OUR theme – THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what has happened in racing over the past week continues in the Wednesday Whinge which feedback suggests is what our readers prefer. 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 were criticism of TattsBet for paying only ‘money back’ to punters who backed Atlantic Jewel; questions over the impact of Arab racing in Queensland; concerns that New South Wales and Queensland are starting to fall behind Victoria’s lead when it comes to integrity and the actions of their Compliance Team; along with a host of other topics and ‘stories of interest’ that you may have missed during the past week.
RQ AND THE MINISTER NEED TO BRIEF THE INDUSTRY ON IMPACT OF ARAB RACING 
RACING Queensland needs to come clean on what exactly is happening with these inroads being made into the gallops industry by Arab racing as reported exclusively by Terry Butts in his ‘Silks & Saddles’ column this week. Here is an example of the concerned e-mails we have received since:
ALAN J of CAIRNS writes:
‘THE gallops industry in Queensland should be more than a shade concerned about the in-roads that Arab horse racing is starting to make, especially in North Queensland where Cairns is the planned hub of the sport, and the apparent behind-the-scenes backing it has from the new LNP Government.
Arabian horse racing is a cashed up body and someone from Racing Queensland should be explaining why this organization is being allowed to run more and more races as part of gallops programs.
Is something going on behind closed doors that the thoroughbred industry isn’t aware of? Or are the reports correct that Racing Minister Steve Dixon wants to see Arab racing become part of the gallops landscape?
If so it is time for either the Minister or his anointed one, RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon, to come clean and state clearly just how big an impact the Government and the Board is prepared to allow Arab racing to make.
There have been Arab races on gallops programs at Atherton and Mareeba. There are reportedly two $30,000 races to be run at the Gold Coast in December and there have been persistent rumors of action at the station at Doomben despite official denials.
Organizers have openly admitted that next year ‘you will see a lot more Arab racing on Queensland racetracks’ and that Cairns will become the hub of the sport.
The Butts story tell us that ‘at this stage’ betting on Arab races is prohibited but as we all know the TAB would bet on two flies climbing up a wall so is it just a matter of time?
The gallops industry in Queensland can ill-afford to have another competitor for the gambling dollar especially with prizemoney at an all-time low.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I had a quiet chuckle when I read the Terry Butts article on the in-roads that Arab racing was making in the north and their programmed races at the Gold Coast gallops meeting in early December. When we first mentioned the prospect of Arab racing at a Brisbane track one high profile official blew a gasket. What he didn’t know was that our information was leaked from a Government Department.
Arab racing obviously has plenty of financial backing and if they want venues to race then what is the problem with racetracks being provided but questions have to be raised about this occurring on actual race days. Surely they could race at venues that are not racing on that day. In fact Deagon would seem an ideal venue in the south-east corner. They didn’t want the down-market trots or dogs but perhaps the up-market Arabs would be more fitting for those calling the shots at this boutique training venue.
There needs to be some transparency on the Arab racing issue from either RQ or the Racing Minister. The thoroughbred industry doesn’t need gambling competition but can certainly use the income that this sport can provide through venue use. But officials have to be careful not to turn race days into a side show. We’ve already had the attempted invasion of the quarter horses, now the Arabians. What’s next – camel or goat racing (the latter is not surprisingly very popular in some National Party electorates in the bush).
SURELY THE RACING INDUSTRY WON’T HAVE TO FOOT ANOTHER HEFTY BILL FOR TOOWOOMBA 
BARRY T of BRISBANE sent this e-mail:
‘THE last thing stakeholders of racing in Queensland need to hear is that the industry has to pay to correct the safety issues on the inner track at Toowoomba.
A few of us wondered after they approved some TAB meetings on the inner track why that circuit could not have been upgraded instead of building a whole new track at Clifford Park.
It’s easy to see why after two horses fell there during the week – one in trackwork and the other in a race – for no apparent reasons and jockeys were injured.
The TAB meeting – although it had the backing of Racing Queensland and the Jockeys’ Association – should not have proceeded on Saturday. The stewards covered their back-sides when it came to safety but at the end of the day that was what came back to haunt bite them in the behind.
