THIS web-site continues to listen to what our readers have to say and has introduced a ‘Wednesday Whinge’ where you can express your feelings on racing industry issues of the past week. Try to keep them objective. Just e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
THE e-mail box this week was spearheaded by calls for Sydney stewards to take a stronger stance over the failure of favorites from the Gai Waterhouse stable. There was the usual brouhaha concerning the politics in Queensland racing with some interesting comments about the new Board. The Robbie Heathcote magazine comments attracted support and criticism. There were a host of other topics including an interesting e-mail about changes at the top in Victoria racing and a response to last week’s item about the lady trainer who was abused in the north without any stewards’ action.
Here is this week’s selection with apologies to those who missed out.
EDITOR’S NOTE: BEFORE we get into the e-mails this week letsgohorseracing has been overwhelmed by the support from readers for our stance against suggestions that the new RQL Board is attempting to censor the Wednesday Whinge by encouraging industry stakeholders not to participate in our forum. The way the newspapers are going down-hill at a rapid rate they should be encouraging support from websites like ours and justracing instead of trying to close us down. We are listening to what you, our readers, have to say in general with a guarantee that unlike the mainstream racing media we aren’t here to look after our mates. We will continue to provide a forum for debate whether it is controversial (or sensationalistic as some suggest). The RQL Board should be more concerned about providing an integrity unit that is respected by all, especially the punters, for racing in Queensland rather than an approach which some say will pay only lip service and take little action to policing what is wrong on the track that continues to stifle betting turnover.
PUNTERS WANT ACTION NOT TALK OVER FAILURE OF WATERHOUSE FAVORITES
‘HOW much longer is this joke going to continue in Sydney racing where favorites from the Gai Waterhouse stable perform so badly with little being done about it?
We all know how well Gai did with her horses in the feature races during the carnival – week in week out the racing media sung her praises.
But in the past couple of weeks not only have the wheels fallen off but her horses have lost a leg or, more to the point, seem to need a heart transplant.
The odds-on Betrayal stopped like it was shot a week ago and on Saturday we had the well backed trio of Charing Cross, Battant and Samui Lad finishing at the tail of their respective fields.
Stewards have opened inquiries but done little to appease the feelings of punters who have lost thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, on these beaten favorites.
Waterhouse doesn’t even seem to be required to front up to inquiries about these failures. I know she is sometimes interstate but why should a stable underling be left to try and explain when the buck stops with the boss.
It’s time the Murrihy panel lived up to the reputation it once had of policing these sort of failures instead of just paying lip service, some believe because a leading trainer is involved.
Punters are losing confidence in Sydney racing by the day and before too long bookies will be offering odds how many Waterhouse favorites will be beaten at a given meeting.’ – Jack Ritchie, Sydney.
Then this one:
‘IS Gai Waterhouse a protected species on the Sydney racing scene?
Stewards seem to be doing little or nothing about favorites from her stable that are not only getting beaten but are being lapped.
It’s not good enough. They are there to do a job and that is to protect the punters. Waterhouse has not even been questioned about the recent failures.
How about a grilling of the trainer or barring the horses or demanding she provides some answers instead of this weak-kneed approach that is making the policing of racing in Sydney look like a laughing stock.
Do you reckon Terry Bailey would allow this to happen if he was in charge or if it occurred with a top stable in Victoria? That is why he is not the most popular steward in the land but is the most respected by the punters.
If you cannot offer more protection to punters where the big stables are concerned in Sydney then Mr Murrihy it is time that you quit and jumped ship to the NRL.’ – Glen Wilson, Newcastle.
And finally:
‘THINGS must be bad in Sydney racing – even Kenny Callander is on the war path.
Unfortunately some of his colleagues, like the Waterhouse propaganda machine Ray Thomas from the Sydney Telegraph are dragging the chain.
But don’t hold your breath waiting for him to criticize the performance of any of the Waterhouse favorites – that’s not on for our Ray.
Ken didn’t miss in the same publication in his columns of recent weeks and he has won plenty of support within the punting fraternity.
