YET another major Queensland newspaper has accused Queensland Racing Limited and its chairman, Bob Bentley, of making ‘a blatant power play’ and using ‘bully-boy tactics.’

The Gold Coast Bulletin has followed the editorial lead of its News Ltd sister-paper, the Townsville Bulletin, and gone into bat for a local Turf Club that is under pressure from the control body.

Here is the Editorial, courtesy of the Gold Coast Bulletin:

‘IT is difficult to see the sudden decision by Queensland Racing Limited to audit the books of Queensland turf clubs -- including those of the Gold Coast Turf Club -- as anything other than a crude and blatant power play.

Read in conjunction with the recent threat by QRL boss Bob Bentley not to allocate a race meeting for the Magic Millions carnival, the whiff of bullying becomes a real stink.

That the audit call comes during a lull in the heated and protracted tussle between QRL and the GCTC over control of the Bundall racing facilities can only reinforce the public's perception of Big Brother Brisbane muscling in on Gold Coast turf.

QRL has given the GCTC six weeks to respond to its offer to take effective ownership of the Bundall facility in return for money to carry out much- needed refurbishment of the facilities.

Not surprisingly, the time period for GCTC to reply coincides with the time the results of the audit should be available. It is difficult to see how the GCTC can resist the Brisbane bullying because QRL holds most of the cards.

More importantly, it also holds most of the money and money is the only language racing speaks.

While clubs are responsible for providing the venue and facilities to host race meets, Big Brother state government then steps in to skim the cream in the form of income from betting -- and betting is where the money is in racing.

Caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, the GCTC has been forced to raise the fees it charges trainers and owners to use the facility, alienating this powerful group of stakeholders at a time it needs all the support it can get.

For better or worse, punters do not buy into the Gold Coast versus Brisbane debate because at the end of the day they want good facilities and they do not care who controls them. As we have said before, it is difficult to see how the few members of an essentially unpopular GCTC board can stand out against the power that racing supremo and Labor Party insider Bentley can bring to bear on it in this matter.

But that does not deodorize the stench of blatant bullying that hovers around QRL's actions.’

EDITORIAL REPRODUCED COURTESY OF NEWS LTD AND THE GOLD COAST BULLETIN