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.

 

‘AN ABSURD $5 MILLION OF INDUSTRY FUNDS TO BE PAID ANNUALLY TO MM’ 

GLEN EVANS of BRISBANE makes a valid argument in this email about Magic Millions:

‘I don’t want to be a spoilsport but my blood boiled when I read how much the industry in Queensland is contributing toward Magic Millions running Australia’s richest race day from next year.

Now that the figures are in the open not only is this an outlandish amount of money being poured into the pocket of one of the country’s richest men but it is also an insult to helping usurp the standing of the biggest event in Australian racing, the Melbourne Cup.

Little wonder the previous hierarchy at RQ wanted the amount being paid to Magic Millions from the industry to remain commercial in confidence. At a time when RQ is facing an estimated $11 million loss for the financial year just ended and a projected $21 million loss for the one just begun how on earth can they justify paying $5 million a year for seven years to A SINGLE RACE DAY.

Interestingly, it was left to MM managing director Vin Cox to let the cat out of the bag and declare ‘all systems go’ for the expensive partnership after a meeting with RQ to clear the air last week.

Here’s hoping when a new Board is put in place they look at the financial ramifications for an industry reeling to provide prizemoney across the board to stakeholders who, in some areas, are eating the paint off the wall and reverse this decision. Very few of them will benefit from the big prizemoney to be distributed in January. In fact many don’t have an owner capable of outlaying the cash for a well-bred MM youngster.

Magic Millions are more interested in attracting big buyers from interstate and overseas than the locals. In my opinion they couldn’t care less if every cent of the $5 million being contributed by the industry in Queensland went south or offshore.’

 

‘IS IT TIME FOR ‘LITTLE KING KEV’S’ SPIN DOCTOR TO RIDE INTO THE SUNSET’?

‘WHILE the poor old ‘spin doctor’ of the Kevin Dixon era continues to use his role as Racing Editor of The Courier-Mail to whinge and whine about everything new that is happening in racing in Queensland, an unsung hero of the turf writing ranks has emerged.

Nathan Exelby hasn’t been capable of breaking a good story since his great mate ‘little King Kev’ left the building. There are no more ‘exclusive handouts’. Like the rest he now has to fight for the scraps.

As a consequence his is having his racing journalistic backside spanked almost on a daily basis by Brad Davidson of the Gold Coast Bulletin who continues to roll out the exclusives.

It was Davidson who broke the story about the Magic Millions contract deal (not that Exelby would have been keen to let people know that those on the former Board were prepared to pour so much industry money into the pockets of Gerry Harvey).

It was Davidson who broke the cobalt stories (two more at the gallops in Queensland and maybe a little more action at the station since things changed at the Bunker).

It was Davidson who broke the story on the Government commitment to stage two of the Eagle Farm redevelopment.

All of these top stories – good news yarns for those who follow racing in Queensland not suck-up pieces promoting your mates at the top – have been broken out of the Gold Coast Bulletin by Brad Davidson. Of course, they then make headlines in The Courier-Mail. And why wouldn’t they? It’s better than the rubbish Exelby is producing on a daily basis.

One might be bold enough to suggest that the time is fast approaching when like his mate, Little King Kev, the ‘spin doctor’ should be told to ride off into the sunset as well and make way for the real Racing Editor of Queensland Newspapers in Brad Davidson to take his place.’

 

‘WHY HAS A PROMINENT VICTORIAN STABLE GONE AWFULLY QUIET’?

WE keep fielding emails about a prominent stable in Victoria and why it has gone very quiet with the big ‘C’ word being mentioned in hushed terms. Here is an example:

TOM CLIMBS of NORTH QUEENSLAND sent this email:

‘HAVE you noticed how a prominent Victorian stable has gone awfully in recent months?

Surely their stock isn’t that bad that they can’t train a winner and they have plenty to call on.

Even an interstate steward posed the question the other day of why we didn’t ask our mate Terry Bailey (RV Chief Stipe) about the rumors.

It seems this is a subject that the whole industry is talking about in Victoria where there won’t be a racing scribe prepared to write anything about it.’