The inner track is simply not safe enough to conduct a race meeting on and some might even question whether it is up to standards required for trackwork.
Senior jockeys who elected not to ride there last Saturday must have had a premonition. Those that did ride there know the fall of Auchenflower and Nozi Tomizawa has to be put down to the state of the track.
Something has to be done to correct the safety issues but isn’t about time the Toowoomba Turf Club dug into their own kick rather than continuing to cost the industry millions of dollars in lost funds?’
EDITOR’S NOTE: IT’S hard to criticize the RQ stewards for proceeding with the ‘inner track’ meeting after they consulted with the Queensland Jockeys’ Association and some leading stakeholders in Toowoomba. Full marks to RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon for declaring it a failed exercise and moving five more meetings planned for the ‘inner track’ to other Downs tracks, especially Dalby, which is a terrific circuit. Politics aside, the ‘safety issue’ on the ‘inner track’ has to be addressed – regardless of the cost to the industry – before any horse or rider should be allowed to even work on it.
THERE IS A ‘NEED FOR CONSISTENCY’ IN PENALTIES REGARDLESS OF WHO ‘THEY’ ARE 
CLEM D of BRISBANE wrote:
‘TERRY Butts made an interesting comparison in his column this week about the way some high profile identities in the racing industry are treated in Australia compared to others.
The most blatant example of unfairness in the eyes of many in racing was the treatment of Eddie Hayson compared to Gai Waterhouse in the More Joyous inquiry.
Butts also drew the comparison between Damien Oliver and Craig Williams but there is another example he could have drawn in Queensland between Bobby El-Issa and many other high profile jockeys.
I am not making a judgment one way or another in the case of Chris Munce where he copped a month at Doomben on Saturday. If that had been El-Issa what odds would bookmakers be framing Bobby to get out of this on appeal compared to Chris?
My mates and I were talking about this at the pub during the week and we reckon the way the system works in racing in Queensland – despite the fact there is a new Appeals body – Munce is tens on to have his appeal upheld. But if it had been El-Issa he would have been 100 to one to get off.
Now we have a situation where Waterhouse has been a repeat offender in Sydney – or so it seems – but the racing public will never really know because for some strange reason Mr Murrihy and his panel decided to hold their questioning of Gai behind closed doors.
Makes you wonder when it will ever be a level playing field in this game.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I cannot believe that a Chief Steward who I regard as one of the best in the business would close an inquiry to the media, especially when it involves Gai Waterhouse, after the warning that she was given in the wake of the More Joyous saga. Ray Murrihy obviously had his reasons and it seems no-one bothered to ask why. Whatever, it was not a good look, nor was the penalty handed down to Eddie Hayson compared to the fine that Waterhouse received. As for the Chris Munce appeal I have the utmost confidence that Bill Carter as Chairman of the new Racing Disciplinary Board will give both the stewards and the appellant a fair go in any case that he presides over. Apart from one appointment (too many skeletons in the closet), I have no problem with the new-look RDB.
‘WORLD’S BIGGEST BOOKMAKER’ SHOULD BE RENAMED ‘WORLD’S BIGGEST JOKE’ 
IT seems that yet another punter has been banned by the self-proclaimed ‘world’s biggest bookmaker’ – Bet365 – because he was a little too successful for their liking.
This mob is developing into a bigger joke in the eyes of the punting fraternity than TattsBet – that’s almost a mission impossible.
Here is a tongue in cheek e-mail that the victim punter (who we have decided not to name) has sent to Bet365 that we are sure he won’t mind us reproducing which shows his complete contempt for the betting agency that authorities seem happy to allow to operate as badly as they do.
It reads:
‘MY name is xxx and my username for my account is xxx. I am writing to you as my account was cut-off on the 4th of July 2013 due to being found guilty in Kangaroo Court of the unspeakable crime of not losing money to an online bookmaker on a consistent basis.
