ROSS – DID YOU ACTUALLY STEP OUTSIDE THE MEMBERS AND WITNESS WHAT OTHERS HAVE TOLD US WAS HAPPENING AT MECCA DAY? 
IT came as no surprise that a long-time supporter of the Brisbane Racing Club would declare LGHR ‘bitter and narrow-minded’ for daring to declare that the ‘ferals would be out in force at Mecca Day’.
We wondered who it would be and by 10 last night ROSS TINNISWOOD had stepped up to the plate and filed what we would describe as a one-sided and highly-biased report with the note: ‘For publication please. Happy if you use my name.’
By then we had received two other Whinges painting a totally different picture of the behaviour of SOME on the day and by morning there were more.
The complaints ranged from it costing $50 to get through the gates (nothing to do with behaviour) to young women passing out at the turnstyles half way through the day; blokes being handcuffed and escorted off the track after brawls and at the end of proceedings many ‘pretty young things’ being flung over the shoulders of their beaus and carried off the track.
But before we go on, Mr Tinniswood who describes himself as ‘a very long-term racegoer who applauds Mecca Race Day because it is great for the industry’ is entitled to his say and we are delighted to publish his response. What we have decided to do is reply to his criticisms as you read through what angered Ross most about our article yesterday:
‘I find the article titled IT’S ‘MECCA DAY AT DOOMBEN’ – THE 'FERALS' WILL BE OUT IN FORCE! paints an unfair description for patrons attending the races at Doomben today (Wednesday – Ekka Public Holiday).
It reminds me of what a minority of racegoers would say about Tatts race days back in the 1970’s and 80’s. “Tut tut” they would whinge, “I hate that sort of people”.
And I dread to think what they would have said about girls having a drink in public, or girls kissing girls, or, even worse, public displays of affection between men, hand holding and hugging on the Doomben lawns. Oh I feel faint. It must be the end of the world.
(LGHR: Sounds like your old mate from the media may have had an input into this. We have no problem with his choice of extra-carricular or that of anyone else who dares to be different. In fact we even voted for Gay Marriage. But if you want to see girls kissing girls or men holding hands and hugging on the lawns, then buy a ticket and attend the Gay Mardi Gras not the races).
Fortunately most of those old-timers from the hills of St Lucia, Ascot and Hamilton would be dead by now, and racing and societal norms have moved on. It’s 2019. And racegoers like to party, love it or hate it.
The huge majority of the 15,000 + players at Doomben are well behaved and are having a terrific day out. Sure there will be a few bogans that misbehave, or at least try to. Ever been to a Collingwood game? But it is not enough to seek the demise of, or be so derogatory of the event.
(LGHR: My dear old mum liked nothing more than her day at the races but she never returned to these Young Members, Dollar Days or whatever they want to call them now. The reason for that was she went to the toilet only to find it full of these terrific young women you mention having a drink who were talking about how they could bed down this young bloke with a big cock. Mum soon discovered that some ‘feral’ had placed glad wrap over the toilet seat. Then when she and a couple of older ladies went to exit the toilet they had to duck plastic cups full of jungle juice being thrown across the room. As you said Ross: ‘Fortunately most of those old-timers from the hills of St Lucia, Ascot and Hamilton would be dead by now, and racing and societal norms have moved on.’ She is sadly long gone and was a great lady with more love, forgiveness and moral fibre in her little toe than some of these pretty little things you are supporting would ever hope to possess in their entire bodies. We take your comments on these old-timers as the ultimate insult and someone of your age should choose your words more carefully perhaps).
Security at the gates is intense so the risk of illicit drug abuse is as minimal as you can make it. On the course, there is security everywhere, and misbehavior is not tolerated. Anyone trying to buy alcohol is carefully checked for sobriety and refused service. A condition of entry.
(LGHR: If the people who are making this the second best crowd outside of Stradbroke Day were there to enjoy a day at the races and not getting pissed or laid or stoked out on drugs then the club wouldn’t need this security presence).
They have run out of Red Bull BTW. Attendance by Club Members is what could be expected given the quality of midweek fields. Patrons are having a safe, fun day out. And the BRC makes a motza out of good planning, and great marketing.
So why the whinging? Been to the Gabba in the last 20 years for Footy, or Cricket? Or the Brekky Creek on a Friday night? Been to the Magic Millions? Been to Ippy on Cup day, or Weetwood day?
It might surprise you to know that patrons can and do behave these days. Penalties are stiff AND security is high, AND bogans are few given the pricing.
But think of the alternative if Clubs adopt your thinking. Stop Mekka Day. Put on a tidy midweek card for the true racing aficionados. Firstly, the BRC will refuse to race, because it is a loss-making exercise with staff on penalty rates. Secondly, RQ would schedule a meeting for Beaudesert or Gatton for the sake of betting turnover, to which as few as 100 patrons would attend.
(LGHR: If the object of the exercise is to raise money and overcome the problem of penalty rates (they should be negotiating a deal for public holidays so that racing can be held at the major tracks as it once was) then these MECCA DAYS or NIGHTS should be organized by the club as an additional revenue raiser when there is no racing. We keep getting told of the need to multi-use racetrack facilities. Well hold a big party with all the drinking, dancing and music you like but don’t just turn it off while the races are run). As for trying to attract lost generations back to the track, if you have a look at the holds on yesterday’s meeting at Doomben they were pathetic so obviously the majority of those in attendance weren’t interested in betting. And even on a day when the fields were pathetic the turnover on the interstate TABs made UBET look insignificant (latest figures for the local TAB are on the major decline which is no surprise but I guess in the opinion of you and your mates that’s just more bitter and narrow minded comment Ross). Of course once again we will be told the secret was in the Fixed Odds figures which aren’t released. The only ‘fix’ most of those at the track yesterday would know of didn’t involve ‘odds’).
Sorry, but bitter and narrow minded commentary such as seen today on LGHR is misplaced and harmful for the industry, from which the website derives its income.
(LGHR: Once again your facts are false Mr Tinniswood. Our website does not derive one cent of revenue from the industry, especially Queensland racing. Unlike many of our rivals and the mainstream racing media we refuse to accept advertising from corporate bookies because we believe they are parasites. The website survives on what we make from a Ratings Service for Leisure Punters, if you want to call that income from the industry. The problem is every time an objective criticism is made we are described as ‘bitter and narrow minded’ and our comments are supposedly ‘misplaced and harmful to the industry’. We venture to areas that the mainstream racing media (print and broadcast) won’t touch for fear of upsetting someone or because they are too busy sucking-up to officialdom and others rather than protecting the interests of the racing public and the punters).
