THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE has a new look but won’t be dispensing with some of our old favorites and will continue to focus on THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what has happened in racing over the past week. The Whinge will continue to provide an opportunity for The Cynics to Have Their Say. Thanks again for your support for the most read column on this website. Our popularity continues to grow despite the bagging it is copping from some officials who cannot cope with constructive criticism and insist that no-one reads it. We encourage readers to continue to contribute but plan to restrict the Whinge to only eight or at the most 10 items as well as stories you may have missed in the mainstream media. That is what you seem to want. Feedback suggests that unless there is a major issue that the column at times is too long.
EDITOR’S NOTE: AN apology to those contributors who had trouble sending emails this week. Due to a system glich – or a not so friendly hacker – our email network at letsgohorseracing was compromised which forced it to be closed for 48 hours. That meant some emails bounced back to the sender, something that was beyond our control while the problem was rectified. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
WE still managed to receive the usual large number of contributions and one of the most contentious topics this week was integrity in racing in Queensland, highlighted by attention – or lack of it – to swabbing. The stewards in the north, headed by Allen Reardon, have come under fire and here is what some of our readers had to say on the issue:
PROTESTS AGAINST SWABBING PHILOSOPHY AT RQ GAIN MOMENTUM 
ALBERT WILLIAMS of REDCLIFFE writes:
‘I FEEL it is time that contributors to the Wednesday Whinge on your website chimed in with some support for the solitary battle being waged by Phil Purser at justracing against growing and alarming aspects of integrity at Racing Queensland.
Phil has been highlighting the fact how RQ is doing the thoroughbred industry in Australia a major disservice – and is leaving itself wide open to public ridicule and questioning – because there simply aren’t a comparative number of swabs being taken at Brisbane metropolitan races each Saturday compared to Sydney and Melbourne meetings.
Phil has questioned why on some days there are no horses swabbed outside of the winners in Brisbane despite the fact that some fancied runners from high profile stables – with interesting connections – have failed badly with little or no questions being asked either.
Add to that the fact that when there are horses swabbed outside of the winners in Brisbane, these are not identified and as Phil says this isn’t a good look and lends itself to suggestions that there could be ‘one rule for one trainer or stable’ and one for ‘another trainer or stable’ which in this day and age simply isn’t good enough.
As he wrote: “It’s a no brainer for the integrity of the industry that it’s imperative that every swabbed horse is named on a stewards’ report. Punters want to see that things are transparent, so show it to them.”
We never read any criticism of the RQ hierarchy of stewards in the mainstream racing media in Queensland, especially The Courier-Mail. The Turf Editor there might as well be employed as communications manager for his mates at RQ.
Nor do we see them backing what Phil Purser is saying, which after all is simply a protection for the punters – those that people like Nathan Exelby from The Courier-Mail should be kicking up for instead of his little mate the RQ Chairman for Everything.
But I guess when you are continually being fed ‘exclusives’ to ensure positive publicity what more can the racing public expect?”
It sure is a sad state of affairs racing in Queensland and explains why the place is going backwards at the rate of knots – despite all the positive slant on overdue prizemoney increases and ‘dud’ TAB deals, not to mention the lack of confidence in the racing product.
It explains why the place is a joke and a laughing stock with punters intra and interstate.’
SOME OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS WERE CELEBRATING THE RETURN OF ‘LIKEABLE AL’ 
A LONG-TIME OWNER, who for obvious reasons preferred not to be named, sent this email:
‘LITTLE wonder many active players in the racing industry in Queensland were celebrating the return of Allan Reardon to the high profile stewarding ranks in the north.
It didn’t quite match the FBI (front, back and inside) protest coverage orchestrated by his good mate (the then Racing Editor of The Courier-Mail) when former Chief Steward Steve Railton was sacked during the Bentley era some years ago.
From an owners’ perspective (and I have raced dozens of horses over the years with a stable that has no connections in Queensland) I shake my head when some licensees protest the departure of a Chief Steward or celebrate the return of another. You could jokingly compare it to criminals not wanting the local police chief to be sacked.