I could understand this happening at the time, because I’ll be honest, I was in the gambling form of my life and was giving you blokes an absolute hiding. I really don’t blame you for saying ‘no mas’ and rather than complain about being cut-off, I decided to take a few deep breaths, withdraw your money from my account and purchase a shiny new motor vehicle to take my mind off things. I can send you a photo if you’re interested.
I now feel that since our relationship has had this time-out (I refuse to believe we broke-up), we both have a better grasp on what we want from each other. I understand that you don’t want to be the first to say it, so I’ll go first.
I miss you Bet365. I miss sinking my teeth in to your juicy early markets, I miss biting down on your ear during the climax of a big 5 leg multi, I even miss sneaking out with you for a cheeky late night role play over the jumps at Chepstow.
I miss every little unspeakable act, and now that we’ve been apart for six weeks, I hope you miss it too. I’ve been trying to re-create the magic with other sites during this time, and while they always have their legs akimbo for me, many times they manage to work their way on top.
And I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but most of the time the next morning I would wake up feeling cheap, used and with empty pockets. I can’t even look at myself in the mirror sometimes, and I can’t help but ask myself why am I wasting my life with these cheap, easy second rate agencies when I once had it all with the World’s Biggest Bookmaker.
It’s like sneaking out for a random seeing to at a glory hole when you’ve got Scarlett Johansson waiting for you at home. It’s just not the same. What do you say, I feel like I’m ready to make a commitment, let’s give it another go?
I feel like I’m a more mature punter, and you’re a more mature bookmaker, and we’ll be able to make it work this time. I’m even willing to stop seeing all the other floosy sites if you take me back. You’ll be my one and only, I promise! You just have to say the word.
But in all seriousness, if Samuel L. Jackson or one of your analysts takes the time to look at my account and my gambling patterns, you’ll see that I’m in no way a professional punter.
I don’t just pick-out overs or be selective at all with my betting. I bet on anything, anytime, anywhere, with little rhyme nor reason to it. I simply managed to hit a purple patch of form over the first few months of this year.
I’ve been a punter for 18 years and I hold accounts with seven different agencies other than yourselves and I’ve never been close to being cut-off with any of them, and for good reason. If you hadn’t cut me off you would have won a fair portion of your money back from me over the past six weeks.
If you reinstate my account this weekend I will be backing horses like Mantango and Mac It Is with you at Belmont on Saturday. I won’t be happy with the new car you funded for me, I’ll come back trying to get you to fund a water-based vessel.
Do I not sound exactly like the kind of person you want betting with you? The saying goes “the house always wins”, but it seems like you guys adhere to the saying “the house takes a couple of stomach punches, curls into the foetal position, sucks its thumb and waves the white flag.”
Don’t take your bat and ball and go home. Let’s do this! You can do it, you’re the World’s Biggest Bookmaker! No-one gets the better of you! As the great Aaliyah once harmonised, “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again, dust yourself off and try again, try again, try again…”
So I hope you consider to take me back. I promise I won’t win as much money this time and will not take you for granted again. I believe in you, even if you don’t believe in yourself.
I really look forward to navigating your wonderful website and your state of the art mobile application again. I would appreciate it if you could respond to me with your decision unlike the multiple times you ignored my requests to change the method of withdrawal for my account.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: ONE has to wonder what some of the more popular betting agencies, like Sportsbet and Sportingbet, must think when they read reports like this about Bet365. Sportsbet continues to refund money to punters they believe do not get a fair go for their investment – like occurred when the North Queensland Cowboys were cheated out of a finals win. Some of these corporates like Bet365, despite all the hype through the heavily paid advertising campaigns, should never have been allowed into the country.
TATTSBET UNDER FIRE FROM PUNTERS OVER THE DISGRACEFUL ‘MONEY BACK’ ON ATLANTIC JEWEL 
THE failure of TattsBet to declare a winning dividend after accepting punters’ investments on star mare Atlantic Jewel attracted many e-mails of complaint, some of which we were not able to publish for legal reasons but here are a few examples that hopefully get the general message across:
CHARLIE W of GOLD COAST wrote:
‘THE only thing that TattsBet are interested in is their bottom line – how much profit they can make – and one could assume they don’t care if they rob the punters in achieving this goal.
