IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS pays tribute to a fine young jockey in Carly-Mae Pie who tragically lost her life in a fall last week.
Butts also reports on a response to criticism of the Magic Millions treatment of North Queensland buyers from their self styled ambassador in the region and comments on the High Court ruling on artificial insemination.
Here is the Butts’ column:
HEAVY CLOUD STILL HANGS OVER COUNTRY RACING AFTER DEATH OF JOCKEY
THE untimely death of popular Rockhampton jockey Carly-Mae Pye last week has engulfed the north in a heavy cloud of melancholy.
It was a week that saw three female jockeys killed in separate incidents in separate states (including one-a 17 year old apprentice in US).
It of course highlights the dangers of the profession these young ladies chose- and were succeeding in a fiercely competitive workplace.
And the mourning spread around the nation and overseas with jockeys on most Australian racecourses wearing black armbands as a token of sympathy
A minute's silence was held before Future Champions Day at Newmarket in the UK for the three jockeys Carly-Mae Pye, 26, Caitlin Forrest, 19, in South Australia and the 17-year-old apprentice Juan Saez in America.
ROCKHAMPTON HOSTED BIGGEST DAY IN RECENT TIMES AS A ‘MEMORIAL’
IN Rockhampton the racing world is still numb with the realisation that the very popular jockey and noted horsewoman has had her last ride.
Callaghan Park hosted the biggest race day in recent times- attracting a far bigger crowd than the recent Cup day as locals turned out for her “memorial day”.
She was to have ridden Zaha’s Choice in race three. But her best mate Tracey O’Hara took the ride, wearing Carly Mae’s silks and the crowd sent her out as the tote favourite- at twice the odds available from bookies. She was certainly the sentimental favourite.
Carly-Mae Pye’s life was simply horses and racing
And it ended on a youngster she was trialling for her long-time partner and master Tim Cook at Callaghan Park- where it all began as a tiny young teenager ten years ago.
Timmy Cook is absolutely devastated.
They were inseparable on and off the racecourse for the past four years and wedding bells were beginning to chime.
“Only a few weeks ago Carly said she wanted to get married and have some kids
“But she said she didn’t want a beach wedding. January was too hot and she didn’t like October.
“So we settled on November next year which would have been the anniversary of our first date,” said a genuinely broken hearted Timmy Cook yesterday.
“Its fate”, he said.
PARTNER WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE AFTER CARLY-M AE SUFFERED FATAL FALL
TIM Cook was first on the spot where an unraced filly broke both legs and plummeted its rider to the turf in the final stages of a jump-out last Thursday.
“I was there within seconds and I knew straight away she was dead.
“It was a horrible sight – one I can never ever forget. It will haunt me forever.”
Tim went to the hospital with her and held her hand until the very end.
“At one stage the doctor said there was a glimmer of hope if they could get her to Brisbane.
”But when they had a thorough examination of her eyes they knew there was severe brain damage – and no hope.”
CARLY-MAE PYH WAS A FIGHTER THROUGHOUT HER SHORT LIFE
CARLY-MAE Pye was a fighter all her young life. She had a rather tumultuous upbringing but fought her way to attain a reputation and recognition as a top flight horsewoman.
She was for a time an assistant Australian Olympic equestrian coach when based in the Hunter Valley of NSW and such was her impact on people, show jumping personalities from England and Germany who she befriended in that era are expected to attend her funeral at Callaghan Park racecourse on Wednesday.
Tim Cook remembers the day she was to have her first race ride as a 17 year old apprentice.
“She broke her pelvis at track work that morning and her debut was held up for three months.
“But it didn’t dent her enthusiasm and passion to be a jockey.” said Tim.
Carly recovered and realised her ambition to be a successful jockey. Her record reveals 1617 rides for 164 wins (10% win rate) and 363 places (33%).
But it wasn’t just in the silks of race day that she shone. She had a huge reputation in CQ as a breaker and educator of young horses.
Last year Carly broke in an incredible 35 two year olds.
It was the 35th- and in her opinion the very best of all- that broke its legs in the jump out.
So sad!
DEATH BY HORSE DATES BACK TO THE DAYS OF GENGHIS KHAN
DEATH by horse is, alas, nothing new. Genghis Khan, William the Conqueror and William III all died falling off their horses.
According to the London Telegraph a dozen jockeys have paid the ultimate price in Britain and Ireland since 1980, eight of those over jumps and four on the Flat.
“In Australia there have been 220 fatalities in the last 100 years and the USA 150 since 1940 but they are not figures we should ever be complacent about because you can always go on improving courses, protective gear and the ground.
“Though it was a freak week - there are 460 tracks in Australia and some 25,000 races a year - even if it has not got a problem, Australia might start believing it has.
“And it is a very worrying statistic that four female jockeys have died in Australia in the last 18 months given that fewer girls ride than men. It may sound sexist but, statistically, female jockeys seem at greater risk from injury than their male counterparts,” the report said.
What the report didn’t state however was that there was no contact with any other horses in the two fatal incidents last week – just hard tracks.
