NEW BOARD SHORT-LIST – BUT APPARENTLY IT'S THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE

INTERESTING news has broken on the eve of the return bout in the Supreme Court between out-going Board member Bill Andrews and Queensland Racing Limited.

The Andrews’ team reportedly heads back to court later this week to protest the QRL decision to retain the same recruitment company for the fresh election of Board members.

It would appear that Queensland Racing saw nothing in the decision of the Judge at the original Civil Action to concern them too greatly.

We are reliably informed that the same recruitment company has just released a new short-list of Board candidates for the stakeholders to vote on. Well it isn’t exactly new – in fact it contains the same four names as the original one.

Over $400,000 in legal costs later and we have exactly the same outcome. Our understanding is the Judge didn’t say the recruitment company had to short-list any more than four. But she did place no limit on the number, which kind of suggested there would be more than four this time around.

It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court reacts to this latest saga in the on-going battle for a Board that continues to be questioned over its growing bill for legal and consultancy fees.

WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO GET SOME ANSWERS FROM QR ON ‘COSTS’

THIS web-site has received dozens of e-mails in recent weeks urging us to continue the fight to have Queensland Racing chairman Bob Bentley divulge how much has been spent on legal fees and consultancies during his tenure.

Mr Bentley did promise almost a fortnight ago to provide us with a detailed list of these costs but these have not been forthcoming. He wanted us to pursue this matter with his Chief Operations Manager, Malcolm Tuttle, but we are not prepared to do that.

We spoke again with Mr Bentley about his promise at the weekend and sent him a list of what we feel are legitimate concerns raised by e-mail writers to this web-site concerning Queensland Racing.

Mr Bentley was having a few days off at Mission Beach at the time and said he would address the questions and the promise of providing a ‘costs’ list as soon as possible. Once again we refused his suggestion that the ‘list of costs’ be sought from Mr Tuttle.

We want the ‘list’ provided in writing by Mr Bentley and are not prepared to take anything down over the phone or from another party so that there can be no misunderstandings. What we don’t appreciate are the continued suggestions from e-mail writers that we are not trying to secure this information.

Here is an example of what has become a source of annoyance and frustration to us:

“Are you blokes at letsgohorseracing fair dinkum about trying to get Bentley to answer questions on the legal fees bill or what consultancies have cost the Board during his time as chairman?

“You promised us an answer and then came up with nothing but excuses for him. It is starting to look as though you are as weak as The Courier-Mail. They don’t seem to want to do anything either.

“Is someone from your place being paid to write the History of Queensland Racing as well? It seems to us that you are just another wank web-site that roles over on its back and allows Bentley and the boys to tickle your tummy.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the author of this e-mail is well-known to the racing industry in Queensland we won’t divulge his identity. This sort of stupid attack would only cause him embarrassment. We resent the suggestion that we are not doing our best to get these answers but we can’t drag them out of Mr Bentley, kicking and screaming.

What we will do if no attempt is made to provide some answers within a week is run a list of questions that were put to Mr Bentley to make readers aware of the issues that we are following up. Some are of an extremely contentious nature and also concern appointments and how they were made by QR. We had not planned to do that without getting some answers because it seemed a bit unfair. In the interim we will again pursue the matter with the QRL chairman.

 

DOES BENTLEY HAVE A THING ABOUT SIDE-KICKS CALLED BOB?

THERE have been a couple of interesting e-mails regarding the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival and the role that Bob Bentley supposedly didn’t play as Australian Racing Board chairman.

Here is one of those received:

“I am told that Bob Bentley failed to front during the four days of the Melbourne Cup carnival. It was suggested he was still lying low after the debacle that followed his back-down on the whip rules.

“One would have thought that Mr Bentley would have at least been there on Cup day as chairman of the ARB. Even if he doesn’t like the racing side of things and prefers to play his political games with the industry in Queensland, surely he could have fronted up on the Day that Stops the Nation.” – Name with-held by request.

Here’s another:

“I got a surprise during my visit to Melbourne for Cox Plate Day. Not because I saw Bob Bentley there but the company he was keeping did surprise me. He had a shadow all day long and it was the former Queensland Racing Minister, Bob Gibbs.

“I had heard that ‘Bollinger Bob’ was back from his Government appointed junket in the States but I didn’t expect him to be bobbing up in racing until now. What’s the story? Is he going to fill the gap left by Terry Mackenroth?

“Knowing the relationship of Bentley and Gibbs with ‘Nifty’ Neville Stewart, who will soon be catapulted onto the QR Board in Queensland (one way or another), I guess we shouldn’t be surprised if they find a spot for Gibbs on that Board as well.

“What is it with Bentley? He seems to like surrounding himself with Bobs. First we had Mason and now there’s Gibbs. In my opinion – and that of many in racing who have been around since the QTC were forced out of business – none of them are worth two bob.” – Dan Johnson, Brisbane.

