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 the key topics of discussion are the Nippy Seymour court case; bouquets for RQ CEO Darren Condon and SA Chairman of Stewards Johan Petzer; the normal scuttlebutt from our spies within Racing Queensland and a host of other interesting comments.
AN OBSERVATION ON THE CASE INVOLVING TRAINER ‘NIPPY’ SEYMOUR 
AN observation by THE EDITOR on the NIPPY SEYMOUR case which has attracted an interesting response over the past two days:
ONE can only applaud the decision of the magistrate in Mt Isa who decided not to register a conviction against trainer ‘Nippy’ Seymour over circumstances arising from the controversial fall that sadly claimed the life of jockey Corey Gilby.
For almost two years Seymour has had to cope with the fall-out from this tragic accident – yes that’s what it was – as first he was pursued by Racing Queensland stewards and then by Work Place Health and Safety.
One could argue that ‘Nippy’ was the convenient ‘scapegoat’ for the authorities looking for someone to blame for this tragedy when all he did was place a bandage on a horse that came loose in a trial – something that has happened to hundreds of trainers without causing a problem.
Seymour, who has been training for more than 40 years and prepared almost 1,000 winners, wasn’t to blame for the horse stumbling or striking the heels of its galloping companion then falling – nor was he responsible for the resultant death of Corey Gilby. That was a tragedy – a terrible accident.
But he still has to live with it for the rest of his life and the events of that fateful November day in north-west Queensland will no doubt continue to haunt him. That should have been punishment enough without an over-zealous Integrity boss instructing his stewards of the time to find someone to blame.
Work Place Health and Safety then pounced on him and Nippy went to court last week believing that he would be sent to jail. But courtesy of a legal fight mounted by an old lawyer mate he escaped with a good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded. It was an acceptable and popular decision in the opinion of most in the racing industry.
There was an interesting footnote to the story – the list of character witnesses for Seymour included a high profile Queensland steward who in a strange twist went from investigating him to providing support.
And for those who e-mailed questioning whether there was a conflict of interest in Barry Taylor representing ‘Nippy’ – they have been mates for decades and Barry had taken up the legal fight for Seymour long before he was appointed Deputy Chairman of Racing Queensland.
CONDON HAILED AS ‘QUIET ACHIEVER’ FOR AVERTING PROBLEM INVOLVING JOCKEYS 
WE are reliably informed that only days after getting his feet under the desk as the CEO of Racing Queensland, Darren Condon has won plenty of industry friends after averting a near financial disaster for the industry last weekend.
Queensland could well have been without any racing on Saturday had it not been for the ‘quiet achievement’ of Condon in rectifying a major problem confronting jockeys in the wake of the Simone Montgomerie death in Darwin.
Our information – although unconfirmed – suggests that jockeys in Queensland were concerned about aspects of their insurance coverage and were not prepared to ride on Saturday unless it was clarified.
Behind the scenes Condon went to work and apparently organized ‘indemnification’ for RQ from the appropriate body to ensure the concerns of the jockeys were overcome until the matter could be fully examined early this week.
The way Condon handled a potentially explosive situation has not only convinced officials that he is the right man for the CEO job but plenty in the industry are now singing his praises.
SOME CONTENTIOUS TOPICS THAT HAVE ARISEN IN RACING IN QUEENSLAND
SEVERAL e-mails of interest have been received concerning issues in racing in Queensland which we are in the process of following up. These involve:
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH RACING INQUIRY? 
QUESTIONS on what is happening with the Commission of Inquiry. We are told they are still busy sifting through hundreds of submissions concerning various issues of interest.
Such has been the workload that we understand an application has been made to extend the inquiry from three to eight months.
One comic sent us this e-mail: ‘The latest Racing Inquiry has off-loaded the ‘dirt’ shovel at a garage sale and replaced it with a couple of D9’s and the odd Backhoe.
HAS HIGH PROFILE FIGURE SECURED INDEMNITY?
THERE are unconfirmed – we repeat unconfirmed – rumors circulating strongly in racing circles in south-east Queensland that a former high profile identity has accepted indemnity against criminal action in return for evidence against some controversial figures in the racing industry.
STAFF BOOST FOR RACING DEPARTMENT?
WE have also received e-mails and phone calls suggesting that the Racing Department is increasing its staff by up to five and asking if we can provide an explanation. It is fairly common knowledge that two public servants have been stood down pending the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry but why they would need up to five additional staff remains a mystery. Perhaps there is some major workload soon to be inherited by the Department that the industry is unaware of.
MAJOR STAKES BOOST FOR INDUSTRY?
THE industry is agog with reports that the new Racing Queensland Board will announce a massive prizemoney increase that will silence the critics over the next month or two.
The speculation emanates from high profile identities on the Darling Downs with close ties to those in the know at RQ.
