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..
THE focus of our new theme – THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what has happened in racing over the past week continues in the new-look Wednesday Whinge which feedback suggests has been well received by our readers. It gives us an opportunity to provide some of the racing news that is now harder to access or simply isn’t run in the mainstream media because of space restrictions. That doesn’t mean we are steering clear of allowing our readers their weekly whinge on racing topics. This week there was a major backlash from stake-holders over a new promotional campaign for racing in Queensland and we have devoted a deal of space to your views. There is also comment on a range of issues from the scales fiasco at Rosehill last Saturday to the latest Gai Waterhouse inquiry and others.
'LET’S ALL PULL TOGETHER’ MORE APPROPRIATE LABEL THAN ‘WE RUN AS ONE’? 
IT seems that some marketing genius for Racing Queensland with too much time on his or her hands – and an apparent excess of industry funds to waste – got a shade carried away with the tri-code campaign ambitiously labeled ‘We Run As One.’
This website received a stack of less than complimentary e-mails on the initiative and tongue-in-cheek one cynic even suggested that ‘Let’s All Pull Together’ would be a more appropriate motto because – in his not so nice words – the exercise seems ‘such a great wank.’
This was only the beginning of a campaign that RQ hopes will be ‘a game changer for the industry.’ That being the case here’s hoping they attract a far more enthusiastic response from industry stakeholders than Monday’s promotional advertising photo shoot at Hatton Vale did.
An invitation (not a Media Release explaining what was going on though) was extended to stakeholders from the gallops, trots and dogs to ‘be heard and move forward with optimism and purpose.’
It seems however that the original invite was to a selected group only. One stakeholder group did not receive their invitation until last Thursday when it was too late to organize half a day out of their Monday routine to attend. Some key members of the racing media were not invited. Yet when the response was so bad desperation set in and they even offered to fly certain identities from the country.
The invitation proclaimed: ‘Welcome to the racing industry’s new positive approach in Queensland’ and went on to explain that ‘We Run As One’ is a tri-code marketing campaign that ‘will build positivity, recognition and empowerment amongst Queensland’s racing stakeholders.’
INITIATIVE A ‘GAME CHANGER’ FOR THE RACING INDUSTRY IN QUEENSLAND? 
RQ communications officer Elaine Dittman, in a personalized request to some stakeholders to attend, explained: “I am excited to share the news with you that in the coming weeks, the Racing Queensland team will be rolling out a new stakeholder campaign entitled We Run As One.
“We hope this initiative will be a game changer for the racing industry here in Queensland. By taking guidance from our mission statement CARE (Collaborate, Assist, Regulate and Enable), the campaign is about engaging our 30,000+ strong base of stakeholders and encouraging them to become brand ambassadors for our great sport. It is about uniting, tackling challenges head on, promoting positivity and celebrating the contribution the racing industry makes in Queensland. We are looking forward to sharing more information with you as we lead up to an August 1 launch.”
Promoting an industry like racing in Queensland is a ‘mission impossible’ and we don’t mean to be critical of the fine job that Elaine does but it sounds awfully like she was let loose with a copy of Roget’s Thesaurus and told to paint as bright a picture as she could.
How can you build positivity, recognition and empowerment when the industry in the north is anything but cohesive, continues to fall further behind Victoria and New South Wales, is the butt of so many interstate jokes, and has failed to restore any form of punter confidence in its racing product?
HERE’S WHAT ONE CRITIC HAD TO SAY:
This is how one of the industry critics summed up Monday’s response in what he called ‘a cow paddock at Hatton Vale’:
‘This failed exercise highlights the sheer hypocrisy of the racing industry in Queensland. They started out by inviting the ‘chosen ones’ then when the response was so bad got desperate and fired e-mails and telephone calls to all and sundry asking them to attend.
Had they thought about the time involved on a working day for people to drive all the way out to Hatton Vale (that was obviously the venue selected to appease certain influential breeders in Toowoomba) then more might have attended. Deagon or Eagle Farm would have been a more suitable location.
Take it from someone who was there. They will have to use trick photography to make the rent-a-crowd look big when it comes to the photo shoot or the promotional advertisement. It was just another failed exercise and waste of money by RQ.’
