RQ.
By contrast Mackay (10) and Townsville (23) have been dealt the ‘terrible Tuesdays’.
If that’s true then it is not an allocation – it’s an infliction. Because that is the day of the week (except for the first Tuesday in November) that no club wants.
We believe Townsville has lost two TAB dates with a possible all up total of 35 of which 23 are the ‘horror’ Tuesdays but that couldn’t be confirmed either as the Townsville CEO is away on compassionate grounds.
NO FAVORITISM BUT KILCOY GETS MASSIVE BOOST TO 10 TAB DATES
NOW we would be the last ones to accuse anyone at Racing Queensland of cronyism – or favouritism. Let’s just call it the ‘South East Corner’ syndrome.
We understand there is a recommendation for Kilcoy to have a 100 per cent increase in TAB dates to 10, Beaudesert (15 from 8,) Gatton (8 from 4) AND Toowoomba a possible 58 dates if Eagle Farm is closed in July for an upgrade which is believed possible – if not likely.
There is also an unconfirmed report that the Sunshine Coast will lose dates.
Is there a trend here?
Or is it just as the man said: The more things changes, the more it stays the same, referring of course to the racing hierarchy of this state.
TOWNSVILLE ‘DONE OVER’ AGAIN – BETTER TREATED WHEN BENTLEY WAS BOSS
SADLY, it would appear that Townsville has been ‘done over’ again.
It received barely a third of the money it had hoped to get from the Bentley legacy – yes the $110 million that Bob Bentley secured from the previous Labor government that is being distributed with much grandstanding by Racing M minister Dickson and RQ Chief Kevin Dixon.
Little wonder Bentley, banished to the sideline, is fuming, albeit silently.
It is the same $110mn (acquired by Bentley) that has also been used for recent Gold Coast improvements, an upgrade of Albion Park and to finalise payments on the multi-million dollar ‘white elephant’ at Mackay.
From what we know (without having access to the document) this is not a fair and equitable distribution of dates and hopefully that will be realized and rectified at the next RQ Board meeting.
Hope of success rests there with the Townsville-based Board member Barry Taylor, who you think should be supported by former Townsville City Council employee Greg Hallam (also a RQ Board member) and the Harness Racing Chairman on the RQ Board Brad Steele - also the Townsville-based manager of Suncorp.
You would think they would have the combined influence to ensure that every club in Queensland gets a fair go – as it should be – but for some reason it isn’t.
This meeting could be the real test of strength. Is the RQ Board a dictatorship or not? That’s the question – and it’s about to be answered.
Interesting times ahead!
AND on the subject of former controversial RQ Chairman Bob Bentley – he is back on the Tatts Board irrespective of the fact that he is still awaiting a decision to be handed down in the Government Racing Inquiry in which he was a star witness.
And when asked recently about the RQ claim against Tatts which everyone believes would provide a much needed $150 million windfall to the racing industry – and more importantly – the more recent counter claim by Tatts against RQ for more than $200mn, I am told his comment was simply: “RQ should have let sleeping dogs lie”.
GOOD TO SEE TOP JOCKEY HAS LEARNT FROM HIS ‘COSTLY’ MISTAKE
YOUR scribe wasn’t present at the Magic Millions Carbine Club lunch late last week at the Gold Coast so he can’t accurately describe the exchange between the interviewer and the subject, who we can describe as a high flying jockey who has run into a bit of controversy over the past year or so.
But I am assured by extremely reliable witnesses present at the big lunch that it went something like this:
Interviewer: That incident last year whereby you admitted to having $10,000 on the favourite in a race in which you rode the second favourite. In hindsight, would you do anything different?
ANSWER: Yes...I would get someone to do it who wouldn’t give me up.
I sincerely hope that this was said in jest – or at least that’s how the crowd responded.
AND at the same event champion trainer Chris Waller, when asked about his relationship with Gai Waterhouse now that he has somewhat sensationally taken over the Star Thoroughbreds yearlings, quipped:
“It’s fine. We acknowledge each other. But don’t worry she tries to pinch my owners as well.”
Don’t you just love it!
STANLEY WATKIN BACK FROM DISQUALIFICATION DOING WHAT HE LOVES
EVERGREEN Mackay jockey Stanley Watkin has returned from a 12-month disqualification doing what he said he would never do again – riding at Ooralea.
Stanley, a recognised gentleman of the turf, has had a long and varied association with racing - mostly around Mackay – since he was 14.
He has reached the veteran stage but there is no one more eager to ride work and keener to get back into the winner’s circle to which he is so familiar.
He had four rides last Saturday at a lack-lustre non-TAB meeting at Mackay riding two seconds and two fourths from four rides.
But it won’t be long before he’s saluting again. That’s one racing certainty.
NOEL CALLOW MAKING THE MOST OF HIS ‘WORKING HOLIDAY’ IN THE NORTH
MEANWHILE, holidaying jockey Noel Callow continued his winning ways in the north with a double, including a win on the costly King Magnusson, which at last produced some of its Victorian form.
Callow lifted Cheval Argente to a narrow win at Cluden last week and in between rode at Rockhampton. It was a busy week for the former Victorian and more lately Malaysian-based jockey who is on a working holiday before taking up a riding contract in Mauritius in a few weeks.
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.