Where the money will come from remains a mystery when we are continually told that the Government is not interested in boosting stakes to that degree and RQ was allegedly broke when the Bentley Board departed (although the previous Board has challenged that).
Our spies in the Deagon bunker say they know nothing of the announcement and have described it as just ‘more propoganda’ supporting the new RQ Board from ‘certain breeders’ on the Downs.
REFRESHING APPROACH TO RACING INDUSTRY PROBLEMS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 
CHARLIE J of ADELAIDE sent this e-mail:
‘WASN’T it refreshing to read an honest appraisal of racing by a Chief Steward?
Comments by South Australian Chairman of Stewards Johan Petzer might not win too many friends among his colleagues around the country but they were honest and open.
Petzer is under no illusions that corruption exists in South Australian racing. It does elsewhere in the major venues but you won’t get too many Chief Stewards making that admission.
Denial is seen as the best option. Blame those claiming corruption exists with being sore losers or ignorant of how racing works.
As a follower of racing in South Australia for several decades I can tell you that my friends and I now bet with much more confidence than we did when the previous Chief Steward (now in Macau) was running the show.
With all due respects to his predecessor we prefer the approach being taken by Mr Petzer and his panel. This chairman doesn’t enjoy – nor do I suspect wish to have – the profile of a Ray Murrihy.
Actions speaker louder than words where Johan Petzer is concerned and he is a breath of fresh air to the stewarding ranks in this country. South Australia is lucky to have him.
And this one on the same topic from DON K of TOWNSVILLE: 
‘CAN you imagine Wade Birch the Chief Steward in Queensland or his supposed sidekick Allan Reardon saying they were under no illusion that corruption existed in Queensland racing?
They would be on the first train out. Everyone knows that racing in Brisbane in particular is squeaky clean – just look at the way the favorites perform on a regular basis.
I would like to congratulate the new chairman of stewards of SA Racing for being so forthright to admit that he would be naïve to believe his industry was immune to corrupt, improper or illegal activity.
So would stewards elsewhere – especially in Queensland – but that is how it is. One suspects some of them are employed and hold their jobs because they don’t rock the boat.
One could argue that's what happens when officials who race horses and have links to major stables are involved in the employment process with stewards and then become their bosses.
It is not good enough and two inquiries into what is wrong with racing in Queensland have recommended or instructed that integrity be separated from the management side of the industry administration.
But it hasn’t happened – under previous or new Boards – or for that matter under Labor of LNP Governments. All they have done in Queensland is appointed an Integrity Commissioner who little has been heard from.
RQ should adopt the approach taken by Racing SA where Johan Petzer admits that stewards would be foolish to believe that no-one is trying to manipulate the system.
It might help boost the image of racing in Brisbane especially which is at an all-time low in the eyes of the punters. Turnover will continue to plummet as interest turns to the big spring races interstate.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: HERE’S part of what the above e-mails referred to taken from an interview TOM BIDDINGTON of the ADELAIDE ADVERTISER had with the TRSA Chairman of Stewards:
THOROUGHBRED Racing SA chairman of stewards Johan Petzer is under no illusions - corruption exists in South Australian racing.
“It would be naive if we thought our local industry was immune to corrupt, improper or illegal activity – if we did that we’d be foolish.
“I’ve never worked on that basis as a steward and I never will. It might not always be evident that we are proactive on these matters, but I can assure you that’s not the case.
“Some people, by the nature of things, will try to manipulate aspects of racing.”
Petzer explains his team continually works on such cases, but doesn’t publicize the fact.
“We have a slightly different approach to some jurisdictions, we only really make known the outcome of a matter once we’ve concluded our investigations,” he said.
“You could find that you might jeopardise a particular case by making it public at the outset, but that shouldn’t be read to mean we’re not transparent or we’re hiding things from the industry.
“There’s no need to alarm or alert anybody or inform the industry that we’re looking at certain aspects.
“All I can say is that we are in the process of investigating certain matters, but, for the reasons I’ve explained, I wouldn’t want to go into the exact examples.”
CYNIC RECKONS THEY COULD USE ‘RAILO’ FOR A RAID ON BEACH RACE DAY AT MACKAY 
SALLY T of GOLD COAST sent this e-mail:
‘I saw our former Chief Steward in Queensland – Steve Railton – swanning around obviously as a guest of the club at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
It prompted me to suggest to a few people that perhaps one of his media mates from way back when ought to ask him what really happened or who was behind that raid on the ‘Fun Day’ at Koorablyn over a decade ago.
That’s the one that changed the life of Steve Hogno who is still looking for answers and fighting to get some compensation for being wrongly dealt with by the then Queensland racing stewards.
One of my mates cynically replied that while ‘Railo’ was back on sabatical from his new digs in Hong Kong he might want to ‘raid’ the beach day at Mackay where quite a few licensees will be competing this Saturday.
