THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE has a new look but won’t be dispensing with the theme and focus on the THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what is happening in racing. 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 and one of the most read on racing websites in the country. Our popularity continues to grow despite the bagging it cops from some high profile officials, especially in Queensland, who cannot cope with constructive criticism of any kind. We encourage supporters – and critics – to continue to contribute but plan to restrict the Whinge to less than 10 of the best items each week. Our message to those who continually bag us is simple: IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU READ, THEN DON’T REVISIT THE WHINGE.
RQ PROVIDES ANSWERS TO URGENT QUESTIONS RELATING TO MAJOR RACETRACKS 
PAUL WARREN would like some answers to pressing racetrack questions in Queensland:
‘WITH all the public drama regarding the cobalt issue, the live baiting of greyhounds, the election result and who will be running racing and who will not, some major track issues seem to have slipped into the background.
The first one (and the biggest) is what is going on with the Eagle Farm track?
Interestingly, the BRC cannot start building its skyscrapers down the straight until the stables are moved infield. The stables cannot be moved infield until there are tunnels and the track cannot be completed until there are tunnels.
RQ or the Government do not seem to be committed to funding the tunnels so how will construction take place and what does this mean for the BRC?
While all the discussion is going on, the half renovated track sits there. It is a real possibility the Eagle Farm track may not see racing until sometime in 2016?
This has massive implications for the punters, the BRC, the Doomben track, other SEQ tracks and the industry as a whole in terms of turnover.
It should also be noted that 2015 is the 150 year anniversary of racing at Eagle Farm – what a shame if there will be no racing in that milestone year.
The other track issues relate to Gold Coast, Townsville and also the remedial work at Toowoomba.
What is happening with them?
Toowoomba is due to host a meeting over the winter carnival – things are not looking good.
Townsville has been closed for racing but limited or no work has started.
Isn’t Gold Coast meant to receive an upgrade prior to the $10 million race day in 2016? When will this happen?
Time is ticking on all of these projects and there appears little hope of their completion in a reasonable time frame.
It would be great if you could seek some answers on the above through your networks.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: RQ CEO Darren Condon advises that the planned date for racing to resume on the new track at Eagle Farm is still August 16. Only a spate of wet weather hold ups and certainly not the financing problems with the second stage will delay that). Stage Two can be started with racing underway on the redeveloped track. Saturday, March 21, is the date planned for resumption of racing at Clifford Park. The work has begun at Cluden in Townsville and the finance hold up was quickly rectified last week by the new Government. It was never planned to upgrade the Gold Coast before Magic Millions day next year. That work will be started after that as RQ did not want Eagle Farm and Gold Coast out of action at the same time. I am also told that although Deagon has been allocated 12 TAB race meetings in the draft for the next financial year that if the new Eagle Farm track settles in well that might not occur.
WHERE DOES PRIZE-MONEY NOT PAID OUT DURING WET DAYS GO? 
GRAEME McLEOD, a racehorse owner in Queensland, would like answers to the following questions:
DUE to the (recent) cyclone and heavy rain in Queensland the following race meetings were called off. I was wondering if you could ascertain where does this ‘lost’ prize-money go?
Prizemoney totals including QTIS bonuses that were involved in washed out meetings include:
IPSWICH, 20/2/15. $172K
WARWICK 21/2/15. $42 K
TOOWOOMBA 21/2/15. $124K.
GOLD COAST 21/2/15. $152K.
EIDSVOLD 21/2/15. $46K.
DOOMBEN 21/2/15. $535K.
BLUFF 21/2/15. $42K.
THAT is a grand total of prizemoney, not being allocated in two days, of $1,114,000.
I realize a couple of these days will proceed at another time but only a couple so basically over $1.1 million is lost and not returned to the trainers, owners, jockeys, clubs etc.
Also there is rarely a race meeting in Queensland on a Monday or Tuesday. Why can’t these meetings be postponed to those days?
I would like the people at the top to explain to me as a Queensland racehorse owner and supporter, where does the money go?