In my opinion Railton failed to fire a shot during the period when he was Chief Steward after Ray Murrihy left for Sydney. He had one much publicized and failed running and handling inquiry which involved top jockey Mick Dittman which failed to get off the launch pad and it seemed that after that became a little ‘gun shy’.
Reardon followed in the footsteps of Railton and was shown the door during the Bentley era when he crossed swords with the good Doctor Bob Mason – remember him – you don’t, well not to worry, he was a very forgettable individual whose absence from racing has not been long enough.
Reardon – or ‘Al’ to his mates – has always been a popular figure in racing in Queensland – a much loved steward whose return from Victoria where some in the industry still remember his fond farewell.
RQ paid him an extravagant amount of money to return home to retire and train the young troops but in no time he was in charge of the race day panels while Wade Birch – who had been hailed the best thing since sliced bread by the new RQ head honcho – now seems to sit at home with his feet up on the most important race day of the week. Makes a lot of sense doesn’t it – if you happen to be a Queenslander who understands the new mentality that now runs the show in the north?
But back to the state of play and ‘Al’ – or ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ as his fellow stewards now call him (some sort of in-house joke apparently) – has settled into the Chairman of Stewards’ role pretty much with the same impact as his good mate ‘Railo’ did – just going through the motions of a Saturday, enjoying the afternoon tea and scones, copping the big ‘thumbs up’ from the committee room and unfortunately – in the eyes of many punters – not rocking too many boats. Some would say he might as well spend the time with his boss Wade, sitting back watching the action from the comfort of his arm chair at home.
And while all this is happening, the image of racing integrity in Queensland is deteriorating. Dozens of horses are being swabbed and identified to grow punter confidence interstate. But in Brisbane just the winners or when there are a scattered handful more, no-one is told which horses they are, leaving the matter open to plenty of conjecture and hushed gossip among the stakeholders.
As one other website commented recently it is ‘totally ridiculous’ when well backed runners from top stables – one of those trainers has horses for the RQ All Codes Board Chairman – perform like mules and not a solitary question is asked. I am not suggesting anything untoward but it is not a good look for racing in any jurisdiction in this day and age of openness and transparency.
If that’s protecting the punters then is it little wonder that the turnover on racing in Queensland is heading downhill faster than an out of control roller-coaster?
And it will continue to do so while the bosses at RQ sit back and allow it to happen.’
VICTORIA CONTINUES TO INCREASE ITS LEAD TO A FURLONG IN FRONT OF OTHER STATES 
PERCY SMITH of MELBOURNE writes:
‘IF you wondered why racing in Victoria is panels ahead of New South Wales and Queensland there was a story recently in the Australian Financial Review that might explain why.
Sydney racing amazingly continues to rely on the Waller factor to survive of a Saturday. One could argue that without his numbers it would be an absolute embarrassment – if it isn’t already.
One does wonder if the cure isn’t worse than the disease when you look at some of the results and see how second string stablemates continue to upstage their more fancied rivals in some races.
But talking of inflicting pain on the punters, is it any wonder they continue to flee racing in Brisbane in droves when you look at the way the Doomben track is playing not to mention how many of the fancied runners are faring?
What is it about racing in Queensland? A mentality in the major racing media where you never criticize the job being done by those running the show – unless of course their name happened to be Bob Bentley – and the last thing you do is question whether stewards should be more vigilant with the way racing is being run or in more recent times with swabbing, lack of it, or transparency about it.
The track is a great excuse for a form reversal these days. Doomben, now being used every week with Eagle Farm closed for that much awaited redevelopment, is becoming a major embarrassment.
Two of the past three Saturdays it has played to runners settling on the pace. If you happened to be a fancied runner that settles back in the field then you had no chance. Pity the poor punter who tries to place his trebles or quadrellas early before he sees how the track is playing.
