OVER a dozen e-mails concerning the controversy confronting Gold Coast Magic Millions day had been received by this web-site within a few hours of the news breaking and the majority was critical of Racing Minister Peter Lawlor.

There were two supporting the move by Queensland Racing not to assign a date pending some resolution between the Gold Coast Turf Club and the Magic Millions Company. Most described the threat as a ‘stunt’ while others accused QRL chairman Bob Bentley of playing a behind-the-scenes role.

We have decided to run a cross-section of the e-mail responses:

‘Here’s what my friends and I believe the Gold Coast Turf Club should do about this Millions day fiasco. Call the company’s bluff and see if they are prepared to take it to Melbourne.

‘The Victorian Government isn’t going to cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars for them to run it like these mug politicians do in Queensland.

‘Flemington already has a sales-related race that runs very successfully at that time of the year in the Inglis Classic. Can’t see them just dumping that! In any case Magic Millions wouldn’t work anywhere else bar the Gold Coast and they know it.

‘We suspect Queensland Racing is angling to have the big race day moved to Eagle Farm or Doomben. Sure the Brisbane Racing Club told their supposed mates at the Gold Coast that they wouldn’t take the race. But if the date was allocated to them by QRL they could easily say they had no choice. Now wouldn’t that be convenient.

‘Well if the Millions company tried to do that but still planned to run the sales at the Coast the GCTC should say fine but you can’t use our property for the delivery of yearlings or for car parking. As they own all the land surrounding the sales complex that would create a very interesting situation.

‘Andrew Eggleston and his boys should start fighting fire with fire. They are being done over by Bentley ‘spin doctors’ at the Gold Coast Bulletin, a gutless Racing Minister and an industry support base that jumps to attention whenever Bob the Builder clicks his fingers,’ Colin Murphy, Gold Coast.

‘THE directors of the Gold Coast Turf Club are in a no-win situation. One way or the other Bentley will do them over. It’s obvious what’s happening here – Magic Millions are doing his bidding.

‘It came as no surprise to see the usual culprits quick to support MM and QRL. The e-mail to the Bulletin from WP was just what would be expected from a good little QRL servant when told to frog march to attention by his bosses.’ – BC of Brisbane.

‘WHAT a joke Racing Minister Lawlor is. He now says he doesn’t want to get involved in race date allocations or commercial arrangements between turf clubs and Queensland Racing.

‘What happened? Did he get his marching orders from Bill Ludwig early in proceedings? So the Minister for Racing and for Tourism is going to stand in the corner on his head while one of Queensland’s most important and lucrative thoroughbred and tourist events is lost to Victoria. Nice one Pete.’ – Glen Atherton, Aspley.

WHAT’S wrong with Bob Bentley and QRL expecting controlling equity of the Gold Coast Turf Club in return for the money that the Government is going to put in to bring the complex to the standard it should be.

These blokes who are running the show now will have a lot to answer for when the financial standing of the club is revealed at the end of the year.

They should be bending over backwards to reach an amicable arrangement with Magic Millions and Queensland Racing that will ensure the future success of this wonderful event and the club they run.

These Magic Millions bosses are the best thing that ever happened to Queensland racing and so is Bob Bentley. The place has never looked back since he took control and if you have to use stand-over tactics to bash some of these stuck in the mud officials into gear then so be it.’ – Stan Mason, Brisbane.

‘CAN anyone understand the attitude of Racing Minister Lawlor to this confrontation between Magic Millions, Queensland Racing and the Gold Coast Turf Club?

‘Are we to believe he is going to sit idly by while the club that he was once a director of is threatened by Magic Millions and battered into submission by Queensland Racing boss Bob Bentley?

‘If QR wants control of the Gold Coast Turf Club so badly why doesn’t Lawlor just legislate to give it to them? He bends over backwards to meet their every need as it is. Surely it’s got nothing to do with valuable property and the Queensland Government credit rating.

‘You are the poorest excuse for a Racing Minister that we have ever seen Mr Lawlor and I won’t even get into detail on how bad you have shaped up in the fields of Tourism and Liquor Licensing.’ – Fred McLean, Gold Coast.

‘HERE’S what I believe these ‘multis’ at Magic Millions would have the tax-payers of Queensland do. Provide many more millions than the one that they now receive from Queensland Events when it should go to the Gold Coast Turf Club.

‘Build them a state-of-the-art sales complex free of charge that they can use not only for sales but other events to pour even more millions into their pockets and out of the state of Queensland.

‘Provide more prizemoney for Magic Millions Day and remove total control of the event from the Gold Coast Turf Club. And by the way in return for that Singo will continue to kiss the backside of Bob Bentley and declare him the best racing administrator in the land.’ – Don Kingston, Townsville.