I realize that some of my figures may be marginally inaccurate but I think you get the general idea.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: CEO Darren Condon said RQ always returned as much of the prize-money lost on wet days as possible to the industry. “Unlike the previous regime we program additional races and include more emergencies in fields in an effort to do everything possible to ensure this prize-money is allocated to the industry. We just don’t seem to get the kudos for it,” he said.
BOUQUETS FOR ORDERING REVIEW BUT BRICKBATS FOR NOT STANDING DOWN THE BOARD 
LAUREN WHYTE of IPSWICH writes:
‘BOUQUETS to the Queensland Government for ordering an Independent Review of the state’s greyhound racing industry to determine how ‘live baiting’ was allowed to go undetected but brickbats to them for failing to stand down the Queensland Greyhound Racing Board and the All Codes Chairman Kevin Dixon pending the outcome.
If the industry grapevine is correct the Head of Integrity at RQ, Chief Steward of Greyhounds Queensland and RQ CEO will all have to shoulder some of the blame when this review is completed but at the end of the day the buck stops with Kevin Dixon and he should be the first to fall on his sword (something that should have already happened).
Questions should also be asked of QGR Board member, Steve Hawkins, a key figure in greyhound racing, whose friendship with Dixon was seen as one of the prime reasons for his appointment. Was he aware of the ‘live baiting’ rumours that everyone in the industry from the tea lady to the blind man with the guide dog at the gate knew about?
Bill Byrne, the new Racing Minister, got it right when he suggested:
“What is needed is a clear headed review of what went wrong to result in the type of images we were all so shocked at seeing. In addition I want to ensure that everything that can be done to investigate all allegations of animal cruelty be done as soon as possible.”
As the Minister said, it is important that the Review determines:
· How misconduct resulting in the suspension of trainers allegedly involved in live-baiting was able to occur without earlier detection (and that should result in interrogation of the Integrity staff, stewards, Greyhound Board members, especially those who race dogs; previous Racing Minister Steve Dickson and his buddy, the RQ Chairman Kevin Dixon (who kept delivering propaganda on how well the three codes were travelling and how the industry had been turned around from the previous administration – what crap!).
· How widespread the practice is (and more to the point why those mentioned above didn’t do anything about it and what will the powers-that-be – hopefully a whole new bunch will be appointed at the end of this debacle – do to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
- What changes to governance and compliance arrangements are needed for greatest regulatory effectiveness (new integrity staff, new stewards, new Board, new All Codes Chairman – you don’t have to be Einstein or conduct a multi-million dollar Review to know the answer to this one!)
Minister Byrne said: “The people of Queensland want to know what went wrong, why it went wrong and what needs to be done to ensure this type of behaviour cannot occur undetected in the future.” The answer to that is listed in the key points above but will anyone be listening? For the sake of the industry one would hope so!’
And this one on a similar topic:
‘STAND DOWN GREYHOUND BOARD AND CHAIRMAN DIXON PENDING REVIEW OUTCOME’ 
MICHAEL THOMAS of GOLD COAST writes:
‘THE word is strong that Ministers in the new Labor Government Cabinet are under strict instructions not to throw any grenades or cause any major controversies in their fledgling weeks.
That might explain why we haven’t seen Kevin Dixon and his cronies sent packing from Racing Queensland. If it means we have to wait a month or two to see the back of them, then it will have been worth the wait.
But the bottom line that both new Racing Minister Bill Byrne and more importantly the new Labor Government and Premier need to accept is that nothing short of showing Dixon and his ‘mates’ the door will be acceptable to many inside and outside of the industry.
How can those running RQ and the three codes possibly survive when you look at what they have, or more to the point have not achieved or failed to address during their term? Their performances have simply not been up to scratch, nor has that of some key staff.
The greyhound inaction on live baiting for the Greyhound Racing Board, RQ and its ‘police’ is just the tip of a very big integrity iceberg that in the eyes of many not only needs addressing but should see a broom put through the entire joint.’