The Waterhouse favorites are dropping like flies and the stewards are doing nothing about it. How can a horse from a leading stable go so well one start then so badly the next?
It’s a bit like the horse that raced further north from a leading stable and stormed home from near last to win then came out and led by many lengths before dropping out to run near last.
They put it down to the horse being hard to ride and hard to train – but that’s an explanation you would expect to be accepted by the least respected stewards’ panel in the land – not one with the experience of Ray Murrihy and his boys.’ – Alby Jackson, Melbourne.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s what a couple of the top Sydney scribes wrote about the above situation, with an answer to the critics from Chief Steward Ray Murrihy:
KEN CALLANDER in the SYDNEY TELEGRAPH:
GAI Waterhouse's favorites raced way below par at Rosehill on Saturday and again stewards did no more than go through the usual ho hum procedure of questioning a stable representative.
Surely the racing police owe it to the punters who backed Battant, Charing Cross and Samui Lad to do more to try and find out why these horses finished second last, last and last.
That's right, despite excellent form at their previous runs, these horses, two favourites and the other who opened in betting as the favourite, were not just beaten they were walloped. Like Gai's long odds-on favourite Betrayal at Warwick Farm the previous week, these horses stopped as though they had run into a brick wall.
It is not they are losing. It is by how far and how they are losing.
I realize what a great asset Gai is to racing. She is a fabulous marketing tool for the sport and always obliging and willing to give her time. But she is not a protected species.
Horses are not machines but when the Waterhouse horses looked as though they would run through the pain barrier over the autumn carnival they are now caving in quicker than a halfback running at Paul Gallen. Why?
MAX PRESNELL in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
ALARM bells are not ringing for Ray Murrihy, the Racing NSW chief steward, regarding the spate of Gai Waterhouse favorites being donkey-licked.
Punters are entitled to moan, groan, grizzle and whinge about Battant ($4.20) being beaten 11 lengths, Charing Cross ($3.50 to $5.50) going down by 16 lengths, and Samui Lad ($3.50) in arrears by 13 lengths at Rosehill on Saturday, following the demise of Betrayal ($1.50) at Warwick Farm a week earlier.
“You run the risk of throwing the baby out with the bath water if you panic about what's happened in the last few weeks,” Murrihy said.
“'Look at the period, and each case individually. Out of the last five or six [dismal failures], three have been diagnosed as being lame, not when they went out, but after the race. That is, in my view, why they performed badly.
“If you had odds-on favorites, in good form, beaten inexplicably you'd be entitled to rake over the bones, saying, 'Why is this happening?'
“Everyone has been swabbed, and most sent back to trial. It's not as though we have allowed them to butter up next week. Some you can't find an explanation for. Most we have.
“A study showed since January 1 if you'd backed Waterhouse favorites before last Saturday you'd have an 11 per cent profit. Odds-on favorites had a 67 per cent strike rate.
On Saturday two of three (Charing Cross and Samui Lad) pulled up lame. The other one (Battant) was beaten but did get interfered with (contributing to the end margin).''
INDUSTRY HAS MIXED RESPONSE TO COUNTRY CRITCISM OF ROBBIE HEATHCOTE
‘WHERE does Rob Heathcote get off bagging country racing?
His suggestion in the (Queensland) Racing Magazine article that under the Bentley Board there was a lessening of importance of metropolitan racing is a cheap shot at battling owners, trainers and stake-holders in the country.
We need to survive as much as you do in the city Rob but you wouldn’t know that. How long is it since you brought a horse to the country to race? You’re too busy taking them to Melbourne or Sydney and big-noting yourself.
You should take a leaf out of the book of Peter Moody. He never forgot where his roots were and he’s a better trainer than you can ever hope to be. You might not be a one-hit wonder in the ranks of leading trainers in Brisbane but your domination in recent times shows what a shortage of depth there is at the top there.
And by the way Rob it’s a bit rich you bagging the former administration of Bob Bentley. I can recall on a visit to Melbourne listening to you on the racing radio station down there and you were telling everyone how wonderful Bentley and his Board were.
