The e-mail box this week was dominated by complaints about a ‘dust problem’ for race-goers at Eagle Farm; the need for scanners to check micro-chipping of horses in the north; bouquets for the stewards for their follow-up reports; questions why an alleged ‘cat fight’ between licensees was not reported; serious claims about an alleged failed investment made by a TAB club; and the final say on the GCTC elections from an angry chairman, Hoss Heinrich.

DUST MASKS & DRY CLEANING VOUCHERS NEEDED AT THE FARM

ONE of the biggest complaints in the e-mail box this week concerns the state of the Eagle Farm racetrack complex last Saturday, which several punters claimed had not been cleaned since the big dust storm.

Here is a sample of the messages that we received:

“I grew up going to the races at bush tracks where dust and flies were a common problem but in all those years I never experienced facilities that were as dirty as some of those at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

“The seats were covered in dust, so were tables and bars. I am sure had anyone bothered to complain to the health authorities the club would have been in trouble. My wife’s dress was covered in dirt where she sat down and one of the bars that I visited had a layer of dust that gave one the impression that nobody had even bothered to clean the place since the dust storm went through.

“I know it is hard to keep a place this big clean when you have dust of this magnitude coming through in what has been called a once-in-a-lifetime experience but this is something you might expect of a small bush club struggling to survive, not one that claims to be the best in the State.”

Here is another from a lady, who regularly attends Brisbane racing and wishes not to have her name published:

“They should have handed out dust masks and dry cleaning vouchers to ever race-goer that went through the gate at Eagle Farm on Saturday. I cannot believe that the club was unaware of the dust that was covering everything, obviously a result of the big dust storms that went through Brisbane.

“To make matters worse when a complaint was made to an official, we witnessed him pass it on to an underling who then blasted a casual worker that had just arrived for her shift (in full view of members of the public) and told her to get a rag and clean the place up.

“If this is what Queensland racing has degenerated to off the track since the big merger then my family and I want as little to do with it as possible. We will continue to support the industry but the sooner another new broom is put through the place – by that I mean the officials and the Eagle Farm facilities – the better for all concerned.”

NO POINT MICRO-CHIPPING IF THE STEWARDS DON’T HAVE A SCANNER

WE received a couple of e-mails concerning comments made by Jamie Orchard, the Queensland Racing Director of Integrity Operations, on the Brisbane-based web-site Just Racing, which is run by Phil Purser.

Orchard explained a number of steps that he said were in place to avoid the possibility of ring-ins in Queensland. Here is part of his statement to Just Racing:

“Firstly it is important to note that horses are subject to an identity check on more than one occasion on race day. Horses are initially inspected as they de-float or enter the tie up stalls and are identified by either micro-chip scanning or by their brands and markings. This is usually undertaken by club officials or the starter.

“Further pre-race inspection of horses and their papers are undertaken by stewards in respect of those horses that have not started in the preceding 90 days, are having the first start under a new trainer or are starting for the first time in Queensland.  Identification at this stage occurs by micro-chip scanning and reference to the brands and markings on the horse’s papers.

“Every horse is identity checked by micro-chip scanning and by reference to brands and markings as they move to the saddling enclosure. This check is usually undertaken by a Steward with the assistance of another QRL or club official (such as a starter or shoeing inspector).”

THE general theme of a couple of e-mails we received from country regions in response to the Orchard statement went something like this:

“I am a North Queensland-based trainer and for obvious reasons I don’t want to bring the wrath of Queensland Racing down on my shoulders by having my identity revealed. But I can assure you that in the north it is absolute crap to suggest that horses are inspected when they arrive at the track and are taken off floats or entering the stabling tie-up stalls.

“Secondly, there is no chance of micro-chip scanning at tracks up this way – and I am told in many other areas outside the south-east – the reason being the stewards don’t have any scanners. The micro-chip process has been going on for several years but they are still waiting to receive the scanners to check identities. As far as I am aware no scanning is done at all in the north. There is however checking of brands when horses enter the enclosure.”

THIS is something we will attempt in due course to secure an answer on – along with a number of others issues – from Chairman Bob Bentley or the Integrity Department of Queensland Racing.

BOUQUETS FOR THE STEWARDS FOR THEIR FOLLOW-UP REPORTING

BEFORE running our next e-mail the Queensland Racing stewards, who have suffered their fair share of criticism in this column, deserve praise for a couple of things that have gone virtually un-noticed in the mainstream media.

We were pleased to note that a follow-up report to race day events is now being posted on the Queensland Racing web-site. This largely involves horses that were the subject of inquiry or mention on race days.

One of note was the follow-up report on the heavily-backed Naadji, which performed so badly at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Trainer Bevan Laming has reported to stewards that Naadji had swelling and was exhibiting soreness in the off foreleg a couple of days after the race.

There has also been a stack of e-mails received by this web-site, the majority of which we did not run, concerning a race at Doomben on October 3 and why Plenty of Practise was not ridden forward as most expected.

Stewards completed an inquiry into the tactics adopted by apprentice Owen Turpin on Plenty of Practise and he subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure his horse was given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the field.

Turpin was accused by stewards of ‘unnecessarily and unreasonably restraining’ Plenty of Practise rather than taking the opportunity to position the horse outside the leader and race winner, Punch Up, ‘thereby failing to carry out the instructions of trainer Phillips to dictate the pace of the race from a forward position.’