‘FOR $3 MILLION THE INDUSTRY DESERVES SOME ANSWERS ABOUT GALLOPS INTEGRITY AS WELL’ 
ALBERT WILLIAMS, a regular contributor to the WEDNESDAY WHINGE, sent this email:
‘AN Independent Review into Greyhound Racing is welcome news but one wonders should it be expanded to include other issues of integrity at Racing Queensland under the leadership of the King of Secrecy, Kevin Dixon?
These are the questions that – one way or another – the new Government and Racing Minister need answered that will, in my mind, leave them with no doubt that the broom needs to be put through the Boards currently running the show at RQ.
Why did it take action from Animal Liberationists and the RSPCA to force the hand of RQ on the greyhound issue and why has the entire Greyhound Board not been stood down pending the outcome of the Independent Review?
Why did Victoria and NSW have to lead the way on cobalt swabbing before RQ was jolted into action and even since there has been an unacceptable delay in announcing the swab results?
How long is it since we saw a major running and handling inquiry at a high profile TAB gallops track in Queensland? Many believe that racing at these venues isn’t squeaky clean. Questions aren’t even asked at times when horses considered ‘good things’ not only get beaten but perform like dromedaries, which happens week in week out. We have a Head of Integrity that doesn’t even go to the races but has the day off when the major race meeting of the week is being run. We have a Chief Steward on a massively high contract who some believe is in retirement mode and, in fact, is planning an early exit by the end of the year.
There needs to be questions asked about the perceived favoritism for Kevin Dixon-friendly clubs, especially the poorly performing Toowoomba (are there plans to spend more millions there?), the Brisbane Racing Club where Dixon was Chairman (why the hold up with the redevelopment and who is now going to pay for the next costly stage?) and the teacher’s pet at Kilcoy (which isn’t a fit track for punters to bet on, let alone for racing but has had plenty of political pull with the LNP).
While this happening gallops clubs like Mackay (which RQ now runs, poorly if you listen to some), Ipswich (a political football) and Townsville (where the Chairman reportedly is no longer as close as he once was to the RQ boss) – to name just a few – are arguably treated second rate. All the while truck-loads of money continues to be thrown at Toowoomba (the basket case of racing in Queensland where the Club Chairman has to be removed from his good mate Little King Kev with a bucket of Downs Spring Water every time they get together for another hoe-down which just seems to cost the industry more money).
The much-maligned new Clifford Park track, described by former Racing Minister Steve Dickson as one of the outstanding achievements of his Government, continues to embarrass racing in Queensland. That’s on the track – where who knows when it will be back to a racing state where stakeholders and punters will feel confident about supporting the product. Off the track while the club has virtually been in recess there is a mammoth staff (much bigger than needed for a club that size) and the payroll must be burning a big hole in what money the club has. Have they been paid to work while there is no racing at Toowoomba and more to the point is RQ helping with the TTC finances – yet again? Regulars would like answers but they reckon you would need a search party to find the CEO, even on race days.
There is a general lack of confidence in the policing of racing in the three codes in Queensland – all the way down from the Integrity Commissioner, through to the Head of Integrity, the Chief Steward and some of the panel members and sadly in some cases members of control bodies.
There needs to be a public listing of what gallops and harness stables are being raided to overcome the scuttlebutt that some are not. Those swabbed need to be named as well along with the results when these are available (whether it is the second test for an irregularity or the 75th as seems to be happening in Queensland).
An open investigation is needed into some of the deals done by RQ – which are shrouded in secrecy – most importantly the TAB agreement with Tattersall’s and the Magic Millions one with Gerry Harvey. The two All Codes Board members who resigned over lack of consultation on the TAB deal should be asked to appear at the Review. When it is industry money – millions and millions of it – it is not fair for RQ to hide behind confidentiality.
TAB turnover is reportedly down alarmingly in the first quarter of the new TAB agreement – particularly on the Queensland product. That needs to be explained along with what is being done to correct it.
Race dates are again a contentious issue with the plan to introduce TAB racing at Deagon on a regular basis (what a joke if you don’t happen to belong to the ‘in crowd with massive real estate interests’ at the boutique training venue).
