IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports that the Crime and Misconduct Commission will be asked to investigate financial irregularities at the Mackay Turf Club.
He also has a column item on the battle to revive racing in Mackay and some strange decisions being made at present.
Butts also has his say on the Racing Minister continuing to claim the $110 million Racing Infrastructure Fund as that of the LNP Government when it was actually inherited from Labor and the Bob Bentley Board.
Here is the Butts’ column:
CMC TO INVESTIGATE HOW MTC TURNED $900,000 CREDIT INTO $300,000 DEBT
QUEENSLAND’s Crime and Misconduct Commission will be asked to investigate the $300,000 debt of the Mackay Turf Club.
This was revealed at a special meeting at Ooralea last week by Racing Queensland Integrity Officer Jeff Lyddon who accompanied CEO Darren Condon on a visit to the city to address the local racing community on the Mackay situation.
Mr Condon said he was bound by law to notify the CMC.
A long-time committee member, who has encouraged this action, said the club had been operating insolvent for several months.
“When Joe Hynes left here the club was $900,000 in credit. Today it is $300,000 in the red. It must be investigated,” said the member.
HINT OF PRIZEMONEY BOOST AND MUCH-NEEDED TRACK UPGRADE AT CLUDEN
FOR the first time, at least officially, there was a hint that a prizemoney boost was imminent and that Townsville might get the nod for the much-needed track upgrade.
It came in an address by Condon who was in Mackay to delve deeper into the monumental problems faced by that club. There is a rumour the amount could be as high as $500,000.
Condon urged Mackay people to get behind a rebirth of racing in the city that over the years has provided the likes of George Moore and Dick Roden to name just two immortals of the Australian racing scene.
Now it is recognised as having the best racetrack in the state - but the biggest debt. It has lost money, trainers, horses and punters.
Condon said the future looked a bit rosier for them with increased prizemoney on the way and that Mackay could expect extra race dates later in the year when the excavators turned up at Cluden.
Townsville is expected to be ‘out of business’ for at least four months depending on the weather. On course stables are included in the Townsville bundle.
MICK POPE WAS READY TO GO BUT THE ACTING CEO SHUT THE DOOR IN HIS FACE
THE RQ CEO at least tried to be buoyant about the immediate future of Ooralea which has been dogged by a succession of senior staff and committee changes in recent years.
RQ has called on Cairns CEO Graham Thornton to help sort out the mess and get the crowds rolling back.
But the plan didn’t have a brilliant beginning. The town’s best known entrepreneur Mick Pope had an agreement with the club to reintroduce his very popular party days at Ooralea last Saturday – the same day as Condon and Thornton announced a ‘Back to Ooralea’ day with free admission
Aimed at the younger set, Pope drew crowds of 500 or more when he staged the highly successful party days a few years ago. Then the Mackay club thought they could do it all themselves.
It was an absolute failure. Meanwhile, Pope set up the Beach Racing concept that is now one of the state’s top tourist drawcards.
But back to last Saturday. Pope was all set to go and was hopeful he would attract at around 200 young players to his Ooralea party.
He was ready to spend $3,000 on radio advertising when he got a phone call from a friend on Tuesday warning that the deal he had negotiated with club chairman Lou Kinsey ‘differed’ to what the acting CEO intended to charge him.
Pope said he tried twice to contact Thornton by phone and email that day. There was no response so Mick simply pulled the pin, as you would, and race day at Ooreala last Saturday was just as it’s been for months according to my reliable source: Bleak, bare and boring. The new bar and dining complex were not even open – on a Saturday ‘welcome back’ TAB meeting at Ooralea.
POOR OLD ‘DIXIE DOODLE’ STILL MISLEADING RACING ABOUT THAT $110 MILLION
THE ONLY thing missing was the violin.
Racing Minister Steve Dickson, according to the media release, was at the Gold Coast on Saturday to herald the beginning of the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
And could you believe he pedalled the same old story about how committed his Government was to ‘rebuilding the racing industry etc’.
And he had the gall to again mention the same old story of the $110 million Racing Industry Capital Development Scheme.
What he neglected to say is that the $110mn has nothing whatsoever to do with him or his Government.
It was inherited from the Bentley era.
