THIS website continues to listen to what our readers have to say and has introduced a ‘Wednesday Whinge’ where you can express your feelings on racing industry issues of the past week. Try to keep them objective. Just e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
THERE were wide ranging comments in the e-mail box this week ranging from criticism of the reported growing demands on clubs from the owners of Black Caviar, to concerns over the direction TVN is headed and a blast for the Pattern Committee responsible for Black Type racing in Australia. There were a host of other issues raised.
As usual we start the WEDNESDAY WHINGE with our popular feature: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY SIDE OF RACING over the past week:
STARTING WITH THE GOOD
BRISBANE FACES A BATTLE WITH BRITAIN FOR THE FAREWELL RUN OF BLACK CAVIAR
EAGLE FARM is the firm favorite of all the Australian venues for the farewell run of the mighty mare Black Caviar but the odds are shortening that Brisbane may miss out to Britain.
The owners have yet to decide but trainer Peter Moody will have the final say and would be delighted in his home state was to host the swansong run of the horse that has placed him on the international stage.
The stumbling block for Brisbane, which is odds-on to beat any other Australian track, is that the majority of the owners want to return to Royal Ascot and ultimately a breeding barn date with the mighty Frankel.
How Black Caviar performs in the T J Smith at Randwick next month could have a major bearing on where she heads next but officials in Queensland are already planning in the hope of her coming north.
They have already decided switch the BTC Cup to the more spacious Eagle Farm if she does where a crowd of up to 50,000 is being talked up.
One would think that prediction is a shade ambitious.
BOARDS TO BE NAMED – DIXON ODDS-ON TO BE CHAIRMAN OF QACRIB
IT has finally been confirmed – as predicted in this column last week – that the announcement of the new Boards to run the three codes of racing in Queensland will be made next Tuesday.
The reasons it could not be done this week are apparently two-fold. Firstly the Governor is said to be a little peeved that too many announcements are being made in the media before her required approval has been formally received.
Secondly, our Spy in the Deagon Bunker tells of speculation that one unsuccessful candidate is planning legal action claiming the selection process was flawed.
The above two reasons are only delaying the inevitable. Kevin Dixon is long odds-on to be Chairman of powerful Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board.
Here’s hoping he has the right support to broker the best TAB deal possible which is the only hope racing in Queensland has of desperately-needed across-the-board prizemoney increases.
MUNCE BEGINS THE LONG ROAD BACK RIDING A COUPLE IN TRACKWORK
BRISBANE’S top jockey Chris Munce has started the long road back to race riding after undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
Munce, who returned to trackwork riding on Tuesday, took it steady on his reappearance to the early morning scene at Eagle Farm.
He spoke of how good it was to get back on a horse but admits his comeback will take time.
After undergoing radiation and chemotherapy doctors have told him not to rush things.
We hope the worst is behind Chris and that sometime during the Winter Carnival he returns to what he loves and does best – riding winners.
MOVES FOR RQ TO CONTROL GREYHOUNDS AT TWEED HEADS A STEP CLOSER
REPRESENTATIVES from Racing Queensland Limited and the Tweed Heads Coursing Club met late last week to further discuss the proposal of transferring greyhound racing at Border Park to Queensland’s racing jurisdiction.
THCC chairman Rod Collins said the meeting was very fruitful and looks forward to working with RQL to ensure greyhound racing continues at Border Park.
“I think it is a great opportunity for our club and I am sure it will be well received by the industry as a whole,” he said.
RQL acting CEO Adam Carter was also optimistic about further progressing RQL’s relationship with the THCC.
“There is still a lot of work to be done but we are excited about the possibility of the THCC becoming part of the RQL jurisdiction in the future,” Mr Carter said.
“We advanced discussions regarding the Border Park proposal, which will now be provided to the new Greyhound Board for further consideration.”
NOW TO THE BAD
FRED FLINTSTONE’S CHARIOT RESEMBLES THE BUGGY USED FOR PATRONS AT EAGLE FARM
THE proposal to switch the BTC Cup in May from Doomben to Eagle Farm to enable up to 50,000 fans to see Black Caviar if she contests the race prompted this response from one regular Brisbane racegoer:
‘THEY have to be kidding if they think 50,000 would turn out to see Black Caviar. About half that number would be more realistic. And in any case the way the BRC operates it would struggle to accommodate the needs of a crowd of 50,000. What a crap fight it would be.
And by the way why is the race even called the BTC Cup when the BTC no longer exists?
A lot of us regular racegoers can’t wait to see the reaction of interstate visitors IF Black Caviar does race at Eagle Farm.
The first thing they will be confronted with, if they attempt to enter the track via the members’ car park, is an obstacle course.
