IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS delves into the background of two prominent North Queensland owners who have made their mark on the national stage.
The Huddy’s and Eales fought out the finish of the Victoria Derby last Saturday at Flemington with their charges Preferment and Bondeiger.
Here is the Butts’ column:
BIG OWNER STARTED WORKING LIFE CLEANING HIS FATHER’S BUTCHER SHOPS
LAURENCE EALES has never forgotten his knockabout days in hometown Cairns.
He began his working life cleaning out his father Mick's butcher shops. And later he worked as a labourer on Townsville building sites before graduating to excavators.
It was on a Townsville work site that he met his wife Pru and they decided there was more money working excavators in Sydney than in the sultry heat of North Queensland. So off they went.
The Eales’ story is extraordinary.
Laurence has enjoyed remarkable success since those humble beginnings.
He saved, begged and borrowed to buy his first $200,000 excavator in Sydney. He now has 200 of the machines and a staff of 150 nationwide. His business, EA Hire, is one of the largest private hire firms in the country.
EALES PASSION FOR RACING STARTED IN CAIRNS WHEN HE WAS ONLY 12
AND Eales has had amazing success too on the racetrack. His passion for racing began in his dad’s Woree butcher shop when he was 12.
That was the day he listened to Black Knight win the Cup and was captured by the enthusiasm created by the event.
His uncle Joe trained horses at Mt Garnet and another uncle – known to all and sundry as ‘Slippery’ – has raced several horses over the years around Cairns. Still does.
Laurence, at 37, has already won a Melbourne Cup with Shocking and enjoyed major victories with his other superstar Whobegotyou.
And on Saturday he almost took out the Victoria Derby.
In 2007, Eales, barely eight years after he packed his swag in Townsville, paid $64,000 at the Magic Millions sale for a Street Cry colt that he named Shocking. He won a Melbourne Cup and $3.88 million.
His second purchase (for just $19,500), was the ill-fated Whobegotyou which won $2.2 million.
Laurence is known for his passion, his famous Melbourne Cup speech at Flemington, and for partying – be it at Mt Garnet in May or after the Cup at the Crown.
FOLEY SHIELD FINISH TO VICTORIA DERBY – BATTLE OF THE NORTHERNERS
ON Saturday Eales went within a whisker of claiming the coveted Victoria Derby with Bondeiger in a virtual Foley Shield finish. He was edged out by Preferment carrying the familiar colours of Mt Isa racing stalwart Linda Huddy.
There, too, is a great story.
Linda Huddy, like Pru Eales, is a South Australian. Both met their husbands ‘on the field’.
Graham grew up on a cattle property but worked as a diesel fitter in the Isa before setting up an earth moving business.
Linda was a track work rider for both Bart Cummings and Colin Hayes in her early days in Adelaide. She ventured to Mt Isa years ago to visit her former Lindsay Park workmate Denise Ballard who had married leading Mt Isa-based jockey Keith.
It was there Linda met Graham Huddy, and the rest of course is history. But the similarities don’t end there.
Graham bit the bullet and started his own business with just one grader (Eales with just one excavator) and their racing association with the north-west started almost immediately. Linda became treasurer of the Mt Isa club Race Club and Graham became the patron.
They have continued a long and very successful association with the Ballards and race several horses in Sydney with the unstoppable Chris Waller. Shoot Out, of course, is one of the best but there are Melbourne Cup whispers now for Preferment.
The last Melbourne Cup that came to Queensland was Macdougal. He was owned by the Brown family who lived on a property somewhere between Maxwelton and Cloncurry, where Macdougal spent his retirement days
Just up the road from where the Huddys – for many years – called home.
LITTLE WONDER TABCORP WANTS SOMETHING DONE ABOUT CORPORATES
LAST financial year Tabcorp's NSW and Victorian TAB operations had turnover of about $11 billion and paid $212 million in state wagering taxes.
Licensed corporate bookmakers in the Northern Territory had a turnover of $8 billion on racing and sport but paid just $2.7 million in wagering taxes. Yes, a paltry $2.7million.