 

‘SHOULD THE RQ STEWARDS USE THE DRONE FOR GALLOPS AND TROTS AS WELL’?

DAN MOLINO of GOLD COAST sent this contribution:

‘HERE’S hoping RQ stewards utilize the use of their new secret weapon – drone surveillance – for more than spying on greyhound training premises and kennels.

As much as the other two codes are happy to sit back and watch the dogs cop a real belting, let’s not lose sight of the fact that the other two codes are far from squeaky clean either.

Rather than wait for the ‘Dad’s Army’ of the Integrity Unit to jump a few fences and catch a few horses being treated pre-race, why not implement the use of the drones. I guess the argument will be that they can’t see through roofs and walls.

Nevertheless a bit of fence jumping or drone use wouldn’t go astray – especially up the Range where some of the stories doing the rounds in the industry almost beggar belief.

Something needs to be done about integrity at the gallops in particular instead of just sweeping everything under the carpet and it’s not only off the track that needs a good looking at.

Every so often there’s a heavily backed winner at a major TAB track, like has happened in the past week or so, where you just shake your head but not a question is asked regardless of the fact that the particular race had a strong smell about it.

 

‘COULD THE LOCALS HAVE GONE ANY WORSE AT A WINTER CARNIVAL’?

MERV SMITH of SUNSHINE COAST writes:

‘WITH a fairly forgettable Winter Carnival all but done and dusted it was interesting to note how badly the locals fared in the feature races.

Their most important win, if you could call it that, was a form reversal by Jet Set Lad in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup. He started at $41 and deserved to be even longer. There are calls for that race to return to 3200m. Something needs to be done to salvage it.

Listed success was largely the best the Queensland gallopers could hope for in the feature races defying suggestions that the quality of the beat has improved out of sight in the north.

NSW-trained horses performed best in the Black Type arena despite the fact that Srikandi, with only one blemish on this visit north, was the star of the carnival and will no doubt head to spring glory which the northerners will claim as a winter carnival success story.

Crowds in the main were down. Eagle Farm was sadly missed on and off the track. Toowoomba barely got a pass mark for its foray into primary carnival Saturday status. Gold Coast proved once again the track is not a level playing field on big days. Sunshine Coast performed admirably but for some reason punters steer away from the place.

And the least said about the Queensland Cup meeting at the Sunshine Coast last weekend the better. The main race was an insult to black type racing in this country.’

 

PLENTY OF ‘RED FACES’ AFTER PERCEIVED ‘RUDOLPH’ GAFFE IN COBALT SAGA’

PERCY SMITH of MELBOURNE sent this email:

‘LIKE many other racing folk I have followed the investigations into the ‘cobalt affair(s)’ in both NSW and Victoria with a great deal of interest.

The latest development in NSW which centres on the Senior Executive of the Australian Turf Club, Mr Matt Rudolph, has really set ‘the cat amongst the pigeons’.

Further, there was a suggestion floating about the Sydney racing fraternity that Matt’s brother, Greg, the Deputy Chairman of Stewards for NSW, was present at a Kavanagh – Rudolph family get together at a Sydney hotel early last March.

Although such suggestion has been proven to be baseless Greg Rudolph has not taken any part in the Kavanagh inquiry.

Obviously Racing NSW has applied one of the most basic rules of Natural Justice – “Not only must a stewards’ inquiry be conducted fairly it must be seen to be FAIR.”

Bearing in mind this old proven formula the thought has occurred to me: ‘What would Racing NSW’ position be if the suggestion regarding Greg Rudolph was correct?’

As the Deputy Chairman and SON-IN-LAW of Mr Ray Murrihy, the senior investigator and Chairman of Stewards for NSW, surely Mr Murrihy would find himself being excluded from the Kavanagh inquiry as well.

Just a thought.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE above email obviously refers to the situation reported here by NIC ASHMAN in the MELBOURNE HERALD SUN:

RACING’S cobalt saga took a sensational twist on Tuesday with a senior Australian Turf Club executive hit with a show cause for allegedly hindering stewards’ investigations.