The lame and infirm will have to drag themselves up and over the railway bridge to get into the course or walk a furlong if they enter via the Racecourse Road entrance.
Having the walk-way across the railway line closed, allegedly because of Health and Safety factors, is a farce. Why not have one of these old dudes check if a train is coming and spare us all the task of climbing that awful bridge by opening the gates.
At what other major racecourse in Australia (or the world for that matter) are people faced with a cross country circuit to get into the joint.
The Chairman says they’ve got a people mover to transport people from the members’ car park into the track.
People mover – it’s a frigging golf buggy that resembles the chariot that Fred from the Flintstones used to get around in. If it hits one pot hole or one of the many bumps on the dirt trail out of the car park caused by the rain and the passengers will fly out of the buggy left, right and centre. That’ll go down well.
If the finely dressed ladies reckoned manure at Rosehill left by the police horses was hard to negotiate wait until they get to Brisbane.
Then there's the track itself. It fell apart last Wednesday when there was nothing more than a drizzle on the track. Imagine if Black Caviar puts her foot in a hole on that shitty circuit.
If the owners of Black Caviar and trainer Peter Moody have any brains they will be telling officials if Brisbane: ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’
HERE’S A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR WHO WANTS RACE TIMING LEFT WITH SKY
OUR suggestion that taking the timing of races out of the hands of SKY Channel was a step in the right direction got up the nose of regular Melbourne contributor Stefan Meier. Here are his thoughts on the proposal:
‘I read with interest your take on what is supposedly ‘good’ in the racing clock story.
The comments of Mr Roulston (new Chairman of Racing Victoria), as highlighted below is a perfect example of why these ‘nuff nuffs’ should never, never, ever even be put in charge of a chook raffle never mind race programming.
“One of the problems we have at the moment is that you walk into a TAB and on SKY1 there will be a Flemington race and one minute later you are looking at a race from Dapto Dogs,” Mr Roulston said.
It is painfully apparent that despite all his postulating and flowery speeches this twerp has not walked into any TAB and is making this up to suit his own agenda.
It is sort of a half truth that during a midweek Wednesday meeting and the races happen to be at Flemington (maybe two or three times a year) you will see a trot or dog race.
BUT, as I have often said before, Australian trots and dogs on a Saturday are NEVER, repeat NEVER, scheduled in the afternoon time-slot. They all start shortly after the last race in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide is over.
This statement of him seeing dogs on Sky1 is misleading, utter twaddle, and shows this person has absolutely no idea. What a buffoon to even suggest this happens.
The people who KNOW about how to extract the maximum amount of dollars from punters to keep the ENTIRE racing industry, not just the thoroughbreds afloat, are the experts in the field, the TAB and Sky, not twits like this pushing a barrow. Leave it that way!’
STEWARDS LIKELY TO CALL FOR ‘PLEASE EXPLAIN’ FOR OWNER ON RIDE COMMENTS
OUR mail is strong that stewards have moved quickly following a complaint from a jockey over criticism he received on Facebook.
The jockey copped an awful bagging for his ride on a well backed Cluden runner that got beaten last week.
The story goes that the Facebook comments were made by the owner of the horse and that stewards will soon be calling on him to explain the derogatory comments about the ride.
And why wouldn’t they? In what he apparently said the owner is basically reflecting on the job done by the stewards on the day as well.
Stay tuned for an outcome with a precedent of $1,000 already set.
STEWARDS might also be aware that a controversial jockey was very much in the social mood in the members at Doomben last Saturday.
AND FINALLY THE UGLY
THIS BLOKE IS CERTAINLY NOT A BIG FAN OF RV CEO BERNARD SAUNDRY
RACING Victoria CEO Bernard Saundry continues to cop a nice flogging from the racing forums and blogs. The attack by this fellow – who is obviously pissed off – has many confused.
He is entitled to be if he was affected personally but in a lot of these cases it is just some dick-head going off his brain because of what he heard in the local pub.
Here’s what he had to say:
RACING Victoria and (CEO) Bernard Saundry have revealed for the umpteenth time their total contempt for punters with their recently released statement into the two massive foul-ups by stewards and clerks of scale, particularly the Mybenz-Beriman case.
Disgraced RV should admit the bleeding obvious...that there was a foul-up and apologize to connections. But there has not been a word of apology to the punters who were victims of this fiasco!
And yet the owners all got compensated whilst the punters didn't see a red cent...and this mealy-mouthed ninny Saundry can't even find two seconds to apologize to punters on the RV website or in his press release!
And if you’re waiting for a suspension for the buffoons who made the balls-up, just like trainers and jockeys get suspensions...forget it!