Stewards also took exception to Turpin failing to allow Plenty of Practise more rein to move closer to the lead from the 800m to the 600m. They also accused him of making little (or an unsatisfactory effort) approaching the 400m and rounding the home turn to improve his position but instead remaining in a rearward position.

After considering submissions from Turpin and Phillips regarding penalty, stewards suspended the apprentice’s license to ride in races for a period of six weeks to commence immediately and expire at midnight on November 20.

NO REPORT FROM QR STEWARDS ON ‘CAT FIGHT AT THE COAST?’

WE did receive a couple of other interesting e-mails – one suggesting Queensland stewards should take a leaf from the book of Terry Bailey at Racing Victoria – and another concerning the lack of a stewards’ report on an alleged fight involving licensees on the Gold Coast.

Here’s one from a former Victorian now living in Queensland: “One of the things that has amazed me since I decided to retire in the north has been the number of top stewards that have been lost to the racing industry here.

“I have the utmost respect for Terry Bailey, who I understand cut his stewarding teeth in Queensland. He has done a great job since taking over as chief steward for Racing Victoria and goes out of his way to keep the punting public informed and is very pro-active with the racing media.

“That brings me to my question. Why have we not seen a stewards’ report into an inquiry involving an alleged altercation that occurred between two female licensees on the Gold Coast? When two female jockeys slugged it out at a Victorian track it was big news in the media.

“Now these may have only been strappers. I am not sure. But I understand they were given 12 month suspended sentences. Why does Queensland Racing or the stewards want to keep it a big secret and if that is the case how many other inquiries are held behind closed doors that we are not hearing about up here?” – Roy Sylvester, Gold Coast.

BAILEY WAS QUICK TO REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL FROM QLD

On the subject of Terry Bailey we received this e-mail from Darren Wooster of Milton: “Was wondering how Lucky Secret was allowed to start (at Caulfield) on Saturday?

“A few weeks ago the horse was scratched (at the trainer’s request) after the track was upgraded from a Dead 4 to a Good 3 permission was granted. So how come on Saturday when the track was upgraded from a Dead 4 to a Good 3 (just before the first race) was the horse allowed to start?

“I totally took Lucky Secret out of my bets once the track upgrade came through and it comes out and breaks a track record.  Surely the trainer and stewards should be asked for a please explain.”

Well that’s what we did on behalf of Darren and this was the quick response from Racing Victoria: “Thanks for your e-mail. RVL Chairman of Stewards, Terry Bailey, advises that Lucky Secret was permitted to be scratched on September 12 at Moonee Valley because of a request made by trainer Tony Vasil following the upgrade from a Dead 4 to a Good 3.

“Mr Vasil was of the opinion that the track was in fact rated a Good 2 from the 400m mark to the winning post and stewards, upon inspecting the track, were in agreeance with his viewpoint and thus allowed his request on the day. The remainder of the track was assessed as a Good 3.

“As you may be aware tracks are rated on an overall summary of the conditions and different ratings are not given for sections of the track.

“Mr Vasil did not make the request for the horse to be scratched last Saturday despite the standard upgrade from Dead 4 to Good 3 as part of the RVL track preparation policy. You will need to seek his personal comment as to why he did not, but he was obviously happy with the overall condition of the track.

“I hope this answers your query.” From Darren’s point of view it probably doesn’t but we still got a quick response, which in this day and age makes things so much more transparent from a punters’ perspective.

DID A TAB CLUB LOSE CLOSE TO $500,000 ON A FAILED INVESTMENT?

A COUPE of alarming e-mails has been received in recent weeks concerning a failed investment allegedly made by directors of a TAB club in Queensland. If these are correct – and we plan to seek some answers from authorities – then it should be made public.

The suggestion is that a couple of directors invested club funds into a failed company last financial year and the amount said to be lost ranges from between $300,000 to $600,000, depending on which of the e-mails you want to believe.

One would hope that these claims are not correct. If it happens to be right we will be watching closely the annual report of the said club to see what explanation – if any – is given for the big losses on investments.

HOSS GETS THE FINAL SAY ON A NASTY GCTC ELECTION CAMPAIGN

IT seems that we didn’t get the message through to some of those sending e-mails to this web-site concerning the forthcoming Gold Coast Turf Club elections. We are not interested in publishing slanderous attacks on current directors or individuals standing or seeking re-election.

What we are prepared to do – our final offering until this ‘crazy’ election has been decided – is run excerpts from an interesting letter circulated to the membership by high profile racehorse owner and current chairman of the GCTC, Hoss Heinrich.

“I am writing to express my disappointment at the efforts of a small group of Board members who have chosen to ‘play the man’ while campaigning in the lead-up (to the election).

“I am particularly dismayed at the fact that the unsuitable named Racing First Ticket faction has unfairly chosen to target respected Board member and current Deputy Chairman, Mr Larry Klinge. Their actions are as unprecedented as they are questionable.

“I would like members to know that Larry has always conducted himself with the highest level of integrity and has never failed to act in the very best interests of the GCTC. To have him maligned by a breakaway faction of our most inexperienced Board members is extremely distasteful and distressing to those who know Larry well.

“Moreover, I cannot understand what such vindictive and costly lobbying – through glossy brochures, letters and an intrusive telephone campaign – is designed to achieve.”