IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports that while the ‘pot of gold’ distribution of the new TAB pool by Racing Queensland was good news for Brisbane and Toowoomba, it wasn’t greeted with as much glee in some country centres.
Butts reports that Townsville, in particular, feels badly done by compared with Toowoomba and highlights the fact that when meetings are covered only on Sky 2 the locals will see no real benefits from the supposed windfall.
He also recalls the days when the Townsville Amateurs, to be run this weekend, were a roaring success – a far cry from their present status.
Here is the Butts’ column:
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, THE BIG PRIZEMONEY WINNERS ARE BRISBANE AND TOOWOOMBA
THE big news this week of course is the prizemoney increase in Queensland and the big winner, as expected, was metropolitan Brisbane.
All Saturday city races will be worth a minimum of $60,000 up from $45,000 and there is now an expectation that the big Sydney trainers might be tempted to consider a satellite stable.
City midweek meetings will go from $17,000 to $20,000 per race.
While the increase was generally expected and certainly welcomed in Brisbane, there was less rejoicing in some other areas with the exception of Toowoomba that has an increase of 27.3 per cent to an average of $14,000.
TOWNSVILLE HAS COPPED THE RAW END OF THE ‘POT OF GOLD’ PINEAPPLE
BY comparison Townsville and Rockhampton have a 13% increase to an average of $13,000 a race – up $3,000 – but only if these meetings are covered on Sky 1.
There is NO increase for Sky 2 meetings, which is certain to be a subject of hot debate among locals. And an early estimate suggests that 26 Townsville meetings will be on Sky 2 this season.
Apart from Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast was the other big winner with prizemoney up to $16,000, rising to the same level as Ipswich and the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast had hoped to offer $20,000 average for all races when the new increases take effect in October.
It was good news for non-strategic and non-TAB country clubs which had a 40% increase to $7,000 a race while strategic country clubs went up 16% to $7,000.
So the rival Tablelands clubs, Mareeba and Atherton, will now race for exactly the same money which should end a lot of unease between the two. Picnic clubs also received some relief with an increase to $2,000 a race.
THE TOWNSVILLE AMATEURS CONTINUE TO GO DOWN THE ‘GURGLER’
IT was once one of the biggest two days of racing in the north – the Townsville Amateurs.
Arguably the best carnival outside Brisbane during the time when Carlton was the sponsor and the Cup was run in late October, on Cox Plate day in fact.
They came from all over. They partied on the lawns of the casino on Thursday, staged the biggest ball of the season on Friday after the races, and then lined up for the Cup on Saturday.
And the seafood smorgasbord ‘recovery’ on the Sunday was another memorable highlight.
But the Amateurs lost the sponsorship and for some inexplicable reason changed the date.
It is now wedged in between the Cairns and Townsville Cups and has become a poor second cousin to the Far North Amateurs in Cairns.
Shame really!
But they are on again this Saturday with quite respectable nominations.
The Townsville Turf will stage a meeting on Friday to give it some semblance of a two -day carnival but surely some consideration must be given to an October race date and a high profile sponsor to get the Townsville Amateurs back to its former status and glory.
Even a change in Cup distance from 1960m to 1400m or a mile has been suggested and is certainly worth thinking about.
GALLOPS POPULARITY DWINDLING WHILE SURGE OF INTEREST IN QUARTER HORSES
WHILE race clubs around the country are being plagued by dwindling crowd numbers and betting turnover, there has been a significant rebirth of interest in sprint or quarter horse racing at the top end of the state – and it’s spreading.
Eureka Creek (near Dimbulah) is the latest club to join the booming circuit and held a highly successful inaugural meeting two weeks ago.
This weekend Sedan Dip is host to the growing number of enthusiasts. The long established race club recently severed a long association with Racing Queensland and opted to join the quarter horse racing circuit.
The big event is at Normanton on October 5 where horses and visitors from all over the country are expected to descend again on the Gulf for what has become the ‘Melbourne Cup’ of sprint racing.
The Normanton club, under direction of the Gallagher boys, has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since its rather acrimonious split with Racing Queensland four years ago.