What old ‘Dixie Doodle’ also failed to state is just how much remains of that $110mn, after the long snouts of Toowoomba and other south-east corner clubs have been salivating in the trough.
Nor did he say when it might be topped up by his own Government.
KENNING VERSUS CAIRNS SAGA TAKES A NEW TURN IN MAGISTRATE’S COURT
THE Kenning v Cairns saga returned to the ring last week in Townsville.
This time in the Magistrate’s Court where Shane Calahan (better known as ‘Unit’ - and partner of Olivia Cairns) faced a charge of assault.
Rival trainer Bill Kenning complained to police that ‘Unit’ king-hit him at the track last July.
Racing Queensland stewards have already dealt with the matter and it might come as some surprise to learn that a magistrate would sit on a case that retired senior Supreme Court Judge Bill Carter had already thrown out – after overturning the RQ stewards’ decision to disqualify Calahan.
Of course, it is a different jurisdiction.
Police allege Kenning was ‘king-hit’.
But, according to RQ steward Rion Hichener, when after handing down his penalty, categorically stated: “There was no king-hit”.
When asked why then ‘Unit’ copped a disqualification – and no action was taken against Kenning – the steward replied: “Unit pleaded guilty (to being in a fight) - Kenning didn’t.”
Judge Carter, in overturning the stewards’ decision, said Colahan’s guilty plea should not have been accepted by stewards.
Incidently, Judge Carter’s decision has been appealed by RQ stewards and has in fact already been heard by QCAT.
No decision has been handed down on that appeal and the police matter has been adjourned until May 13.
There has been totally conflicting evidence by one of the prosecution witnesses John Robbins. He gave evidence at the stewards’ inquiry that he didn’t see the beginning of the fight, and therefore didn’t know who was first to strike.
In court last week, and under oath, Robbins said Kenning was king-hit. He told the court he couldn’t remember what he said at the original inquiry. That evidence will be produced when the matter is resumed on May 13
It would seem the prosecution is relying on convincing the magistrate that ‘Unit’ king-hit Kenning.
Already Judge Carter (and stewards) has found that he didn’t.
Really, in the end, it was just a long and bitter personal feud between the two stables that finally erupted after months of verbal stoushing between the two. And it should never have got to the stage it is at.
This just highlights the situation of how times have changed when it comes to the relationship between racing law and civil law and how much harder it is for stewards trying to police industry issues.
MT GARNET BATTLING TO SURVIVE SINCE SCRAPPING OF MAY LONG WEEKEND
MT Garnet has been one of the iconic race meetings in North Queensland for many many years.
It was where the country and city folk got away for an ultra-social May weekend of racing raging and rodeoing.
But that’s all changed. Government decided to do away with the Labor long weekend – not one of its smartest decisions, mind you.
And Mt Garnet too has undergone many changes. It, like many country clubs, is struggling to survive and this year will race on two days in June. The rodeo has already been held.
Mt Garnet is offering, what many stakeholders believe to be less than attractive prizemoney, and with the cost of travelling can expect to see even fewer visitors this year.
But the hard working committee haven’t given up all hope and below is an extract from one of its younger and active committee members Gary Riches.
“The decision to reduce the prize-money for 2014 was not taken lightly. We have had a dramatic decrease in turnover and sustained profits over the last five to seven years, due to Liquor Licensing, fewer young campers and the increase in costs of security and compliance .The loss of the May long week-end in 2013 decreased our number of campers and cabaret attendance even more.
“They were our main sources of revenue...
“If we held on the May weekend this year we would have fallen after the three previous short weeks and clashed with the Townsville ‘Groove in the Moo’.
“The committee believes with the change of date to the June long weekend we can boost the number of weekend campers and return to a profitable bottom line.
“In 2012 this committee trialled the change to a Friday-Saturday format which proved successful. The Friday race attendances were a 300 per cent increase on the Monday date, and with less overhead costs.
“To enable the 2014 race day to be a success the expenditure and prizemoney has had to be decreased.
“RQL policy for non-TAB tracks is five races at $5,000 per race. We considered the Super Saturday approach with six or seven races and/or increased prize-money but our circumstances would not permit.
“Mt Garnet is in an unenviable location of being far enough from the population centres to deter day trippers but not far enough to encourage camping for one night, so we believe the way of the future was to adapt and change dates to a long weekend.”
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.
