IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, reveals how there could be legal ramifications in the wake of the bad fall in the Rockhampton Cup last Saturday.
Butts also raises more concerns about the state of the Cairns track along with an interesting scenario which could see QTIS racing in Queensland on the ropes.
Here is the Butts column:
DRAMAS AFTER ROCKHAMPTON CUP CAIRNS TRACK WOES RETURN
THERE has been action aplenty at both ends of North Queensland this week.
The sensational fall in the Rockhampton Cup on Saturday is subject to a lot of conjecture and at Cairns the state of Cannon Park is again a grave concern to all.
There are stressed out trainers seriously considering relocating with fears there may not be another meeting at Cairns before the carnivals that are due next month.
If then!
In Rockhampton there is a belief among some licensees, that the terrible fall in the Cup that saw top jockeys, Adrian Coome, Brad Stewart and up and comer Sairyn Fawke come to grief, should never have happened.
The claim is that it may have been caused by the positioning of the false rail. If this is proven, there will be some serious considerations to be encountered outside racing jurisdictions.
At the time of writing there was no stewards’ report of the meeting posted on the Racing Queensland website and efforts to contact the Chief Steward Luke Collins, or the club, had been unsuccessful.
A replay of the incident is frightening and it’s a miracle there was not a much more serious outcome as the three horses came down midfield.
Young Fawke fared worst. He was airlifted to Brisbane on Saturday night with a fractured skull, some bleeding on the brain and multiple bone fractures. The entire racing community wishes him a complete and speedy recovery.
Leading local jockey Adrian Coome will miss the upcoming Mackay Cup carnival with a broken arm. He was enjoying one of his best seasons while Brad Stewart, who came off the well backed Vandalised after having already ridden a treble and was the champion jockey of the Rocky carnival, escaped with a broken finger.
BAD FALL TOOK SHINE OFF BRILLIANT CUP WIN BY VICTORY HOTEL
THE fall took a lot of shine of what was obviously a very successful carnival. The brilliant win of Victory Hotel in the Cup was the highlight.
The favourite, from Bundaberg, was chasing his fifth straight win. He box-seated from the jump and thereby missed the interference, but was dogged and game to hold off outsiders Count Benjo and Danagaze.
The other carnival highlight was Le Cap in the Newmarket which landed some good bets for his Mt Isa connections and continued the winning ways of Daryl Hansen who has enjoyed a great season. Favourite Daph ‘n’ Alph broke down during the race but trainer Greg Wehlow is confident he will get him back to the track.
Former Hong Kong galloper Straight Gold, winner of $800,000 in prizemoney, was an early financial return for Emerald trainer Glenda Bell. Formerly trained by John Moore in Hong Kong, and more recently trained by his brother Gary in Sydney, Straight Gold showed great appreciation to the big drop in class by winning handsomely. Mind you, he was a Hong Kong class 2 winner in a Benchmark 70 and you could wonder why he wasn’t in the Newmarket – or in Central Queensland for that matter.
WILL CAIRNS MEETING PROCEED THIS SUNDAY DESPITE TRACK CONCERNS?
MEANWHILE, one wonders exactly what will happen with Queensland’s standalone Sunday meeting this weekend.
There have been rumours that the Cairns meeting will again be transferred to Atherton, which to some is quite unacceptable and in fact defies a Racing Queensland decision made earlier in the year when Home Hill hosted a transferred TAB meeting.
It was deemed at the time that only TAB clubs could host TAB meetings. With Townsville still out of play that would mean Mackay would host next Sunday’s meeting.
And why not?
Those in power (whoever they may be) seem to be opting for Atherton as they did last week with considerable backlash from licensees. For starters it was a TAB provincial meeting downgraded (in prizemoney at least) to a country meeting. But while the prizemoney dropped to country status ($10,000 to $7000) it was a provincial status for apprentice jockeys.
Work that out!
CONFUSION OVER QTIS ADDS STRENGTH TO PUSH FOR CONDON TO RETURN
SUSPENDED RQ CEO Darren Condon has been missing from his desk for less than three weeks while this new Government and its advisors ponder the daily issues of a very busy and intricate industry.
It’s an industry that was thrown into further disarray last week by an announcement regarding QTIS that not everyone knows about or understands.
There are many who believe Condon should be reinstated in his CEO role and given the necessary powers to get the ship back on an even keel.
Appointments to boards can come later – but it is a matter of sheer urgency for someone with the capabilities and competence to direct and make everyday decisions – such as solving the Cairns fiasco.
And getting back to QTIS – apparently the Racing Minister announced last week that Government was no longer funding QTIS – and that sent shivers down the spine of breeders and buyers of QTIS stock this year which had purchased on the promise of more bonuses.
But in fact Government stopped funding QTIS in 2014. Racing Queensland has been responsible for its funding.
Now if Racing Queensland pulls the pin on QTIS – well there will be more than shivers down the spine. It’s another matter that must be cleared up quickly with a simple statement before what little confidence in racing totally evaporates.
MACKAY QUICKLY USURPING TOOWOOMBA AS BASKET CASE OF RQ
IT could only happen in Mackay.
A few weeks ago we told you of an outrageous plan to run the Mackay Cup Calcutta in a downtown girlie bar. Hardly the place, everyone agreed – except a couple of entrepreneurs (one might even be affiliated with a corporate bookie) and with seemingly tacit support of the MTC or some of its senior officers or members.
Yes, the Calcutta will be held in a topless bar with posters already out promoting ‘Lunch with the Lads’ at $170 a head.
Mackay Turf Club has a superb $1 million plus entertainment facility right on the track – and a debt mind you of $300,000 or more.
Here was a chance of redeeming some of that debt.
Chance lost. And the only question is…. Why?
A fair dinkum disgrace!
There is no other description.
JUSTIFIABLE HONOUR ASKING GEOFF LANE TO UNVEIL STATUE
FORMER Victorian glamour international jockey and trainer Geoff Lane, now a resident of the Gold Coast and part-time RQ steward, will unveil the statue of a jockey at the National Jockey Trust day at Caulfield on Saturday.
“It was shot straight out of the blue. I feel very honoured,’ said Lane this week as he prepares for a big day out at what was once his favourite racecourse – Caulfield.
It was the scene of many great wins, especially aboard his old favourite the weight for age champion Lord.
And it is an honour. And Geoff Lane has a justifiable right to feel that way.
MUCH TRAVELLED GALLOPER WINS OPEN SPRINT ON TOWERS CUP DAY
MUCH-travelled nine-year-old Azarax downed the odds-on favourite and local hope Whitsunday Express to win the Open sprint at the Charters Towers Cup meeting on Sunday.
The old marvel had run fourth in the Parkes Satellite three weeks ago and before that had won the Nyngan Cup on Anzac Day. The interesting aspect is that at both Parkes and Nyngan he was ridden by apprentice Martin Haley – the same kid who rode Starlistic into third place behind him on Sunday.
Haley, from Narromine NSW, is now apprenticed to John Manzelmann at Mackay and has been a big and instant winner since he ventured north. He rode as winning treble at Moranbah last week and kicked another goal on Aerial Ping Pong on Sunday for his new master.
Mind you he came to this part of the world with the strong recommendation of Chief Stipe Sam Woolaston, himself from NSW – but he had a tough time finding a trainer to indenture him. No one wanted an apprentice in Townsville but Manzelmann snapped him up and obviously he is glad he did.
The reluctance of trainers to indenture apprentices is something that needs to be investigated. Trainers say they want the apprentices but can’t afford the financial commitment that is now a Government requirement.
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..