The invitation, which strangely could not be located on the RQ website or voice to the industry called for the support of ‘apprentices, track, bar and catering staff, barrier attendants, bookies, breeders, drivers, farriers, track and gate staff, greyhound handlers, jockeys, judges, media, owners, race photographers, race callers, club administrators, starters, stewards, tote staff, trainers, vets, volunteers and all other racing stakeholders.
TO THE CYNICS THIS EXERCISE CONJURED UP SOME VERY COMICAL IMAGES 
TO the cynics it conjured up images of bookies linking arms with jockeys who they normally only speak with on their mobiles on race eve; or breeders (especially some of those on the Downs where hatred continues to thrive) kicking the crap out of one another; or stewards dreaming of the good old days when some would adjourn to the Lap Dancing Clubs to socialize with licensee mates after racing functions; or of respected racing media personalities getting up close and personal with the ‘little men’ of the industry outside the jockeys’ room for a change.
They were all asked to make their way to the Olympic Park Spelling and Agistment Centre at Hatton Vale (somewhere near Marburg) wearing attire relative to their occupation or position in the industry and to even bring along props (here’s hoping no-one turned up with a stomach tube).
The order went out: Be there at 11am on Monday for the cameras to roll at noon on the making of a television commercial and photo shoot using racing’s people. Stakeholders were reminded that the success of the project was reliant on their involvement. The call fell largely on deaf ears. The ‘no shows’ were immense.
We googled the Olympic Park Spelling and Agistment Centre and discovered it is a 110-acre property (not a cow paddock as was suggested) that is situated just off the Warrego Highway about 15 minutes west of Ipswich (nothing like a drive into the country for the City Slickers to get the week started on a high).
This whole project sounded like the new Board had reincarnated Tony Terrific, the marketing guru from the Bentley era. It had his enthusiasm and initiative written all over it.
The racing industry in Queensland has historically never been able to ‘Run As One’ so why would a new political broom, some fresh faces running the show and another Commission of Inquiry make one iota of difference – let alone some feel-good advertisement.
Talk about getting all dressed up with nowhere to go.
They tore down the Gazza Strip between the QTC and the BTC in that much applauded merger but the fact remains that Doomben is still the poor relation and is only used by Eagle Farm in times of desperate need (like when headquarters needs a makeover).
The moment there was a suggestion that the harness and greyhound complexes would be relocated from Albion Park and combined at Deagon, the gallops community surrounding RQ headquarters went troppo.
There was no brotherly love among the tri-code colleagues then. It was all about protecting a boutique gallops centre, not to mention some precious real estate interests. The last thing they wanted was the trots and dogs in their backyards.
It became a political bun fight and one suspects there is another just around the corner for the LNP Government with news that Deagon has been earmarked as the possible site for a Refugee Detention Centre – the suburb we mean not the training complex – although there are some who reckon RQ would make an ideal new home for refugees.
Even one of the biggest industry groups in the state – the trainers – are extremely divided with RQ facing accusations that they only listen to the Queensland branch of the ATA which has mainly a metropolitan membership while numerically there are more outside the south-east corner but they claims to be treated like the poor relations struggling to have their voices heard.
All For One – just a couple of examples – of who’s kidding who in this Zoo?
ALL DRESSED UP TO WITH NOWHERE TO GO – WOODSTOCK AT HATTON VALUE 
BUT back to the big promo shoot and those who took along their cut lunches and ventured onto the highway west must have been brimming with excitement at what surprises the organizers had in store at Hatton Vale.
Were they planning a Queensland racing version of Woodstock or a Bob Geldof-style anti-poverty concert, even a down-market recording similar to ‘We Are the World’?
Can’t you imagine the scene, King Kev flanked by his two favorite lieutenants, Fergie (in top hat and tails) and Frappers (in his country and western outfit), jogging across the meadow toward the cameras with a battalion of racing fans behind them a la Julie Andrews and the von Trapp family when the ‘hills were alive to the sound of music.’
A more suitable theme song for the new-look ‘We Run As One’ might be ‘Pull The Other One.’ Then again the ‘chosen ones’ would arguably prefer Nelson Eddy’s ageless hit: ‘Stout Hearted Men’ (not to forget the wonderful women who are such an integral part of the racing industry in the north, apart from the time when Pioneer Pam hit a hurdle when she got off-side with Dr Doolittle and was almost shot out of the Deagon canon).
