IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, comments on how there is little difference between the last two Racing Commission reports.
Butts also questions whether Darren Condon, the RQ CEO, has been the ‘fall guy’ for the greyhound ‘live baiting scandal’ and whether administrative changes being proposed will cost the industry prizemoney.
Here is the Butts column:
GROUNDHOG DAY AS ANOTHER INQUIRY COMMISSION RETURNS SAME OUTCOME
THE Commission of Inquiry has found that the racing industry is plagued with serious management failures and has recommended a number of former Board members and senior racing executives be investigated.
No, it isn’t the Premier talking about the MacSporran Commission report that was presented to her last week.
These are in fact the words of the former Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie when releasing details of the multi-million dollar Commission by Margaret White AO two years ago.
So nothing’s changed, you might say – just the Government.
Mr Bleijie went further: “The report shone a light on a dark chapter in Queensland racing’s history and made recommendations to ensure the same serious problems didn’t resurface in the future.
“Racing Queensland was funded by taxpayers but the Inquiry found it was essentially being run like a personal empire with little Government oversight of several procedural matters,” Mr Bleijie said.
It is astounding that an industry of its significance and capacity lacked basic structure,” he said.
YOU could be forgiven by responding to MacSporran‘s report with a simple “same old…same old….” As the latest of three Racing Commissions in this state have all said much of the same. Bad management was the common denominator in the reports of each of the Commissions.
FEW SURPRISES IN LATEST REPORT FOCUSSING MAINLY ON DOG CRUELTY
THERE were few surprises in the latest report for racing’s rank and file. It was predominantly about greyhound cruelty of which much has been written.
The abhorrent practise of live kills has been going on since the birth of greyhound racing. Not just in Queensland – but quite probably wherever there is a track – in every state of the nation. And amazingly every state has handled it differently.
Why not a national probe?
I have seen rabbits tied to the lure at the PUBLIC trials held every Monday night at the Macau Canidrome. And what remained of the rabbits after their pathetic one-sided duel with the greyhounds was collected by hawkers to sell on their food stalls – or so I was informed by one of the Aussie dog trainers on contract over there at the time.
You might believe that greyhound racing, at least in this State, has dug its own grave. There is little likelihood of planned new racetracks getting the Government go-ahead and that of course includes the Gold Coast and Townsville. The chorus of the anti-greyhound brigade is growing every day and getting louder.
One aspect of the MacSporran report that surprised many however was his idea to retain the three codes all under the one umbrella. This idea was introduced by Bentley as a cost saving scheme – but while perhaps sound in theory – it has hardly been successful.
Most believe each code should be self-reliant, run separately, and be responsible for its own fate and fortune.
The current set up it is a bit like the ARL, QRU and AFL being run by one overarching board.
Imagine that!
DARREN CONDON THE ‘FALL GUY’ ALL BECAUSE OF A MISSING EMAIL
IT is clear that the other two codes have been dragged towards the gutter by the activities within the greyhound industry. That’s not fair.
Nor is the fact that CEO Darren Condon has lost his job because of what went on. He is the ‘fall guy’ all because of a missing email from the Animal Cruelty lobby.
By the way – just who was that crucial email addressed to?
“It wasn’t me,” said Condon. “It was sent direct to my secretary.”
Same secretary, by the way, has resigned after lengthy service with Racing Queensland, reportedly ‘fed up’ with the whole sick and sorry saga.
There seems considerable unfairness with the sacking of Condon. Why is it that he should have known and acted on the claims of cruelty that didn’t surface until the ABC 4 Corners expose?
Surely that is the domain of integrity. But Government chose to sack the CEO and a number of Board members who had absolutely nothing to do with the greyhound scandal. Condon had 22 months as CEO and went through two Commissions of Inquiry. He is the patsy in what is purely a political game.
It must also be recognised some highly respected members of the business community were members of the three racing boards and they have been quite unjustly smeared by the backwash of the greyhound scandal.