ATC’s executive manager of racing, Matt Rudolph has become embroiled in the affair after it was determined he met trainer Sam Kavanagh at a Sydney hotel where it is alleged he pressured Mr Kavanagh into changing his evidence.

When the Kavanagh-trained Midsummer Sun tested positive to cobalt and caffeine after winning the Gosford Cup on January 9 this year, stewards asked where he obtained the drug.

Mr Kavanagh gave evidence to stewards that indicated he was supplied the prohibited substance cobalt by Melbourne-based veterinarian Dr Tom Brennan, who it is understood is a close friend of Mr Rudolph.

Mr Rudolph allegedly met Mr Kavanagh and his father, Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Kavanagh at the Lord Dudley Hotel in Sydney on March 2.

It’s been alleged that Mr Rudolph then asked Sam Kavanagh to withdraw evidence that Dr Brennan, a partner in the Flemington Equine Clinic, was the supplier of the prohibited substance.

Mr Rudolph has to answer four possible breaches at his show cause hearing next month. They are:

FOR dishonest, corrupt, improper and dishonourable conduct by making statements to Sam Kavanagh in connection with the stewards’ inquiry that he either knew to be untrue or for which he had no reasonable basis in an attempt to cause Sam Kavanagh to change his evidence to the stewards in connection with that inquiry.

ATTEMPTING to obstruct or hinder the stewards inquiry.

MISCONDUCT, misconduct, improper conduct or unseemly behavior.

CONDUCT prejudicial to the image, interests and welfare of racing.

The show cause hearing was ordered following an independent investigation and advice received by Racing NSW from Keith Mason QC.

Sam Kavanagh has already been issued with 24 charges by Racing NSW stewards for various offences including the alleged use of the prohibited substance cobalt on a number of his horses.

The horses, included Midsummer Sun, which was disqualified as the winner of the Gosford Cup. Mr Brennan was also hit with 11 charges relating to the stewards inquiry.

Mr Brennan is also a central figure in investigations by Victorian stewards into alleged cobalt use where he has been issued with 20 charges. Mark Kavanagh has also been charged by Racing Victoria stewards as part of their on-going investigations.

Mr Rudolph has been instructed to attend the Racing NSW show cause hearing on August 5. He is entitled to legal representation at the hearing.

As Mr Rudolph’s brother, Greg, is Racing NSW’s deputy chief steward, to avoid allegations of a conflict of interest, Racing NSW has formed a sub-committee of the board to conduct the show cause hearing consisting of Ken Brown as chairman, Russell Balding and Tony Hodgson.

An independent senior counsel, Peter Braham SC, has been engaged to conduct the show cause hearing for Racing NSW.

Given the gravity of the charges and if they are proven at the show cause hearing, Mr Rudolph’s position at the ATC would be untenable.

The ATC has prevented Mr Rudolph from commenting on the saga but issued a statement supporting Racing NSW’s investigations into “all allegations, to preserve and enhance the integrity of thoroughbred racing and its standing with the public’’.

“Integrity is paramount in thoroughbred racing. The Show Cause Notice centres on discussions between Mr Rudolph, Mr Mark Kavanagh and Mr Sam Kavanagh and Mr Rudolph is not in a position to make any public comment whilst the matter is the subject of a formal hearing.

“Mr Rudolph has fully cooperated with the inquiries of Racing NSW and intends to keep doing so. Mr Rudolph will continue in his role with the ATC until the hearing is determined, at which time the ATC will further review the matter.”

When contacted Sam Kavanagh said he was unable to comment on the record.

 

WOULD NEW SEVEN BROADCAST STRUGGLE TO OUT-RATE GILLIGAN'S ISLAND"

STEFAN MEIER of MELBOURNE again weighs into the race broadcast debate in Victoria:

'IN the time since Racing Victoria signed on the dotted with Seven West Media a number of comment pieces have sprung up from the media, some in favour but mostly in the negative it's fair to say.

One radio guest suggested that the whole Channel from Monday to Friday was a complete waste of time as it would only cater to housewives and pensioners, another newspaper article compared racing's ratings a while back to not even being able to beat re-runs of Gilligans Island.