Like a lot of others in racing in Brisbane you have conveniently jumped ship to the Dixon administration because that’s where the Brownie points can be earned. You have lost a lot of fans in the country who were pleased to see a trainer with limited background make it to the top, now we can’t wait for you to hit rock bottom.’ – Sam Hastie, North Queensland.
And this one:
‘I refer to Terry Butts’ article that appeared on your website on Monday 11 June 2012.
In particular he raised the issue of the country being upset at Robbie Heathcote’s comment: “I believe that under the former administration there was a lessening of importance of metropolitan racing that needs to be addressed.”
What a load of tripe. Is Mr Butts (and yourself) writing such garbage to gain pure sensationalism?
Now keep in mind I have never met R Heathcote and have no particular association with any racing clubs other than being a keen racegoer.
That rubbish has just stirred me to respond.
The way the paragraph reads (I have not seen the article to which you refer) he was saying what most racegoers think. City racing had lost its importance to the Bentley brigade.
Given he wanted to spend some $40 million on the Gold Coast and some $10 million on Beaudesert, the waste on Caloundra and the expenses incurred at Rockhampton and Mackay without any provision for Eagle Farm would lead any fair-minded interested party that they gave it no particular importance.
Surely the industry has not gotten to the point that unless you journos agree with a point of view the person saying it is maligned.
Get over your own importance (both of you) and look outside the narrow-minded point being protected and see that the industry cannot survive and prosper with all clubs just pushing their own barrow.
I can see the industry needs all parts to prosper but the city racing MUST be strong in order to generate tote turnover and public participation.
Country racing has been neglected but provincial TAB racing on the East Coast has had a very lop-sided share (in their favor) of the industry funds under Bentley.
I have attended most of the South East country clubs on several occasions and I want to see them back to their best. I could suggest resurrection of the Friday circuit at least.
Other more remote clubs need attention as well and I am sure the new LNP Government will address these issues but give them some time before you alienate and further fracture and polarize the Racing Industry in Queensland.’ – Greg Turner, a very interested racegoer.
And finally
‘HAVE to say I was gob-smacked to browse your site tonight and read the rather quirky interpretation of comments attributed to Queensland's leading trainer when responding to RQL's very welcome increase in metropolitan prizemoney.
Let's accept Butts' report is factual - although it would have achieved a deal more credibility if he had given the name of the "country battler" who (reportedly) took a shot at Heathcote's former job as a European tour-leader. (Why not name him?)
The ire of the country battlers should not be directed at Heathcote. He is one who has stridently railed against the former Queensland control body and who continues to promote racing on every platform and all for free.
Seems the country battlers are just a bit too trigger happy - even looking for a scapegoat, it would seem. One doesn't need to be overly perceptive to understand that country racing is an integral part of our great industry.
Likewise, the country battlers who have been starved by the former Deagon team have to realize that metropolitan racing is the "engine room". We can argue till the cows come home about the need for "better country racing".
There's one group of racing contributors who couldn't give a hoot. They're the PUNTERS. They have no interest in betting on country tracks. It's money earned from wagering on metro tracks that will ensure there'll be dollars available to fund country meetings.’ – J. Turner, Drayton.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It seems the ‘Turner’s’ are out in force supporting Robbie. I agree with some of what Greg and Jean say, like the reintroduction of the Friday circuit and that metropolitan racing is the ‘engine room.’ Greg questioned whether ‘such garbage’ was written to gain ‘pure sensationalism’ and that Terry Butts and I should ‘get over our own importance.’ We are just a couple of old ‘shit kickers’ printing on a website the views of everyone in racing, not just those of our mates that the mainstream media wants to publish. I regard Robbie Heathcote as a long-time friend and a terrific trainer. I admire greatly what he has achieved but if people in country racing perceive what he said in a magazine article to be wrong then they are entitled to their opinion the same as everyone else in the industry. If Robbie wanted to respond to any of the comments I would be happy to print his version.