Let’s face it there’s not much difference between what happened at Kooralbyn and what will occur at Mackay this weekend with financial support from the Queensland Government because of the tourism potential it enjoys.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: NO matter how long it is since the Kooralbyn 'Fun Day' it needs to be explained or investigated. Meanwhile Australian Racing Board CEO Peter McGauran has responded to questions from Deb Lee, partner of Steve Hogno, concerning his promised intervention.
Here is the McGauran response to Lee:
Thank you for your email and I regret the delay in replying due to the need to consider the complex legal issues involved. I don’t pretend to understand all of the legal technicalities and the views expressed below are mine only and don’t necessarily represent those of Racing Queensland.
There have been two separate and distinct Supreme Court actions which have to be considered separately to properly understand the situation you face.
The first case was Steve’s appeal against his disqualification back in 1998 which he won when the court held that the stewards misinterpreted the relevant rule of racing though acting in good faith. Steve was awarded costs and Racing Queensland accepted the court’s decision. That issue was long ago finalized in Steve’s favor.
The second case - which has caused continuing financial hardship - is your action from 1999 for damages in negligence for the disqualification which the Supreme Court and subsequently the Appeals Court rejected. Worse still, the Court ordered that very substantial costs be awarded against you.
As you know, under insurance policies legal action taken against a racing authority, or any other business, is taken over by the insurer who alone decides whether to accept or deny liability. Your action for damages involved highly technical and complex legal arguments that had nothing to do with the rights or wrongs of the stewards’ actions but whether they were negligent at law. In our system, legal cases are not decided on who’s right or wrong against the yardstick of common sense or notions of justice, but whether the defendant’s actions contravened the letter of the law according to precedent judgments. Rightly or wrongly, that is seen by legislators and lawyers as a safeguard against cases being decided on an unpredictable or inconsistent basis according to the personal bias of judges or juries.
Racing Queensland’s insurers have conducted the damages claim and not surprisingly, have acted in their own interests at all times and have borne the cost of the lengthy litigation. There’s little Racing Queensland could have done to influence the insurance company once litigation commenced particularly as they were not paying the legal fees. I understand that following negotiations the insurance company has offered to accept settlement of legal fees at a small proportion of what the court ordered even though that amount itself rubs salt into a wound.
I know what I have said will be neither a revelation to you nor of any comfort. Like anybody else I believe that it is a tragedy that your lives have been so disrupted by such a minor matter. The legal system is fraught with risks and the consequences for a failed action potentially devastating. I am in no position as a friend or family member is to offer advice, but only to regretfully conclude that the racing industry cannot overturn a Court of Appeal decision.
Yours Sincerely, PETER McGAURAN, CEO of ARB.
RESOLUTION TO BROADCAST RIGHTS NOT LIKELY TO BE REACHED BY DEADLINE 
WE came across this interesting article by JESSICA GARDNER in the AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW concerning the on-going problems at TVN and felt it was worth reproducing:
TABCORP Chief Executive David Attenborough has said a resolution on broadcast rights negotiations for NSW and Victorian horse races is unlikely to be reached by the current August 31 deadline.
Mr Attenborough blamed the “complex” and time-consuming nature of the deal, which looks set to be given a fourth deadline.
In a deal brokered in June 2012, the rights to Victorian and NSW racing were handed to the racing industry-owned Thoroughbred VisioN network (TVN) from January 1 2013, but the two parties have been unable to agree on a deal for Sky Racing to also continue to broadcast races.
Sky is currently broadcasting races under a temporary extension of its previous rights deal, which expired on December 31 and has since been rolled over three times.
Much of the delay has been linked to management and board turmoil at TVN, which has been without a permanent chairman since July 2012 and a chief executive since March this year.
Sky Racing channel broadcasts racing in pubs, clubs and TAB outlets. Revenue from wagering is shared between Tabcorp and the state-based racing bodies.
Mr Attenborough said extending the deadline was not a significant issue but it was in both parties’ best interests to come to a conclusion before the all-important Spring Racing Carnival, which starts in October.
“You can imagine that we’re both aligned in making sure that there is a smooth and successful spring racing carnival period,” he said.
Tabcorp’s Sky Racing channel pays about $30 million annually for the broadcast rights. Mr Attenborough flagged that Tabcorp would negotiate firmly on price. “We certainly expect to pay a fair price,” he said. “We expect to pay what we’re paying. We’ll pay more if there’s more value.”
The gaming and wagering company’s Media and International division, which includes Sky Racing, reported a 9.1 per cent increase in revenue to $207.6 million for 2012-13, compared to the prior year. The growth came from increased subscriptions and international expansion.
VICTORIA CONTINUES TO CHARGE AHEAD OF EASTERN STATES IN INTEGRITY RACE 
KERRY K of SYDNEY sent this e-mail:
‘MY friends and I are bewildered by the way Racing Victoria continues to increase its profile when it comes to integrity in Australian racing.