The list is almost as endless as the decisions made by RQ that are shrouded in secrecy.
The new Racing Minister has no real alternative. Kevin Dixon and his cronies must go from RQ. If they don’t the industry, the stakeholders and the racing public will lose total confidence in the new Labor Government.
Questions need to be asked and answered under oath – the terms of reference of this current ‘greyhound review’ need to be extended to examine other racing issues involving the Kevin Dixon run industry when the LNP was in Government.
If the entire industry is to foot the $3 million bill for this Review then how about let all three codes and the stakeholders get some answers, or, more to the point, value for their money.
If the Government and Minister don’t want to go down the track of another ‘inquiry’ – and let’s face it those held to date have achieved next to nothing – then the answer (outside the greyhound arena) is simple.
Just put a broom through RQ – from integrity to administration – but more importantly find some independent people to run the show (one Board can do the job – not four) and stop all the secrecy surrounding the decision making process, introduce a fair approach to all involved, regain confidence in the integrity and the racing product and halt the propaganda to media ‘mates’ who in turn pump up the tyres of those in control who cannot accept constructive criticism of any sort.
It’s as simple as that Mr Minister – here’s hoping you’re listening.’
EDITOR’S NOTE:WE need to emphasize that the $3 million cost of the Review into Greyhound Racing in Queensland will be paid for solely out of that code’s finances. It will not cost harness or gallops one cent. LETSGOHORSERACING was contacted by a former Board member of one of the racing codes during the week and he made some startling claims about ‘inside’ knowledge of the ‘live baiting’ situation involving a high profile identity currently serving the industry. This information, along with some other stunning accusations involving the integrity of racing in Queensland – not only at the greyhounds but the gallops as well – will be relayed by LGHR to the Racing Minister and the Greyhound Review – along with the identity of our source who is prepared to reveal all. It will be interesting to see how this then develops.
HOW BAD IS BETTING ON TATTERSALL’S TRAVELLING FOR THE QUEENSLAND PRODUCT? 
STUART WILLS of the DARLING DOWNS sent this informative email:
‘WE thought you might like some interesting information that fell off the back of a truck about just how badly racing in Queensland is travelling after the first four months of that supposedly wonderful new TAB deal with Tattersall’s.
Now there is little doubt you will not read anything about this in one of those regular feel-good interviews we have come to expect between the Racing Queensland ‘spin doctor’ and the Tatt’s boss that appear regularly in The Courier-Mail. How many millions do they get from the TAB to run the Form Guides each week?
For the first four months of the financial year from July to October RQ revenue was alarmingly down from a budgeted $29.1 million to $26.9mn – that’s a drop of about eight percent. Product fees were down for the same period by 15 per cent to $10.8mn from the budgeted $12.7mn.
This means that unless things turn around, or expenditure is adjusted accordingly, the end of year result will not be a happy one for Racing Queensland.
Worse still, total betting turnover for Tattersall’s was down by four per cent from a budgeted $745mn to $716mn for the first four months of the year and that included some nice meetings of the Spring Carnival in Melbourne.
Queensland betting turnover was an absolute disaster. The four month period was budgeted at $149mn but returned only $126mn – a massive 16 per cent shortfall (not entirely unexpected for those of us who closely monitor racing in the north).
Apart from the lack of confidence from punters betting on the local product there was the closure of Eagle Farm (for an upgrade) and Toowoomba (to try and repair one of that track’s many disasters) and the decision to hold TAB meetings at joints like Kilcoy, which resembles a ‘goat track’ and there is little betting interest but plenty of political start (under the current RQ hierarchy and LNP Government) for those running the show. A meeting there is like a ‘old boys’ club’ day out where ‘Maggots’ tolerate the ‘Fly’ menace.
Because the new TAB deal has not been made public just what this trend means to racing in Queensland if it continues only those privileged few running the show at RQ would know. But you can bet odds-on the loser will be RQ and not Tattersall’s, whose shares are travelling well.