WHY ARE THE ‘TROTS AND DOGS’ ENTITLED TO MONEY INITIALLY ALLOCATED TO QTIS?
‘CAN someone explain why money freed up from the Queensland Thoroughbred Incentive Scheme should be allocated to harness racing and greyhound prize-money?
If it was made possible thanks to the new Government’s multi-million dollar commitment to QTIS surely it should then be spent totally at the gallops. After all it is a ‘Thoroughbred Incentive Scheme.’
Spreading $3.5 million across the three codes of racing – whilst welcomed – won’t go too far. The greyhounds might be entitled to their $400,000 share but how RQ can justify the same amount to harness racing – apart from the fact they want to appease the big man Kevin Seymour – is beyond belief. How can they justify an increase in prizemoney for the ‘red hots’ when turnover on that code remains a disgrace?
I had to laugh at the comment by RQL Chairman Kevin Dixon that: “Whilst prizemoney is still far from parity with the southern states, RQL recognizes that the new LNP Government has acted quickly to assist the industry.”
What a nice little piece of political bum sucking. ‘Still far from parity with the southern states’ – you have to be kidding Mr Dixon. Queensland is getting further behind and will never catch up.
Interestingly your mates in the breeding industry will be pleased with their increases or should I say ‘snouts in the trough’ again. The last thing QTIS needs is another increase. The first thing the overall industry needs in Queensland is an across-the-board increase.
Instead of reducing the number of race meetings there is mention of an extra 20 country fixtures. If this is the new Board’s idea of rectifying the problem then the industry will soon need another new business plan to ensure its survival.’ – Lyle Morcombe, Gold Coast.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We keep hearing from the new brigade how the barrel is empty at Racing Queensland yet the out-going Chairman claimed there were millions in the bin. Someone has to end up growing a nose like Pinnochio. I guess where prizemoney is concerned they have to start somewhere to try and lift Queensland out of the doldrums – good luck to the new Board but about the only way they have a hope of catching up is if Kevin Seymour sells up his shares and property investments and donates the lot to the three codes of racing in Queensland and even then they would struggle.
NEW RACING LEADERS SHOULD REALIZE THAT STIFLING CRITICISM HAS INHERRENT DANGERS
‘WARREN Buffett’s ‘Management Secrets,’ Chapter 16 is devoted to ‘The Dangers of Criticism.’ I quote: “Warren discovered that uninvited criticism is something we all hate to hear”.
I find no better way to stir-up a hornet’s nest than to knock anyone or their ideas. Never say anything untoward a woman’s offspring – that is, if you want to live.
No married man should not be so foolish as to challenge his partner’s foibles, especially one with an elephant’s memory.
However, stifling criticism has its inherent dangers. There are many examples of blacklisting of dissenters; a notable example is Hollywood’s blacklisting silencing dissent against Obama.
In recent ‘Wednesday Whinge’ your column raised concerns about clubs being warned not to speak to letsgohorseracing –a manoeuvre that one needs to do under a nom de plume. There is no place for Tiananmen Square heroics here unless one has strong support.
This has extended to the greyhound world where an industry magazine has been asked, that RQL vets all articles before allowing publication.
The QGBOTA has been shunted aside in favor of UQGA’s representative whose past president is now a director. Shortly, all we will be getting are Uncle Remus sweetened folksy tales or the latest gossip from the Coominya Ladies’ Crocket Club.
Progressive enterprises have a grievance department. RQL is exposing its power hand by exerting media control. Oh, so dangerous.’ - Jim Carlton, Greenbank.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Refreshing comments as usual Jim. They will never censor this website or the Wednesday Whinge while I am running the show. There is no place for dictatorship in sport or racing – strangely that was a word more akin to the Bentley era. Times have changed to the days in a past era when racing officials, high profile businessmen with thoroughbred interests and corrupt politicians could threaten your job as a racing journalist if you didn’t write what they wanted. What this did was breed a bunch of turf writing survivors that specialized in the art of ‘sucking-up to the right people.’ Anyone who wants to complain about letsgohorseracing can pen a note or telephone the editor-owner. My advice is this: If it has anything to do with censorship in racing then don’t waste your time or your breath.
