LGHR has been reliably informed that Racing Queensland Chairman Matt McGrath boasted in a recent tele-conference link with the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association that in the space of four months he had converted a $20 million loss into an $8mn profit for the control body.
If this is the case, why isn’t Racing Minister Tim Mander shouting it from the rafters – he had a perfect opportunity in the session of Parliament just ended – or why hasn’t McGrath and his first lieutenant, CEO Lachlan Murray distributed a Media Release to the industry?
Even an ‘exclusive’ to their new ‘spin doctor’ Big Ben Dorries would have made what readers the Murdoch Media still have aware of the good news. And he could have labelled it a real ‘exclusive’ instead of having to follow up on our ‘lead’.
Here’s the story as we know it:
The Breeders’ Association had a special meeting in recent days to discuss concerns expressed by members about the Magic Millions QTIS Sale in March where they feel locals are being disadvantaged by the presence of interstate breeders.
The night before the meeting Chairman Basil Nolan advised that RQ Chairman Matt McGrath and CEO Lachlan Murray would be in attendance, along with Barry Bowditch of Magic Millions.
But when the meeting began Murray was there but Nolan advised that McGrath could not be present. Some disgust was openly expressed at his absence and McGrath tried to satisfy this via a tele-conference link which started out with some technical issues but eventually had the ‘chosen one’ addressing the ‘troops’.
Pumping up the tyres of the wonderful job that he and his ‘sidekick’ were doing running RQ – and no doubt a bid to ensure the latter gets the CEO job full-time – McGrath reportedly dropped a bombshell.
“In the space of four months we have converted a $20 million loss into an $8mn profit,” McGrath told the Breeders. Asked how this was possible the RQ Chairman reportedly suggested it was major money owed by bookies that they hadn’t been paying. (Well that’s how LGHR understands it).
Rather than accept this as a phenomenal performance of running the racing show in Queensland, there were plenty of sceptics – one even suggesting to the Breeders’ Chairman it was ‘absolute bullshit’.
That is why the Racing Minister needs to provide the industry with some clarification of what is going on. One would have thought if it was right, Tim Mander would have been the first to boast about what the man he appointed to Review the industry and consequently become RQ Chairman had achieved.
In the meantime, the industry hears about this via a meeting of M & M’s with the Breeders. Surely it is something that needs to be addressed with the entire industry via a Media Release explaining how RQ managed to wrestle $28 million from corporate bookies. We all know how reluctant they are to part with their money.
INTERESTING HOOFNOTE: A new RQ Board Member, with ties to the Minister from his school days, was asked at the races in Brisbane if what his Chairman had reported to the Breeders was right. He refused to comment but did add that some wonderful things are about to happen in Queensland racing.
WE offer the RIGHT of REPLY to this story to the Racing Minister, the RQ Chairman or his CEO. Even a response via ‘Big Ben’ would be sufficient, but please don’t allow him to call it an ‘exclusive.’