Frappers could even bring along his trusty guitar and accompany a chorus of King Kev supporters in: ‘Shoulder to Shoulder and Bolder and Bolder, Give Me Some Men, Who are Stout Hearted Men, Who Will Fight For the Boss They Adore.’
Yes, this is more like the racing industry that Queensland deserves.
Forget about the need for a new TAB agreement that gives the embarrassing TattsBet the shunt; the paltry prizemoney being served up, especially in the south-east corner; the political start that some clubs allegedly get; the lack of punter confidence in the racing; the ageing facilities that are falling down in need of repair at some tracks; and the fact that NSW and Victoria are steaming further and further ahead.
As long as the new RQ can project an image that ‘We (Now) Run As One’ by blaming the previous Labor Government, particularly Andrew Fraser, Bob Bentley and Bill Ludwig for everything bad that occurred in the past, it can only help convince Racing Minister Stevie Wonder that he is a step closer to that amazing objective (that he revealed to an Awards Night audience sniggering into their napkins) of making Queensland the leading racing state in the country within a few years.
Don’t know what they were serving at that function but the industry in general needs a big helping of it – just to survive on a weekly basis.
Rather than address the more serious aspects of how much this ridiculous exercise which has only just begun will eventually cost an industry struggling to provide desperately needed stakes increases, the apologists and supporters of the new regime simply ‘wank on’ about what a wonderful new racing world it is now that Bentley and his boys are gone.
Yeah times have changed in Queensland – but the more they change the more they stay the same!
RACING PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW WHAT THIS WHOLE FARCE IS COSTING THE INDUSTRY 
AND here’s a few examples (heavily edited for legal reasons) of what some of you had to say about Monday’s promotional initiative on the farm at Hatton Vale:
AO of Brisbane wrote:
‘IF an advertising agency suggested the ‘We Run As One’ initiative they know nothing about racing in Queensland.
It is a contradiction in terms and sheer hypocrisy to even suggest that the industry here is united. That was obvious from the way the invitations to this event were handled and the eventual response.
The questions that need answering are: How much will this useless exercise cost the industry and was it the brainchild of the new Board or Mr Dixon and his boys before the ‘real’ appointments occurred?
With so many more important issues confronting the financial survival of racing in Queensland, how could they possibly agree to allocating the funds required for this – it has to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars?
And weren’t some of those officials supporting this, the same blokes who argued how much the Bentley Board wasted on consultancies and pie-in-the-sky projects?’
BA of TOOWOOMBA sent this e-mail:
‘FIRST they waste millions on the track fiasco at Clifford Park and now we have the Fun at the Farm Day at Hatton Value – what did it cost?
Has this new body at RQ got any idea whatsoever of the needs of the racing industry. It’s fine to have the stakeholders link arms to participate in a feel-good commercial promoting racing in Queensland but what does it achieve?
Unless the prizemoney increases to a level where it is at least trying to compete with the southern states then racing in Queensland will not only struggle to attract new owners but lose existing ones.
Unless something is done to protect the punters – the product on the track is on the nose as witnessed on a weekly basis, especially in Brisbane – then they will desert racing in Queensland in droves as they already area.
And unless the new Board of RQ starts to give the impression it is at least treating all clubs equally – especially when it comes to the need for infrastructure and track improvements – then there will continue to be the perception of political favoritism like has occurred in Toowoomba.
My message to RQ is this: Wait until you have a product that is worth promoting before you spend any more industry funds on an advertising campaign that sends the wrong message.’
AND finally this one from BK of GOLD COAST:
‘WHILST I have no problem with an initiative of trying to get the industry working together instead of against each other, surely the funds that are available could be better spent than on an advertisement that simply gives the wrong impression.
A good place to start would be with the new TAB agreement. This is the perfect opportunity for Racing Queensland to punt TattsBet and initiate a step toward a national tote by linking with TABCORP.
The only way to effectively battle the biggest challenge to the financial viability of the racing industry in this country – the corporate bookmakers – is for a national tote to be accepted.
UNiTAB has been a rank failure and the service it provides gets worse by the day. Just look at the turnover compared to the big two totes in the south. Punters have too much value on offer elsewhere.
The only way the prizemoney will increase is a better TAB deal and you will struggle to find anyone that agrees a fresh deal with TattsBet will improve the situation to any great degree. But therein lies a political problem as the LNP Government may have the final say.