THIS PAIR IS JOINED AT THE HIP SO DON’T EXPECT ANY CRITICISM OF NEW RQ CHAIRMAN
‘AT first when I kept reading e-mails to the Wednesday Whinge about the close association between new Racing Queensland chairman Kevin Dixon and some high profile members of the racing media I thought it was just a matter of sour grapes.
But during Stradbroke week I was fortunate enough to attend several major racing functions and was able to witness first-hand just how close that association is with one particular media identity.
On each occasion Mr Dixon and this gentleman were seated so close that you almost needed a bucket of water to separate the pair.
Is it any wonder the industry can expect no criticism of the Dixon Board or its chairman in the mainstream racing media in Brisbane?
Nor is it any wonder that stake-holders and the punting public will need to rely more heavily on websites like letsgohorseracing and justracing if they hope to air any form of criticism or even have an opinion other than that approved by the powers that be.
How times have changed. For the last few years all we got from the Racing Editor of The Courier-Mail was criticism of Bob Bentley and his Board. Can we expect the same objective criticism of the Dixon Board? I would very strongly doubt it.
It’s back to the good old days when the QTC was running the show.’ – Stan Pratt, Brisbane.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An early indication of that return to the ‘good old days’ that you mention Stan was seen last weekend when the Media Release from the RQ Chairman about the prizemoney increase went to Queensland Newspapers exclusively on Saturday and the rest of the racing media on Sunday morning. That’s how it used to work when the QTC was running the show – like it or lump it. Surveys suggest that so few people are reading the mainstream media these days that websites will survive longer. Another of Queensland’s better racing journalists is leaving The Courier-Mail shortly. Mark Oberhardt, condemned to courts coverage because the Racing Editor couldn’t find room for him in the Turf Team, is going to join the Media Unit of the new LNP Government. What a loss to racing but that’s how it has worked for years in the state’s leading newspaper. If you had a differing political view or represented a threat to those running the Turf Department you never got a look in the door or you were destined to cover anything but racing. The joke continues as another respected racing journo walks out the door.
PRAISE FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS AT EAGLE FARM BUT ONE STRADBROKE DAY GRIPE
‘I maIde a rare visit to Eagle Farm on Saturday to enjoy the Stradbroke meeting and whilst the quality of horses was down I must admit the new stabling and parade ring facilities impressed me greatly.
The Brisbane Racing Club has done a magnificent job and the public were full of praise for the new set up at headquarters which gives them a birds-eye view of the action pre-race.
The one thing that did annoy me – and I heard a lot of others, especially the punters – make mention of, was the incessant chatter that occurred whilst we were trying to watch races from interstate.
You were flat our hearing the broadcasts because of the ranting and raving of this bloke over the public address from the mounting enclosure. It was driving the majority of punters crazy or more to the point driving them away from the track.
The best thing they can do is put this guy permanently out to pasture. He might be another mate of the new RQ chairman but he seems to like the sound of his own voice. There was a general message for him from the punting fraternity on Stradbroke day: ‘Put a sock in it!’ – Peter English, Toowoomba.
EDITOR’S NOTE: MAX PRESNELL, writing in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, agreed with your sentiments about the improvements at Eagle Farm. Here’s what he hasd to say:
EAGLE Farm has clawed into the 20th century, not quite 21st yet, with a worthwhile $2 million facelift but should dispense the qualifying aspects of the Stradbroke.
Two of the most promising sprinters on the program, the outstanding three-year-old Mental and Solzhenitsyn, were in prelims when they would have given the main event a considerable lift.
As it turned out Saturday's Stradbroke, the feature race, will hardly be remembered as one of the best.
However, the Brisbane Racing Club has become more thoroughbred, and, if possible, booze-orientated.
The new horse stalls are a feature and particularly the parade area, showing squillions don't have to be spent to maintain a traditional racing environment.