It seems to us that the decision-makers in Victoria are prepared to confront integrity issues while their counterparts in New South Wales and Queensland are less reluctant.
Why bother going into detail on Saturday racing in Brisbane which has degenerated into a joke from a punters’ perspective? I see where one apologist for the local scene which employs him suggested punters aren’t doing the form properly. What rock has he been living under?
But forget Brisbane – it’s not worth even considering – in Sydney the problems of integrity were again highlighted, in our opinion, when Thomas Huet got a tap on the wrist for his disgraceful recent ride on Under the Sun and trainer Gai Waterhouse could find nothing wrong with it.
In the light of situations like this and the recent More Joyous saga, is it little wonder that well-read columns like the Racing Bitch are asking questions. They quoted one prominent racing identity as suggesting:
‘Sydney racing is in free fall with Jockeys and Trainers not being held to account for form reversals, glaring changes of riding tactics, withholding information and, worst of all, a worrying coincidence and correlation between form reversals and results with betting fluctuations.
The widely held perception – and perception is reality – is that the same well- known names – those who can only be described as being ‘in the know’ – continue to finish up on the right side of the ledger with monotonous regularity.
And they are smart enough to do their homework and always within an inch of the rules, so that the element of doubt and onus of proof beyond reasonable doubt works to their advantage.’
I like the suggestion in the Racing Bitch that in Sydney racing at least, for the good of racing and, as much as possible, as a deterrent, it is time the stewards got serious and penalized these blatant errors of judgment or brain freezes by jockeys and, equally, form reversals, which seem to always escape rigorous and forensic scrutiny.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: HERE are a couple of major stories that the above e-mail refers to:
MICHAEL MANLEY reports in the HERALD SUN that Racing Victoria is confident its new integrity measures will prevent a repeat of the off-track controversies that took the shine off last year's spring carnival.
The Damien Oliver betting scandal, which resulted in a 10-month suspension for the champion jockey, race-fixing allegations involving suspended hoop Danny Nikolic, and Nikolic's clash with chief steward Terry Bailey all created negative headlines.
RVL chairman Rob Roulston said "positive, strong action taken since last spring" would prevent such events from recurring.
"Since then we've had seven integrity enhancements. We've got to get it right and we are heading in the right direction."
Chief executive Bernard Saundry said RVL had committed $15 million a year to integrity and stewarding.
All jockeys have signed a "no betting" declaration and also have to declare what form analysts they use.
Roulston also pointed out RVL now had two compliance assurance teams with the department numbering eight people.
It had also introduced a stewards' race-day hub that allows off-site stewards to analyse footage and betting.
RVL could now warn off undesirable people and it had introduced minimum penalties ranging from six months to five years for various offences including jockey betting, corruption and administration of drugs.
Saundry said it would be another month before RVL knew if Victoria Police could supply information regarding the investigation into allegations of race-fixing involving Smoking Aces.
"We have asked Victoria Police to supply us with information that will assist our investigation and they are awaiting advice from the Solicitor General," Saundry said.
AND here is a story by MICHAEL LYNCH in the MELBOURNE AGE: 
JOCKEYS betting, allegations of race-fixing and trainers outed: Racing Victoria knows it cannot afford another spring carnival like last year if it wants to maintain the confidence of the betting public and protect the iconic status the carnival enjoys on the sporting calendar.
While Victorian Police may have decided not to pursue criminal proceedings over allegations a race at Cranbourne - won by jockey Danny Nikolic on Smoking Aces in 2011 - had been fixed, Racing Victoria confirmed on Monday it had not ruled out taking action.
Dayle Brown, the organisation's head of integrity, said evidence from the Purana Taskforce was still with the Victorian government's Solicitor-General's office.
''The Director of Public Prosecutions decided there was not enough evidence to charge anyone over the various allegations,'' he said on Monday. ''Victoria Police then called a meeting with myself and the integrity board [RV's internal sub-committee on integrity matters] and said they would take all the evidence that they had uncovered to the Victorian [Solicitor-General] and work out what they are allowed to give us to continue our investigations under the rules of racing.
''We need clear evidence to be able to pursue any case. The expectation is that it will be another month [before any evidence is handed over].
''The Solicitor-General is reviewing the brief to determine what information can be legally shared with Racing Victoria.''
RV chief executive Bernard Saundry and the governing body's chairman, Rob Roulston, acknowledge that they cannot have another public relations disaster like last spring, when revelations by The Age helped shine the spotlight on the murky underbelly of the racing industry.
The organisation has taken a number of integrity initiatives in the nine months since the last carnival ended and is confident that it has now made life much harder for those who cheat or who might be tempted to flout the rules.