Of course it's early days, but even though it's a temporary fix there are a number of worrying aspects.

Firstly, Channel 78 as we now find out is not a regular TV channel at all but is known as a "datacasting" channel. This means only people with the latest (up to 5 years or so) equipment can actually view the broadcast.

Even more concerning to the industry (or it should be) is that datacasting channels do not form part of the measured TV ratings system run by Nielsen. We will never ever know how many people are actually watching this channel in homes around Australia.

RVL have still to this day not given a firm time frame as to when racing might return to Sky or be available via Foxtel, nor have they indicated (probably because not one journalist has had the brains to ask !) if it will be on Foxtels HD list which cost subscribers an extra ten bucks a month.

The AHA have rightly so, declared their members will not be stumping up a single dime for Victorian vision when they can get it for free, staggeringly, a certain interviewer on RSN was dumfounded that the AHA could hold this position. He actually thought that there was still a commercial value attached to Victorian race vision that pubs and clubs should pay for when all they have to do is turn on a TV set.

Predictably, the VRC finally got their way and extracted their pound of flesh for the Spring Carnival obviously holding out until the price met their demands.

As I wrote previously I'm no marketing guru but to me the whole thing sounds like a colossal waste of money. I'm old school and my thinking these days will be regarded as prehistoric and not up with today's "platforms", "devices" and "landscapes" but RVL can have this advise for free. I know what got me into horse racing 40 years ago and it didn't involve any sort of screen or device, it was going to the track because that's the only way you could see a horse race live. The track is only way, even today, that gets anyone excited about horse racing. You just cannot get the human interaction of seeing live racing, live horses, the theatre of the betting ring and parade yards from any device. It doesn't matter if you have "Olympic" style coverage, it's not the same, and never will be.

Do anything, spend anything, do whatever it takes to get people back to the track and you'll have your "new eyeballs" by the bucket load, because they can see it, feel it, touch it, smell it and it will get in their veins and stay there forever.

Do they really think a 4.5" screen with little tiny cartoon like pictures will do the same thing?

We have one week at the moment where the general population take a vague interest in our sport, Spring Carnival week. Imagine if RVL had the vision, the foresight to take over this golden opportunity to showcase our sport for the benefit of the entire industry not just one race club and do the following:

Run Derby Day at Caulfield

Run Cup Day at Flemington ( Naturally)

Run Oaks Day at Moonee Valley

Run Emirates Day at Sandown

What would this achieve? For one, it would highlight that we do actually have four racetracks in Melbourne.

Spread the benefit over all clubs and make each day different to each other catering to an entirely different racegoer. Derby day could be for racing purists to enjoy the best of the best. Cup day could as usual cater to the Wallys that want to dress up in Nuns habits, get blind drunk and fill the VRC's pockets with cash. Oaks Day could be a ladies only day, so that ladies could go to the track for a real "ladies day" without being vomitted on and groped by drunks. Emirates day could be an alcohol free family day for people to take their kids to the races, again without the presence of thousands of besotted drunks falling all over them. The Spring Carnival should have one aim and one aim only, getting people back to the track year round, not for replacing the Chesterfields and Brandy Balloons at the VRC, but highlighting how diverse and entertaining a day at the races can be.

That's vision, that's creating interest, and that's just a start. Of course you need capital, lots of it too, to keep the interest up year round, unfortunately that's one commodity RVL now finds itself well short of, but what the Hey, we have got a 24 hour a day data casting channel and some very, very happy Telco's cashing in on data sales.

 

MANY STARTING TO BELIEVE GREYHOUND INDUSRY STITCHED UP LIKE ‘THE STING’?

BRENTON WILSON of BRISBANE, an avid greyhound racing enthusiast, continues his interesting series of contributions:

‘ONE of my favorite movies of all time is “The Sting”, staring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.

It’s the story of a couple of grifters who plan a “Sting” on a large Mafia type (the patsy) for having a fellow grifter and friend killed.

It is my personal opinion that the current Queensland Labor Party has made a sequel to this movie, with the Queensland Greyhound Industry being the patsy.