This year the club has programmed nine races, limited to six runners for $20,000 prizemoney. There is also a $3,000 barrel race for juniors and fashions on the field with sections for all ages of both sexes.
Calcuttas are held on all races and turnover on some can reach staggering figures, particularly when owners (mainly from the surrounding cattle stations) become engaged in serious bidding duels.
It is the only betting medium, though apparently side-wagers between rival owners are not uncommon.
And kids, by the way are VIP – as they should be.
The week before Normanton (September 27) Burketown will have its sprint racing day – another club that has relinquished its association with RQ.
SPRINT RACING BOSS CONFIDENT OF RACING LAUNCH IN QUEENSLAND BY 2016
AN interesting visitor to Normanton this year will be Allan Murnane, Chairman of the Australian Quarter Horse Racing Development (AQHRD), the company that is promising to introduce professional sprint racing in Queensland.
With State Government support, a multi-million dollar development that includes a special purpose straight race track, is currently taking place in the northern cusp in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
It is a massive and costly undertaking that in the end, according to Murnane, will have 400 stables, catering for an expected 34 on-course trainers and offering all modern facilities.
Murnane, who admits there is still a ‘massive amount of work ahead’, confidently expects to be racing by 2016.
There has been lot of work between various Government departments but ‘we are getting there’, he said.
The club has just completed an audit which indicated an excess of 1,200 quarter horses Australia-wide, of which he believes 400 will be candidates for racing at the new track. The intention is to race weekly with the action televised live to the US and Asia.
There is no problem with horse numbers either now or long term. Sprint Racing is not restricted to the breeding constraints inflicted on thoroughbred racing by the big and over influential breeders in this country.
Like Harness Racing, owners may use artificial insemination which they find cheaper, cleaner and easier and with so many stallions and bloodlines to choose from.
Murnane says he has already had meetings with the bigger off-course betting agencies and claims there is ‘considerable interest’ in his venture.
The club will employ its own integrity staff and will soon begin the registration process of jockeys and trainers.
He believes there could be opportunities for current track work riders. There will be no handicaps – all races will be graded – but the standard weight has yet to be decided.
He said interest is strong both locally and from budding young riders in the US.
Murnane is very upbeat and confident – and says he is grateful for the help from the Queensland Government that recently arranged meetings with its trade commissioners in Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand and China to promote the venture and discuss direct telecast of races to those countries. He said there was a genuine interest.
While the hope and vision by the AQHRD remains on a high there is still much scepticism in thoroughbred racing circles.
And that will probably continue, at least until the bulldozers arrive at Mary Valley.
Or until the day the starter says ‘GO’.
INGLIS SALE IN SYDNEY HARDLY GOOD NEWS FOR REJOINCING QLD BREEDERS
BREEDERS preparing yearlings for the upcoming sales might have got a buzz from the recent Racing Queensland decision to boost QTIS in the hope of snagging buyers – who, like punters, have deserted the industry.
It was a decision welcomed by the breeding industry in spite of the fact the real benefits will not click in for purchasers until after July 2015.
However, some results of the Inglis Sale last Friday in Sydney might be of some concern.
It was a sale that featured a number of unnamed youngsters from the ill-fated Patinack Farm – most notable being stock by the well-credentialed stallion Murtajill which commands a modest stud fee of around $11,000.
An unnamed filly by that sire out of Set to Bolt, a sister to Canberra Black Opal winner, Delago Bolt, fetched a mere $800.
Two unnamed lots by Raheeb, also a high-credentialed Patinack stallion, were sold for $400 and $700 respectively.
There was a lot of North Queensland interest in the sale. John Manzelmann bought three tried gallopers for an average of $5,000 and the Huddy family of Mt Isa were also active picking up a couple including Hoodoo Guru which has fair NSW provincial form.
AT the other end of the scale, Encosta de Lago mare, Fulminate, was bought by the Queensland Fiorente Syndicate for $125,000. Fulminate is to be covered this season by Melbourne Cup winner, Fiorente.
The top price for a racehorse was $28,000 for Reunite, bought by Jeremy Sylvester.
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.