No mention of the punters and no breath of an apology – Saundry – you and your disgraceful pathetic mates at Racing Victoria should be demoted to sweeping all the crap out of the Flemington stables.
SOME OF THE CRITICS IN THE NORTH SHOULD BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT THEY’VE GOT
AN interesting scenario for those who lambasted Terry Butts for criticizing country racing when he went into bat for the punters who were not provided with a tote facility at the recent Home Hill Sunday meeting.
Aren’t those critics in the north, so thin-skinned that they are not prepared to accept constructive opinion, lucky they don’t have the author of the article below writing in their region?
Ironically the popular country meeting that ANSON CAMERON writes about in the SUNDAY AGE is Towong, an old stamping ground of Butts when he was but a boy.
He recalls accompanying his trainer dad, Bill, to the Towong Cup meeting in 1955. “I was the strapper for our four horses, three of them won and we got the quinella in the Cup with Cherrywood, ridden by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Vic Harney and Bao King.
“I was only 11 at the time but wound up a pretty busy boy. The race caller got drunk and couldn’t do the job after the first so they asked me to stand in and I called the rest of the card,” Butts said.
We thought you might be interested in reading Anson Cameron’s feature on the 2013 version of the Towong Cup which appeared in The Age under the headline: ‘My Kingdom for a, a. …ah, stuff it.’
"FOR Chrissakes, don't write about the cup. We don't want every bastard up here.'' Al Presidente shakes his head at the thought.
Two and a half thousand are up here. Mainly locals from the Snowy Mountains and the upper Murray. Towong is a crumb-spill of weatherboard houses hidden in green shade beside the headwaters of the Murray and the sweetest part of yesterday. And Al Presidente is president of the Towong Turf Club. His name is Al, so everyone calls him Al Presidente.
The racetrack is in an alpine valley, and sitting in the wooden grandstand looking out at the countryside framed by wooden pillars, across the high riverine pastures with ranks of hills fading back into the deepening air, is like being in a McCubbin triptych.
This day is a languid, colonial cul-de-sac off the humming highway of Now. An event cut adrift from the world. In the distance, hang-gliders linger over a mountain like relics of a future civilisation.
Under a green ceiling of elms is the betting ring - seven bookies toting white bags splashed with black names, they come from Albury, Yarrawonga and Melbourne. The crowd surrounding them is made of two ingredients: semi-nude hog-bellied bogans with their mullets gelled for festivity, and the squattocracy dressed to the nines in RMs and Akubras, its men stooped by toil and its women brandishing Tupperware out front of big yellowy smiles.
Oil and water, the two groups slide around each other without a word.
If Fashions on the Field has a tinge of Botticelli-arsed amateurism, then the horses are phallically taut and veined, ready for the money shot, their coats flashing the sun. This is the country Banjo Paterson was thinking of when he wrote, ''For never yet was mountain horse a cur''. It's always breathtaking to watch a charge of horses up close. To be an infantryman for a moment and watch the maelstrom of white eyes and black nostrils as the 10-headed gorgon grows like a train and people drift to the fence with their breaths shortening. The moment is as primal as a lion attack and would be well called by David Attenborough.
After the third race, I go to the portable loo. If you took all the urine Melbourne's million barflies pissed in a month and distilled it into an essence and had a thousand unfortunates skol that essence and then collected their urine and distilled that and dried it in the sun and raked up the residual granules and ground them to powder and snorted them … that's what inhaling in the portable loos on a hot day at the Towong racetrack is like … a dizzying ''urinephoria'' that had me hallucinating I was a sea-monkey ceaselessly circumnavigating a fat man's bladder.
When my head clears I find Al Presidente, to get his take on the day so far. I was at boarding school with him. Once, his mother sent him a home-made cake to assuage his homesickness. He was hunted into the upstairs dorm by larger boys and, as they closed in for the steal, he shouted, ''If I can't have it, nobody can'', and frisbeed the cake out the window. It was wisdom straight from the King Solomon playbook. And he had just enough time to smile and dust his hands together before large rowers hyped on Sustagen beat him senseless while grinning.
''Country Racing Victoria want to close us down,'' he tells me. ''We don't make enough dough. This day costs $75,000 to put on.''
We stop talking to watch a blonde woman in an implausible apricot dress walk past. Taut as a ninja, and as brave, she rode the winner of the second race. If she'd changed out of her silks into this apricot number quicker she could have won Fashions on the Field.
''Where will the city race meetings find horses, trainers and jockeys if there are no country meetings?'' I ask.