The Green and Animal Rights Groups who already have intrinsic links to each other, are also strong supporters of the Labor Party when elections come around. Although the Animal Liberationists persuasion seems to carry broadly anti-modern, backward looking overtones, it appears the Labor Party are happy to turn a blind eye to their substituting garish moralizing for political argument, in the support of votes.

It was widely reported that the Logan City Council had back flipped and decided that it didn’t want a new Greyhound Track and that it was taken up in a meeting with the new Labor Premier in Queensland. Their concerns were that it would promote more gambling and would be bad for the City of Logan. Why wasn’t this raised when the DA was approved several years ago by the same Logan Council?

The reality is that it would not promote more gambling in Logan, and there is no evidence to support this view. This is a personal view from elected officials who are Green inclined. Where is the report to see whether business and local residents actually want a greyhound track? The UQGA undertook a business case for the track, and found a majority of support from local business and residents. Why wouldn’t elected officials undertake the same process?

In my opinion the Green/Animal Liberation vote is persuading these elected officials in their stance. That is fine, but do you think the Greyhound Industry wanted to go to Logan in the first place? “No!” This was forced by the then Labor Government who closed the Gold Coast Track in 2008 and then didn’t properly compensate the industry so it could rebuild a new Greyhound Stadia.

The hypocrisy of the Logan City Council to offer free land to build a track, approve the Council Development Assessment, and then turn around a few years later and state that we have concerns with gambling. Gambling has been a long term issue in this community for 20 years, and the concern is directly from the poker machines at the Clubs and RSL’s.

Where is the meeting with the Premier and Logan Council to try to reduce the number of pokies at these establishments? So much for honoring your decisions. This has only to do with one thing, the Animal Liberationists.

I met a group of Animal Liberationists in Logan at a Shopping Centre a couple of months ago. They were set up trying to get signatures, which is their democratic right.

Now they approached me, and yes I am a naughty boy, I was in work clobber, and I didn’t say I was involved in greyhounds. We got into a discussion and they told me that two of the greyhounds were rescued. I said, “Rescued from where?” They stated from one of these greyhound trainers who was found to be live baiting. I said “ok, wow”.

Sorry, I should say that both these dogs were wearing green collars, which means they have gone through the GAP Program. They went on and talked about how the dogs had diseases, were malnourished, etc. etc.

Another woman with another greyhound chimed in with her own story. I won’t go into specifics, but she too claimed the greyhound was rescued. I said to her, “I’m not doubting your story of the dog being rescued, but are you sure that greyhound is a racing greyhound”. She looked at me alarmingly and said, “Of course it is, what are you saying?” “Well there are two types of greyhound, the show greyhound which has been around since the Egyptians and the racing greyhound”. “There’re not two types!” “Yes, there are.”

This greyhound was quite tall, and had a deep chest, not like the racing greyhound that is barrel chested. I said to her, do you mind if I check something? She said what, “I said it is my understanding that all racing greyhounds are ear branded”. She reluctantly said “yes”, so I checked. No ear brand!

The point I am making, is that it is easy for people to make accusations and label the Greyhound Industry, but no one is checking the validity of those persons and the accusations they are making.

This leads me to the MacSporran Report, the inconsistencies and why Mr. MacSporran and the Queensland State Government are so quick to believe the Animal Liberationists, when their arguments are based on their personal feelings, NOT FACT!

After having several weeks to digest the MacSporran Report on the Greyhound Industry in Queensland, but also the submissions that have been made public, I believe I have found several flaws within the report.

The problems I have as a greyhound participant are assumptions without evidence. The Greyhound Industry is not a rugby or sporting club. I can honestly say that I have never met, 21 out of the 23 greyhound participants that have been warned off. To allege that there is some secret handshake, a wink etc., going on in the industry, again there is no evidence in my opinion to substantiate this conclusion.

How is a participant in Bundaberg, Cairns, Rockhampton, Townsville etc., let alone the north or south side of Brisbane, supposed to know what is going on 2 hours west of Brisbane? The Local Rules clearly state that you cannot trial a greyhound at an unlicensed trial track. To most participant’s knowledge, those tracks where clearly defined on the old Greyhounds Queensland website, but also RQL. The issue with participants using unlicensed tracks was the fall down in integrity by RQL. My point being most participants were aware of this and followed the Local Rules.