On another subject relating to costs and expenses it is also quite concerning that motor vehicle and travelling expenses for the RQ Board for 2013-14 are listed at over $1 million.
There is no breakdown on this so one wonders just how much went to ‘junket trips’ (one of which to Hong Kong is rumored to have involved a prominent official, his partner and a free-loading ex-media mate who continues to have his nose in the racing trough).
There is no separate identification either of how much motor vehicles cost RQ. I understand the policy now is to claim mileage rather than lease cars. This is bundled in with ‘junket travel’ – one assumes so there is no chance of determining how much the latter is really costing – perhaps another matter that should be independently reviewed.
Then you have for that financial year race day expenses (listed separately to travel and motor vehicles) in the range of an amazing $3 million which seems ridiculous especially when you consider the number of staff being flown from Brisbane to regional areas to run race meetings when surely there are locals on the ground who can do the job just as efficiently.
Once again we can’t determine the breakdown of these expenses because the annual report – although available on the net if you can find it on the RQ website – is clouded in too much lack of information and more to the point, secrecy.
The Labor Government and new Racing Minister needs to ensure that whoever is running racing in Queensland in the future – and hopefully it won’t be Kevin Dixon and his crew – that information is made available at all times to the industry and stakeholders and that there is no hiding behind confidentiality claims.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: My sources at RQ challenge these figures but, more importantly insist that from November the TAB betting turnover on racing in Queensland has increased. One other point that needs to be made is about these ‘junket trip’ stories that are doing the rounds. RQ CEO Darren Condon and his partner did take a trip to Hong Kong for the International but he tell me that he was on holidays at the time, paid for the flights himself (in economy class) and also footed the bill for accommodation in a far from five star establishment in Hong Kong where there was no upgrade. RQ did not pay for the fares and accommodation to the same International week of racing for a former racing editor now working for the Brisbane Racing Club. Our understanding is that he was part of a group that the BRC took to Hong Kong for the event and any concerns about who paid there should be addressed to the BRC.
‘RATHER THAN JUST CONSISTENTLY WHINGE LET’S OFFER SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS’ 
THIS is such a terrific contribution that I wish the high profile and respected country racing identity who penned it would have allowed us to use his name. But because he is currently working in the industry he didn’t and we respect that:
WE will just call him ‘POSITIVE THINKER’, a passionate supporter of country racing. Here’s what he had to say:
‘I cannot agree more with what Terry Butts wrote (in his Silks & Saddles column) regarding Mackay. If you look at the history of how country racing has fallen away Mackay is a perfect case study.
I believe that Racing Queensland (either political party in power) has always had their eyes on places like Mackay and Cairns to allow racing to fail and then rape the towns by selling off the real estate for big dollars and plowing it back into the south. (Toowoomba’s real estate would work too but they are the ‘teacher’s pet’).
The first step was in 1999 to all but wipe out Saturday racing at these clubs and push them into midweek racing with just some Saturdays remaining. With the Saturday cycle broken and the revenue from bar and gate gone, they then came up with the idea that they could not support that number of meetings and further reduced the number.
This had a domino effect by stopping the chance of training new apprentices which then caused a shortage in good apprentices in both the country and the city. The country jockeys who could make a living without weekly racing found it no longer viable so we lost those jockeys and rely now on the blow-ins from the south.
Now the trainers have trouble getting work ridden because of lack of jockeys and apprentices in these towns with many riding work themselves and places like Moranbah, Clermont and Bowen have trouble on race days just getting enough jockeys.
This makes the RQ boys happy because then races are cancelled and the prize-money goes back into the coffers to be wasted in the south. Then they get a little more creative and make sure they have a few clashes like racing Middlemount against Bowen and Ewan against Twin Hills when a week or two between would allow big fields and plenty of jockeys and many of the owners would support both places.
When Bentley and his boys were taking title of Rockhampton, Mackay, Cairns and Gold Coast they were condemning the starting stalls for Moranbah, Clermont and Emerald at a time when the mining boom was in full swing and industrial land was worth millions. Thankfully, Councils came to the rescue buying a new set of barrier stalls. We continued to see rationalization of country race tracks reducing the need for prize-money distribution and the TAB able to realize millions for its shareholders and probably big bonuses for directors and management.
