IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, comments on concerns within the industry that RQ is rudderless at the moment.
Butts believes stakeholders have no confidence in those currently running the show and criticizes the decision to sack RQ CEO Darren Condon in the sake of the greyhound controversy.
Here is the Butts column:
CONCERN GROWS THAT INDUSTRY IN QUEENSLAND IS SINKING INTO DESPAIR
THERE is a groundswell of concern in Queensland that the racing industry is sinking into the depths of utter despair.
Racing Queensland has been likened by some to a leaking ship in rough seas. – with the captain locked out of the bridge.
Quite frankly, the sacking of the ‘captain’, CEO Darren Condon, is wrong and has seriously added to the current woes. There is simply ‘no one home’ anymore to keep RQ on an even keel.
And besides – why should he shoulder the blame for the greyhound fiasco?
It was an unjust decision and Government has earned no kudos and certainly didn’t gain any votes among the fair-minded.
Commonsense dictates that Government surely needs a man of Condon’s ability to be in control, especially now, while new boards are elected or put in place.
Instead, it would seem that role of decision-making is being undertaken by people with little experience in the industry. Yet sadly – their decisions made daily, control the destiny for hundreds of licensees who live off the game and have been innocently caught up in the turmoil.
STAKEHOLDERS HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THOSE RUNNING THE SHOW
THERE is so much uncertainty – and it gives the stakeholders no confidence that they are in the hands of people who could scarcely be described as experienced – if not, in the opinion of some, bordering on incompetent.
The future of QTIS for instance is still not properly defined after some misleading information recently. Nor is the all-important question of prizemoney.
It is not so much a question of will there be any increase of prizemoney next season – but whether it will be sustained at current levels. There is a suggestion in some quarters of reduction of race dates to retain the current prizemoney pool. Really?
All that we have been told is that there is a black hole and Government won’t be providing any fill – an announcement that coincided with NSW and Victoria skiting about increased betting levels and announcing major prizemoney increases for the new season.
Queensland will commence the new season on August 1 with not only genuine concerns of the future but without its flagship racecourse – Eagle Farm, which has been an utter disaster.
Of course the problems were inherited by the present Government after much bungling by the Newman/Nicholls regime – but it would be reassuring to hear some comments by the new Racing Minster as to when there might be action again at one of Australia’s most famous racetracks. Or if, and when, the much talked about tunnels will be a reality.
Queensland has lost its way on the national front and the sacking of the CEO is not, definitely not, the answer.
And you have to wonder who the person will be to actually appoint the replacement.
Yes, who?
Because you might wonder if there is ‘anyone home’ suitably qualified to anoint a new CEO.
Then again you might reasonably also ask would anyone want the job after the way Condon was treated.
ARROGANCE HIGHLIGHTED BY DECISION TO TRANSFER CAIRNS TO ATHERTON
AN example of the current arrogance displayed by those now making the decisions at RQ is the meetings transferred from Cairns to Atherton in the past two weeks.
How many key players, such as trainers and jockeys, were consulted and asked for their views?
None!
It was totally wrong to transfer a TAB meeting from Cairns to Atherton last Saturday week and reduce the prizemoney from SKY2 to country ($7,000) while apprentice jockeys were treated as if it was a provincial meeting. That was inexcusable and certainly would not have happened had Condon been at his desk.
Two of the top trainers in Cairns said they prefer other venues and a leading jockey is on the record as rating Gordonvale a better track than Atherton – but that is a view open to some conjecture among his colleagues.
On Sunday Atherton hosted the only race meeting in Queensland, after Cannon Park was ruled unsafe, and all races carried the advertised SKY1 prizemoney.
Being such, most believed the meeting should have been transferred to the nearest TAB track – Mackay.
Meanwhile Cairns, despite celebrating the opening of its new $2 million all-weather track last year, continues to lose meetings due to rain.
The accepted solution, according to northerners, would have been to transfer the meetings to Innisfail – but there have been problems with a grub that has been eating away the precious turf.
According to Chief Steward Sam Woolaston, who inspected the Innisfail track on Friday, the remedial work undertaken by the club in recent weeks has been successful and the track should be safe and ready in the very near future.
Innisfail is not a recognised TAB track – but it is widely regarded as one of the best surfaces in the north and renowned for its vigorous and energetic committee.
Cairns Amateurs at Pease Park this year?
Imagine!
LAURA HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL DESPITE A FEW PROBLEMS WITH VET
THE annual Laura meeting on Saturday was yet another major race day and in spite of earlier concerns of a clash with Cairns – the meeting was highly successful.
It proceeded – but not without its moments.
Jockeys and horses came from as far away as Cowra in the cold of NSW (Oak Park next week is also on their agenda) and old favourite Robber’s Roost was a popular winner.
So too was the old war horse, Baramul Bullet, which won the Cup, capturing his ninth win and boosting his earnings to more than $125,000.
Mathew Cahill, elder brother of Brisbane’s top jockey Michael, was back again and rode a winning double. He rode at the same meeting two years ago – and will be at the two-day Oak Park meeting this week. There’s only one thing he likes more than Queensland country racing – and that’s the Queensland country fishing.
And the winter weather of course!
But the Laura meeting almost didn’t get go ahead. And not because of the old starting stalls that played up like a second hand motor bike either.
There was no vet. An Atherton-based vet was expected on track – but when contacted – said he hadn’t been booked.
The Cooktown-based surgeon answered an urgent SOS from the club and arrived two hours after the advertised starting time of the first.
With unruly horses and barrier stalls that wouldn’t close, four horses were withdrawn from the first two races.
But things got better as the day progressed. Ex jockey Doug Bannister was seconded from the crowd to help sort out the barrier problems and the club agreed to reimburse the starting fees for all horses that were withdrawn.
But it wasn’t such a happy day for the vet. As he rushed to the tiny picturesque track, bursting with 2000 impatient punters and spectators, a policeman (unfortunately we don’t have his name) suddenly appeared – and issued a speeding ticket.
You know, 10 years ago (or pre Fitzgerald) it wouldn’t have happened…a copper would have probably provided an escort!
Have things really changed for the better?.
Ask the Vet!
BOUQUET FOR REMEMBERING LATE TRAINER GEORGE DOOLAN
AND a belated bouquet for the Cairns Jockey Club and also the Atherton Turf Club for commemorating the memory of the recently departed trainer George Doolan by naming a race in his honour on Sunday.
Old George would have been mightily chuffed.
OAK PARK AND MACKAY ANNUALS – HIGHLIGHTS OF RACING IN NQ THIS WEEK
IT all happens this week.
Two days of Oak Park and the Mackay Cup meeting on Thursday (Newmarket) and Cup on Saturday will ensure a scarcity of jockeys for both meetings.
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..