Jockeys now have to sign a no-betting declaration as part of their licensing requirements and publicly declare which form analysts they use to help them plan tactics for a race.
There are also new minimum penalties ranging from six-month to five-year disqualifications for jockeys betting on racing, those guilty of other forms of corruption and trainers who illegally administer drugs to their horses.
Brown said the feedback from the industry was that trainers, jockeys and all concerned were getting the message.
QUEENSLAND HAD PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A NATIONAL TOTE 
MAL K of BRISBANE writes:
‘WHAT is wrong with the Governments – Federal and State – and the racing authorities in Australia when it comes to controlling corporate bookmakers?
More and more of these parasites are buying out established agencies and others are setting up off-shore ready to arrive in Darwin no doubt and start competing.
Millions of dollars are going off-shore that should be pumped back into the Australian racing industry and no-one seems to be doing anything about it.
There was some light at the end of the tunnel with Queensland negotiating a new TAB deal. But that has been turned out with creditable reports that the Government will only allow the Board to renegotiate with Tattersall’s.
That is tantamount to disaster as next to no-one wants to bet with TattsBet. Their turnover is less than the other big TABs, they don’t offer the same exotic services and they simply aren’t viewed as competitive by the punters when it comes to dividends paid on many occasions.
Rather than go back to another ‘dud’ deal with TattsBet which already has the industry reeling in Queensland they had the ball at their feet to unite with the southern TABs and form a national tote which is the only thing that will combat the corporate bookmakers.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I cannot believe that the LNP Government would not allow RQ to negotiate with an organization other than TattsBet. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the situation confronting the racing industry where the corporate bookmakers are concerned.
Here is a report worth reading by CHRIS ROOTS in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
IS Australian bookmaking dying or is it just evolving into a foreign-owned, 21st-century structure that will have platforms around the world?
Tom Waterhouse has been telling us he is a fourth-generation bookmaker, who knows what the punter wants. It seems he knew what William Hill, a British bookmaking stalwart, wanted after the sale of the business that carries his name. It leaves William Hill in control of Sportingbet, Centrebet and Tom Waterhouse, while Paddy Power, another big British firm, owns Sportsbet and IASbet.
The local industry has caught the eye of the big Europeans and if you add Unibet and Bet365, there aren't too many Australian options, with the exception of the Eskander family's Betstar.
TAB.com.au and Tattsbet still hold the lion's share of the market, through totes and their fixed-odds arms, but the corporates have a healthy share of the betting dollars.
Most are based in Darwin.
Before Sky Channel and TVN, in the glory days of the track, bookmakers were like celebrities.
The SP bookie's time has gone, too, replaced to some extent by the TAB. The track bookies had their golden era but have been victims of falling on-course crowds and usurped by the corporate giants. Walk into a betting ring and it is hard to find a young man on a bookmaking stand. That's the reality of a hard game.
There are certainly easier ways to make a living these days than being a bookmaker. On-course bookies are more of a service, as most of the betting action is done well before they put prices up about half an hour before the race.
Just offering a price is no longer good enough. There is top tote, top "fluc", best of the best and a myriad of other options that small bookies simply can't offer. The margins are smaller because the focus is on turnover across the whole sporting market, and a man betting only on racing is at a disadvantage.
Punters expect value and have the ability to search for it in a couple of taps or clicks. Gone are the days when 6-4 was 9-4 on the other side of the ring and punters crowded around the bookie until he wound the price in. These days, a discrepancy of $2.50 to $3.25 simply wouldn't happen because of technology and, if it did, only a few lucky punters would profit before the markets aligned.
So, what does the future hold?
There will always be bookies on track – tradition demands that. But the time may come when they are aligned with big operators.
A new corporate, Topbetta, has entered the market via Norfolk Island, with a plan to use a fantasy football-like system. Punters compete against each other with fantasy money during a meeting and the one winning the most at the end takes the prize. You can also back your fancies. Horse racing, always the mainstay of gambling, has tipped its lid to sports betting. The younger punters are happier to take $1.50 about Manly beating Souths than they are backing a horse or a dog for bigger returns.
The next generation will be all about live betting. It is the way of the world already and once the rules are loosened in Australia, big firms like Bwin, which is the shirt sponsor for Real Madrid, and Ladbrokes will arrive on our shores.
Bwin is already betting in the run on football games from Australia. If you fancy a bet on Capalaba versus Peninsula Power in the Brisbane Premier League on Tuesday night, you can get set.
They even provide commentary but that is a different story.
IT’S A PITY STEWARDS WEREN’T PUNTERS WHEN IT COMES TO WEIGHING IN LIGHT 
OSCAR J of NEWCASTLE had this to say:
‘IT’S easy to see that stewards aren’t punters. Perhaps if they were some would look differently at the rule applying to horses weighing in light being disqualified and not declared non-runners.