Surely there has to be some obligation on a betting agency to post a winning dividend regardless of how short the favorite is that wins. It has to be illegal for them to accept a bet when the best you can do is get your money back or in fact lose it.
The Atlantic Jewel situation again highlighted a problem which seems to be unique to TattsBet. The interstate TABs managed to post a small winning dividend but TattsBet posted ‘money back’ which simply isn’t good enough.
They can hide behind policies and rules all they like but at the end of the day the big losers will not only be the punters but TattsBet themselves. This is why their turnover is so bad in comparison with other paramutual operators and a good reason for punters to take their business to corporate bookmakers.’
AND this one from WAYNE K of BRISBANE:
‘I almost choked on my corn flakes when reading the morning daily quote from Brad Tamer that TattsBet would prefer the $1 dividends declared on Atlantic Jewel hadn’t happened.
Tamer admitted it was ‘far from ideal’ but occurred because TattsBet takes its commission out of the pool and may have even lost playing money back on the mare.
We know TattsBet are an ordinary outfit when it comes to the race gambling business but are their profits slumping so badly that they have to rob the poor punters even when they back a winner?
Tamer’s advice to those complaining about getting no more than a ‘refund’ of their investment when they could have lost it was to take Fixed Odds when there is a very short priced favorite.
Sorry but with TattsBet punters are again on a loser. They offered a worse price about Atlantic Jewel than other TABs and far worse than the corporate bookmakers.
If Racing Queensland goes down the same track and renews their TAB agreement with TattsBet – as expected – then the industry might as well shut up shop.’
AND another from HAROLD S of TOOWOOMBA: 
‘COURIER-MAIL racing writer, Ben Dorries, take a bow for having the courage to publicly criticize TattsBet over the Atlantic Jewel dividend fiasco.
It wouldn’t have happened in the past when the de facto Racing Queensland promotions officer was running the turf department of the Brisbane daily.
Dorries wrote: ‘The bottom line is that placing a bet without being able to win, yet being able to lose, is a bad joke that treats punters like mugs.’
Isn’t it refreshing after all these years to see a turf writer for The Courier-Mail actually kicking up for the battlers – the punters – instead of the officials and organizations like TattsBet.
One does wonder however whether there will be a little whisper in Ben’s ear about the financial windfall that Queensland Newspapers enjoys from TattsBet for running form guides.
Yes, they are actually paid millions each year to provide form guides which are a service that one would assume major newspapers at least were required to do.’
AND finally from SANDY K of DARWIN:
‘SOMEONE should send the Directors of Tattersall’s the news item on how Sportsbet has refunded almost $200,000 in bets that punters placed on the North Queensland Cowboys.
While TattsBet aren’t even prepared to pay out on a winner (Atlantic Jewel), here is a corporate agency that is paying out on a loser because they believe the punters were cheated.
I hope some big punter who backed the Cowboys takes action against the NRL over the decision that cost them the win. Not only can’t their officials count but it seems they cannot tell the time either.
One also wonders whether there is a legal option for a big punter who backed Atlantic Jewel to take on TattsBet considering he had no chance of winning but could still have lost his outlay.
Then again there can’t be too many big punters who would bother betting with TattsBet these days – only the mugs.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Considering the way TattsBet treats punters I am a little confused about why it seems to be receiving so much start from the Government and Racing Queensland. Just because they spat the dummy and relocated to Queensland should not give them the right to a monopoly and renewal of another TAB racing deal after the first one was an absolute dud. Nor should they have the right to dictate that no race club in the state can negotiate with a rival gambling entity for sponsorship as occurs in the current TAB agreement. One only has to look at the advantages southern states have from corporate bookmaking sponsorships. When was the last time that Tattersall’s provided a sponsorship to racing in Queensland? I know they once sponsored the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley but I can’t recall them putting anything back into racing in Queensland. As for the multi-million dollar form guide sponsorship deal with Queensland Newspapers well there is a strong rumor that it could soon come to an end and why should it prevent turf journalists from criticizing Tattersall’s if need be.