AND the final word from the former RQ chairman Kevin Dixon who somewhat reluctantly departed his post on Friday:
“To be quite frank, from the time there was a change of government, our boards and myself knew that this was just a matter of time because unfortunately the politics in racing are such that it seems that you have a change of government, you have to change the racing boards.”
Yes, unfortunately it seems so.
Dixon played the game of politics with his eyes wide open and lost. Condon played his role as CEO and lost his job over something he had absolutely no control.
THREATS TO PRIZEMONEY BECAUSE OF PROPOSED ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES?
AND now there is a threat of prize money cut backs across the state to finance the proposed administrative changes. The Racing Department that has been attached to Government is reportedly now to be part of Integrity which will work independently from the Board.
But the bad news is it will be financed by the industry and that could mean $2 million or more to come direct from the prizemoney pool. One wonders exactly what function this Racing Department performs other than being a conduit between Government of the day and the Board of Racing Queensland.
Surely, the tasks (whatever) could be handled more economically by the Racing Minister’s staff.
This bombshell was dropped in the very same week that Racing Victoria announced increased prize money by $16.5 million for 2015-16 season.
This massive increase takes effect on August 1 2015.Importantly, more than two-thirds of the increases are for country Victoria.
The minimum prize money offered for all country TAB races (excluding 0-58 races) will be $20,000 and non-TABs to $10,000.
After consultation with the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association (TROA), Victorian Jockeys' Association (VJA) and Australian Trainers' Association (ATA), it was unanimous that any prize money increases for 2015-16 should be delivered from the bottom up.
Prize money for Maidens – which represent 33% of the state’s TAB races – will raise to a minimum of $20,000, country premier maidens $23,000, country night maidens $25,000 and midweek metropolitan maidens $27,000.
The minimum stake for over 70% of metropolitan midweek and standard night races has been lifted to $40,000, whilst the Saturday ‘ninth race’ increases to $50,000 and Saturday Open Handicaps to $90,000.
Total turnover on Victorian thoroughbred racing was up 5.8 per cent across all operators this season.
LACK OF PENALTY FOR MT GARNET CUP WINNER CAUSES SOME ANGER
RATTUS Conatus won the feature double at the successful Mr Garnet meeting over the weekend culminating with a brilliant all the way win in the Cup on Saturday.
He incurred no penalty for his easy win in record time on Friday (in a benchmark 70, mind you) that apparently got up the noses of some.
But winners are grinners and a hiccup over handicapping didn’t stop the celebration from the Weiland camp of supporters. They partied hard, is the mail.
The horse was ridden on both occasions by former Gordonvale lad Michael Murphy who started his apprenticeship with Weiland but suffered a nasty fall that hospitalised him for several weeks. He then joined Chris Munce in Brisbane and Mt Garnet was just his fourth day at the races as a jock. One he will no doubt never forget.
BEACH RACES ARE BACK AT MACKAY AS LOCAL TURF CLUB TRAILS FIELD
THE beach races are on at Mackay again on August 8 and bookings for various social events are ‘sensational’ according to the organiser, the mercurial Mick Pope.
“There are 108 spots for the golf on Thursday and already 60-odd have been snapped up – more than half by visitors,’’ Pope said yesterday.
The Beach races has Tigerair on board this year and the airline expect to fill the planes on their direct flights from Melbourne on Thursday, returning on Sunday
“And why wouldn’t they?” asked Mick
“They will leave Melbourne in overcoats and three hours later they are here decked out in their beach wear – for a couple of hundred bucks return.”
The Races last year generated $2.5 million in revenue according to the Mackay Tourist Bureau, a solid supporter of the event, which is now in its third year.
A race on the beach for kids on their ponies is an added feature this year. And the TV Lotto lady and weather presenter Liz Canter has been named as this year’s ambassador.
Last year Mick approached the Mackay Turf Club and urged them to be part of the festival with a race meeting on Friday before the Saturday beach races.
But predictably (and shamefully) the debt-ridden Mackay Turf club ‘wasn’t interested’.
A new committeeman has asked Mick to ‘come back again with the offer’.
He says he will, ‘but it won’t happen this year’.
You would think the Turf Club would jump at the opportunity to get involved.
But….
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..