Ray Murrihy has been calling for a rule change for ages but has again been over-ruled by his colleagues at the latest national stewards’ conference.
One wonders how the majority of stewards could be so short-sighted on this issue.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I understand this matter has yet to be discussed by the Australian Racing Board so hopefully sanity will prevail at that level and they might listen to the urgings of Ray Murrihy and see fit to over-rule the stewards generally on this one.
Here is a report by CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI in the SYDNEY TELEGRAPH on this issue:
JOCKEY Glyn Schofield had his appeal against weighing in light in a Rosehill race dismissed (on Monday).
But punters are the ones who will continue to be the biggest losers after stewards around the country refused to endorse changes to AR143. Under the current rule, any jockey who weighs in light after a race will have their horse disqualified.
Sadly for punters, any horse who is disqualified means they’ve done their money cold. On July 20, Schofield weighed out at 59.1kg on Wouldnt It Be Nice in the Forum Group Sprint (1200m) and ran third, only to return to scale and weigh in at 58.3kg.
Schofield claimed there must have been a malfunction with the ageing scales. Two officials also failed to pick up on his weight. Stewards immediately disqualified Wouldnt It Be Nice and handed Schofield a six-meeting ban and $2000 fine.
Chief steward Ray Murrihy yesterday told the appeals panel there had been $68,500 invested on Wouldnt It Be Nice. "And what can’t be refunded are the investments of punters,’’ Murrihy said.
Murrihy, however, tried to have AR143 altered at last month’s national stewards conference, only to be shot down by interstate colleagues. Rather than disqualify horses when a jockey weighs in light — which leaves punters out of pocket — Murrihy wanted horses to be declared non-runners.
This would mean punters are refunded, The stipes refused to budge, claiming everywhere else in the world horses were disqualified for such an offence.
They argued there was the chance for jockeys to discard weight after the winning post if a heavily backed horse was beaten. And they claimed it was unfair on punters who had backed the winner and then put up with deductions. "I have held this view for 15 years, but I’ve never been successful (in getting it changed),’’ Murrihy told The Daily Telegraph.
“It’s an Australian rule, and it’s not appropriate for me to suggest we go it alone. But I’ll keep trying.’’
Murrihy said yesterday Schofield had been a perennial offender when it came to weight issues, including two separate incidents involving illegal vests, and another 22 occasions where he had been overweight.
Fellow jockey James McDonald weighed in light last year at Canterbury but had his suspension reduced on appeal. Murrihy argued on that occasion it was a midweek race and the betting turnover nowhere near that of a Saturday metropolitan meeting.
He added it had been McDonald’s first offence, while Schofield’s record “doesn’t go to his credit’’. Schofield’s lawyer Wayne Pasterfield argued the scales were so dated “Phar Lap’s jockey’’ would have weighed out on them.
PERHAPS RACING AUTHORITIES SHOULD RUN A FUND-RAISER ONCE A YEAR 
PERCY S of REDCLIFFE:
‘WHATEVER funds the Trust of the Simone Montgomerie family receives will not come close to compensating for the pain they have and will continue to endure.
However, I just wonder what some former jockeys are thinking – especially the ones that have difficulty feeding, dressing or bathing themselves.
The odd Jockey that has ‘topped’ himself over the years because of his race fall handicap (s) should be included.
It would be interesting to know what Racing Queensland did for the lad that was killed not so many moons ago whilst he was riding a horse in a barrier trial in north west Queensland.
I know what they did to the trainer of the horse who fell causing this tragedy – they hung and quartered him as the saying goes.
Taking one step back I would like you to remember the day of our terrible floods in the Gatton region. The TV footage of a family of three sitting on the roof of their four-wheel drive as it floated along with the flood-waters was devastating.
The mother and son survived but the father hasn’t been seen to this day. Admittedly he wasn’t a jockey who was killed in a race fall but he was an employee of Racing Queensland in James Perry (a steward on the Darling Downs).
I am reasonably certain that a Trust Fund that was set up for the Perry family was instigated in either NSW or Victoria and RQ’s contribution was a hand full of silver.
The Gilby family is more than likely relying on some floodwaters to flush out some ‘yellow belly’ to survive.
I commend the Brisbane Racing Clubs and Jockeys’ Association in their support for the Montgomerie family.
However, if the old saying - charity begins at home - is to be applied, is it possible for Brisbane racing to hold a similar day once a year?
I’ll bet there wouldn’t be one who would complain.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE National Jockeys’ Trust has an annual day to commemorate fallen comrades but your idea Percy of another day in each state to raise funds for those less fortunate victims and their families is terrific and I am confident would be well accepted.
HERE’S the latest on the Montgomerie fund-raising effort, from a story by GREGOR MACTAGGART in the NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS:
THE HORSE racing industry's ability to come together has been evident in recent days following the tragic death of Darwin premiership-winning jockey Simone Montgomerie in a race fall on Monday.
