IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reports how Townsville Turf Club Chairman Kevin O’Keefe had dual reason for celebration at the weekend.

Butts also questions the fairness of the draft race dates, points out how Mackay seems to be suffering under RQ control and questions whether it would be the case if that club was Toowoomba.

Here is the Butts’ column:

BUT FOR MISMANAGEMENT OF RQ AND LNP GOVT PROJECT WOULD BE NEAR  COMPLETE

SO the bulldozers and contractors will converge on Cluden this week to begin a project that should really be in the final stages of completion.

The track upgrade was due to commence after the NQ Amateurs last August – but due to a potent mix of mismanagement and downright incompetence by the previous Government and Racing Queensland – it wasn’t.

Even the new Racing Minister Bill Byrne said  he couldn’t understand why the vital piece of paperwork – a simple signature – was not completed before the election.

But it was just another act of an LNP Minister who should never have been given the racing portfolio. Steve Dickson will most be remembered as a mere puppet for Premier Campbell Newman, Treasurer Tim Nicholls and the Chairman of Racing Queensland, Kevin Dixon.

There are many who maintain his total ineptness and some of his outrageous public statements helped bring down the LNP government.

TOWNSVILLE DIDN’T FARE AS WELL AS ROCKHAMPTON IN DRAFT DATES

NOW, with the racecourse upgrade all settled, it will be the battle of race dates.

 Townsville, it would appear hasn’t fared as well as the club might have hoped in the proposed race dates for next season.

It has lost its midweek Cup carnival date to Mackay, which at first glance is disappointing. But it might be to protect what will be a ‘new’ track and three days in a week might be a bit taxing.

Townsville this season had 39 dates with 16 Sky2 days. If the draft of next season’s race dates are rubber stamped, Townsville will have only 35 dates with nine on the dreaded Sky2.

It is SKY2 that is the problem No-one wants their races programmed there. The only people who watch SKY2 are subscribers and that seriously affects TAB holds as the majority stay-at-home punters are usually glued to SKY1 or Racing World.

SKY2 is an uninviting mix of trots, dogs and remote meetings all over the country, NZ and in fact the world. Horse racing followers simply turn off or don’t subscribe. Frankly SKY2 should be a channel dedicated exclusively to dogs and trots.

While Townsville will no doubt fight for more race days and a release of those SKY2 dates, Rockhampton, which one would think had equal status with Townsville, fared much better with 41 race days, of which seven are destined for SKY2. The remainder are SKY1 or Racing World.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE RQ RUNNING THE SHOW, MACKAY DOESN’T NEED ENEMIES

BUT spare a thought for Mackay.

With the club virtually under the control and operation of Racing Queensland, the Mackay Turf Club has no real voice in the race dates debate.

That is obvious by the hand the club has been dealt in the new season dates.

Next season Mackay, with the BEST racetrack in the state, will conduct only 19 meetings – and 11 of them are SKY2.

That is really wrong. Unfair!

The club (or RQ) has called for applications for a new CEO.

This writer just happens to know the identity of one of the applicants. And if he doesn’t get at least a fair and reasonable hearing then it might become obvious that Mackay is simply not meant to recover from its depression.

There would not be a more QUALIFIED person for THAT particular job but more on that later.

TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB CHAIRMAN HAD TWO REASONS TO CELEBRATE

THEY say that good things happen to those who wait. This old axiom might well apply to the Townsville Turf Club chairman Kevin O’Keefe who had two valid reasons to celebrate over the weekend.

 On Friday, after yet another vicious rumour hit cyberspace declaring doom and gloom for the much talked about Cluden track upgrade, O’Keefe got a telephone call from the office of new Racing Minister Bill Byrne to say he had signed off on the deal. Phew!

That quickly put an end to the latest scuttle-butt that emanated from mischief-makers in the deep north that ‘Townsville was going to put the running rail back up and start racing again… The money had not come through for the deal’.

Well, that was blown out of the water – as were a lot of the other furphies that have been flying about before and after the election result.

And just as the celebrations that followed that little snippet from the Racing Minister was nearing its end O’Keefe was back in the bowels of his wine cellar on Saturday in search of more ammo after viewing his bonny mare Miss Cover Girl  blitz them at Doomben.

Yes, it was a good weekend and the old bloke was in high spirits as he entertained the club’s 100 Club members at a function at the Turf Club on Saturday night.

CUP PRIZE-MONEY PLEA FELL ON DEAF EARS – IT’S TIME ATTITUDES CHANGED

BEFORE the election the Rockhampton Jockey Club made a plea to Racing Queensland to allocate sufficient prize-money to enable the club to promote a $100,000 (to the winner) Cup this year.

The club wasn’t asking for extra money. The club wanted to vary (reduce) the amount of prize-money on offer for some of the minor races over the carnival.

It a realistic endeavour – with much merit – and one that, if successful, Townsville would certainly have followed.

That is simply because there has not been an increase in prize-money for the Cup ($60,000 to the winner) for 15 years or more.

But it was knocked back by RQ. Why we don’t know. Maybe Toowoomba opposed it!

But, as we now know – things have changed.

It might be an opportune time to go back and have another try.

TIME FOR THIS ‘SPECIAL’ TREATMENT OF THE ‘BASKET CASE’ TOOWOOMBA TO END

HERE’S another interesting snippet on the ‘basket’ case of racing in Queensland at Toowoomba.

Have you heard the one about the much-cuddled Toowoomba Club requesting a few million now to widen the track?

Thank heavens we now have a change of Government which makes any more waste of money on the Downs less likely.

Surely it has had its whack and it’s about time Toowoomba was treated like any other provincial track.

Because, frankly, that’s all it is – and arguably the worst – but with the most prize-money.

GREYHOUND RAIDS STRETCH TO TOWNSVILLE AS DRAMAS FOR CODE WORSEN

AND finally the dogs.

While raids are continuing all over the country in the wake of the dreadful ABC expose on animal cruelty – Townsville has also been the subject of scrutiny.

A Black River property has been under ‘surveillance’ and Racing Queensland stewards, including the Chief Thoroughbred Steward Sam Woolaston, have been active inspecting 14 kennels between Townsville and the Atherton Tablelands.

So far there have not been any charges but…

Michael Beattie, the ex TV newsman and  now face of the RSPCA in this State, said his organization had not been involved in the Townsville raids.

He did say however that there is a strong view that the ABC 4Corners report might not lead to criminal charges against those caught on film. Beattie said stewards may take any action they deem appropriate – but criminal charges are less likely.

All because the ABC crew were illegally on the properties on which those despicable shots that threatens the entire billion dollar industry were taken.

What if they had used a drone?

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..