IT HAS all been happening in central Queensland this week.
Firstly Mackey CEO Ross Prowd pulled the pin last week, which was no great surprise to most, but the timing was a bit odd. He will finish duties at Ooralea on June 25 - just a week before the Mackay Cup. And at time of writing the club has yet to find a sponsor.
Frankly, Mackay – with one of the best race tracks in the state – has had a raw deal from RQ.
The club faced being placed under administration by RQ with debts of $260,000 just a month or so ago. The MTC reformed for the sake of the local industry and stakeholders, but according to long time committeeman (23 years) and chairman for the past three, Lou Kinsey it has been dealt some “ordinary cards” especially with race date allocations.
Kinsey, who also battles lung cancer says the only day that Mackay can make a profit is when they race on a Saturday. In the upcoming season it has just one Saturday cup day.
“We have 28 days all up - not enough - and most are Tuesdays and Thursdays. We just can’t make any money.
“Yet if we have three Saturday dates we could wipe out the debt that RQ has left us in two years.
“It’s really that simple,” said the man who is one of two committeemen who have financed repairs of the club’s equine swimming pool at a cost of $46,000.
RQ refused.
“It was our commitment or no pool,’’ he said.
Ross Prowd was in fact employed by RQ and was the third CEO in a short period. RQ operated the club for two years during which time it wasn’t able to reduce the debt and handed it back in April to a committee that really didn’t want the responsibility.
But it was a case of take over or close one of the oldest and, for years, the most profitable race clubs on the coast.
IN Rockhampton trainer Ricky Vale has had a resounding win with his appeal for abusing stewards.
Vale, a leading trainer for several years was given 18 months disqualification on April 6 after being charged with “improper behaviour and insulting comments” to steward Matt Henderson at Rockhampton races.
Stewards claimed Vale “swore repeatedly and profusely”.
Vale said he simply “lost it” when stewards demanded one of his horses that had finished unplaced was to be swabbed.
Vale believed he was being targeted. Many thought at the time it was ”way over the top” and at his appeal last week the sentence was reduced to six months suspension - suspended for 12 months. It was a big win for the trainer and not unexpected.
TOWNSVILLE turf club will this week announce new sponsors for two of its major races - the Townsville Cup and the time-honoured Parry Nissan Great Northern.
Townsville RSL has decided against renewing its contract to sponsor the cup after three years. A high profile NQ hospital is expected to be named as the new sponsor.
And another former Townsville Turf Club major sponsor is returning to Cluden Park after a few years’ absences as the new sponsor for the three year old classic - the Great Northern.
It highlights the great difficulty Queensland race clubs are having to attract and retain sponsorships.