Talking about the rule of every runner being given every possible chance to win – you might as well throw that one out the door. As one leading trainer said in an interview before the horse from that stable blew from a short quote to much longer odds and ran accordingly last Saturday: “We don’t want to change its racing pattern. It likes to go back and that means the way the track is playing that he probably will struggle to win.” That was an understatement – the horse wasn’t even competitive.
Turnover will continue to decline in Queensland NSW until current issues that are dogging racing in both states are addressed by the authorities. And all the while in Victoria it will continue to grow where punters have more confidence in those who are running the show not to mention the product on the track.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: HERE is the report from the AUSTRLAIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW by JOHN STENSHOLT that the above email refers to:
RACING Victoria has played down concerns about the effect of a rise in fees it charges bookmakers, saying that wagering turnover has increased strongly since the start of July.
The racing authority told The Australian Financial Review that total wagering turnover across all operators on Victorian thoroughbred horse racing was up 7.3 per cent from July 1 to the weekend before last, when the Caulfield Cup was held, compared with the same period in 2013.
The total amount wagered during that time has reached about $1.5 billion, which includes a 13.5 per cent increase for corporate online bookmakers and a 4 per cent rise across Australian totes.
Racing authorities have come under fire from bookmakers in recent months, with William Hill last week blaming an increase in fees charged by state racing bodies for a 3 per cent fall in bets placed in the past quarter.
However Andrew Catterall, executive director of strategy and development at Racing Victoria, says the bookmakers have so far been able to cope with the increased fees.
“Gross revenue is up about 10 per cent across the corporates and it is a sector that has also seen new entrants and increased competition, which has been good for the customer, through extensive promotions and special offers,” Catterall says.
“And we have witnessed some major shifts in market share between corporate bookmakers, with some established bookmakers recording significant double-digit growth.”
Racing authority in fine fettle
Catterall also says the decline in pari-mutuel wagering has slowed throughout the first quarter. “I think that shows Tabcorp is doing a good job in that regard,” he says.
Racing Victoria moved to increase its “race fields” fees at the start of July, with traditional and online bookmakers hit with rising fees across all races.
Wagering on horse racing will peak in the next few weeks, which includes this weekend’s Victoria Derby at Flemington and the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday next week.
The 23 feature days of the spring carnival – from the Memsie Stakes on August 31 to the Ballarat Cup on November 23 – will generate $1.3 billion in turnover, or 26 per cent of annual turnover, on Victorian thoroughbred racing. Racing Victoria last week announced a net profit of $18.4 million for the 2014 financial year, from revenue of $310 million. The racing authority also fully extinguished debts of about $26 million during the year.
“The financial position is looking healthy. We retired the debt and the result came despite having to pay the $5.7 million share of [a levy to the Victorian government regarding Tabcorp’s gaming licence for 2012-13],” Catterall says.
“The next step is to build some strategic reserves and be able to make some investments to strengthen racing and return more funds to our participants.”
Catterall says the sport in Victoria hopes to receive a further boost in the coming year from the opening of a new track at Packenham, on Melbourne’s outskirts, and via further investments in the new racing.com online platform.
DAVID AND GOLIATH LEGAL BATTLE ENDS IN VICTORY FOR TOWNSVILLE TURF CLUB 
PAUL MORRIS of BRISBANE sent this email:
‘IT was interesting to note in the Silks & Saddles column this week that a legal feud between the Townsville Turf Club and some developers was put to rest.
No big deal really, whilst there are at least two individuals on this earth there will be some kind of legal stoush if not a war.
The interesting part to the report was the reference to legal costs incurred by both parties that were to be left to the individuals to pay.
The dozen or so southern ‘Silk’ and legal brains for one side was battling it out with Townsville’s former Racing Queensland Board member and bush lawyer Barry Taylor.
If the report in the Silks & Saddles column is correct the stoush was a good old legal battle between an IRRESISTIBLE force against an IMMOVABLE object.
Gee – I would just love to see Taylor take to the throats of RQ’s Condon and Dixon.