Rather than try and convince the racing public that the industry is ‘united’ – the ‘We Run As One’ message to most is a fraud – it is more important to convince the punters that they can bet with confidence on racing in Queensland.
Few can argue that the product needs a big dose of integrity. Stewards need to be free of the shackles of those who employ them. The Integrity Commissioner needs to fire up and insist that Queensland imports a Chief Steward that puts the fear of God through the industry – not one who is seeing out his days on a golden retirement handshake because he’s a good bloke.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: We have devoted a good deal of the Wednesday Whinge to this fiasco because of the number of concerns expressed to us in e-mails over the past few days. We will fire a list of questions that you want answered to the new RQ CEO Darren Condon, whose appointment is expected to be ratified by Cabinet this week, when he takes over shortly. We didn’t bother addressing them with the RQ Chairman as it is our understanding that he is overseas.
PAT ON THE BACK FROM PUNTERS FOR STEWARDS PURSUANCE OF WATERHOUSE 
‘MY mates and I have been long time followers of racing in Sydney and would like to congratulate Ray Murrihy and his panel for pursuing matters involving More Joyous.
Unfortunately, many in the racing media especially the television race broadcasters, seem keen for the whole affair to be forgotten regardless of what it cost the punters.
All they want to do is promote the ‘first lady of racing’ and tell us how she is going to bounce back from the belting that Chris Waller gave her in the metropolitan trainers’ premiership this season.
For too long the Waterhouse family – from trainer to bookmaker – have dominated and had too much apparent political sway in racing in NSW.
Our message to Mr Murrihy on behalf of the punting public is this: ‘Don’t let Gai off the hook over More Joyous. It is pretty obvious that the punters were kept in the dark’.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: RACING NSW stewards yesterday reconvened their More Joyous inquiry and here is the outcome as reported by FAIRFAX MEDIA:
TRAINER Gai Waterhouse has been fined $2000 over her failure to report on the fitness on glamour mare More Joyous before a race during the Sydney autumn carnival.
Waterhouse was found guilty of breaching a racing rule which says she must divulge to stewards any changes of condition in a racehorse leading into a race.
She was charged during a Racing NSW stewards' inquiry on Tuesday for not reporting the champion mare was lame in the lead-up to the Queen of the Turf Stakes at Rosehill on April 6.
The leading trainer, who pleaded not guilty, argued a hoof problem More Joyous had in the week before the Queen of the Turf had improved enough three days before the race for her not to have have any concerns about the mare's fitness.
More Joyous finished an unlucky sixth in the Queen of the Turf after starting a hot $1.65 favourite.
The trainer is appealing a $5000 fine for not reporting treatment to More Joyous before her final race in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 27.
But stewards said they were of the view that the Queen of the Turf episode was not comparable with what happened before the All Aged Stakes when More Joyous was the subject of veterinary scrutiny right up until the morning of the race.
TWO FORMER BOARD MEMBERS READY TO SLUG IT OUT AT COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
THE mail is strong that two former Racing Queensland Board members are ready to slug it out at the Commission of Inquiry.
Here’s hoping the verbal battle isn’t played out behind closed doors as one in particular has a story to tell that the industry is entitled to hear.
One of those involved is an eloquent speaker who managed to dodge a bullet at the previous inquiry.
Questions being asked are: ‘Will he be so elusive this time around when one of those tipping the bucket is a former friend, colleague and a Board member who has some strong allegations to make?’
PLENTY OF INDUSTRY SYMPATHY FOR JOCKEY DALE MISSEN DESPITE HIS WIN 
IF the e-mail response is any indication there is plenty of sympathy for jockey Dale Missen who had to outlay close to $30,000 to prove his innocence to a charge that experienced racing men argued would not stand up – and it seems even the stewards belatedly agreed.
Nissen won his appeal against a 12 month disqualification handed down by a Gold Coast stewards’ panel headed by former trots stipe, Norm Torpey.
As Terry Butts wrote in his hard-hitting column ‘Silks & Saddles’ this week the appeal outcome surprised no-one not did the fact that the result was not documented on the Racing Queensland web-site which many in racing regard as waste of space.
This was a case that the stewards were never going to win. The facts were stacked against them from the outset. As Butts reported some were even surprised that Missen was charged.