If you look at the success of Victorian country racing you will see they are supported strongly by most of the clubs having Licensed Clubs on their courses, many in great locations which then allows them through the poker machines and food and drink sales to return additional revenue to the industry.
Now I think letsgohorseracing (the Wednesday Whinge in particular) is a little ‘Pauline Hansen- like and tends to highlight the problems but not offer solutions.
The following is not perfect but might make some people think beyond the square.
Take the best of what works from many courses. Let’s utilize our venues and not leave them idle.
1. Introduce ‘markets’ to all courses on Sundays. It works at the Gold Coast.
2. Think of the revenue if when they developed Mackay the little function room they put in would have included a poker machine club like 'Souths Harrup Park Country Club’. They could race weekly on a Saturday again and fund it themselves. I am sure many racing venues like Cairns, Bundaberg and Townsville all have great residential areas around them and run correctly would be BIG revenue raisers for racing.
3. Many courses are perfect venues for ‘Big Day Outs’ and 'Concerts’. Hire an event planner and start a circuit course to course.
4. When redeveloping look at making the venue multi tasking, allowing it to transform into conference facilities. They have the parking, the position and kitchens and catering facilities sitting idle.
5. Why not look at hiring event co-ordinator Mick Pope. He made racing in Mackay ‘FLY’ but then of course the club decided they could improve on him and let him go. As a result the Club goes broke and Mick starts beach racing, one of the most successful things to happen in Queensland racing for years (not sure if 'Dickson’ took credit for this or not).Now we have the Government Events giving a grant to the event which has put Mackay on the map tourism wise. With a guy like this if I had any say in racing in Queensland I would be asking him to promote all carnivals. It might just need to take a zero off a few of the big salaries at Deagon and see the revenues increase and we start having a following of horses, trainers and owners going through the country with social occasions like we once had. I might mention that I have never met Mr Pope but do admire his work.
This is not the perfect blueprint but might cause a few of the so-called experts to think outside the square and start supporting and promoting country – or racing in general in Queensland - instead of trying to tear it down.
Back to Mackay and let’s hope the new (crumbed steak) committee is much better than the old ‘crumbed brain and stale beer’ one and that they make a good choice in appointing the new CEO. Some young and enthusiastic local who knows the racing community though would be nice if he or she had seen the heyday when carnival time at the Boomerang (Trish and Tony) brought out the real atmosphere and true racing identities’ and the town would be packed with visitors. That would give the new CEO something to aim for.
‘JUST ANOTHER USELESS INQUIRY THAT WILL PROVE NOTHING AND COST THE INDUSTRY MILLIONS’ 
GRAHAM SCHOOY returns this week with another interesting contribution:
‘JUST when you think it can’t get much sillier in Queensland it just about always does.
So what does the new Government do to sort out this greyhound mess? Of course it orders an inquiry.
What else, history is on its side.
Have you noticed all the changes to racing in Queensland since the previous regime spent millions on their inquiry into Bentley and his cronies? Isn’t everything so great now!
Now the new mob has decided let’s go and find ourselves another Queen’s Counsel who has a history of being on the public payroll so we can have another inquiry at even more cost to the industry.
By the way what a ridiculous outdated concept the term ‘Queen’s Counsel’ is. Can you imagine the Monarch ringing George Street to get some advice from these men with their silly wigs on to find out if her ageing partner should accept some Menzian colonial gong.
I digress but it really is stupid. Not to mention the fact that the Chief of the Greyhound fraternity in Queensland is yet another so-called QC. Now in fairness it has appeared that since he has been in charge he has effectively been gagged by little Kevvie. Funny how he is now allowed to speak after the proverbial has hit the fan.
Things got even funnier when the new Minister commented that the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing would ‘support the Review’. How the hell does a Public Service Department not support a Government inquiry?
