Annual general meetings were the flavor of the week in the e-mail box with plenty of responses to Peter Bredhauer’s support for Neville Stewart and attack on The Courier-Mail at the AGM in Toowoomba. There was a stack of e-mails concerning the up-coming bitter election battle for the Gold Coast Turf Club committee. The majority were unfortunately ‘too hot to handle.’ There is an interesting photo of a controversial dead-heat at Ewan where the grass fed future of the meeting could be in doubt. E-mail writers were also complaining again about the lack of policing of Brisbane races and about the effect that Daylight Savings in the south has on a day at the races in Queensland.
NEVILLE THE KNIGHT ON THE WHITE HORSE OR NEVILLE NOBODY?
THE e-mail box has been running hot with responses to controversial comments made at the annual general meeting of the Toowoomba Turf Club by outspoken media commentator and bloodstock agent, Peter Bredhauer.
Bredhauer heaped praise on the efforts of out-going chairman Neville Stewart for ‘pioneering night racing, getting on with his job despite being attacked in the media and State Parliament’ and painted him as a modern day savior for pushing through the establishment of a cushion track at Clifford Park.
He also attacked The Courier-Mail and a prominent racing journalist (who he did not name) for failing to recognize the contribution that Stewart had made and over other controversial racing issues, which provoked a rousing cheer from the floor of the AGM.
We have selected three from the stack of e-mails received on the issue, believing that these generally represent the views of those who responded.
Mal McLean of the Gold Coast wrote: “The dislike that Mr Bredhauer has for Bart Sinclair (of The Courier-Mail) is well documented. It was raised at the Racing Inquiry that he had labeled Mr Sinclair a maggot, which is quite disgraceful from a person who was once a director of a major club and who now sits on an Appeals Body. Bart has made a far more significant contribution to racing in Queensland than Mr Stewart or Mr Bredhauer ever will. He should be inducted into the local Racing Hall of Fame for his contribution to racing journalism and the industry generally in this State over a number of years.”
Bob Wilson of Ipswich posed this question: “Is this the same Peter Bredhauer who sells Mr Stewart’s horses? He has to be kidding! Anyone who follows racing in Queensland would be only too aware of Mr Stewart’s track record and those who aren’t should avail themselves of a copy of the Parliamentary Hansard from a few years back. That wasn’t a clap of thunder they heard in the background when Mr Bredhauer was ingratiating himself with Mr Stewart at the annual meeting. It was a fine old gentleman called Darcy Hogan rolling in his grave. He’s the one that they had politically removed as a Trustee at Toowoomba. With all due respects to Mr Bredhauer, if Mr Stewart is the best candidate available for the new Board, then God help Queensland Racing!”
Alan Chester, who lists his address as Darling Downs, suggests: “There would arguably be no racing in Toowoomba if it wasn’t for Neville Stewart. He has worked tirelessly for many years and Peter Bredhauer is right when he says has copped undeserved criticism and been the subject of some very personal attacks. The National Party used Parliamentary Privilege to attack him with many unsubstantiated allegations. But they were too gutless to repeat them outside of the protection of the House. Neville has forgotten more about racing than some of these boof-heads we’ve had on the QRL Board will ever learn. As for his attack on The Courier-Mail, well I feel that is well justified. Its racing pages have been used year-in year-out to promote the cause of the old Queensland Turf Club without a word of criticism. Good racing stories were left out to fight the good fight for the ‘old boys club.’ What can we say – most of them are now gone – and good riddance!”
PUNTERS SUFFER WITH NO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS IN QUEENSLAND
FORGET about the curtains fading and the milking times confusing the cows, the introduction of Daylight Savings in the south has upset quite a few punters in Queensland.
For once punters and bookmakers are in agreement that a day at the races in the north is far too long during Daylight Savings and want authorities to adopt starting times to correspond with the southern States.
Whilst none of the e-mails that we received this week were advocating the introduction of Daylight Savings in Queensland, each was urging the local authorities to run racing earlier to ensure times coincided with Sydney and Melbourne.