DEAGON ‘PICNIC’ COVERAGE A WASTE OF SPACE – THOSE WHO CARED WERE THERE 
ALEX G of HENDRA writes:
‘THE ‘real’ racing in Queensland struggles on a weekly basis to attract coverage in The Courier-Mail yet they saw fit to devote half a page to a ‘picnic’ meeting at Deagon.
Perhaps it was the novelty value of the day which attracted a ‘sell out’ crowd when regular Saturday fixtures at Eagle Farm or Doomben would be lucky to get half as many in attendance.
At the end of the day it was still a ‘picnic’ meeting and anyone who cared was probably there and didn’t need such extensive coverage when the spring carnivals build-ups in Sydney and Melbourne failed to warrant even a story in the same edition.
If this had been a picnic meeting at Mingela would it have attracted the same attention? Of course not – largely because the officials of that now-defunct once-a-year venue don’t’ have the same influence and political pull of their friends at Deagon.
As a regular follower of racing in Queensland for more years than I care to remember I cannot recall another venue having more influence or start than the boutique training centre at Deagon. It helps to know people in the right places.
Good luck to them for the success of this initiative, even if it did attract tens of thousands of dollars of industry funds for a non-TAB, picnic event. It would be interesting to know what the return to the overall industry will be or whether any of the visitors to Deagon on Sunday will venture out to Eagle Farm or Doomben as a result.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments Alex. The Deagon ‘picnics’ will become an annual affair and with the start that joint has with the ‘right people’ don’t be surprised if it attracts TAB coverage in future. As for the CM feature story on the day, that was not unexpected. They struggle to get it right on what their readers want when it comes to racing. Those who cared about the Deagon ‘picnics’ were there – the rest of us couldn’t have cared less.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNCLAIMED DIVIDENDS AND FRACTIONS IN QUEENSLAND? 
ALAN A, a racehorse owner from QUEENSLAND, asks:
‘HAVE you any idea what happens to the unclaimed dividends and fractions from those who still have accounts with TattsBet in Queensland?
Surely this would be a fair sum of money – especially the fractions – which could be used to help boost prizemoney which is desperately needed in Queensland.
I heard where the Government in Victoria is being asked to use that money to help finance work that is needed on tracks creating problems in that state.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I would imagine that the unclaimed dividends and fractions go straight into the coffers of Tattersall’s and will never see the light of day as far as the industry is concerned with the start that group has with the Government and Racing Queensland.
HERE is a story by ROD NICHOLSON in the HERALD SUN this week on what the Victorian Premier and Racing Minister Denis Napthine – who doesn’t just promise but delivers – has said on the issue:
PREMIER Dr Denis Napthine has assured the racing industry that it will not be short-changed from the pool from unclaimed dividends.
“We are spending the money as fast as Racing Victoria makes application,” he said of the spend on infrastructure being financed by the Racing Industry Fund set up by the Victorian government in July of 2011.
The government was urged to unlock the flow of funds after Ballarat races were abandoned after three races last Thursday when weather had no bearing on the condition of the track.
However Dr Napthine said the government already was committed to contributing half of the $1.3 million for a total restructuring of the track, but after this year’s Ballarat Cup meeting as requested.
The Liberal government, led by Dr Napthine who also is Racing Minister, instigated the Racing Industry Fund to give TAB unclaimed dividends back to racing.
It was suggested that only half of the promised $80 million would be returned to racing over a three-year period.
But Dr Napthine said the government had already given $44 million from the fund, and emphasised that it was being given to the three codes, not just thoroughbred racing, and embraced more than infrastructure.
“We have given considerable money to infrastructure of racecourses across the state, and we have put $7 million into the VOBIS Gold scheme as well as $4 million into attracting people back to the track,” he said.
“We initiated the fund from TAB unclaimed dividends and we have been more forthcoming with funds for racing than any other government,” he said.
VICTORIAN COMPLIANCE TEAM SETTING A STANDARD THAT OTHERS SHOULD FOLLOW 
NAME WITH-HELD BY REQUEST:
‘VICTORIA is setting a standard through the operation of their Compliance Team that should be the model for every other state in Australian racing.