Now the Police, Mr MacSporran and the Animal Liberation, want everyone to think that Mr. Noble’s was a Sunday Morning McDonalds drive through with cars and trailers backed up down the road. Ummm... Don’t you think someone would have noticed this, local residents not involved in Greyhound Racing wouldn’t be asking questions?

Look at your own place of work, how many people do you know by name, but how many do you actually know? A majority of greyhound participants are hobby trainers and owners, they work full time, and they wouldn’t have the faintest clue what happened west of the Ipswich Greyhound Club, that’s even if they race there.

While a majority of the Greyhound Industry has been found to have no case to answer, the State Government and Mr MacSporran with no evidence or facts to substantiate their conclusions, allege live baiting to be widespread. Still, five months after it was first exposed, only participants from one track have been found to be engaging in this illegal practice.

They justify this argument by questioning the integrity of greyhound participants, who have been found guilty of nothing, and have shown moral and ethical principles and honesty. To hold greyhound participants to higher standards than the general public, by asking them to inform on other participants through gossip and hearsay, only opens those individuals to being liable, should the rumors be found to be false.

Unless you visited the establishment in question, and actually witnessed the acts occurring, it won’t hold up in a court of law. Are we now a society that is prepared to question others without evidence, just conjecture and rumor? Are we now as a society happy for individuals to take the law into their own hands, break the law, even though most times they will find nothing, however on the odd occasion they may find something?

As I have raised repeatedly, many participants including myself have raised issues with integrity and greyhound welfare in the Industry, with the peak body RQL and both sides of State politics. We have done so out of concern for the industry and without compromising our integrity. It’s not new that a State Government is quick to blame participants, but it’s the politicians who have been ignoring greyhound participants for several years.

The greyhound industries social license is a two-fold strategy, the individual and the industry. The individual must maintain the highest standards to not only meet the laws, but to try and achieve a higher standard. The industries responsibility is to maintain the social license with the general public and stakeholders, by identifying risks, and placing in processes to manage or remove them.

The report talks about holding a social license with the general public. How can any group hold a social license when false and misleading comments are made available and twisted by media agencies to make circumstances appear worse than they actually are?

I say to everyone that the average person has serious concerns with Live Baiting, and they want those involved brought to justice and removed from the sport. But the average person does not tar the rest of the industries participants with this broad brush like the Animal Libs, the State Government and Mr MacSporran.

The average person is also not against greyhound racing, and the so called damage is more so a media spin session and is not reflective of the general public. Just because you receive emails from Animal Liberationists all over the world, some with multiple email accounts, who bombard politicians, does not mean that is reflective of the general public in Queensland.

If anyone, Mr MacSporran obviously didn’t notice of the over 150 submissions that were published, mine being one, there were approximately 40 submissions from different people published, but if you read them closely, they were the same submission verbatim!

In other words approximately 40 submissions of the ones published, were plagiarized and accepted by the Inquiry. Now I could write about 100 questions on this fact alone, but more importantly why isn’t the State Government asking these questions, and why is the Greyhound Industry paying for a flawed inquiry?

These plagiarized paragraphs can be found on the Animal Liberation website, so a person who doesn’t have all the facts, can cut and paste a document and email it to the Local Member or in this case the MacSporran Report. This is not Democracy, and more likely it was an Animal Liberationist with 40 separate email accounts, as history tells us it is more than likely the latter, because the truth isn’t an obstacle for this organization.

Why does currently 97.6% of Greyhound Trainers in Queensland, who have been found guilty of nothing, have to have in most cases their hobby in doubt, because of a minority? Which other organizations have their social license questioned for something a minority has undertaken?

This Inquiry was supposed to be about Live Baiting and why it wasn’t identified. But the more you look into this and how other parts of the Greyhound Industry have also been involved, you start to question whether the Green component of the Labor Party has been involved to satisfy their Animal Liberation cousins.

