IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports on the retirement of one of the colorful characters of bookmaking in country Queensland for half century.

He also talks about the re-emergence of quarter horse racing in Queensland, a controversial starter in a Maiden at Toowoomba, along with plenty of other news.

Here is the Butts column:

 

END OF AN ERA AS ONE OF QUEENSLAND’S MOST COLOURFUL BOOKIES RETIRES

ONE of country Queensland’s most colourful bookmakers, the Mackay-based Glenn ‘Pear’ McCrohon wrote his last betting ticket at Moranbah on Saturday.

He stepped off his stand after 50 years of laying the odds on tracks all over north and Central Queensland and at Fannie Bay in Darwin.

A career that began on  a bustling Townsville Cup day at Cluden when at age 16 he stood in for his father – the late, great ‘Butch’ McRohon who was swinging the bag for visiting Melbourne fielder Kenny Walters.

“Dad took sick and Kenny said you better put the bag on.

“I said ‘I have never been a bagman before’

“Well, you are now,” said Walters, who in the late 1950s was known as a fearless fielder who regularly did the North Queensland circuit.

‘Pear’ was a natural.

So much so he became a regular member of the Walters’ staff and, at a time when the basic wage was $100 a week, he knocked back $300 to work full-time in Victoria for the bookie.

“Who was going to cook for me?” said ‘Pear’ who is fond of a drop – and ‘very good on the tooth’.

They reckon he’d eat anything with a backbone that’s parallel to the ground!

 

IN LATE SEVENTIES McCROHON MOVED TO MACKAY TO LINK WITH GORRIE

IN 1979 ‘Pear’ made the move from Townsville to Mackay and linked with prominent bookie-businessman’ Gary Gorrie’ with whom he was a faithful ‘slave’ until Gorrie took off for the big time on the Gold Coast.

‘Pear’ took over his boards and most of his staff and in December 1998 stood up in his own right at Ooralea.

There were only four other bookies but enough punters on course that day to ensure ‘Pear’ had a memorable initiation.

“I lost $8,000 and kept asking myself: ‘What am I doing here?’

“Things improved- at least marginally for a while.

“But I think it’s just about over for country bookies,” he lamented.

“Last week at Mackay TAB meeting there wasn’t a single person in the betting ring until after the third race.

“That’s when I said to myself again: ‘What am I doing here?’

And he decided then and there to book a one way ticket to his beloved Thailand. He departs for Phuket on Saturday.

‘Pear’ has endured the highs and lows of bookmaking but ‘wouldn’t have missed it for quids’.

There were days when the value of outstanding winning tickets was far greater than the amount of cash in his bag.

And there were days, a Darwin Cup day in particular, when his battered old betting bag wasn’t big enough to hold the winnings.

But those days are now few and far between.

“It’s a profession going downhill – and not helped by regulations.

“I remember one Show day meeting at Cluden when 72 bookies worked on locals only.

 “I remember too when 42 bookies worked locals only at the Mingela May Day meeting.

“Mingela for decades was more than just a great race day but fell victim of the Bentley regime,” said ‘Pear’.

Those halcyon days will never return.

And nor will ‘Pear’ – or the dozens of other bookies, trainers, jockeys and the hundreds of punters who have, in recent times, abandoned this once great industry – not to mention the hundreds of others who are at least thinking about it.

 

RE-EMERGENCE OF QUARTER HORSE RACING CONCERN TO SOME IN THOROUGHBREDS

IT was supposed to be embargoed until Tuesday when Premier Campbell Newman in the United States, and his Deputy at home, were to announce the approval of the quarter horse racing code for Queensland.

But The Sunday Mail chose to ignore the embargo.

The announcement, though welcomed by the many quarter horse followers and breeders in this State, might send shivers down the spine of the thoroughbred industry which is fighting grimly for what remains of the gambling dollar.

Punters have left in droves – many switching to gambling on other sports and pokies – and the fuel that keeps racing in prize-money and expenses is drying up.

Racing hardly needs any more competition – but the news that a private company has been granted a license set up to promote and provide sprint racing will certainly have an effect – initially at least.

The new company says it will beam the racing to the US and Asia and is already negotiating an off course betting system – rumoured to be an Aussie-based corporate bookie.

It will provide its own stewards and administration staff and jockeys; trainers and all participating horses must be registered with the AQHRD (Australian Quarter Horse Racing Development Pty Ltd).

The company is in the process of developing a quarter horse racetracks north of Gympie, but spokesman John Hocken, a former director general of Emergency Services and Sport and Recreation, said existing racetracks in North Queensland could be utilised.

“It will be up to the clubs. If they wish to lease us their facilities for a day we could be interested,” he said.

He also stressed that the venture is for registered quarter horses only. There is no provision for Arab racing, which is also said to be seeking a similar arrangement with powerful financial backing from the Middle East.

