THIS web-site continues to listen to what our readers want and have introduced a ‘Wednesday Whinge’ where you can have your say on what has happened in racing in the past week. Just e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Statistics show that ‘letsgohorseracing’ is one of the fastest growing racing web-sites in the country. One of our most read features has been the ‘Queensland Believe It Or Not’ file but readers told us that they wanted it expanded to cover a wider area of the racing world.

HERE is this week’s selection from the e-mail box:

OUR web-site has received in the past week over 40 e-mails concerning what some describe as the most outrageous racing legislation every introduced by a Queensland Government. Only two were supportive of the way a three-code integrated board is being introduced.

Here is a cross-section which we hope expresses the feelings of most e-mail writers:

‘When it comes to Racing Ministers in Queensland, some of us will best remember ‘Bollinger’ Bob Gibbs for his political act of treachery in removing the Queensland Turf Club as the control body and for steam-rolling through a TAB privatization agreement that many believe will one day come back to haunt the industry.

Unfortunately the new kid on the block, Peter Lawlor will, in our opinion, go down in history as the weakest Racing Minister that Queensland has ever seen. One who we believe was prepared to not only remove the basic rights that every individual industry stake holder and race club once enjoyed, but to also grant virtual ‘jobs for life’ to a protected few Board members that many in the industry don’t want now and didn’t want from the start.

And the only hope of these few ‘good’ men, or this disgusting and arrogant piece of legislation being removed, is for a change of Government. There’s probably a greater chance of some of these Board members retiring, or dare I say dying, before that happens.’ – Grant Grogan, Townsville.

‘ALL these people who are bleating about the changes to control of the three racing codes should look at the bigger picture. Going forward it will save money and more importantly ensure the survival of the struggling trots and dogs.

What do they want to do? Go back to the bad old days when the good old boys from the QTC ran the show. Has every one forgotten what life in racing used to be like back then for the battlers? What short memories you have!

I say good on blokes like Bob Gibbs for getting rid of the QTC and Bob Bentley for having the balls to take on the staid establishment types who treated racing as their own little fiefdom and could not have cared less about the rank and file in the industry.’ – Bill Murdoch, Ipswich.

‘I want to declare my hand before I starting criticizing this disgraceful legislation that will apparently make Bob Bentley and his colleagues even more powerful than they presently are.

My nephew was a former administrative boss of Queensland Racing who gave up in the end and departed the job he once loved but came to hate because he refused to toe what became known as the ‘political line’.

Some of the stories that he has told me about the past are quite mind-boggling and the industry can only hope that things don’t get worse under a merged body that appears to be a law unto itself.

Some years ago I went to my nephew’s office at QR to meet him for lunch and he showed me a couple of documents, which I guess he shouldn’t have. One was a payment for what he called a minor amount of out-sourced legal work and it amounted to almost $100,000.

My nephew confided that this was being paid at the same time as QR had in their employ a full-time lawyer. The crazy part was that payment amounted to almost what the in-house lawyer was being paid annually. I have a lot more stories but to keep this e-mail brief let me just say he also told me of consultancies being regularly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. One would hope that practice has by now been discontinued.’– Clint Mackay, now living Northern Rivers.

‘I read somewhere the other day – it may have been on this web-site in fact – that it is all over Red Rover as far as the control of racing in Queensland goes. The horse has bolted and now some of those worst affected by the new legislation want to bleat their heads off.

The sad aspect is hidden in the legislation which seems to threaten the future of some major clubs. The industry also appears to have little or no say on who runs the show in future if I am reading this legislation correctly.

Do we want Bob Bentley for another 10 years? Of course we don’t, but it’s absurd to suggest that he, or a couple of his Board colleagues, will be there for that long.

The media’s Mr Racing, Bart Sinclair, must finally have got the message from the Brisbane Racing Club to fire a few shots at the Government over this legislative change. But he seemed to steer well clear of planting a right hook on Bob Bentley after rubbing shoulders with the ARB chairman as a facilitator at the recent Asian Racing Conference in Sydney.

Many in the industry will single out the individuals they don’t want on the Board or in executive roles. There is no need for me to name them. Most know who they are. But it isn’t going to make one iota of difference unless we get a change in Government.’ – This e-mail was received from a prominent Downs racing identity who asked that his name be with-held.

‘PUNTERS are a funny bunch. After the running of the AJC Oaks they wanted to let off steam so the target was the ride of Michael Rodd on the favorite, Faint Perfume.

Rodd doesn’t have a great record on favorites but the way the race was run Faint Perfume was never going to win regardless of what Rodd did. Her effort in the circumstances was, in my opinion, an outstanding one.

I believe that instead of criticizing the Rodd ride, punters should have been protesting the fact that stewards did not query the massive improvement and different riding style adopted on the winner, Once Were Wild.

We all know they took the blinkers off but it was a far different ride in front by Nash Rawiller – much more patient I should say – and man am I sick of hearing that the reason for form reversals by Waterhouse-trained runners at Randwick is because they like the track there.’ – Joe Johnson, Balmain.

‘ONE must ask the question where does this Danny Nikolic bloke get off and why are some sections of the racing media in Victoria seemingly desperate to see this inquiry go away?