In an effort to avoid another embarrassing appeal outcome, on the day of the QCAT hearing RQ stewards reportedly applied to change the charge initially brought against the jockey but were not allowed to downgrade it.
This being the case perhaps QCAT should start considering ruling that costs – in this case $27,000 – be awarded to ‘victims’ such as Dale Missen. After all when stewards make a mistake the industry pays but a licensee has to pay to prove himself innocent.
There are so many worse things happening every week on the track than the incident involving Missen but no action is taken and to make matters worse on most occasions not a question is asked.
RACE AT EAST COAST VENUE LAST WEEKEND THE FOCUS OF SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS
WE received several e-mails from concerned punters – some of them well-informed professionals – about a race run on the east coast last weekend that they claim needs investigating.
The allegation is that a hot favorite was laid very heavily with Asian betting agencies and the winner came in for some strong support.
Interstate stewards have confirmed that some ‘smarties’ in the industry are now turning to Asian outlets because they know that Betfair can be monitored and does provide information on request to Australian stewards.
A half hour before the race in question was run the rumor mill was spot on about what would happen and how the favorite would lose the proverbial leg – which it did.
ANGRY RESPONSE FROM PUNTERS TO APPARENT SCALES MALFUCTION AT ROSEHILL 
THE controversy involving the disqualification of a horse at Rosehill on Saturday because of an apparent scales malfunction promoted an angry response from punters. Here are two examples:
JK of SYDNEY wrote:
‘THEY can spend hundreds of millions on a new grandstand complex for Sydney racing but can’t provide something as simple as a new set of scales that would protect the interests of the punters.
Have racing officials in NSW forgotten that it is the punting dollar and not the facilities offered at the track that ensures the survival of racing? Let’s face it clubs are struggling to attract crowds and the majority of betting turnover is contributed by off-course punters.
Jockey Glyn Schofield might even feel hardly done by, suffering a suspension and a hefty fine after weighing in light on disqualified third placed Wouldn’t It Be Nice, especially after Ray Murrihy subsequently conceded in a Melbourne radio interview that:
“The rider was weighed out wrong. It had to be that. There is no other explanation. I’ve had a bee in my bonnet over this for 20 years. We have argued around the stewards’ conference table. If the punter can’t win, he should be able to lose. We should be able to declare the horse a scratching.”
Rules are rules – and someone had to pay the penalty for the late scratching. But why should it be the punters? Those who invested on Wouldn’t It Be Nice had no chance of winning but still lost their money.
With sports betting proving such an attractive option and corporate bookmakers even refunding investments to punters when they lose at times, racing can ill-afford this sort of a public relations disaster.
Sportsbet recently refunded over $250,000 to punters who backed Australia when they lost the First Ashes Test after some shoddy umpiring decisions but you won’t hear of the TABs, who continually whine about the corporate agencies, doing likewise.
This is a rule that needs changing and the Australian Racing Board, the various state control bodies and more to the point fellow stewards, should get behind the Murrihy push which he says has been going on unsuccessfully for years.’
AND this one from EH of MELBOURNE:
‘RAY Murrihy seemed a shade upset when comparisons were made with Victoria in an interview on RSN after the scales disaster at Rosehill on Saturday.
Matt Stewart, the host of Correct Weight, can certainly be a shade parochial when it comes to racing in Victoria and is known for his love of bashing racing in NSW.
But Murrihy got on his high horse when Stewart suggested that racing in Melbourne didn’t have the same scales problems as those in Sydney because the Victorian sets were more modern.
Murrihy insisted that the ‘digital ones’ used in Melbourne were still not infallible like those he had convinced the Australian Turf Club to purchase in the wake of Saturday’s embarrassment.
Forget about which state is better – Sydney or Melbourne – let’s get rid of these scales in NSW which obviously have been around since the Ark and start protecting the punters.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our inquiries have revealed that they use digital scales at the Victoria tracks which are checked to ensure their accuracy before each meeting. There has still been times when jockeys have weighed in light but that occurs at most venues in the country at some time during the year. The problem most often occurs – and this could have been the case in Sydney on Saturday – when the jockey forgets to make his allowance for the vest and so does the scales official.
HERE is a story in the aftermath of the issue by MATT STEWART in the HERALD SUN:
RACING Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey says declaring only the winner a non-runner in weigh-in light scenarios would be a "reasonable compromise.''
