IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS suggests that the loss of meetings in the north because of Cyclone Ita highlighted the need for a StrathAyr track in Townsville.
He also reports on growing problems in Mackay where there are rumours that RQ will take over running of the club and comments on the controversy involving top trainer Peter Moody and ‘stable keys.’
Here is the Butts’ column:
CYCLONE ITA HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR A STRATHAYR TRACK IN TOWNSVILLE
CYCLONE ITA put an end to racing in the north last weekend as well as Townsville on Tuesday. Shame if only Cluden had the StrathAyr track.
Seven inches (178mm) of rain fell in Mackay the day before their last meeting and they raced on a track rated no worse than dead. Amazing!
There was no surprise that Cairns had to forgo its meeting on Saturday as Ita loomed menacingly. But licensees are none too happy with the way the postponement was handled.
Apparently the club was offered April 26 but, according to my sources, the CEO rejected it – and this has caused a stir among even his most loyal licensees.
“He rejected the date without any consultation with licensees, and I believe not all committee members knew about it either,” said one trainer.
“Who does he think he is?”
The leading local trainer Fred Weiland, who normally wouldn’t say ‘boo to a goose’ had a bit to say in the Cairns Post last Friday.
And he stood by his words when this column tracked him down on Sunday.
“There is no reason why we couldn’t have raced on Saturday the 26th,” Wieland said.
Cairns decided it was best to add two races to their next two meetings – but this doesn’t gel with most.
DATE WAS OFFERED BUT FOR SOME REASON CAIRNS CEO REJECTED IT
RQ country racing manager Col Truscott confirmed that the date was offered – and that it was discussed with the Cairns CEO Graham Thornton ‘but the decision was made to go the other way,’ said Truscott.
He said it might have been because Home Hill has a meeting on April 25 and Townsville has a meeting scheduled on April 27.
But as Weiland pointed out: “We race here the day after the Townsville Cup every year so that’s not a viable excuse to reject this date.
“It was done against the wishes of the licensees.”
But what about this adding insult to injury?
CAIRNS QUICKLY TRIED TO PINCH TOWNSVILLE DATE BUT HIT A BRICK WALL
CAIRNS was quick on the phone to take Townsville’s Tuesday date, claiming Cannon Park had only received 100mm in the Ita downpour.
Naturally Townsville resisted with the very valid case that of the 92 acceptors for Tuesday, 62 were horses trained south of Ingham. And, the club pointed out to the northerners that the Bruce Highway was blocked at Ingham.
You might wonder whether the Mackay horses, at least, would have gone the extra 350km.
So the meeting stays in Townsville – on Thursday – weather permitting of course.
TOWNSVILLE DID WELL IN RESCHEDLING OF DATES BUT NOT SO MACKAY
TOWNSVILLE is gloating over the rescheduling of race dates that now sees it with one extra day and, more importantly, relieved that it doesn’t have quite as many of the ‘terrible Tuesdays’ that it has been dealt in recent years.
There is a good smattering of Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the new allocation, but of course if the much needed StrathAyr track construction gets the Government nod, those dates will be redistributed, hopefully to tracks in the region.
Not so fortunate in the reallocation is Mackay which has a stand-in CEO (and no word on a replacement) as well as a temporary Chairman.
So really there was no one to stand up for the club in the great debate of dates. And Mackay lost four valuable race dates in the reshuffle.
It means there will be four months of the year that Mackay, with the best racecourse in country Queensland, will only have one meeting.
The nearest TAB track is 300km away at Rockhampton. Alternatively they must travel to Townsville (400km).
Besides many of the licensees have jobs which makes travelling not only expensive but often difficult to organise.
RUMOUR ESCALATES THAT RQ WILL TAKE OVER THE RUNNING OF MACKAY
WE have been saying for a while that things in Mackay are not good and the rumour gets stronger that Racing Queensland will take it over – albeit with the blessing of the MTC committee.
One person close to the action reckons it’s inevitable, and says the club is in such dire financial difficulty it really can’t afford a secretary-manager.
However, according to CEO Darren Condon, Racing Queensland is legally not permitted to operate at a race club.
An audit by RQ accountants has been completed and stakeholders in Mackay are waiting anxiously for the next development.
Suffice to say, an RQ-funded stable block is hardly on any agenda.
But, then again, a few more dates might turn up if RQ does find a way to take over.
PETER MOODY SHOOTS FROM THE HIP – EVEN TAKING AIM AT FELLOW TRAINERS
PETER MOODY doesn’t take a backward step.
It might be his bush upbringing but when he takes on an issue with officialdom he usually has a strong case.
The most recent was his view on the banning of anabolic steroids and he raised all the reasons why they should not be banned in this country.
Unfortunately he lost that one where common sense was overruled by the minority (breeders, perhaps) who would prefer owners buy new stock instead of prolonging the athletic life of their geldings – with totally harmless anabolic steroids.
His latest clash is with Victorian stewards over their demand that all trainers at Flemington and Caulfield must hand over the keys to their stables.
The stand-off ended on the deadline last Friday when stewards and Moody had a meeting at which it was agreed the keys would be kept in a safe and stewards would not enter the stables unless the trainer or his staff was present. Under threat of losing his livelihood, Moody reluctantly acceded.
MOODY COMMENTS MADE GREAT RADIO ‘AND A LOT OF SENSE’
MOODY was ropable in the lead- up – and his comments made great radio.
He said it was akin to going to the home of a steward without prior notice and using their barbeque.
There was also the question of a horse returning a positive after stewards were given the keys.
That could be interesting. Who could be charged?
“Where will it end -- the bedroom? asked Moody.
And he didn’t miss his colleagues on Radio RSN who he said were ‘spineless’.
“They voice their opposition in private but that’s where it ends.
“They run and hide.
“I have to stand up beside them next day and call them friends.
“But when it comes to going to war there’s a bit of a yellow streak,” he said.
Moody also cancelled his membership of ATA (Australian Trainers’ Association) because of ‘their handling of the matter’.
He quite rightly is entitled to be aghast, angry and totally opposed to this edict which is not merely an invasion of privacy but casts aspersions on the character and the integrity of trainers.
And really – let’s be real.
If a trainer has something he wants to give a horse without the stewards’ knowledge there are more places to store it than at the stables.
So what’s next?
Warrants for house searches?
Am surely the wives will have much more than Moody to say about that!
And the integrity staff (or fence leapers so accurately described by trainer Darren Weir) will need some head gear!
That’s another certainty.
COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.
TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