Whilst New South Wales has scored quite a few ‘kills’ netting illegal operators, it would appear that the authorities in Queensland don’t believe there is a problem in the north.
As a trainer who has always done the right thing in my many years in the game I can tell you that drenches are readily available throughout the state.
I even know of one prominent trainer outside the Brisbane area who uses them regularly and has never looked like being caught.
Much was made of the trumped up integrity in racing in Queensland after the new Government and Boards took control of the industry.
Can someone tell me what this has achieved?
There is no way we will ever see a Compliance Team operating in Queensland with the enthusiasm, work-ethic or success of that in Victoria.
Little wonder punters have no confidence in betting on the local product. It all starts with the image and that isn’t good when RQ doesn’t seem interested in adopting the same strict standards as the bigger states.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: WHILE the stewards in NSW have their ‘walk-throughs’ on stables on race morning and those in Queensland play ‘coming ready or not,’ the Victorians continue to make integrity in racing in other states look second rate. That is why punters have more confidence betting on Melbourne rather than Sydney and Brisbane. They don’t back away from a problem and work toward cleaning it up. While Sydney pussy-foots around, Brisbane maintains it doesn’t exist.
‘FEATHER DUSTER’ TREATMENT FOR ‘FIRST LADY’ ANGERS HAYSON FANS 
GARY M of SYDNEY writes:
‘PROFESSIONAL punter Eddie Hayson is ‘fair game’ – or so it would seem – when it comes to the authorities in NSW while they take a ‘feather duster’ to the first lady of Australian racing.
As if the penalties handed down after the More Joyous saga weren’t evidence enough – Gai Waterhouse gets at $5,000 fine and Hayson is warned off for six months. It makes you wonder who the real culprit in the affair was.
The industry was told about the warnings that had been placed on Waterhouse when it came to notification of problems or treatment of her horses. Then we have another situation stemming from the scratching of Aussies Love Sport before the $1 million Golden Rose last Saturday.
Once again Waterhouse got away with a warning. What a joke!
But to make matters worse the media was banned from the inquiry. Doesn’t Chief Steward Ray Murrihy normally bask in the glory of a headline?
Not on this occasion it would seem.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: From the media reports below it would seem that the stewards went to great lengths to ensure this inquiry involving Gai Waterhouse was dealt with behind closed doors which is not good enough in this day and age of racing transparency.
THE first by CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI in the SUNDAY TELEGRAPH:
GAI Waterhouse and stewards were back at it again (on Saturday), this time over the scratching of Aussies Love Sport from the Golden Rose.
The press were barred from sitting in on the inquiry, with Waterhouse clearly not happy about the colt being withdrawn from the $1 million feature.
"Go ask Ray Murrihy," Waterhouse told us when we approached her.
We did. Murrihy said he inspected the horse with vet Craig Suann on Friday afternoon, after they had received a phone call from the vet of Segenhoe Stud, who part-owns the horse.
While the horse was declared fit to run, the owners weren't keen to run in the Golden Rose.
It's understood another part-owner, Gerry Harvey, contacted the stewards personally late Friday to request the horse be withdrawn.
It was also discovered the horse had picked up a knock to his knee before his win in the Ming Dynasty. Even though Aussies Love Sport won, stewards wanted to know why it was never reported.
Waterhouse is currently fighting $7000 worth of fines for not reporting the condition of More Joyous before her two Group 1 flops in the autumn.
AND this one by CHRIS ROOTS in the SUN-HERALD:
GAI Waterhouse was called into the stewards' room, this time behind closed doors, about the scratching of Aussies Love Sport from the Golden Rose.
One steward stood guard on the door as others quizzed the trainer about an old wound to the inside of the colt's off-side gaskin, which was the focus of veterinary examination by Racing NSW vet Craig Suann on Friday.
The colt was cleared to run but the head steward, Ray Murrihy, said he had spoken with the owners of Aussies Love Sport late on Friday afternoon. Co-owner Gerry Harvey then decided to scratch without veterinary reasons from the group 1.