There was debate on Saturday when backers of a horse that weighed in light at Rosehill lost their money when the horse was disqualified.
Jockey Glyn Schofield was fined and suspended after his mount Wouldn't It Be Nice weighed in light after running third in the first race.
Bailey believes punters would be protected if only winning horses were declared non-runners, ensuring a refund to punters who had backed the horse in good faith.
He said sometimes significant pay-out deductions to winners if placegetters weighed in light would be unreasonable on punters.
"Everybody wins in this situation,'' Bailey said.
Bailey quoted the example of a horse which was well backed and bolted in at Ballarat three years ago, only for the horse to weigh in light.
It was disqualified and the plunge punters lost their money.
The weigh-in light debate will be a major talking point at a national stewards conference in Sydney on Monday.
SURELY PETER MCGAURAN HASN’T BEEN TOLD TO BACK OFF IN HOGNO CASE 
JUST when long-suffering racing couple, Steve Hogno and Deb Lee, thought there was some light at the end of the tunnel things have turned sour again.
The response from Australian Racing Board CEO Peter McGauran to their plight provided some encouragement but it seems that has been short-lived.
Questions are being raised about why Mr McGauran has not fulfilled his promise to push their case and whether there has been some interference.
Here is the latest letter from Deb Lee to Peter McGauran as their fight continues over the ill-fated participation in a ‘Fun Race Day’ at Koorablyn 15 years ago that changed their lives forever:
Dear Mr McGauran,
We are disappointed that you have not returned our phone calls, nor contacted us by email as you pledged to do more than two weeks ago. We actually allowed ourselves to believe that someone in a position of power in the Australian Racing Industry actually had a conscience. Obviously, over-zealous officialdom at Racing Queensland would not allow this!
When Stewards in the Racing industry are given so much power that they are answerable to no-one and can, in our opinion, apparently break the law and not be accountable for their actions, then something is seriously amiss.
You know part of the story Mr McGauran. We did nothing wrong, but lost our home, business and property because Racing Queensland Chief Steward Steve Railton decided to send a couple of Stewards to raid a Family Fun Day at Kooralbyn fifteen years ago.
During the trial last year, one of those Stewards said he had been instructed to attend the Kooralbyn event to note any licensed people or registered thoroughbred horses participating.
Of course that didn’t include us - Steve wasn’t licensed and we took an Australian Quarter Horse for a bit of fun. But that didn’t stop the Stewards from convening an inquiry and summoning Steve to attend.
In fact, when he dared to suggest that he may not be able to take time off work to appear, Steve was told that the Inquiry would be held ex parte.
We are facing financial ruin because we dared to challenge the unmitigated authority of Racing Queensland Stewards. This disgraceful situation has gone too far!
It should have been stopped by either the Queensland Office of Racing (who issued the Permit to conduct the Fun Day), OR by Racing Queensland Stewards who were aware of the intention to hold the Fun Day BEFORE the permit was issued.
We have documents verifying communication between Administrative staff of both Offices - the Office of Racing asking Racing Queensland if the granting of a Permit to Kooralbyn Valley for the conduct of a Combined Sports Meeting posed any concerns, and a return communication from Racing Queensland saying that it did not. These documents are dated two weeks prior to the Kooralbyn Fun Day in June, 1998.
If Racing Queensland considered the Kooralbyn Fun Day to be an illegal event, then why didn’t they object to the issuance of a permit to conduct it? Why did they allow the Fun Day to proceed, deliberately raid it, and then disqualify an innocent member of the Public for attending it?
If a PERMIT is issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the ‘Queensland Office of Racing,’ in accordance with an ACT OF PARLIAMENT and signed by the Police Commissioner, then how can RQ stewards override the validity of that document?
Racing Queensland officials continually use the word ‘integrity’ - but they seem to have absolutely no idea what it means and they certainly don’t practice it.
At (new Racing Integrity Commissioner) Jim O’Sullivan’s suggestion we will approach the Ombudsman’s Office and this email will be sent to every prominent Politician, major Newspaper and TV Station in the Country. Eventually it will receive the publicity it deserves.
Every person of authority in the Racing Industry in Queensland, who has had the opportunity to put a stop to this farce, should hang their heads in utter SHAME!