The Animal Liberation group supplies a whole lot of misinformation, but little or no facts, just exaggeration. If people want to talk about greyhound welfare, let’s talk about greyhound welfare:

1.     Most Greyhound participants have given up on GAP because the standards are too high for the average greyhound to attain the green collar;

2.     Greyhound participants will try to re-home the greyhound themselves, or will keep the dog; Yes a percentage will have the dog euthanized, but it is nowhere near the numbers mentioned in the MacSporran report;

3.     Why is it acceptable for the general public to hand a dog into the RSPCA, and they still can’t re-home most and put down approximately 35% annually, yet the Greyhound Industry is being held to higher standards?;

4.     I undertook a questionnaire with 20 participants on how many retired greyhounds they have living at home. From the 20 participants there was a total of 43 greyhounds. I’m not saying this is reflective of the industry, the average of 2 retired greyhounds amongst hobby trainers would not be the same as those trainers who train professionally, owners or breeders. But hobby trainers do make up a high percentage of the industry;

5.     My point being is that it took me two hours to ring 20 participants, but seemed to take no time and no investigation to make unsubstantiated claims regarding where greyhounds go after racing;

6.     Greyhound Racing participants have a higher concern of the injuries with their greyhounds than the Animal Liberation; It has been seven years since the closure of the one turn track at the Gold Coast; These tracks have far less injuries than the starts participants have had to endure at Albion Park over the 395m and the 431m at Ipswich;

7.     If the State Government is concerned with Animal Welfare in Greyhounds why have they continually stalled on the building of the Cronulla Park project, and allowed it to be a political pin ball for seven years?; It is well known that one turn tracks for the shorter distances are a lot safer; This is a State Government piece meal ling what they consider to be Animal Welfare, by only looking at one side of the issue; Animal Welfare is a multi-faceted issue;

8.     Further the ex-Chairman of RQL couldn’t see through his bias to build a one turn track that has the potential to increase greyhound revenue by up to 2% per annum, yet pork barreled bottomless pit tracks like Toowoomba, who will never see a return on the investment.

9.     There have been studies undertaken into accidents and injuries in off lead areas in Council jurisdictions. It was found across Australia that there are on average 52 reports of injuries to dogs in off lead areas daily. The Greyhound Industry can’t even get half of this Australia wide on a daily basis, are we going to ban off lead areas?

A Social License is the level of acceptance or approval continually granted to an organization’s operations by the local community and other stakeholders. The License is a perception of legitimacy, does the Greyhound Industry go about its business in a proper way?

My argument that on reading every submission made public by the MacSporran Report, the overwhelming opinion and facts were not of the questioning the Social License of Greyhounds, but Reputation. Reputation is the overall favorability of the image of Greyhound Racing, formed by emotional likes and dislikes.

Of the approximately 150 submissions made public, approximately 85% where based on opinions formed by the Four Corners program, the Animal Liberationists who falsely advertise misinformation, conjecture, and blatant lies to justify their argument. The rest were made up of anti-gambling individuals around the Logan area, who again, have no understanding of the facts, or the Greyhound Industry.

The question has to be asked then why Mr MacSporran and the State Government question the Social License of Greyhound Racing in Queensland, yet are forming those opinions from individuals who are making emotional statements, with no evidence or facts to back their opinions.

Times have changed in Australia, most of society don’t have a background from working on a farm or property, so their understanding of what is actual ‘best practice’ for any animal is limited as best. Most of the Animal Liberation members, I suggest, don’t have this background, they grew up in the city, they would not know what it takes to keep a cow, a horse, chooks etc. But they believe they can tell people whose families have practiced this for generations how to care for animals.

The Greyhound Industry in part has been left behind. Change has to be affected to not meet the ridiculous standards of the Animal Liberation, but society itself. For better or worse both the RSPCA and the Veterinarian Associations have valid concerns and we have to work with them to meet our Social License with them, as stakeholders.

It is not often I don’t meet someone when they find out I have greyhounds, they suddenly become interested, and more often than not they have their own story of their, dad, uncle, granddad or neighbor, who used or maybe still is involved in the sport. They are the average person on the street, they are who the Greyhound Industry is responsible to for their Social License, and we need to meet their expectations.