I AM SURE IT WILL HAPPEN ONE DAY and it will be sooner than later if the ‘bush drums’ are accurate.’
WHY WOULDN’T IRISH EYES BE SHINING ON THE BIG BUCKS DOWN UNDER? 
PADDY SAMUELS of MELBOURNE sent this email:
‘IS it any wonder the European trainers are targeting the big races in Australia?
The Irish Times reported that champion trainer Aidan O’Brien’s global Group One reach stretched from Melbourne in the morning to Doncaster in the afternoon when he won the Cox Plate with Adelaide.
More importantly it reported that O’Brien finished the domestic season with more than five million Euros in prizemoney and a century of winners, including three home classics.
In took him the entire season and a stack of winners to net five million Euros on home soil while he collected a cool two million Euros in a few minutes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Why wouldn’t the European trainers be keen to chase the big money Down Under?’
PRAISE FOR DECISION BY RQ TO BOOST STAKES FOR STRADBROKE TO $2 MILLION 
BRETT WINTEC, a regular critic of RQ, this time has some praise for the control body:
‘I admit that I have been extremely critical of Racing Queensland and the Queensland Government for in my view their lack of acknowledgement of the big issues in racing, and for utilizing propaganda and their media mates to promote their agendas, whilst not providing stakeholders key industry outcomes to enable our assessment of their performance.
This said, I must confess my delight with last week’s announcement that Racing Queensland was increasing the prizemoney for the 2015 Stradbroke to $2 million.
Recognition of this great race as Queensland’s feature race has been a long time coming. For too long the restricted Magic Millions Two-Year-Old, with inflated entry fees and a ridiculous contribution by Racing Queensland has been hailed as Queensland’s premier event.
In my view Magic Millions has for too long be given a free ride, due mainly I think to the hospitality provided to Racing Queensland officials during early January on the Gold Coast, which I am sure wasn’t received at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke Day.
It’s a credit to Racing Queensland that they have finally acknowledged that the Stradbroke underpins the Carnival and that it deserves the mantle of Queensland’s richest race. It is steeped in tradition and one can only hope that the $2mn will be sufficient to entice plenty of interstate participation and maybe the odd overseas entry.
Credit where credit is due, this was a long time coming but is a fantastic investment that I think will increase the waning interstate attendances at Carnival time.
Whilst I do not agree with controversial change to the Carnival announced by Racing Queensland, I won’t conflict one of my first positive statements about Racing Queensland with commentary on this issue. This is best left for another day.’
WILL A $2 MILLION STRADBROKE ATTRACT ONE MORE GOOD HORSE THAN $1 MILLION? 
PAUL DAVIDSON of TOWNSVILLE writes:
‘SO Brisbane will get a $2 million showcase Stradbroke next winter carnival but what about the major Cups on the country circuit – like those from Rockhampton to Cairns?
Once again the big prizemoney announcements by RQ in the wake of the new TAB deal are slanted at the south-east corner.
The standard joke doing the rounds is if the Townsville Turf Club was named the Toowoomba Turf Club the roads would be paved with gold.
Good luck to the Brisbane Racing Club for the major boosts orchestrated by its former chairman but will a $2 million Stradbroke attract any more topliners than the current $1 million one does?
I doubt it – even if they are trying to lure overseas horses with a little help from Racing Victoria. The way the Doomben track is playing – and it looks certain to host the Stradbroke next year – the talent scouts should be on the lookout for good front-runners.
And as for Toowoomba getting major prizemoney increases for its big day to be held as a major Saturday meeting of the carnival, that decision is destined to prove a monumental disaster.
I watched some of the races from Clifford Park on Sky last Saturday night and was astounded to see that on the last the figures indicated the win and place hold was only $16,000. I surfed into Betfair on the internet and found it was holding $78,000 on the same race.
To say racing in Toowoomba is in trouble is an understatement. Everyone in racing in Queensland knows it but mates of mates just turn a blind eye to an increasingly alarming situation and continue to pump good industry funds after bad – down the gurgler.’