Sincerely Deb Lee
EDITOR’S NOTE: We sympathize with the treatment that Steve Hogno and Deb Lee received. There has to be a reason that stewards went to a fun day and then took the course of action they did. Someone out there knows why. It is time that RQ got to the bottom of this issue – and I am talking about the new broom at headquarters – and provided some answers. I haven’t found a person in the industry that can understand or accepts the action that stewards took 15 years ago.
BOB FRAPPELL ‘UNFAIRLY CRITICIZED’ OVER ROLE IN CUSHION TRACK REPLACEMENT
WE received a special request to run this article from SJ of the DARLING DOWNS who believes that Toowoomba Turf Club chairman Bob Frappell has been unfairly criticized over the role he has played in the replacement of the cushion track at Clifford Park.
The e-mail read: “Rather than continually bag a good man in Bob, who is highly respected by the industry in Toowoomba, with a few exceptions like Neville Stewart, Anthony Burke and Peter Bredhauer,’ you should run what a ‘real’ racing writer, Phil Percival, wrote in his column, ‘Racing Round The Ridges’ in the Goondiwindi Argus:
Well here goes SJ, enjoy:
TOOWOOMBA Turf Club Chairman Bob Frappell has admitted he was wrong when he was in favor of replacing the Toowoomba turf track with a synthetic surface.
He said: “We are so lucky to be given a second chance to rectify this failed experience.”
When the synthetic track was installed, field sizes reduced alarmingly, as many owners and trainers would not start their horses on the surface. Some trainers pulled the pin altogether.
Turnover went down around 24.8 percent. The Toowoomba Cup lost its Listed status.
“Every pointer was going downhill,” was Bob’s comment.
“And when the new Queensland Racing Chairman Kevin Dixon suggested that unless we reverted to grass our future was clouded.
“We started seeking funding for the project and when the government announced it was making $7 million available a huge wave of enthusiasm swept over everyone involved in the industry in the Toowoomba area,” he said.
The new surface will be StrathAyr - the same surface as Moonee Valley, which has proven so successful over the years.
LITTLE REPORTED ABOUT MAJOR DUST-UP AT THE JUMP-OUTS IN TOWNSVILLE
LITTLE has been reported about a major dust-up involving some key racing identities in Townsville at the jump-outs in the lead-up to their big week of Cup action.
We are told that the fracas involved two trainers (one a former jockey) and the partner of a leading lady trainer. The incident was apparently witnessed by a steward.
Two of those involved apparently required medical attention, police are likely to be involved and an inquiry has been convened by RQ stewards in the north.
Local licensees say the feud between the parties involved has been boiling over for some time.
STABLEHAND ACCUSED OF WAYNE HAWKES ASSAULT FAILS TO FRONT INQUIRY 
A man accused of assaulting trainer Wayne Hawkes during trackwork at Flemington last week has failed to appear at an inquiry into the alleged incident.
AAP reports that Jeffrey Walker, a registered stablehand formerly employed by the Hawkes Racing stable, had been called by stewards to attend their inquiry.
After waiting more than 30 minutes beyond the scheduled starting time of the inquiry, a Racing Victoria detective went to Walker's address and spoke to him.
He later told the inquiry Walker said he did not intend to appear and gave no reason why.
Police attending the inquiry later went to Walker's address.
Walker is alleged to have assaulted his former employee in the early hours of July 10 in an incident witnessed by at least three other employees of the trainer.
Chief steward Terry Bailey adjourned the inquiry to a date to be fixed.
POLICE IN SYDNEY HUNTING MASKED MEN WHO ROBBED BOOKIES AT GUNPOINT
NEW SOUTH WALES police say they are hunting five masked men who robbed four bookmakers at gunpoint in Sydney’s inner east.
ABC NEWS reports that the bookmakers, all aged in their 20s say five men confronted them near their car on Little Dowling Street in Paddington about 6:00pm yesterday.
Inspector Stephen Crews says the men stole the bookmakers’ bags before driving away in a dark-coloured car.
He says it was a well-planned and targeted attack.
“They demanded the bags from the bookmakers,” he said.
“Contained within those bags were some computers and documents relating to the racing industry. The men are described as wearing dark clothing with black and white masks across their face, and they were also wearing gloves.
“Certain aspects of what happened appear planned, quite well-planned, and we’ll certainly work with the four bookmakers to try and identify who’s committed this crime.”
(Not too many punters in Sydney are losing too much sleep over the robbery).
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner-editor 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.