That’s the current state of play in Australian racing and little wonder Tabcorp is calling on Government to act – to provide a more level playing field in relation to foreign companies taking bets from Australian residents.
TABCORP chairman Paula Dwyer fired this well aimed shot at the overseas corporate bookies and government at the Tabcorp AGM in Sydney last week.
It is the strongest plea yet to protect the industry which she says ‘continues to face challenges from within Australia and from abroad.’
“A key area we believe needs to be addressed is the rise of unlicensed offshore betting on Australian racing and sport,” Ms Dwyer told shareholders at Tabcorp’s annual general meeting in Sydney last week.
“It is only right and fair for consumers, sporting codes and taxpayers that all operators are subject to the same licence obligations.”
Ms Dwyer said as much as 14 per cent of betting by Australian-based customers was conducted with operators who were not licensed in Australia.
She said the fact that these foreign operators were not regulated to Australian standards posed significant risks to consumer protection and to the integrity of sport and racing.
“Furthermore, revenue that would otherwise go to Australian governments was instead going to unlicensed offshore operators.”
Ms Dwyer said France had prohibited unlicensed offshore operators from taking bets from French residents, and similar prohibitions were about to be put in place in the United Kingdom.
"Tabcorp's view is that a similarly powerful response is needed in Australia, and we are in active dialogue with the federal government on this issue," Ms Dwyer said.
She said Tabcorp also wanted harmonisation of licence conditions across all states and territories in Australia to eliminate variability in the contributions made by wagering operators to the racing industry and to governments.
And she urged reform on the difference paid in wagering taxes by various operators.
She deserves the support of every racing body in the country. Might even be something for the Australian Racing Board to look at but we won’t hold our breath.
WHY DIDN’T THE TWO BIG TABS OFFER FIXED ODDS ON TOWNSVILLE SKY2 FIXTURE?
BY the way – a reader (obviously a punter) wonders why the two big TABS from Victoria and NSW did not offer fixed prices on the Townsville Sky 2 race meeting last Tuesday?
And why is it that Tattsbet website continues to deny internet bettors access to form.
The Tattsbet form is available at every TAB in town but online bettors are refused access.
WHY?
Good question especially when every other tote and corporate bookie supplies detailed form and comments on every runner on every race they work on.
NEW BOOK LOOKS AT THE LIFE OF THE LEGENDARY JOCKEY ROY HIGGINS
THERE IS a new book out on the legendary Roy Higgins with whom this writer had a memorable close association- as kids growing up in the Riverina of NSW.
Last week we mentioned Danny Brereton who introduced the fashion of riding with just a toe in the iron that has been adopted by most jockeys these days.
“It stops you from using your legs – and therefore prevents you from putting your horse off balance.
“The strength is in your upper body” contends the former international jockey who is not a great supporter of whips either.
Of course old timers will say that is at odds with the styles of Darby Munro and Bill Cook who were renowned for their hands and heels style.
But we have moved on.
Robert Thompson and Graham Kliese are two who still ride with their complete foot in the iron – and they won’t change.
In the new Higgins book “Australia’s Favorite Jockey” by Patrick Bartley, there is a quote from Roy’s original master – the wily Jim Watters of Jerilderie who told his apprentice:
“A jockey must have a strong grip on the reins – but the horse must not feel that strong grip”.
Did you see the international jockey sensation Joe Moreira riding on Saturday at Flemington?
Did you notice where the reins were on his mounts in the final stages of a race?
Old Jim Watters would have turned in his grave!
By the way another good read that just been released is High Stakes by Paul Kennedy. It is the story of the rise and fall of the Waterhouse dynasty.
Remember the ABC Four Corners program Horses for Courses in 1986. It’s well worth a google too, especially at this time of year with memories of Big Philou and the sensation around his Melbourne Cup withdrawal.
Just google: ABC Four Corners Horses for Courses and simply press the play button.
Talk about sensational.
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.