IT SEEMS THAT THE RACING MEDIA HAS CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN JOCKEY NO 3 
DAVID G of BRISBANE sent this e-mail:
‘I read with interest the observations of Terry Butts (in his Silks & Saddles column) over the penalties handed down to Eddie Hayson and Damien Oliver.
As far as I am concerned Hayson got ‘his’ more for his past misdemeanors than any other reason.
As far as Oliver is concerned it could be argued that Hayson is a good bloke.
I would like to point out to Terry that he left some important facts out of his story.
When referring to the Oliver situation at no stage did he report that there were THREE jockeys mentioned in dispatches by police in Victoria.
Whether we agree that the penalty fitted the crime or not, Oliver is one of the three that has served his time and been dealt with.
A second jockey seems to have survived all the police attention and has not been charged. It will be interesting to see if the Victorian stewards take up and run with the ball in this case. I would be surprised if they didn’t.
The third jockey, who is from Sydney, was made the headline act for their recent carnival. To the best of my knowledge this jockey has not been questioned let alone penalized and one could question why?
The so-called police investigation was outlined in The Age newspaper about all three jockeys. I haven’t heard of any legal action pending against the newspaper because they were unfairly named – and shamed.
And all that one of these high profile jockeys seems to get in more recent times is positive headlines from the racing scribes. Of what short memories they have.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Well David I assume that apart from Damien Oliver, the two jockeys that you are referring to are Danny Nikolic (who one has to suggest continues to walk a tightrope when it comes to his future riding career) and Jim Cassidy (probably the one of the three that is like a cat with nine lives and bordering on winning his 100th Group One which is attracting plenty of publicity).
A ROBBIE HEATHCOTE CRITIC WHO RECKONS THAT ‘ONE SWALLOW DOESN’T MAKE A SUMMER’ 
DOUG M of MELBOURNE sent this e-mail:
‘CAN you give me a bit of a guide on the “Hi, I am Robert Heathcote – I am the greatest” (trainer in Queensland) article which appeared down here in the Herald (on Tuesday)?
If one can follow his logic, all Queensland winners during their Winter Carnival raced to the best of their ability and consistently at ALL TIMES and are more than a match for their southern cousins.
It appears these so-called stars have now taken all before them in both Sydney and Melbourne.
From where I sit in the south, the Queensland racing scene reminds me of my mother’s old quote: “One swallow doesn’t make a summer.”
Mr Heathcote, you are indeed a very good trainer. Your horses perform well in top company when taken south at carnival time.
But as a precaution I do suggest that you purchase some matches.
If you insist on pushing the old proverbial uphill with the aid of match sticks, as you are endeavoring to do with your self -promotion, you will need to have quite a few on hand.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Doug I am not sure where you are coming from and I do think you are being rather harsh on not only a good bloke but also a fine trainer who has defied the odds to win more premierships than he would have imagined in Brisbane and campaigned his horses with terrific success in the best carnivals interstate. Most of the horses that performed well in Queensland during the carnival and have reproduced that form in the top company in Sydney or Melbourne since were interstate visitors not locals. But it is still hard to argue with the logic that the winter carnival isn’t a good launching pad for some of the stars of the spring.
BITS AND PIECES
KEITH ROBBINS ONE OF THE GREATS OF GOLDEN ERA OF RACING WRITERS
MAX PRESNELL reported in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD that Keith Robbins, 81, who died on Sunday, was one of the greats of a golden era for racing writers.
After 35 years as racing editor for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, Robbins later spent time in charge of The Sun-Herald turf section.
He was a weight-for-age character, the like of which will never be seen again. Perhaps this is a category I rate too highly, Presnell wrote, but these days there are so few in life generally and racing in particular.
Because of his competitive work ethic, being in opposition to him for most of my career gave life a better, more vital dimension.
He carried many titles and descriptions, but never boring.
Former jockey Larry Olsen tagged him "Kage", possibly because of the Keith George initials but more likely "Cagey".
