IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, warns RQ Interim CEO Ian Hall of the hot reception that awaits him when he visits Townsville on Thursday.

Butts also reports on Rockhampton being – for some strange reason – the focus of plenty of stewards’ attention and of a flaw that needs addressing in workers’ compensation rules that seriously affects trainers who ride their own horses.

Here is the Butts’ column:

HOSTILE RECEPTION AWAITS RQ CEO AT CLUDEN TRACK THURSDAY

RACING Queensland’s CEO Ian Hall will be on course at Cluden races on Thursday and he might be for a bit more than he has bargained for. Maybe he should leave the trilby at home and wear a hard hat!

The Townsville Turf Club committee are more than a trifle peeved by the treatment afforded them by RQ of late with Chairman Kevin O’Keefe and his men demanding answers to their persistent calls for help.

Critical to the future of racing in Townsville in particular - and the north in general – is the question of on-course stabling.

For Cluden to retain its mantle as the hub of racing in North Queensland, on-course stables must be a priority – if not a necessity.

The club is not asking for a handout. It simply wants RQ to come to the party with a bank guarantee until the large and valuable prime slice of TTC land that fronts the Bruce Highway is sold.

But for interference by Bob Bentley and his RQ Board a few years ago the land would have been sold for $11 million and no doubt the stables would be up and operational.

The meddling and messing by that regime in Brisbane is the reason Townsville does not have on-course stabling and training facilities.

Rockhampton trainers say the 170 on-course stable complex at Callaghan Park has been the saviour for racing in Central Queensland – same in Cairns.

Really it is a no brainer. The Turf Club has the land on which to build – and the land to sell at the appropriate time. It just needs a guarantee.

Hopefully Hall can convey that message and convince his peers at Deagon and George Street to act.

Really, it is bit like a new $6 million motel without any rooms.

LITTLE INTEREST FROM TOWNSVILLE IN GOLD COAST QTIS SALES

AND the general racing public have reacted already.

Each year a contingent of prospective owners from northern centres descend on the Gold Coast for the QTIS yearling sales.

Tony McMahon has been taking tours from Rockhampton for 16 years and Rob Koch in Cairns has also been hosting them for a decade or more.

This year McMahon will host a party of 30 and Koch has 25 Far North Queenslanders booked for his tour on Sunday week.

Townsville – the recognised hub of north Queensland – has just two.

What does that say?

STEWARDS FOCUSING PLENTY OF ATTENTION ON ROCKHAMPTON RACING

STEWARDS ended a busy week in Rockhampton inspecting and blood sampling at random horses stabled on the track – and some at nearby spelling farms.

Obviously the search is on for traces of the now banned anabolic steroids – a treatment, some say, should never have been outlawed.

But that was not their only focus.

Stewards also conducted an inquiry into the bona fides of the transfer of ownership for registered thoroughbreds Breakfast Show, Cherishthethought and Flat to Stack – that  resulted in prominent owner Joe Ireland being handed a somewhat hefty six months disqualification and a fine of  $500.

Mr Ireland pleaded guilty to changing the ownership of the three horses by forging the signature of one of the registered owners, Ms Lyn Drew.

Corrie Ireland and trackwork rider James Wilson were fined $500 and $750 respectively for signing as witnesses to the transfers. 

Stewards acknowledged Mr Ireland’s forthright evidence, his remorse and his guilty plea. However, they considered his actions as “being extremely serious and having the ability to have a detrimental effect on the perception of the racing industry”. 

Joe is a retired senior employee of Rockhampton City Council and has raced several horses over the years without incident. He recently underwent open heart surgery and currently owns the highly promising (and aptly named) three-year-old Embrace The Pain.

TRAINER INJURED RIDING OWN HORSE WORK WAS NOT ‘COVERED’

STILL in Rockhampton – an incident involving trainer Julianne Lancaster  at Callaghan Park recently has re-ignited  the debate on Workers’ Compensation policies and its application to licensees.

Julianne came off one of her own horses in a track mishap and is expected to be laid up for several weeks nursing a fractured pelvis and other injuries.

However, because she was riding her OWN horse she may not to be covered by Worker’s Comp.

Queensland Trainers’ Association chairman, Jim Rundle, said it is a difficult and serious situation as several trainers in the State ride their own horses work ‘and because they are the trainer – they are not covered’.

“Regular track work riders are covered by the trainer’s compensation policy,” he said.

And, he added, private cover, especially for new applicants, is nowadays virtually unobtainable for riders who are classified as high risk.

He said the Workers’ Comp legislation –as it applies to racing – is in urgent need of a complete overhaul.

“There are too many grey areas”.

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..