 

ADVISER SEES PROFIT POTENTIAL IN BUILDING A HOTEL AT THE GCTC

NEWLY-appointed full-time adviser Brian Fletcher believes there is the potential to build a hotel at the Gold Coast Turf Club as a money-making investment.

Fletcher, who will continue in his role as Chief Executive of the Hawkesbury Race Club, toured the GCTC this week and told the media it was one of the most untapped racing complexes in the country.

He told the Gold Coast Bulletin that the opportunities were astounding compared to Hawkesbury but admitted his club currently attracted more corporate support, a statement that has stunned racing followers on the tourist strip.

“The opportunities are astounding here compared to Hawkesbury. This is untapped potential. We need to make a profit - all race clubs need to make a profit - and if you are sitting on the Gold Coast and you can’t make a profit you are doing something wrong.”

Fletcher could see no reason why the GCTC could not follow the lead of his club at Hawkesbury where a 30-room hotel has been built that is returning a healthy profit.

He was also quick to hose down speculation that his decisions could be interpreted as over-riding those of Grant Sheather, who has returned to the GCTC as Chief Executive.

“I’d like to think in June that I can walk away from the place and Grant will have this place humming. I will be amazed if it doesn’t happen,” Fletcher told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“I’m only the adviser. Grant is the boss and the CEO. I would never have taken it on if there wasn’t a CEO and I won't be over-taxing myself on it. Grant will be the bloke doing the hard yards.

“My Board at Hawkesbury was very happy for me to come on as an adviser. They get an advantage of building a stronger relationship with the Gold Coast,” he said.

The Fletcher comments prompted a couple of interesting e-mails:

“The new directors of the Gold Coast Turf Club should worry about upgrading the training and race tracks before getting involved with the building of a hotel. There has also been talk of night racing which would be perfect with our climate on the Coast.” – Sam Williams, Labrador.

And this one:

“It’s fine for Mr Fletcher to ride into town like a White Knight with all the answers. He makes it sound as though previous directors did nothing to attract corporate sponsorship. He has much easier access to the Board rooms of the nation in Sydney from Hawkesbury than the Gold Coast has.

“He will soon find out that there is only a limited amount of corporate sponsorship to be attracted on the Gold Coast and plenty of leisure entertainment venues chasing it. If we are such untapped potential then Mr Fletcher should try securing some sponsorship himself instead of heading back home to Hawkesbury and leaving that to Grant Sheather.’ – Bill Murphy, Surfers Paradise.

 

RANDOM TESTING – BIT DIFFERENT TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

THERE was notification on the Queensland Racing web-site of a random testing raid on trackwork riders and jockeys at Eagle Farm and Doomben last month netting four victims.

Those penalized were: Keith Colgan (alcohol detected, suspended from trackwork riding for six months); James Collins (banned substances detected, suspension reduced from six to five months conditional on him undertaking a drug rehabilitation course), Erin Maloney (banned substances detected, suspended for three months) and Brett Ryan (banned substances detected, disqualified for seven months).

It prompted this e-mail:

‘Things have changed a bit since the time a few years back when I worked as a trackwork rider for a prominent stable in Brisbane. One of our stable-hands was related to an insider at Queensland Racing who knew when a raid was planned and she would tip us off.

I did notice however that there was no testing mentioned at a training track closer to home for Queensland Racing. Now that would be an interesting exercise.’ – Name withheld (for obvious reasons).

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CLAIM NO MORE THAN ‘STORM IN A TEA-CUP’

SINCE the over-throw of the Hoss Heinrich team at the Gold Coast Turf Club we have received a number of e-mails concerning whether there is a conflict of interest in Steve Hawkins fulfilling dual roles as course broadcaster and director.

Personally, it is our opinion that the two roles complement each other and the amount of money that Hawkins would be receiving for his on-course duties would be a pittance and he doesn’t need it in any case.

However, an interesting point was raised by one e-mail sent to us:

“Are you aware that back in the early 1990’s Bob Bentley raised a question of policy with the then Queensland Principal Club. He was not chairman at the time but had been involved with resurrection of the Ipswich Turf Club when it suffered a financial setback.

“Bentley made an inquiry on the QPC policy relating to committees of race clubs charging a fee for services provided on race days. It related to a club farrier seeking election to a committee of a club that employed him.

“The Board agreed that all elected committeemen who performed duties on race days should act in an honorary capacity and not accept any remuneration. So unless that policy has been rescinded, how can Steve Hawkins be a director and accept payment as on-course broadcaster?”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Firstly, we don’t know that Mr Hawkins is being paid by the club as the course broadcaster. If he is there is always the chance that he is donating the money to charity. It would be a pittance in any case and to our way of thinking this is a bit of a storm in a tea-cup.