Al Presidente shrugs and looks around as if I'm missing the big story. This is no feeder competition to him. This is a day free and clear of all else, made of its own grace and laughter. This is a community in a salutary moment of affirmation. To close this down would be like taking a tyre-lever to one of those marble cenotaphs that stand at the heart of country towns.
No one listens to victory speeches at picnic race meetings. But I leaned against an elm and listened, covertly, to one. A bow-legged trainer climbed the dais on dodgy knees. And if I heard right, he began his speech by thanking his missus, and his brother, who lent him the float, and the jockey, who he thought wasn't worth shit until just now. Then his speech came to a standstill with his mouth hanging open … because he'd realised not one soul of all this crowd was listening.
It's sad to see a man suddenly learn that his life's passion can't postpone a minute of his neighbours' chat, and to watch him step down from what was an elated moment into realization that his victory is a gnat's belch to the world. A humbling Australian takedown taken straight from the ancient Greek theatre. As he stepped from the dais his hand holding the microphone dropped to his side. But if I can read lips, he finished his speech with ''… pack of pisspot arseholes''.
I mention this to Al Presidente. ''Mate,'' he says, ''I can give the exact same speech every year because no one ever listens to a word.''
WAS THIS ABSURD UPGRADE OF 40 BLACK TYPE RACES DONE TO SUIT THE BREEDER LOBBY?
WE received numerous e-mails critical of the Pattern Committee for upgrading 40 black type races but rather than run these decided to reproduce part of the racingbitch response to the unprecedented move.
READING the ARB press release and media reports about the staggering upgrade of FORTY, that’s right 40, stakes races by the Australian Pattern Committee, was very much like a premature April Fools’ Day joke.
Leaving aside the fact that it was unprecedented, it clearly calls into question the credibility of the Australian Pattern Committee and the almost comical reasoning offered by Committee Chairman Alan Brown for the upgrades.
“Although the volume of races is unprecedented, it is a one-off as a result of Australia adopting the protocols of the Asian Racing Federation and a reassessment of the pattern being undertaken”, Brown is quoted as saying.
Cut out the crap, Alan. Don’t go pointing your index finger at the Asian Racing Federation. Tell it like it is mate, “A reassessment of the pattern being undertaken.”
And please don’t try and tell us that the Breeders, and, specifically, the powerful Hunter clique, don’t have their fingerprints all over this.
Just have a look at the number of fillies and mares races that have been upgraded. It’s a dead giveaway. Is it any wonder the corks have not stopped popping from bottles of Krug at all the big breeding operations in the Hunter since the announcement?
And Alan, what you failed to tell the world is just how difficult it is to have Races downgraded once they have attained Group status. Aren’t there three cautions issued? And doesn’t this generally result in a cash splash at such races to improve the quality of the races on ‘Death Row’ and a stay of execution?
Brown then goes on to give the Committee a pat on the back for “adopting even stricter benchmarks than those set down” and “accurately reflect the strength of sprinter/milers in the world”.
“These upgrades also fit in well within the pyramid of the pattern, where the number of Group 3’s should be more than the number of Group 2’s and more Group 2’s than Group Ones, and the number of Group 3’s should exceed the total combined of Group 2’s and Group Ones. The new numbers comply with those guidelines”.
Whoopi bloody do! Throw away the calculator, Alan Brown has done it all for you. Surely you’re not trying to tell us that to keep within this stupid pyramid that your Committee has built, races have been upgraded to preserve this ludicrous numerical protocol?
Trawling through some of the 40 races that have been upgraded, some of these races have never been heard of, so you can well imagine what quality of fields they have had over the past several years.
What happened to quality being the single factor in determining Group and black type status? And mate we’re giddy from all the spin which seems to come out of Racing NSW, it appears it has now infected the Australian Pattern Committee.
Now here are the e-mail contributions in full that we have elected to publish this week with apologies to those who missed out:
ARE THE DEMANDS OF THE OWNERS OF BLACK CAVIAR BECOMING OUTRAGEOUS?
WE received a number of e-mails concerning the reported demands on officials of the Australian Turf Club from the owners of Black Caviar before she would race there.
Two have been selected to run that hopefully will get the general message across:
‘AS much as I marvel at the crowd-pulling power of Black Caviar the question has to be asked: Should clubs be bowing to the increasing demands of her owners?
It seems that in Melbourne they get what they want but the minute Sydney officials showed some reluctance and did not jump immediately to attention there were threats to boycott the T J Smith Stakes.
Reports suggest that the Australian Turf Club has agreed to their demands and will provide 220 members tickets and a catered marquee if Black Caviar heads to Sydney.
Are they going to do the same for the connections of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Pierro and More Joyous, a duo that arguably the club will fall back on as draw-cards should Black Caviar head back to England.