GROWING SUPPORT FOR THE LOBBY THAT WANTS TO SEE THE WHIP BANNED 
CLIVE PAYTEN of SYDNEY writes:
‘MANY in racing are continually upset by the rants and raves against our industry by Patrick Smith in The Australian but I must say that on the issue of whip use might I suggest that the silent majority agree with him.
I noted with interest the comments of Terry Butts, a horse trainer of many years and a racing commentator, in his column Silks & Saddles on your website this week.
Butts is obviously not a fan of the whip and nor am I as an owner of many years standing. I don’t necessarily agree with him that it should be totally banned, except for use on young horses.
But it is certainly hard to condone the use of the whip to the extent it is today whether they want to tell us it is controlled and policed and that the new padded version doesn’t hurt the horse.
Well if it doesn’t, why carry one?’
EDITOR’S NOTE: IN case you missed it here is what PATRICK SMITH had to say on the whip issue in his latest attack in THE AUSTRALIAN:
HERE is racing’s problem. The whip. The industry and the sport do not have the courage to ban it. Those who run the thoroughbred business know that the padded instrument hurts horses when a jockey hits his mount with all his strength. That is why the use of the whip is restricted. There are limits to how many times you can get stuck into your horse before a race reaches its last 100m. After that, though, you can do your darndest then. Whack. Whack. Whack. Oh, and whack again. Whackety, whack, whack.
The industry will claim all of this is a misrepresentation of its position. The men and few women who run racing will argue that the whip is restricted more on the grounds of public perception. The whip does not hurt a horse but encourages it. Yet it is restricted because the public is not capable of understanding that significant but fine distinction between pain and praise.
So the industry bets each-way. It does not ban the whip but rules where the whip can be used and how many times. So a jockey can use the whip on his mount five times before the final 100m but not in consecutive strides. After that the jockey is free to hit the horse as often as he likes.
This feeble and equivocal position is reflected in the punishment for abuse of the whip rules. On Saturday Zac Purton rode a heady race to win the Caulfield Cup on Japan’s Admire Rakti. He slipped back towards the rear of the field and had a huge job of reeling in runaway leader Rising Romance in the home straight.
Purton hit the horse 13 times in a forehand action before he reached the 100m marker, eight times more than the rules allow. The stewards also reported that he hit Admire Rakti on three consecutive strides once and two consecutive strides twice before the 100m.
The penalty? $1500 for striking the horse eight times more than allowed and $1500 for whipping in consecutive strides. That’s $3000 all up. Purton’s cut of the $1,750,000 prizemoney: a mere $87,500. Of course, of equal if not more value to the money is the honour and prestige that goes with winning one of the most significant races not just in Australia but the world.
Presumably, too, the grateful owner Riichi Kondo would have topped up Purton’s earnings. There is no deterrent to Purton or any jockey in a race of such substance.
The illegal whip use raises the question of Admire Rakti’s right to retain the cup. It was raised with head steward Terry Bailey who told Fairfax media: “Admiral Rakti would have won anyway.” The winning margin was just a long neck. But if Purton was allowed to “encourage” his horse considerably more than James McDonald could on his mount Rising Romance isn’t there a case to be made for the race result to be overturned? Or if, as Bailey contends, the whipping did not account for the long neck winning margin then Purton was gratuitously striking his horse.
It would be good to know just when whipping does impact on a race result. Because if it did not cause any difference to the result of Saturday’s Caulfield Cup it is hard to think of a scenario when it would.
So why would you use it? Admire Rakti was well back in the field and chasing a clear and strongly running leader yet the continual whipping was ruled of no account. It begs the question: why do we allow whipping if it is of no effect?
The very issue of the whip is corrupted and confused because officials seek to serve two masters. The whip causes no pain yet its use is restricted. The whip is harmless yet its use encourages the horse. How? What is the stimulation that makes the horse try harder? It can only be pain. If it is encouragement and not pain why are you not allowed to encourage a disgruntled horse when and where you like? It is needed for control yet what horse in the Caulfield Cup was out of control?
