YOU might have missed it last week as it wasn’t carried by mainstream media – but for those maintaining an interest in racing - it is well worth repeating.
The news that ASIC has found insufficient evidence to proceed with charges against former Racing Queensland chairman Bob Bentley and his Labor cohort and former board member Bill Ludwig has hardly been welcomed by some sections of the industry.
After what seems like an eternity ASIC has reportedly rejected the findings of Supreme Court Justice Margaret White, at the conclusion of her three month inquiry into the racing industry in 2014, that there were a raft of suspected breaches of the Corporations Act by Ludwig, Bentley and others.
One could argue that this has all become very political. Many accuse strong-man Bentley of being the architect of what is now a seemingly dysfunctional Racing Queensland and they still question how Ludwig ever made it onto the Racing Board considering his Labor ties.
The inquiry focused on many controversial actions of the Bentley Board, highlighted by the circumstances surrounding executives signing lucrative new contracts boosting their entitlements just before they left the body soon after a change of Government. According to a media report it also questioned millions of dollars in alleged payments to gaming company, TattsBet, of which Bentley was a Board member.
Bentley has confirmed receiving written advice from ASIC in late 2014, that there was insufficient evidence for action to be taken against him or his fellow Board members. Why then has it taken this long for the industry to be made aware of this? Did the Board that replaced him regard it as news not worth telling or did the former LNP Government prefer that it not be released at the risk of embarrassing them after another costly racing inquiry?
Yet the decision has only just been made public which begs the question. WHY?
‘’It was a political stitch-up,” Bentley told Fairfax Media.
He said the executives receiving large pay-outs "wasn't a good look" but such contractual arrangements had been needed at the time to try to prevent key staff leaving as Racing Queensland negotiated $110 million of extra funding from the Bligh government.
"It wasn't some shonky little deal cooked up in a back room," he said.
Of course not.
The White Inquiry was the seventh official inquiry into racing in Queensland since 1920.
Justice White wrote in her report that "it would be a matter of great regret if this Commission were just another cathartic event in the history of racing in Queensland, from which no lessons are learned".
Bentley might have escaped unscathed but there is neither celebration nor sympathy in the larger racing community, particularly in country Queensland.
He dismantled all the country racing associations - a great mistake in the eyes of many, and as a breeder himself, is accused of displaying favoritism to that sector of the industry.
Bentley was the one to put the dogs and trots under the same umbrella as the gallops and the result of that sheer folly is clearly evident. And we won’t even touch on Toowoomba and the mass waste of racing industry funds spent on track redevelopment. Let alone his stubborn refusal to allow Townsville Turf Club to sell a block of land they had been offered $16 million for.
The same block of land still lies idle today with a value of less than half that amount once offered.
On a national level, as the somewhat unlikely chairman of the Australian Racing Board he “ran an embarrassing second” to the jockeys in the infamous whip regulations that he tried to enforce.
Bentley will be remembered for what he didn’t do for racing - not for what little he actually achieved.
Meanwhile, investigations into alleged criminality and rorting in the industry continue. Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission is investigating alleged criminal activity in the awarding of contracts by Racing Queensland for racetrack upgrades (since the Bentley era). As part of the probe, codenamed Operation Yardage, the CCC last week charged two men with fraud, forgery and misconduct offences.
They are both due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 7.
Meanwhile we hear Bill Schuck - a former employee of Racing Queensland now working for race course builder Evergreen is currently on site at the new track going in at Pakenham, near Melbourne.
Acting CEO sacked
THERE has been another changing of the guard at Mackay. Acting CEO Ryan Van der Velde who is credited throughout Central North Queensland with putting racing back on track at Ooralea was unceremoniously sacked from the role at the latest committee meeting. He says it was no shock to him. He told the committee: “The entire street knew a week ago”.
There is no doubt Ryan worked hard for the club and wasn’t frightened to take issue with Racing Queensland on several fronts, nor members of the committee. Perhaps that forthright approach might have been one of the reasons for his demise.
But he still retains his position on the committee and his presence there will surely be a thorn in the side of some.
SO who is the new CEO?
Well, Mackay is known for being a little different - and now we have “Committee Executive” holding the post of CEO. True - it’s in last week’s racebook!
However, fortunately to the rescue came highly regarded former secretary-manager Joe Hynes who reluctantly accepted the role of Racing Operations Manager.
Joe was sacked in 2010 over a frivolous if not ridiculous matter that saw at least three committee members resign in protest. Joe at the time had been with the club for 10 years and when he was sacked there was a reputed $850,000 in theMTC bank account. Today the club is said to be more than $200,000 in the red.
“Ryan helped me in the office all last week and will be on deck again all this week. I need him too with amateurs this weekend.
“There are no hard feelings with me – he is a good bloke and a good operator,” said Joe who admits “the task today is much different to what it was 10 years ago.”
AND SO TOO the amateurs.
It was once the signature meeting at Ooralea - bigger than the cup. Punters,horses, jockeys, trainers and bookies came from all over the state for a two day meeting, a black-tie ball, a clay pigeon shoot and a host of dignitaries.
I remember 30 bookmakers in the Ooralea ring in the 70s
Like everything else in the bush, the verve is missing and the interest has all but dried up.
It’s just the fond memories that might urge old patrons to return on Saturday to Ooralea.
For the glory times and the lavish race day parties are long gone-and sadly gone forever.