WHO was the Racing Queensland track “expert” who proclaimed that the Home Hill track is superior, had a better surface and provided less track bias than Innisfail.
Inexplicably, it was a member of an RQ panel that decided on which club to transfer some of the Townsville race dates and he gave Home Hill the nod over Innisfail- for the reasons stated. Unbelievable as it may seem he obviously didn’t speak to one single jockey who might have ridden on both tracks.
No one must doubt the outstanding efforts of the Home Hill committee.
It is not their fault that their racecourse doesn’t have all the equipment and water to keep it in a condition that punters betting all over Australia on a TAB meeting expect and demand.
It is not the committee’s fault that the track is really best suited to speedy horses that can be in the first three- preferably in front- and that it cannot cater safely for large fields that TAB meetings- because of the increased prize money- often attract.
Of course it is always easier when armed with hindsight, but following the meeting at Home Hill on Saturday, it is no surprise that there is now a move to have Innisfail’s Pease Park the preferred alternative.
“The meetings should be shared between Cairns, Mackay and Innisfail,” said one highly placed official.
And many agree.
How can someone sitting in Brisbane dictate to stewards on the subject of safety and suitability of racetracks in the north?
Well, simply, it shouldn’t happen.
Safety and the conduct of racing is surely the domain of stipendiary stewards. It should be their decision where and when to race.
Senior jockey Graham Kliese escaped very serious injury when the horse he was riding, Fundido suddenly faltered and crashed to the ground in the middle stages of the final race on Saturday.
He suffered a hairline fracture of the pelvis that is certain to keep him out of the saddle for several weeks.
Of course, such a fall can happen anywhere, and we might know more after an enquiry into the incident.
It looked awfully bad on national Sky-1 television as well as to those on track. Miraculously and thankfully Kliese escaped more serious injury.
The horse was put down.
According to stewards it suffered a fracture of its near side joint.
Many believed Home Hill was not the ideal TAB race day venue and that opinion will probably be reinforced after Saturday’s racing that saw unquestionable bias for horses racing in or near the lead in most races.
One jockey told a trainer (for whom he rode) that he would never ride on the track again.” It is full of holes,” he said
Further, the turnover on the first four races on Saturday was very poor. Punters stayed away in droves.
However turnover rose considerably for the last two races- but they were also shown on SKY-1. The earlier events were restricted to SKY-2. Surprised?
The next Townsville meeting is scheduled for Home Hill on April 26.
That might change.
THE issue of suitable TAB racetracks is only one problem facing the local industry.
The Hendra virus vaccination program is set to explode with some leading trainers, particularly in central Queensland simply refusing to have their horses vaccinated.
In Townsville veterinary surgeons are refusing to treat horses that have not been inoculated.
Recently stewards requested the on-course vet to examine a horse after a poor run at Cluden. The vets refused because it hadn’t been inoculated.
The Charters Towers based trainer took the horse home and it actually won at its next start.
DOWN in Rockhampton the vets have a different view. One leading local trainer refuses point blank to vaccinate his large string after two of potential stars became ill after their second injection and completely “’lost’’ all of their ability.
He tells of another trainer who had two of his horses die after their second injection.
The vets in Rockhampton have not imposed a ban on treating horses that haven’t been vaccinated.
“Ï don’t think we know enough about it (the vaccine) yet,’ the trainer said.
AT THIS stage Queensland Racing has not made it mandatory for all horses to have the vaccination. But is working on it, according to CEO Darren Condon.
What about the visiting interstate and NZ horses?
Will trainers be willing to inoculate their horses that are in peak fitness when they arrive in Brisbane? I doubt it.
Racing Victoria is about to announce that any horse that comes to Queensland to campaign and spells then for the winter- as is common- then the horse must be vaccinated before it returns to Victoria.
It has also been suggested that the vaccination of horses against the deadly disease should begin before horses are sold as yearlings.
That scenario might be worth some thought.
THERE is a rumour doing the rounds that Tabcorp is negotiating to take over the wagering arm of Tatts- or is it UBet.
Tattsbet trails dismally behind the might of Tabcorp which of course incorporates both NSW and Vic totes.
If they were to take over the wagering arm of Tatts we would be almost a national one tote.
And that’s what is needed to take on- or offer some resistance at least- the all-conquering invasion of the cane toads aka corporates.
Interesting.