Since the Simone Montgomerie fund was announced by Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon less than 24 hours after the popular hoop passed away, more than $400,000 has been donated.
The decision to donate the $200,000 prizemoney allocated for the now-abandoned 2013 Darwin Cup is an outstanding one, and has been followed by great shows of support from those in the racing industry near and far.
One of the first came from the riders at Carlisle Racecourse in northern England, who observed a moment's silence and wore black armbands in honour of the fallen jockey.
Financial support has rolled in and will continue to do so, with three-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop Glen Boss saying all money he earns this week will go to the special fund to help the Montgomerie family.
Boss has already ridden three winners this week.
Sky Racing World presented a one-hour special titled "A Tribute To Simone" which was a credit to all those involved, particularly host Greg Radley and fellow on-air personality Bernadette Cooper, who spoke with wonderful insight and emotion.
The first race at both Randwick and Flemington on Saturday has been named the Simone Montgomerie Tribute, with Tabcorp donating all profits from bets in Victoria on both races.
Leading Sydney jockey Tommy Berry will donate all his earnings from yesterday's Canterbury meeting, including from his three winners.
Kathy O'Hara brought a pair of her jockeys' britches to Canterbury yesterday and organised for all the riders to sign them.
They will be framed and auctioned.
Renowned trainer David Hayes, who had Extra Zero set down to run in the Darwin Cup, and prominent owner Phil Sly both donated their winning prizemoney from yesterday's Sandown meeting.
Richard Callander also said the charity he founded - 4tracks4kids - would donate one third of money raised on the October 7 walk to the Montgomerie Fund.
GREYHOUNDS PERCEIVED AS NOT SAME ILK AS GALLOPS AND DEPRIVED OF EQUAL FOOTING 
OUR regular contributor JIM C of GREENBANK has a thought for saving the greyhound industry in Queensland:
‘SECESSION is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity.
Some theories of secession emphasize a general right of secession for any reason ("Choice Theory") while others emphasize that secession should be considered only to rectify grave injustices as listed below.
1. Economic enfranchisement of an economically oppressed class that is regionally concentrated within the scope of a larger organization: Greyhounds are perceived as not of the same ilk as gallops and as such are not equated equal footing.
2. Dissolving such union when goals for which it was constituted are not achieved- Non-deliverance of a new track; almost a millstone.
3. Escaping "discriminatory redistribution", - unequal prize money distribution for which the greyhounds should lodge legal discriminatory action.
The most famous failed secession was the attempt of the 11 Southern States to secede from the Union and which led to the American Civil Law.
The burning needs of the Greyhound people have been trampled. What they want is a replacement one turn track which appears to be too difficult for RQL to build. Monetary modeling statistics has shown that the new one turn tack would have repaid itself by now.
But the nanny state prevails and not a dynamic, entrepreneurial enterprise beacon shines. Had RQL been a “real” company, and not a phantom government clone, many of the croquet club would have been pensioned off.
Mr Michael Byrne is a legal person who has the expertise to initiate greyhound secession. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the harness people started to beat the same drum – it would certainly make things interesting!’
EDITOR’S NOTE: ONCE again an interesting contribution Jim. From what I hear greyhound racing was not worse off when it was part of the Bentley Board merger. It still is the poor relation, which is quite unfair, considering it is far more popular with punters than harness racing. It makes a mockery of the new motto: ‘RunasOne.’
CLEARING UP SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR PATTERN RACES 
ALAN BROWN, former chairman of the Australian Pattern Committee, is a Sydney solicitor, breeder and owner, who wrote this comment piece for THE AUSTRALIAN which we felt was worth reproducing:
THERE appears to be some confusion and misunderstanding about the process by which the Australian Pattern Committee considers races for upgrade and potential downgrade within our pattern of races.
In December 2011 the Australian Racing Board adopted the Asian Racing Federation Ground Rules effective from August 1 last year. Those rules are designed to harmonise the way in which black type races (pattern races) are treated within Asia.
The aim is to have all countries assess their pattern races the same way using similar ratings-based processes so that races at the various levels, no matter where they are run, will be of a similar recognisable quality. That is not the case at present but the process to get us there has begun. The ARF Ground Rules were agreed to by all ARF member countries late last year following almost two years of debate. I represented Australia in the Asian forums and was a representative of Asia at international meetings.
The ARF Ground Rules are based on those followed in Europe. Australia has always closely followed the European model, so for us there was not as much impact here as elsewhere. The ARF Ground Rules provide for a largely ratings-based assessment process for introduction to or changes to races within the pattern.
The benchmark for open Class Group 1 in Australia prior to the ARF Ground Rules was 110. Now it is 115. (In Europe, it is 115, but until recently, they permitted a 5lb (2.25kg) tolerance. Australia used 110, but with no tolerance. Thus, we were pretty much the same.)