With space and facilities at Randwick limited because of the redevelopment it hardly seems fair that those who pay for the privilege of being members every meeting of the year should play second fiddle to many who are nothing more than hangers-on with the Black Caviar band-wagon.
I am a terrific fan of Black Caviar and what she has achieved for racing in Australia but Neil Werrett and her co-owners need a dose of reality. She is part of sporting folklore in this country now and they should not begrudge her many fans in Sydney the right to see the champion mare just because they can’t get five star treatment every time she races.’ Marg Evans, Sydney.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Here is a story written in today's HERALD SUN by ROD NICHOLSON:
BLACK Caviar's owners are aghast they have been portrayed as greedy.
The owners, headed by Neil Werrett, have been lambasted in spiteful Twitter attacks after a suggestion they demanded 220 members' tickets and a catered marquee before confirming their champion sprinter would race in the T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 13.
"That is misinformation," said one owner, who did not wish to be named.
Rather than demand tickets and a catered marquee, owners said they had inquired about the chance of buying extra tickets and paying for an area to accommodate the entourage in one place.
The owners say that at past race meetings, they have paid for tickets above those provided to all owners of runners. They say they have hired rooms and paid for food and refreshments.
An exception was at Moonee Valley on Friday night when they were given 200 free tickets to see Black Caviar notch her 24th consecutive win.
But that did not stop the vitriol yesterday. One post said: "Get over yourselves Werrett and co -- it's not and never has been about you, only your wonderful horse. You got unbelievably lucky so show a little humility for God's sake."
Another said: "Well, well, keep hearing how humble the owners are and good on 'em for sharing their mare with us. What a bunch of primadonnas, just send the great mare and trainer, and leave Werrett and his ego at Tullamarine!"
And this one:
HOW WOULD ROYAL ASCOT REACT TO SIMILAR DEMANDS FOR ANOTHER TASTE OF CAVIAR?
‘HOW do you reckon the inner sanctum at Royal Ascot would react to the ownership ransom demands of the Black Caviar camp for the champion mare to return to England?
Neil Werrett and the couple of hundred free-loaders who have jumped aboard the Black Caviar back-wagon would no doubt be told to stay at home in convict country.
What’s next – a demand for Qantas to provide a chartered jet free of charge to take the Black Caviar owners and their support crew to Royal Ascot?
This whole ‘Caviar Circus’ has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. No one doubts the pulling power of the champion mare – as evidenced at Moonee Valley on Friday night – when there were some wonderful scenes.
But that doesn’t give the owners the right to make outrageous demands and threaten not to run their mare at certain venues if these aren’t met. She is now the ‘peoples’ horse’ and it is time they recognized that.
Just imagine what officials of the Brisbane Racing Club would be prepared to do to save their carnival from disaster and ensure a Black Caviar block-buster – the mind boggles.’ – Dudley Sanderson, Melbourne.
EDITOR’S NOTE: IT would be sad if the demands of the owners in the final weeks of her magnificent career were to be a part of the story that is Black Caviar. As much as they own the champion mare she has become very much the ‘peoples’ horse’ and will always be part of Australian racing folklore.
Here’s part of what ATC chief executive DARREN PEARCE told the SYDNEY TELEGRAPH about how the concerns of the owners are being addressed:
“'I have spoken to (senior owner) Neil [Werrett] and we have agreed to have talks and jointly promote Black Caviar's appearance in Sydney.:
It is understood that Melbourne clubs in the past 18 months have fully complied with the growing number that are in the Black Caviar entourage.
Pearce said he was reluctant to debate the issue in the media.
“'This week we'll invite Neil and bring him to Randwick to show him that at this meeting we are limited for space but we are prepared to talk so that they are well accommodated,” he said.
It will be the opening day of the new grandstand and associated facilities at Sydney's principal racecourse but the crowd will be limited, with renovations and rebuilding still not complete.
“It's just a difficult day because of the limitations that we have with space. And combined with that, it's one of the biggest race days on our calendar. It would be a little like in Melbourne on Cox Plate day or Flemington on Derby day, trying to accommodate everyone.
''And days like Derby day, you have major sponsors that also have to be looked after. But we will sit down and discuss what we'll do with the Black Caviar people,'' Pearce said.
It's also understood that Sydney racing officials toyed with the idea of moving Derby day to Rosehill in a bid to cater for the needs of the expected crowd, but they were fearful that switching the race from Randwick could upset the preparation of Black Caviar.
PETER V’LANDYS UNDER FIRE AGAIN – THIS TIME OVER HIS ROLE IN TVN DEBACLE
‘WHY is it every time the name Peter V’Landys seems to come up he is either under siege over another balls-up in the industry or the bloke is blowing his own trumpet or that of NSW racing?