Jockeys will tell you the whip is nothing but a “feather duster” and wouldn’t bruise an apple. That is one strike. But horses in contention are often struck furiously and continuously for 100m in the same spot. That wouldn’t hurt? Apple puree.
There is no scientific proof that the whip hurts horses. So far it has proved impossible to measure. But equally there is no considered scientific research that shows horses do not suffer pain when whipped. So we are whipping in the hope that horses are not being mistreated. We do not have the right to do that.
Use of the whip is restricted as a sop to the greater community. Beat a horse in the street as a jockey does on the track and there would be public outrage. The use of the whip is allowed as a sop to the punters. They want to believe everything will be done to ensure their bet has the best chance of winning. Punters and jockeys alike think the whip is their ATM.
The window on racing this time of year is as big as it gets. People outside the racing community get to peer in. All of them should watch the number of times horses are struck with the whip. They should ask themselves if what they see is sport.
SHOULD WE HAVE A PUBLIC HOLIDAY TO CELEBRATE THE MELBOURNE CUP? 
MERV the MAD PUNTER of BRISBANE makes a good point:
‘DON’T you just wish that Melbourne Cup day was a public holiday?
It’s that one day of the year when many Australians who never bet during the year have their annual flutter.
There is nothing more Australian than the Melbourne Cup and perhaps this is the day that we should be celebrating Australia Day.’
STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
FORTY STILL IN THE FIELD FOR NEXT TUESDAY’S MELBOURNE CUP 
A TOTAL of 40 horses remain in contention for a start in next Tuesday’s $6.2 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) following Monday’s closure of second acceptances.
Heading the list is Japan’s Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti, one of 11 internationally-trained horses now inside the top 24 and assured a start in the Flemington feature.
If all do start it will equal the record of 11 internationals from the 2011 Melbourne Cup won by French star Dunaden and in which horses trained abroad filled six of the first seven placings.
As expected Saturday’s Sportingbet Cox Plate placegetter Silent Achiever was the most notable withdrawal, with Kirramosa, Hawkspur, Zanbagh and Black Tycoon the other top 24-ranked horses not to accept.
Their withdrawal has paved the way for Simon O’Donnell and Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing to boost their Cup assault with four OTI-owned horses now inside the top 24.
UK-trained Gatewood (16th), French-trained Au Revoir (22nd), and the Peter Moody pair Brambles (19th) and Lidari (23rd) make up the quartet with a fifth OTI-owned horse, UK-trained Lord Van Percy (31st), still in contention.
Moody is one of five trainers with multiple runners now inside the top 24. The others are Robert Hickmott (three), Chris Waller (three), Saeed bin Suroor (two) and Johnny Murtagh (two).
Last year’s winner Gai Waterhouse is represented solely by Sydney Cup winner The Offer (6th), while 12-time Cup winner Bart Cummings and his grandson James are now assured a start with veteran Precedence (18th).
The Mike Moroney-trained Araldo now sits at 24th in Order of Entry, but is not guaranteed a start with the winner of Saturday’s Lexus Stakes (2500m) and Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington both guaranteed a start if a final acceptor.
Notable acceptors outside the top 24 at present are Makybe Diva’s three-quarter sister and one-time Cup favourite La Amistad (27th), Geelong Cup winner Caravan Rolls On (28th) and racing.com Moonee Valley Cup winner Prince of Penzance (30th).
The Darren Weir-trained Prince of Penzance has risen in the Order of Entry after being handed a 2kg penalty this morning by Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager, Greg Carpenter, for his Group 2 win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Final acceptances for the Cup will be taken at 4.30pm on Saturday following the running of the Lexus and Mackinnon Stakes. The top 35-ranked horses will all be examined before that time by RV vets to determine their suitability to accept.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner-editor of the letsgohorseracing web-site. That is why he has added an ‘EDITOR’S NOTE’. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.