Des James of Redcliffe summed up the feelings of most: “It’s a terribly long day if you enjoy attending the races in Brisbane and like punting and following the meetings interstate. It means an extremely early start and a late finish. The situation gets even worse come Melbourne Cup time when you just about have to leave home at breakfast time to take in the first at Flemington.”
Another e-mail suggested the authorities would never run racing earlier in Brisbane because the TAB wanted stronger races to bet on after Sydney and Melbourne had finished and before the twilight and night meetings slotted in. It also ensured bigger holds on the last couple in Brisbane.
BITTERNESS AND BLOOD-LETTING IN THE GOLD COAST ELECTIONS
IF the e-mails that we are receiving are any guide there is plenty of bitterness and blood-letting among the participants in the up-coming election for directors of the Gold Coast Turf Club, the results of which will be announced at the annual meeting on October 22.
We are not prepared to publish the majority of these e-mails because the contents are largely defamatory and slanderous. The attack on the integrity of one high profile director is quite disgusting considering the job that person has done.
All we can say is that this election has everything – allegations of betrayal (the chairman apparently believes a person that he helped secure election in the past has betrayed him), conflicts of interest (questions concerning whether a person can be a director and still gain profit by working for the club) and some very personal and unsubstantiated attacks (which we are not prepared to elaborate on) concerning current directors.
There appears to be two factions seeking election – one spearheaded by current chairman Hoss Heinrich and the other by a relatively new director in Andrew Eggleston. Deputy chairman, Larry Klinge, has been targeted by the Eggleston ticket.
LACK OF CONFIDENCE CAUSING BRISBANE BETTING TO SLIDE?
THE stories just won’t go away that TABs around the country are concerned by the poor standard of betting holds on Saturday Brisbane racing.
To be fair the punters turn their attention to Spring racing in Sydney and Melbourne and the fields do drop off considerably in Brisbane at this time of the year.
But on the other side of the coin the fields have been terrible in recent times – both class wise and numerically. Then there is the problem that no-one seems to be prepared to address – a general lack of confidence among punters on Brisbane racing.
With all due respects to the stewards, there is hardly a form analyst around the country who isn’t shaking his or her head at what is happening on the track in Brisbane. Form reversals, slaughter jobs and horses going back when they normally go forward are common place.
Form analysts have declared at least three ‘questionable’ races at Brisbane Saturday meetings in the last month. If Queensland Racing chairman Bob Bentley and his Director of Integrity Operations, Jamie Orchard, don’t address the issue shortly there will be no punter left that is prepared to have a decent bet on Brisbane racing.
One other double-barreled question that has been raised by e-mail inquiries to this web-site is: “Does Queensland Racing still have a betting steward? If so, what does he do? Does anyone who knows anything about local racing do speed maps for the stewards? And does anyone in the place know how to find Betfair on the Internet. It might just help them to highlight the ones that are being laid – quite a few are favorites that are getting beaten.”
MOVES TO ABOLISH LAST OF GRASS FEDS & A CONTROVERSIAL DEAD-HEAT
TERRY Butts reports in the North Queensland Register on moves to abolish the last grass fed race meeting in Queensland.
The members at Ewan are not in total agreement with the current status of grass fed racing and there is a concerted move to switch to corn fed.
The traditionalists are refusing to budge but there is a very strong move to go the way of Mt Garnet, Oak Park and Einasleigh. No decision was taken at the Ewan annual general meeting last Saturday, but the club must decide before the end of the year.
Butts posed the question: What is wrong with having both grass fed and corn fed? Inexplicably, Queensland Racing won’t allow it. The question has to be asked: WHY for heaven’s sake?
There was also a sensational start to the Ewan race carnival last Friday when a dead-heat result was hotly contested. The judge could not separate Big Jet (Cecily Eaton) and Canny Shuffle (Davin Green). But the connections of Canny Shuffle thought they could and protested the dead-heat verdict.
There was a lengthy hearing before the stewards eventually determined in favor of the judge – much to the chagrin of the Williams camp and to the jubilation of the Frisky Fillies syndicate, 10 young ladies who race Big Jet.
SEE THE PICTURE: Canny Shuffle is on the inside of Big Jet. Is there a margin? You be the judge!