It would seem that the big noting Racing NSW CEO has played a major role in John Hartigan walking away from the prospect of being chairman of TVN.
Here’s what the respected KEN CALLANDER wrote about it in THE TELEGRAPH:
‘MAKE no mistake, John Hartigan, the man who steered the News Limited ship (the owners of this newspaper) as CEO for over a decade declined the chairmanship of racing channel TVN because of interference from Racing NSW, its chairman John Messara and CEO Peter V'landys.
But all is not lost. We can all make mistakes, but only quality people admit them.
I think Messara was taken aback by the groundswell of opinion in the committee room against Racing NSW over the issue and he told people at Rosehill on Saturday that he and the board had probably received a kick in the pants they deserved.
The three names being bandied around at Rosehill as replacements for Hartigan were Seven kingpin David Leckie, Ken Barry and Scott Perrin. Barry, as chairman of breeding giant Coolmore, would be a bad fit as breeders have enough say already. The obvious choice seems the young energetic Perrin, who has always seen the value in aggregating racing media rights and tried to purchase them over 10 years ago.
If the board hopes to get a man of Perrin's quality it will need to scrap the present shareholders' agreement which handcuffs executives and does not allow them to get full value for their assets.’
Here’s hoping this whole messy business gets sorted out soon because there is already talk that Foxtel won’t be renewing the contract of TVN next month and that would prove an absolute disaster not only for the tens of thousands who enjoy the boutique racing channel but for just as many others who cannot cop Sky.’ – Lloyd Hoskins, Sydney.
EDITOR’S NOTE: MESSARA and V’LANDYS have reacted quickly to the criticism which prompted a follow-up story from CALLANDER in the SYDNEY TELEGRAPH which read:
JOHN Messara, the chairman of Racing NSW, and Peter V'landys, the CEO, both deny my assertion in (Monday’s) The Daily Telegraph that there was a groundswell of opinion against them at Rosehill on Saturday over the resignation of John Hartigan, the former News Limited chief, as chairman-elect of the racing television channel TVN.
Both Messara and V'landys are adamant that nobody approached them to vent their disapproval.
V'landys claims it was the Shareholders Agreement, which Hartigan believed constrained management, rather than Racing NSW which caused him not to take the chair.
V'landys stressed both he and Messara have the highest regard for Hartigan, as shown by the fact that they put his name forward as their only nomination.
For my part, I had committee members of prominent race clubs and racing organisations as well as members, owners, trainers and influential racing people expressing the belief Racing NSW was at least in part to blame for TVN losing such an outstanding candidate.
In my column yesterday I stated in part: "He (Messara) told people at Rosehill on Saturday that he and the board had probably received a kick in the pants they deserved."
My information came from my son, Richard, a TVN presenter, and Peter Wootton, the TVN head of television, who was standing next to Richard and Messara at the time.
Richard said, "As I recall it, John Messara came over to me and said the future is bright - there has been a lot of bloodletting this week and we probably got the kick in the pants we needed."
Wootton, when read that quote, said, "That is as I heard it."
Messara claims he did not make that statement. I take his word and accept that.
"I spoke to Richie and, as I remember, I said to him the future is fine," Messara said.
"And, if I used the word 'kick' my intention would have been to portray the impression the company (TVN) will now get the kick along it needs."
TVN is a great product and let us hope that Messara and V'landys, along with the other six board members and new chairman - whoever it may be - takes it forward and makes racing the envy of other sports with its own television channel.
HAVE THE BIG MOUTH AND BIG EARS OF BIG RICHIE GOT KENNY INTO TROUBLE?
‘IT would seem that respected race columnist Ken Callander has been dragged into a murky dispute with Racing NSW officials over TVN because his son Richard not only has a big mouth but big ears to go with it.
Big Richie obviously repeated to his dad an alleged admission from chairman John Messara that he and CEO Peter V’Landys had received the ‘kick in the pants they deserved’ following the departure of John Hartigan as prospective TVN Chairman.
The official duo was quick to deny the suggestion but Callander called on the memory of his son and support from TVN Head of Television Peter Wotton claiming to have heard the Messara statement.
I have the utmost respect for Kenny and despite him being a shade too close to the action on this occasion with the involvement of Richie, I know who I would rather believe in this matter. It’s time for Messara and V’landys to get this whole mess sorted outed.’ – Brian Kirk, Sydney.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re not the only one who feels that way Brian. Here’s what the controversial blog, the racingbitch, had to say on the issue under the headline: ‘Has the New TVN Become Prematurely Dysfunctional.’