To we dinosaurs Robbins was "Punchy", the source of which will be divulged in next Sunday's The Sun-Herald as he would want it: from a "perfectly frank" perspective.
‘SINGO’ RECKONS THAT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER GAI WILL WIND UP WITH ‘THE LOT’
CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI wrote in his SUNDAY TELEGRAPH column that millionaire owner John Singleton still has a sense of humor when it comes to his split with Gai Waterhouse, and the fact his ex-wife, Julie Singleton, now part-owns the Waterhouse-trained Ecuador.
"Yeah I saw that," Singo told colleague David Riccio.
"One got half my money, the other gets the other half. Gai might finish up with the lot after all."
ROBBIE HAS LOST MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN HORSES TO THE WALLER STABLE
ACCORDING to our HENDRA spies top Sydney trainer Chris Waller has taken quite a toll on the leading local stable of Robbie Heathcote.
Up to a half dozen good earners from the Heathcote stable have been transferred to Waller. Owners have no problem whatsoever with the job that Robbie has done but are sick of racing for poor stakes in Brisbane when they can (and some already have) earned so much more in Sydney.
But to add insult to injury we are told that Waller also made an offer for the pride of the fleet and made an offer that a star stable manager at Heathcote’s found too good to refuse.
IS GAI WATERHOUSE LOOKING AT A SATELLITE STABLE IN VICTORIA? 
THE mail is strong from south of the border that GAI WATERHOUSE is in the process of buying a home in Melbourne.
The drums are beating that this is the first sign the ‘first lady’ is keen to establish a satellite stable in Victoria, especially after last Saturday’s Moonee Valley treble.
Perhaps she just wants to be closer to family down there, likes the weather or will find it cheaper with her own digs than camping down so often at a five star hotel.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME AS THIS HIGH PROFILE MEDIA MAN HAS DISCOVERED
HIGH profile media man who does more than his share for charity has been trying to help out a colleague down on his luck.
The TV identity in question has been trying to raise $20,000 for someone who suffered a recent setback on the work front and has been doing it tough.
Surprisingly, as good at fund-raising as he has been, the media man has had to take the hat around interstate with not all that many keen to dig into their kicks to help.
THOSE THAT KNOW DON’T TELL AND THOSE THAT TELL DON’T KNOW 
IT’S a funny industry racing. We ran an e-mail last week about a media identity having an affair with a race club official.
Responses arrived thick and fast declaring we were referring to a certain person north of the border.
How wrong they were!
But some even went to the degree of tipping who the race club official was – and they all named the same person.
Needless to say the official in question would be far from impressed if he knew his name was being associated with a rumor that had nothing to do with him.
RACIAL VILIFICATION CASE INVOLVING JOCKEY AND TRAINER AT CLONCURRY
TERRY BUTTS broke this exclusive in his ‘Silks & Saddles’ column this week that could have far reaching affects for the racing industry:
HAS the racial vilification saga spread from the football codes to the race course?
There was an interesting case before the stewards at Cloncurry on Saturday after a few words between jockey Adam Morrison and veteran trainer George Tipping following the first race.
A complaint has been lodged by the jockey against a word (or words) allegedly used by the trainer and stewards will hear the matter before the first race at Mt Isa on Saturday week (Spring Cup day).
RACING PUBLIC CAN’T WAIT FOR THE BLACK CAVIAR DVD RELEASE IN OCTOBER 
BLACK CAVIAR – The Horse of a Lifetime – the official DVD biography of the unbeaten champion mare – goes on sale in leading retail outlets in early October.
A media release on the DVD states: “This is an exclusive, personal and open account of what actually happened on racing’s field of dreams.
“As Black Caviar’s string of victories grew, a wave of salmon pink and black dots washed across a nation of fans who simply wanted to catch a glimpse of the fastest horse on the planet.
“The cameras transport you into the stables, within the stalls and inside the story of Australia’s most watched racehorse.
“Experience the triumph and celebrate the astonishing career of an Australian racing and sporting legend.”
The two-disc DVD features every one of Black Caviar’s 25 wins with commentary from Peter Moody and Luke Nolen.
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