WHILE we await Racing Queensland’s annual report with mild trepidation, a glimmer of hope has emerged for our besieged industry.
Queensland Trainer’s Association chairman Ross Shannon, a member of the newly formed Country Racing Panel, believes new RQ board member Mark Sowerby is just the man to reverse the fading fortunes and reputation of RQ.
Sowerby is chair of the new panel and of another committee to be known as the Thoroughbred Racing Panel. Both are designed to tackle all matters relating to industry licensees and participants – both city and country.
There is a hint too, that the previously forecast $29 million loss predicted by former CEO Ian Hall might be “closer to $20 million”.
Not ideal, of course when compared to the multi million profits of other major Australian racing jurisdictions last year, but it is an improvement none the less.
The problems at Racing Queensland are many and varied, and the future anything but promising.
It is up to the new board which has a monstrous task to resurrect some respect and regain the confidence of all stakeholders and particularly punters who have walked away in droves- many into the clutches of the despised overseas corporate bookies.
As we have stated earlier, a time and motion study and a clean sweep at the Deagon dugout might be a good start. Oh, and a new deal with UBet would be a godsend.
If only…
In the past few weeks there have been two resignations that RQ could ill afford from positions that will be difficult to fill. Sam Woolaston, reportedly fed up with the bureaucracy now endured by stipendiary stewards under the current RQ regime, has pulled the pin.
So has the hard working and racing savvy communications manager Adam Gardini.
We really should ask why.
TALK about bureaucracy gone crazy. Mackay is still battling with RQ to stage a North Queensland Derby at its meeting on October 8.
Firstly the MTC must have permission from RQ to name a race the Derby, though for 25 years or more Ooralea has run the NQ Derby at its Cup carnival in July.
It is a race for 3 and 4 year olds and has been won by some capable horses including In Top Swing who later won a Queensland Cup. This year’s proposed Derby (still no guarantees, as RQ continues to procrastinate) will be for BM 70 horses over 1800m.
Initially RQ offered a miserly $10,000 prize money, which has been increased to $15,000, and with club sponsorship, the MTC hopes to offer more than $30,000. After the Cairns Amateurs on September 10, club chairman Lou Kinsey points out there is no race north of Caloundra worth $20,000.
THERE are two $20,000 races in Townsville on Saturday, however, for the NQ Amateur cup and the 1200m sprint that has attracted a field of 17.
The cup field is a little disappointing with only 12 nominated, and the most notable absentee being Cairns Cup runner-up Rockette. He is being reserved for Cairns amateurs in a fortnight.
Of course the next week is Birdsville, one of the country’s iconic meetings that has yet again been snubbed by Sky. Maybe it is in the wrong state for the nation’s racing TV station.
But much travelled Nathan Day will be there … for the first time.
The journeyman jockey will ride at the two-day fixture for top bush trainer Todd Austin but says he will be back aboard Rockette in the Cairns Amateur Cup on September 10.