THE proverbial ‘tipping of the bucket’ on TVN by Chairman in waiting John Hartigan comes as no surprise whatsoever.
The composition of the new TVN Board and its implications for both TVN and the Australian racing industry has been the regularly editorialized in this blog since the new structure was floated and speculation began and was later confirmed as to the composition of the Board.
And no, it’s not a case of ‘I told you so’, but the structure and composition of the new TVN Board was and still is a dysfunctional disaster waiting to happen, except that it has now happened, and was always going to.
This whole dysfunctional TVN saga is a chilling replica of what is daily occurring in Canberra with the Labor Party and the disastrous Federal Government.
Eventually it has to have an ends point and one can only hope that Hartigan’s initial jilting of the Chairmanship, will actually cause the TVN Board and the Race Clubs that own TVN to say enough is enough and parachute the one individual who is single handedly trying to undermine TVN and impose his rules on TVN and oust those that refuse to bow to his agenda. We all know who he is, and until he is parachuted out of TVN, it will continue to operate in an unprofessional and dysfunctional manner.
Pity because there are genuinely entrepreneurial and commercially astute minds on the TVN Board, and from what we are told, John Hartigan has the blessing of ex-TVN Chairman Harold Mitchell, one of the most successful advertising and entrepreneurial individuals in the Australian media landscape.
Hartigan who ran News Limited in Australia on behalf of Rupert of Murdoch for many years and managed to keep News Limited Australia on a different path in comparison to some of Rupe’s disgraced British tabloids, would have been the ideal choice to lead TVN out of the wilderness that it had chosen as its home by some extremely dubious and dodgy commercial decisions which have undersold by many, many millions, the value of its IP.
The mail we are getting, and unlike the stuff that is leaked out of the TVN Boardroom, this is as far away from TVN as the horizon is from the reach of us mere mortals, is that John Hartigan might be persuaded to change his mind if the TVN Board, and by extension, the Race Clubs who own TVN can get their act together, isolate the one bad apple in the TVN tree and exorcise the partisan and divisive political game that is being played.
And from what we are also hearing, this particular ‘bad apple’ is pushing very hard for his ‘toadie’ from another racing code to become the new TVN CEO. This is such a puerile and offensive suggestion, it alone should be sufficient to question the credentials and suitability of the ‘bad apple’ to remain a Board member of TVN.
Surely it is time for the ATC, the three Melbourne Race Clubs, and the two Chairmen of Racing NSW and Racing Victoria to lock themselves in a room and sort this mess out. Racing cannot afford this dysfunctional circus any longer.
A GREYHOUND TRACK INSIDE THE GALLOPS AT IPSWICH RAISES QUESTIONS
‘REGARDING the placement of the greyhound track inside the Ipswich thoroughbred racing track raises some questions that need to be considered.
One has to be attentive to simplicity.
To start with I am a very ardent supporter of Robert Essex. He is a very successful and empathetic knowledgeable businessman.
One has to be careful of the greyhound Ipswich area that has very loyal supporters almost bordering on NRL devotion. They need to be alert that their loyalty unwittingly stifles the overall industry.
The one turn track, an extremely important element, remains such a significant issue that I believe Kevin Seymour will veto the Ipswich plan as proposed, wanting the one turn track for a dual harness-greyhound establishment south of Beenleigh.
As for the catering arrangements to which I see as an Achilles heel, I’ll leave it to the involved parties to resolve. Many ‘marriages’ eventually endure stress.’ - Jim Carlton, Greenbank.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The sooner the new Boards get their feet under the table and sort this whole debacle over harness and greyhound facilities out in south-east Queensland the better. Of one thing you can be sure Jim, while we have an LNP Government whatever Kevin Seymour wants, Kevin Seymour gets, such is his influence politically. I still cannot understand how an interim RQ Board can approve multi-million dollar developments of the magnitude of a major grandstand complex for Albion Park or a new turf track for Toowoomba gallops. We are assuming that is the case but don’t know because everything that Kevin Dixon does seems to be shrouded in a cloud of secrecy. Hopefully that will change after he is named Chairman of QACRIB next week but don’t count on it as we believe enough of his cronies will be included in the appointments to ensure he has the numbers to determine what happens in all three codes.
THIS WEBSITE WILL CONTINUE TO CALL RACING AS WE SEE IT MATE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT
‘WHAT is wrong with your gutless website?
You don’t like Gai Waterhouse. You blow up every time Chris Waller wins with an outsider. Your attitude to Gerald Ryan is quite insulting. And you continue to criticize one of the greatest jockeys in the land in ‘Pumper’ Cassidy.