The average person, the stakeholder who punts on Greyhound Racing does not have a problem with the sport. Yes, they have a problem with the individuals portrayed on the 4 Corners program, and expect them to be brought to justice. But they don’t agree with the witch hunt, misinformation and sensationalism portrayed in the media, they see through the façade.

Instead of playing politics, all Governments across Australia should take a leaf out of the Federal Ministers notebook and call this for what it is. Rather than appeasing minorities groups whose whole argument is based on emotions, exaggeration and very little facts.

What does is say about the media in Australia and especially the ABC when they defend placing a former terror suspect on live to air TV and defend it as free speech? When was the ABC going to give the Greyhound Industry the right of reply rather than the constant reporting and misrepresentation of facts within the industry? The word you’re looking for ABC, is Hypocrisy!

My last point is that there has been an ongoing argument that the ABC has been pushing the agenda of the Greens and Labor Party for some time. The Labor Party has to return that support, and maybe it is sheer coincidence, but in Queensland where an investigation into Live Baiting is conveniently extended into other issues within the industry. Which then leads to the removal of senior RQL Board members, and other sanctions on the Greyhound Industry with no direct evidence, just feelings and emotions, something just doesn’t seem right in my opinion.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was a stitch up, but when it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then?’

 

‘LAUREL AND HARDY’ BACK IN THE FIRING LINE IN THE RACINGBITCH

RON GALLAGHER of SYDNEY requested we reproduce this item and we are happy to oblige:

‘OVER recent months I have asked you to reproduce certain articles from the best read racing column on the web, the RacingBitch out of Hong Kong and once again I hope you will agree to my request. This one concerning Racing NSW deserves as good an airing as possible. It reads:

IT’S a massive punch on the nose for the Laurel and Hardy duo in charge of Racing NSW – ‘Conflict of Interest’ Messiah and his odious CEO – ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’.

The NSW Government budget announced that the additional funds from bringing the effective tax rate into parity with Victoria would not simply be handed over to the gruesome twosome to continue their obscene quest to constantly increase prizemoney and make racing in NSW even more elitist than it is now.

“He Who Must Not Be Named” has of course moaned as usual to his paid mouthpiece the Daily Telegraph, but for many of us in the racing industry in NSW who have had one on one discussions with the very impressive Racing Minister and Deputy Premier Troy Grant, this decision comes as no surprise.

Because in all of his discussions, held without the presence of RNSW or civil servants, Grant has heard a consistent message – that Racing NSW, under current management, is an arrogant, autocratic, untrustworthy organization, reviled throughout the state, and elsewhere too.

Well do we all remember the RNSW road shows where Messiah and ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ assured race clubs throughout the state that if RNSW won the race fields legislation court case that the industry would be transformed into a land of milk and honey.

Well they won the court case but none of the additional funds have found their way back to the country or provincial race clubs.

Instead we have seen Messiah and his rich breeder mates gorge on the feast of vastly increased prizemoney, particularly at The Championships (don’t mention It’s a Dundeel), while the vast majority of the participants that ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ claims to care about continue to struggle.

Well Troy Grant and Mike Baird are clearly too smart to be taken in by all the bullshit emanating from the bunker in Druitt Street and could well be just the men to administer that final wafer thin mint to Mr Creosote Messiah and his rich breeder mates.

With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, they clearly wish to ensure that the additional funds are not used to further enrich the already rich, or indeed be wasted in a similar manner to the $150mn ‘not fit for purpose’ elitist grandstand at Randwick (and that’s not counting the $25mn cost overrun, Darren).

Surely this is just the first step towards a full public inquiry into Racing NSW (Exhibit 1 M’lord the written judgment of Justice Bergin in the TVN case, pointing out the administrative incompetence and apprehended bias towards Tabcorp of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’.

So a final message for ‘Conflict of Interest’ Messiah and ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’: Grant and Baird have got your number, and they’re coming after you. And all the enemies you have made throughout the industry over many years are right behind them. BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID. Because resorting to your usual legal threats and bullying with these guys just won’t work.’

 

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.