Mind you quarter horse racing is not new to Queensland. It boomed for a short time in the late 1970s but gradually punters (and bookies) lost interest and eventually went the way of harness racing – and one could say for the very same reasons.

Eventually quarter horse racing was banned by Racing Queensland.

But this, of course, is a totally new concept and no doubt the racing purists will be watching closely – with good reason.

 

INTERESTING RUNNER IN TOOWOOMBA MAIDEN WENT VIRTUALLY UNNOTICED

THERE was a very interesting runner in the Maiden at Toowoomba on Saturday night.

A horse named Kingtantes – yes the horse at the centre of the Damien Browne disqualification – yet to be heard on appeal.

This is the horse that has caused Browne and trainer Rob Heathcote to question whether it is time to move on from Queensland. 

But back to Saturday – how often does Heathcote send a horse to Toowoomba to race?

For the record, Kingtanates started at $5.50 and finished eighth in a field of 11.

Following is the stewards’ report from the race:

Stewards questioned jockey N. Tomizawa and stable representative Miss M. Sharpe in relation to the seemingly disappointing performance of KINGTANTES. Jockey Tomizawa advised that his instructions were to have the horse race where comfortable, however to ride the gelding as quietly as possible during the early and middle stages to allow it to finish the race off to the best of its ability. Jockey Tomizawa further added that whilst the gelding raced greenly throughout the event, it did travel comfortably but when placed under pressure to improve into the race it failed to respond to his riding and proved disappointing. Jockey Tomizawa further advised that, in his opinion, KINGTANTES would be better suited racing on a bigger track than the Toowoomba circuit. Miss Sharpe also expressed somewhat disappointment with the performance of the gelding, however added that the gelding was having only its 5th start today and had raced greenly throughout the race. Miss Sharp also agreed with jockey Tomizawa's view that the gelding may be better suited racing on a bigger track than Toowoomba. A post race veterinary examination of KINGTANTES revealed a thickening on the inside of the lower half of the off fore cannon bone, which was considered to be significant by the veterinary surgeon. In the circumstances, Miss Sharpe was advised by stewards that Mr Heathcote would be required to obtain a veterinary clearance for KINGTANTES prior to its next race start.

Rather than comment I will leave it to the punters to draw their own conclusions.

 

JAMIE DART GOING TO THE ‘DOGS’ – NEW CHIEF STIPE AT QUEENSLAND GREYHOUNDS

MEANWHILE, the highly respected thoroughbred steward Jamie Dart, who chaired the Damien Browne inquiry, is going to the dogs – literally.

On Friday he was appointed Chief Steward of Queensland Greyhounds.

This is a big gain for the dogs – and a giant loss to racing as Mr Dart, a former Chief Stipe in NQ and more recently in charge of most meetings on the Gold Coast, has earned a fine reputation.

And, before you, too, go jumping to conclusions – RQ CEO Darren Condon said: “Jamie applied for the job.”

In other words, he wasn’t pushed, and the move has nothing to do with any recent ‘tough decisions’ that might have got up the nose of a few in high places.

 

YET ANOTHER CULLEN GETS INVOLVED IN RACING INDUSTRY AT CLUDEN

CLUDEN has always had its Cullen’s – and now there is another who has decided on retirement – to make racing his full time activity.

And the venture of former painter, Owen Cullen, has proved instantly successful.

Owen is no real stranger to the scraping sheds at Cluden. He has always ‘dabbled’ in a horse or two and had great success with dual North Queensland Cup winner, Plums, in the early 2000s.

But after downing the paint brushes at the end of last year he set off in pursuit of a couple of horses. Three, in fact, and last week at Cluden notched his second winner in a week when My King Oath scored – ridden of course by Peter Cullen – his nephew.

“I grew up with all the boys, Peter, Bill, Michael and Greg – but was always too big to ride.

“But I shared their love and involvement with horses and it is just natural that I will spend my retirement days with them.

“I couldn’t think of anything better,” Owen said.  

The only member of the Cullen brothers not riding today is Bill, who surrendered to his weight problems a few years ago and quit the saddle after a highly successful career. He is still rated one of the very best to ever ride in the north.

But he is now back riding plenty of work – and getting fitter by the day

When’s Ewan?

 

STRANGE WAY TO APPOINT A CEO ADOPTED BY MACKAY TURF CLUB

THERE has been interest aplenty in the position for CEO of Mackay Turf Club.

 Apparently the job was advertised locally and all applicants requested to apply to the acting CEO who, in fact, according to my reliable source – is also an applicant for the job.

Now that seems a bit strange!

The number of applicants varies from three to 12, depending on who you talk to.

A high profile media identity totally denies he applied – despite a strong rumour to the contrary.

There are all sorts of allegations about missing money (which could be translated to sloppy accounting) but the sooner this cloud that hangs over the club clears, the better for all concerned.

Mackay has enough problems, a stand-in chairman, poor race day attendances and starters, to name just a few.

 

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.