Come to think of it we haven’t heard from this mob since they had us rolling in the aisles with some ‘Two Ronnies’ like material at the previous inquiry. I was thinking that they surely couldn’t have the same comedians, but alas I feel they have.
A major problem the inquiry needs to address is this problem of the Racing Queensland’s CEO‘s computer. They urgently need to address this problem of his emails falling down some mysterious ‘crack’. It is not good enough. The man needs to be properly outfitted with the right tools to do his job so he doesn’t need to ‘fling his support staff under a bus’ if the heat at the coalface gets too hot for him.
This issue doesn’t require yet another inquiry. Everyone with a smidgen of knowledge of the industry knows it has been going on since before Zoom Top was a pup. Everyone has looked the other way.
It hasn’t helped that Racing Queensland have inserted various Chief Stewards that have been completely bereft of any knowledge of the animal and in one startling case racing itself.’
GREYHOUND OWNER AND BREEDER HAS DECIDED TO MOVE AWAY FROM QUEENSLAND 
ROBERT ULSTER, who races and breeds greyhounds, sent this email about the current problems confronting the sport:
‘I am a greyhound breeder. We breed approximately 20 to 30 pups a year and we race some in Queensland and others interstate.
We were looking at purchasing a couple of extra brood bitches, but have been waiting seven long years for Cronulla Park to be built, with nothing happening to this date.
After was has transpired over the past three years under RQL, and especially the last few weeks, we are moving out of Queensland and to Victoria ASAP.
I note in The Courier-Mail, in particular the $1.6mn ‘welfare levy’ initiated by RQL.
Yet again, a gross injustice has occurred to greyhound stakeholders in this State.
While there was an acknowledgment that it is an imposition on greyhound clean skins, who are a majority, there is a failure to mention that this was during RQL's watch and they failed to act on information given to them back in October last year. Where's the apology from RQL for allowing this to occur?
The comment, ‘Racing Queensland indicated it would be unfair if the money were to come from dollars allocated to the thoroughbred and harness codes.’ What about the unfairness of $5.5mn per annum of greyhound percentage of turnover that is taken from greyhounds and given to prop up both the other two codes? RQL don't seem to have a problem with that!
The ridiculous $2mn extra for the Harness Breeding Incentive Scheme, which allows future owners of Queensland Bred Harness horses a $12,000 Bonus when they win their first race.
How does an industry that has a turnover of less than 10% afford such a luxury? The $10mn Golden Casket day for Magic Millions, yet in no way shape or form have greyhounds been afforded any of these luxuries.
When there is no leadership or balanced management shown by the people running greyhound racing in Queensland, then it's time to sell up and move on.
The greyhound industry in Queensland has been at an impasse for some time. With decisions like this the industry will die a slow death.
Where are the Thoroughbreds and Harness going to get their extra income from, once greyhounds are no more?
At least in Victoria, both sides of Government want a strong greyhound industry. Hopefully by moving there we can prosper also.’
INQUIRY INTO STEWARD’S BETTING ACTIVITIES COMPLETED BUT NOT REPORTED 
GEOFF, who asked that we didn’t publish his identity as a family member is a licensee, posed this question:
‘I realize there are probably more pressing issues with Racing Queensland that need your attention but I believe when it comes to the hierarchy and their attitude to criticism you should kick them while they are down so they don’t get up.
I am interested if you know or can find out what became of the inquiry involving harness steward Cameron McLune sometime last year when he was accused of betting on a harness race and was stood down.
I understand he was given a desk job on full pay until the inquiry was completed. I think the term ‘deck job’ at RQ means a comfortable chair to sleep in and a desk to put your feet on two to three days while you play golf on the remaining days.
Typically, since the day it was reported nothing has been heard from RQ. However, quite recently Mr McLune has turned up a the track back in his old job.
I realize that this is standard practice for an industry run by Kevin Dixon and Wade Birch but I would be interested what bullshit story they have for this.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: I sought an explanation from RQ and was told that the betting allegation was investigated but there was insufficient evidence to support it and therefore Cameron McLune returned, as would be expected, to his job.
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.