For Group IIs, it is now 110 and for Group IIIs, 105. These benchmarks are now pretty consistent throughout Asia, and Europe.
To be upgraded to Group I, the rules are now quite strict. So too are the rules for downgrades.
Unless a race continues to meet its benchmark, there will be an automatic downgrade in time.
The adoption of the ARF Ground Rules freed AusPC from debates about changes to the pattern which often became very parochial. No longer do we consider such things as the importance a group race has to a race club, a sponsor or a carnival or state jealousies.
Any race club with a race struggling to maintain its rating, must improve the race whether by changing conditions, such as dates and prize money, or face an automatic downgrade in time.
AusPC can now focus on improving and protecting the integrity of the pattern and often that means identifying opportunities or gaps in the pattern and then working with race clubs or PRA’s to develop races that could be added to the pattern or upgraded.
All changes to our pattern races up to Group II level are determined by AusPC and the ARB. Changes at Group I level require the added approval of the APC.
If applied fairly, I believe the rules provide a platform for a transparent and easily understood system for the assessment process.
Rules for Downgrades
If a Group I race is more than five pounds below the relevant parameter for each of the previous three years, a warning letter is issued. If the Annual Race Rating is more than five pounds below the parameter for four years, the APC will consider the race on its merit.
For Group II and Group III races, if the ARR is more than three pounds below the parameters for each of the previous two years, a warning letter is issued. If the ARR is more than three pounds below the parameter for each of the previous three years, automatic downgrade will occur.
Rules for Upgrades
Races must now achieve both a Pattern Race Rating and an Annual Race Rating for the last year equal to or above the applicable parameter in order to be considered for upgrading. A PRR is the average of the Annual Race Ratings achieved over three years.
The ARR is the average of the Official Ratings of the first four horses in a race.
The Official Ratings is the highest rating of each horse achieved in that year, agreed by the World Rating Supervisory Committee.
The AusPC criteria for upgrades are even stricter than the ARF Ground Rules.
We insist that for upgrades a race must meet the required benchmark at all three of its last running’s (as opposed to the latest running and three-year average under the ARF Ground Rules).
The ratings of our Group 1 races are not set by us but by the World Thoroughbred Rankings Supervisory Committee. We have only one representative on that committee. ANZ Classification Committee set the other ratings. Their ratings withstand robust scrutiny and have rarely been challenged at the international level. While the recent upgrades of 4 races to Group I, 7 races to Group II and 33 races from Listed to Group III might seem a lot, all those races met the required benchmarks set by the Ground Rules. The fact that nearly all those races are in the sprinter/miler category merely mirrors our current horse population and the strength of our industry in that area. AusPC would be delighted if there were more staying races that could be considered for upgrades.
The fact is none qualifies at present. Various state principal racing authorities and race clubs, some more than others, are encouraging staying races by adding them to their programs and offering prizemoney. Ultimately that should be reflected in improved ratings and upgrades within the pattern.
There has been debate about whether Australia has too many group races compared to other countries around the world.
The ARF Ground Rules provide that generally the number of Group IIIs should be more than the number of Group IIs, more Group IIs than Group Is and the total number of Group IIIs should exceed the total combined number of Group IIs and Group Is. Our new numbers fit within those guidelines.
About 3.15 per cent of all our TAB races carry black type. That compares favourably with France (5 per cent), Germany (7 per cent), Britain (4.63 per cent), Ireland (10.4 per cent), New Zealand (4.9 per cent), South Africa (5.1 per cent) and UAE (10.6 per cent).
Europe as a whole is at 4.7 per cent while Australia, with the second largest racing and breeding industry in the world, is at 3.15 per cent. Europe conducts about 17,500 flat races annually of which about 85 are Group Is, 96 are Group II, 208 are Group III and 420 are listed, a total of 815 black type races. Australia holds about 19,100 races and has 72 Group I races, 87 Group II races, 146 Group III races and 284 Listed races.
Australia also compares well when you look at the number of races in each group category as a percentage of the total number of black type races run.
We have always had world-class horses here but too few went to Europe to show what they could do. It was not really until 2003, when Choisir set Ascot alight, that the world started to take notice. Then followed horses such as Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Starspangledbanner, Scenic Blast, Star Witness, Ortensia, So You Think and Black Caviar — and the message has got through that the Australian-bred galloper is as good as, and in some categories, better than, the rest of the world.
We therefore should not be too shy about upgrading races when they meet necessary international parameters.
The ratings protect the standard and integrity of the pattern. Black type races attract the best horses, owners, breeders, racegoers, sponsors, media and punters, and when a race club has developed a race to the required standard, and it will enhance the pattern and otherwise complies with the rules, then why shouldn’t it be rewarded accordingly?
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.