Sure, it has taken the boozers into the betting ring with bars, tables and chairs within falling length of the bookmakers, giving grumpy old men a bleating point.
But, overall, it's a reasonable trade-off. Lessons can be learnt from Eagle Farm regarding Warwick Farm, now derelict.
OUR SPY AT DEAGON RECKONS THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME
‘IF you think things have changed in the Deagon bunker since the new brigade took control then think again.
Here is a spicy snippet for your readers from deep in the bowels of the new-look RQ headquarters.
Staff was instructed by a high profile Board member not to delete a race from a prominent provincial TAB track last weekend.
This was despite the fact that there were insufficient runners to meet previous standards and protocols.
By the time the race was run one of the top chances – from a stable associated with the owner of the hot favorite for the race – had been withdrawn so the field was even smaller than is normally a requirement for a TAB meeting at acceptance time.
The long odds-on favorite bolted in as expected. The turnover on the race was a disgrace. The rules were broken. Everyone did as they were told. But only some went home happy.
This is not good enough and if it is allowed to continue someone should be raising what is happening behind the scenes already under this new RQ Board with some investigative body.
It’s a matter that an independent Integrity Department could investigate. But there are questions whether that will even exist and if it did there are insufficient staff members left to mount an investigation at the present time.
And they reckoned racing was doing it tough when Bob Bentley was allegedly looking after his mates. They have to be kidding.’ – Your spy within the Deagon Bunker.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s good to know we still have a spy who keeps us informed on what’s allegedly happening behind the scenes at the Deagon bunker. I have no idea what you are talking about here but one thing’s for sure. There’s no chance of an investigation. From what I’m hearing it won’t be long before Integrity is non-existent – that’s apart from the ‘Play School – Dad’s Army’ mix they call stewards. There is now even talk that Allan Reardon is odds-on to return but that he will play second fiddle to the Chief Steward Wade Birch who is doing a great job behind the scenes setting up his own little fiefdom – little wonder many in the industry regard integrity in Queensland racing as an embarrassment.
EVEN IF VICTORIA IT SEEMS THEY ARE PREPARED TO ‘PAY PEANUTS TO GET MONKEYS’
‘QUEENSLAND racing it seems isn’t the only one prepared to ‘pay peanuts to get monkeys.’
That was the interpretation placed on the search for a new Head of Integrity or a high profile steward to run the show in Queensland.
It seems the same is occurring in Victoria where racing is chasing a new CEO to replace Rob Hines who finishes in a few months.
I sometimes wonder when I read some of these stories by Adrian Dunn in the Melbourne Herald Sun where he gets his motivation or information from.
His latest kick-up for Bernard Saundry for the CEO role at Racing Victoria is mind-boggling akin to his long running support for controversial jockey Dan Nikolic (I’ll be interested to see if Adrian is at court to report on the outcome when Dan the Man makes his long overdue appearance later this year).
Saundry hasn’t really stuck around all that long in some of his roles in more recent times and I am reliably informed hasn’t won a lot of friends with some of the opinions he has expressed concerning track maintenance during his time at RVL.
Now whilst everyone appreciates Adrian and Bernie probably go back a long way to their days in harness racing, his support here for an old mate is really drawing a long bow.
EDITOR’S NOTE: HERE is the ADRIAN DUNN story from the HERALD SUN that obviously prompted this e-mail:
First, David Gallop, the NRL trump, and then Eugene Arocca, the North Melbourne boss, separated from their employer in somewhat strained fashion.
While the departures of Gallop and Arocca drew robust debate and sparked furious discussion as to their likely successors, Racing Victoria's hunt for its new CEO meandered along without a murmur.
Incumbent CEO Rob Hines, the longest serving leader in RVL's short and turbulent history with four and a half years standing, is seeing out his last five months.
Hines will be gone when the curtain falls on the spring carnival. So, who will take over the baton - some believe it to be a poisoned chalice - as history will not reflect favourably on all those who've held the post.
One would only hope that Arocca and Gallop have been added immediately to the list compiled by headhunters whose job it is to deliver a short list to the RVL board.