SELF-STYLED AMBASSADOR JUMPS TO DEFENCE OF MAGIC MILLIONS IN NORTH
PROMINENT Cairns owner (and self-styled ambassador for Magic Millions up north), Rob Koch, has joined the debate on reasons for the current lack of two-years-olds in North Queensland.
“The story of changes to the Magic Millions incentives to regional buyers at the March yearling sales is totally incorrect,” Koch claims
“Accommodation, pre-sale meet and greet BBQ, transfers to and from hotel to sales yard, ring-side seating and a tremendous buffet lunch, were all offered to past buyers of this sale.”
He said the Cairns trainers, Alwyn Bailey and Fed Wieland, “don't ask for accommodation.”
“They only ask for a table ring-side, and were over the moon with their treatment.
“MM bought them a few coldies and treated them like royalty.
“And they bought,” said Koch.
The Cairns based syndicator said it was tough to attract buyers from the north this year “because money was tight and some owners were over committed with past purchases that are still racing.”
He also expressed concern that if clubs in NQ and FNQ are unable to have the required fields - and races fall over - the extra QTIS monies for two-year-olds will be diverted to the south east.
He believes the future of two-year-old racing in the north is the breeze up sales whereby “a QTIS two-year-old can be purchased after it has galloped down the straight, and the video, X rays and endoscope reports have been scrutinised.
“It takes a fair bit of the unknown out of buying a baby,” Koch said.
ALL FIVE WINNERS ON TOWERS CUP DAY WERE TRAINED ON THE TRACK
IT was certainly ‘horses for courses’ at the highly successful Charters Towers Cup day last Saturday.
Each of the five winners was trained on the track and they also provided the Cup quinella when rank outsider Likefatherlikeson edged out the favourite Whatanexcuse.
It was the biggest day - crowd wise - for a very long time.
Just a shame the club organisers allowed a soft drink kiosk to park in a prime spot that severely restricted the view of races in vital final stages. That was a one out of 10 for the club.
But leading local trainer Ben Williams almost scored a 10 out of 10. He went down by a short half head in the Cup to Bill Hetherington’s Likefatherlikeson, but won three of the other races on the card.
THIS ISN’T TOOWOOMBA – THE TOWNSVILLE TRACK UPGRADE IS STILL COMING
AND now the latest news on the Townsville track upgrade:
It’s imminent. It’s coming.
So is Christmas!
BRUCE MCHUGH CRUSADE TO OVERTURN AI BAN IS FINALLY OVER
FORMER bookmaker Bruce McHugh says his personal crusade to overturn the thoroughbred industry's long-standing ban on artificial insemination is over, with the High Court last Friday refusing him special leave to appeal.
McHugh has spent millions of dollars fighting a four-year legal battle in which he argued it is a restraint of trade and contrary to public policy to ban horses bred by artificial insemination from being registered and raced as thoroughbreds.
Many agree - but obviously not those who count in this country.
The former Sydney Turf Club chairman claimed artificially inseminated horses would give more people the chance to take part in the racing industry by making it cheaper to afford a racehorse, a view that has a lot of support from small breeders to distinguished veterinarians.
Australian thoroughbred breeders - the big league - fiercely oppose artificial insemination, claiming its use would mean Australian-bred horses would no longer be eligible to race outside of Australia and the lucrative business of selling home-grown horses to overseas buyers would be ruined.
So?
McHugh lost his case in the Federal Court in December 2012 and again on appeal in April this year. On Friday, the High Court refused to grant special leave to appeal.
“That's the end of it. I've gone as far as I can go,” McHugh told Fairfax Media.
“But I dare say it [the issue] won't die. Other parties have got on the bandwagon but it's for them to make up their mind where they want to go now.”
Predictably, Chief Executive of the Australian Racing Board, Peter McGauran, said the court's decision was “a great relief after four years of intense and expensive litigation”.
The ban was introduced in 1947 because at the time there was no way to test for fraud or mistaken identity in relation to recording the paternity of a foal in the Australian Stud Book.
McHugh argued advances in technology, such as DNA testing, mean there is now a reliable method of verifying pedigree.
And besides there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the greyhounds or the pacers. They have had AI for years in this country.
AUSTRALIAN BREEDERS WERE PREDICABLY DELIGHTED BY COURT DECISION
AUSRALIAN breeders naturally welcomed the High Court’s decision, but did everyone else in the racing industry share the same glee?
The ruling brings to end proceedings which have gone on for more than five years and means McHugh, a highly respected member of the racing industry, has now exhausted all legal challenges.
McHugh has been unsuccessful at every step of his legal challenge, which began in 2009. Costs have been awarded against him.
The breeder-dominated and (widely considered ineffectual) ARB might now find the urge to fight what is arguably an issue of much greater importance than AI - the scourge of corporate bookmakers in this country.
They are causing far more chaos to the industry than AI might have done but that seems to be or little or no concern to the breeders or the ARB.
It is essential this country establishes a national tote. Or there won’t be a market for thoroughbreds or races for them to compete in.
It’s about time the ARB stood up and tackled the real problems facing a dying industry – issues affecting everyone, not just the elite.
HOOFNOTE: Current chairman of the ARB is John Messara – yes, the lord and master of Arrowfield Stud.
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.