One gets the impression that you are very anti-Sydney, considering the amount of e-mails that are run questioning the credibility of racing here and – in your opinion – the inaction of the best stewards’ panel in the country under the leadership of Ray Murrihy.
Let’s take the issues one at a time.
Gai is unquestionably the ‘first lady of Australian racing’ and should receive a knighthood for her services to horse racing.
Chris Waller is a remarkable trainer who deserves accolades not criticism. Of course there will be second string runners from his stable upstaging those that are better backed when you have teams as big as his.
Gerald Ryan is the most open trainer in the country when it comes to tipping his horses, as evidenced recently by his declaration that Snitzerland was a certainty well before it saluted after $7 was bet.
Jimmy Cassidy is about to ride his 100th Group One winner and showed that despite the fact he is 50 he can still rival the best of the younger brigade, a la his feature double at the weekend on Pierro and Foreteller.
It’s time websites like yours and that goose at justracing who continues to bag Waterhouse as well got a life and started supporting the industry that pays your wages.’ – Tom Collingwood, Sydney.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You are obviously not a punter Tom. The form in Sydney is virtually impossible to follow. The form reversals continue from the Waterhouse and Waller runners, Julienas and Foreteller two examples from last weekend. The Gerald Ryan horses mix their form more than any other stable – take Flying Snitzel for example – bolts in and beats an odds-on favorite in Melbourne then couldn’t fire a shot in Sydney. We keep getting e-mails asking what has happened about the inquiry involving Cassidy while one involving Oliver in Melbourne was completed ages ago and then see him used to promote the Sydney carnival. And as for your bagging of justracing the features that Phil Purser wrote on the Waterhouse yearling purchases – and the research that went into it – was amazing and something that the mainstream racing media would never consider doing because it might offend the wrong people. You are entitled to your opinion Tom but we will continue to call racing as we see it.
RESPONSE TO ‘SILKS & SADDLES’ ITEM FROM HOME HILL RACE CLUB
THE following is a letter written to Terry Butts at the North Queensland Register concerning a column in Silks & Saddles by the President of the Home Hill Race Club Ross Tapiolas.
As that column was reproduced on the letsgohorsersacing website we have no problem with running the response from Ross which reads:
‘I usually enjoy reading your regular articles in the North Queensland Register.
However, after myself and our small band of volunteer workers worked extremely hard to get our track and facilities at Home Hill in order so that we could race, it was with absolute disgust I read your article in the North Queensland Register, and from this I would like to put my personal point of view across.
Yes I agree it wasn’t the greatest race meeting we have staged and yes we could have done a lot better and I applaud positive criticism.
However, once our meeting was washed out in February we either had the choice of not pushing for another date or to move for another date we decided as a club for the interest of racing to apply for another race date so that the prize money would stay in the north. This fact was not mentioned anywhere in your article
The issue was then to get the facilities up to scratch in a short period of time with all voluntary workers.
We have a small band of volunteers who work to get our facilities in order. These volunteers also run businesses or have full-time jobs so a lot of the work is done on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
All clubs are finding it harder to recruit more volunteers. This is an on-going problem with all country clubs.
You are the writer and write as you see things. However it would do you well to get off your pedestal, get down into the country into the grass roots and see how much voluntary work goes into a meeting prior to a race day, and not just turn up on the day and criticise our clubs when things are not perfect.
As you write for one of the oldest and greatest country newspapers I believe you should be in the role of supporting instead of criticising country clubs when we don’t get it right. If your heart is in country racing find out the issues country clubs have and write to support these issues.
We can all sit on the sideline and criticise when things are not right but we see no one putting their hand up to assist country racing.
Last year you bagged the hell out of Bowen Turf Club for issues with barrier staff. Do you know how hard it is to continually get trained barrier staff in the country? This is an on-going problem.
Were there any words of encouragement, or did you see any of the committee to get their angle across?
I acknowledge that you have complimented clubs when they have done it right in the past and I thank you for this.
Country clubs are held together by small bands of dedicated hard working voluntary people and once they go country racing will be gone.
Overall:
1. There was a race meeting held in the north which otherwise would have been lost
2. There was the opportunity for racing stakeholders to earn prize money and jockeys got paid
3. We trialled racing on a Sunday
4. Our bar takings were up hugely
5. I did the rounds and spoke to everyone. I could see everyone enjoyed themselves and did not find it lack-lustre.
I’m no expert on Tote so I cannot respond to you on that issue here. However, from what I understand, this is a real issue with the amount it costs to run for the small return clubs receive.
As stated this is my opinion not the clubs at this point. We have not had a wash up of the meeting.’ - Ross Tapiolas.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner of the letsgohorseracing web-site. That is why he has added an ‘EDITOR’S NOTE’. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.