Both Arocca and Gallop boast outstanding credentials in tough sporting environments.
Running racing is a tough gig given its diverse and some would say dysfunctional backdrop, where there's so many sectors pushing their own barrow, seemingly never in the same direction.
What remains quite remarkable in the 21st century is that racing's supposed main body - the Australian Racing Board - has little clout. Imagine the AFL kowtowing to Collingwood!
Anyway, we digress.
Victorian racing needs strong leadership, especially given its eroding market share, its shrinking appeal to Gen Y, its inability to gain serious traction in mainstream media - not to mention fundamental issues such as presenting racetracks that instil confidence, not fear, in participants.
Paul Bittar was viewed as Hines' heir apparent, but was curiously allowed to leave last year to head up British racing.
Listen to those supposedly in the know and they'll tell you Bernard Saundry, RVL's chief operating officer, is the warm favourite to land the job. Apparently, he has the blessing of Hines and others on the RVL board.
Saundry was an applicant for the position when the Stephen Allanson, aka Jack Hindon, scandal broke. He's since served as Hines' lieutenant.
Dale Monteith, the outgoing long-serving VRC CEO, has put his hand up for the post, while in the past Greg Nichols has been perennially linked with the job.
And then there's Peter V'landys, seen by many as the saviour of Racing NSW courtesy of his pugnacious stand against the corporate bookies. V'landys, one of the more interesting characters in racing administration, has been touted as a successor to Gallop.
What could be the determining factor is the remuneration package, believed to be in the $500K-$750K range. Some would say that's over the odds, but those in similar positions in the AFL, NRL and ACB command seven-figure sums.
There's an old saying about paying peanuts. We'll soon see.
SUPPORT FOR THE STEWARDS IN NORTH QUEENSLAND – A VOICE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS
‘BEING an avid reader of your Wednesday Whinge segment I find your letter from Vince Grogan a little bit amusing bout the treatment of (a lady trainer in the north).
Maybe Vince and yourself should have asked a few more people what happened.
You would only have to ask most trainers in Townsville what they think of (this trainer).
There is a lot more to the story that has not been told.
How (the female concerned) had allegedly abused the trainer involved along with his mother and brother in a very nasty manner.
Just ask any licensee (in the north) who has one of the foulest mouths in Townsville?
The stewards involved spoke to both trainers and decided that no more than a warning was needed.
This continual verbal bashing of our stewards all the time is not always warranted. Most licenses in North Queensland think our stewards do a good job under difficult circumstances.’ – Please don’t print my name as I am a licensed person.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I have done some investigation into your e-mail and I have been told that you are an official and an owner who formerly had horses with the woman trainer and that you did not part company on the best of terms. I am also told that your horses are now with the trainer who allegedly abused the woman. As for your comment about respect for the North Queensland stewards from most licensees, well you must be talking to different people to us. Until they return Patrick Cooper from the wilderness – and while the present overall RQ Chief Steward has a say that is a million to one – the integrity of racing in North Queensland will continue to struggle to gain any respectability. It’s a pity that you had to do a report on behalf of the stewards that they spoke to both trainers and felt a warning was all that needed to be given.
ALL THE ACTION WASN’T ON THE TRACK ON ONE BIG CARNIVAL DAY IN BRISBANE
‘ALL the action was not on the track during the Winter Carnival in Brisbane.
There is plenty of talk about the dust up after the last in the media centre after a major race meeting between a racing writer for a Sydney newspaper and a photographer.
It must have been a long day as I am told that a punch was thrown because someone was standing in the light of another who was trying to work. It just wasn’t all black and white.
Is it any wonder our racing media coverage is going to the dogs.’ – As I work in the racing media you better not identify me for risk of being on the receiving end of a hay-maker.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The fact that this happened after the last rules out a few of the high profile guys who would have been busy with their noses in the drink trough in the director’s room.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner of the letsgohorseracing web-site. That is why he has added an ‘EDITOR’S NOTE’. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.