I don’t know any of those involved in this smelly affair but what I do know is that the smart arse attitude of Nikolic has turned me off him forever. I think he is a fine jockey and I understand that he is fighting to survive but his demeanor needs a reality check.

An inquiry of this seriousness and magnitude was never going to be completed overnight yet sections of the racing media in Victoria seem keen to see it finalized. Here’s hoping none of them are worrying about their mobile numbers turning up where they shouldn’t be as the investigation deepens.

When it comes to protection of the interests of the average punter I believe that Terry Bailey and his panel are doing a terrific job. There’s no grand-standing like occurs with Murrihy in Sydney, or lack of confidence that is emerging in Adelaide, or question marks about the role that big bookmakers are playing in racing in Brisbane.’– Dick Golchesky, Gold Coast.

‘MY friends and I love a punt but we’ve had a gutful of the second string horse being backed at odds and beating home the favorite from the Peter Snowden stable and little being said about it by Sydney stewards.

The second string didn’t win at Randwick last Saturday but it should have when Parables was easily the best backed to beat stablemate, Celts, which blew like a gale in on-course betting. This time Murrihy and his panel had little choice but to open an inquiry into both runs.

Parables was badly ridden by Josh Parr and should have won after giving away an impossible start. Celts, which normally races near the pace, was back last early. Snowden must be a bad judge. In a TV interview before the race he declared Celts the better chance.’– Stan Newman, Wollongong.

‘THIS isn’t so much a ‘whinge’ e-mail but we would like it known that while the national racing spotlight focused on the sudden and sad loss of a Cummings-trained Melbourne Cup winner in Viewed, up on the Sunshine Coast a group of close friends were also grieving the departure of a much-loved favorite.

Cheeky Sue never threatened to reach the racing heights of a great like Viewed but she had a heart just as big and won her share of races for owner, Susie Searle, who absolutely adored her.

Susie was forced to make the heart-wrenching decision that owners of not only racehorses – but beloved pets that have become part of the family – always dread. Cheeky Sue had become so sick that recovery was not an option.

Susie had tried desperately to save her ‘baby’ but the infection had spread and it soon became obvious that she was fighting a losing battle. An autopsy revealed that bleeding ulcers had ultimately poisoned her system and Cheeky Sue went into toxic shock.

At a time when too many are more worried about who is running racing and how to back the next winner, spare a thought for devoted owners like Susie Searle, who adore and love their horses, spare no expense trying to save them and grieve badly when the inevitable occurs.’– Posted by friends of a devoted and popular horse-loving lady.

‘IT seems like you have to be a punting pussy to step onto a major racetrack these days or run the risk of being thrown off the course by the boys in blue.

Two brave lads from the Sydney constabulary stepped in and stopped a punter who vented his anger at the ride of Kerrin McEvoy on the favorite Celts at Randwick last Saturday.

Gone are the days when you would see long and loud protests from large sections of the crowd at major racetracks around the country when a favorite was beaten and the punters wanted to let the stewards know they weren’t happy with the ride.

Little wonder no-one wants to go to the track any more. And while these two ‘coppers’ were making ‘mugs’ of themselves at Royal Randwick, some little old lady was probably getting bashed and robbed in a nearby suburb.’– Jim Sanderson, Melbourne.

‘MY whinge this week is that no section of the Queensland racing media seems to have picked up on the sudden death of the chief steward in Toowoomba, Bill Booshand.

Bill, who was well liked by the majority of licensees, suffered a sudden heart attack and wound up in a coma which led to his untimely death last weekend.

His services will be sadly missed in Queensland racing where there has been a lack of depth in the senior stewarding ranks since some good men were shown the door in a political coup.

I understand that Bill Booshand’s funeral will not be held for a couple of weeks because he has family returning from overseas that have to wait on flights during the current volcanic ash shutdown. – Fred Stephens, Brisbane.

‘I was a delegate from a Victorian club at the recent Asian Racing Conference and must admit I was extremely impressed by what I heard from outspoken New South Wales head honcho Peter V’Landys.

He didn’t hesitate in calling a spade a spade or ripping into the propaganda that was being rained on the conference from Betfair. Racing needs more people like V’Landys protecting our backs.

I might add with a touch of disappointment that the delegate most of us wanted to see return from interstate was this year on his best behavior. He didn’t get drunk and jump on a table in his underpants entertaining conference delegates at a local watering hole like he did in New Zealand.’ – Name and address with-held by request.

‘From the perspective of a woman who loves a small punt and enjoys watching the races live on Sky Channel, can I say that I am delighted to see Richard Freedman in his new role as a race day host.

I think Richard is far too much maligned for expressing his, at times, controversial views. His sense of humor makes my afternoon on the couch watching Sky more entertaining and enjoyable.

It’s certainly become a lot more enjoyable without having the opinions of that little up-start Matthew Browning rammed down my neck race by race. For what it’s worth I’ll be staying tuned to Sky. Before the arrival of Richard as host I was even contemplating a switch to TVN but that would have meant being shouted and screamed at by another Richard, who I prefer to call Dick….head.’- Marg Smith, Rockhampton.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in these e-mails should not be interpreted as those of the operators of the letsgohorseracing web-site. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.