THE STATE Government and Racing Queensland last week announced the long awaited report on Eagle Farm, and predicted next April as the date for resumption of racing.
The report by former Victorian Racing executive Dale Monteith, who was commissioned by Racing Queensland, highlighted the challenges from the time that Racing Queensland began to manage the project in late 2014, through to the track’s subsequent maintenance by track builders Evergreen and the BRC. Mr Monteith’s report found that several factors had contributed to the performance of the Eagle Farm track including:
- The sand and grass chosen.
- The budget reductions.
- Maintenance programs during and after track construction.
- Weather events at critical maintenance times.
- The heavy racing program in the first 12 months.
The Monteith Report recommends the removal of the existing kikuyu grass to be replaced by wintergreen couch. It also recommends re-blending the profile to include angular sand types to improve stability.
His report recommends that the new track be restricted to 25 meetings in its first year, and a six-week renovation program each year.
BRC chairman Neville Bell said though track maintenance staff were not interviewed, the BRC made a submission to “outline our thoughts on the building and maintenance of the track”.
“We have always said that sand profile tracks present a learning curve. The recent history of Australia’s race tracks shows that these sand-track challenges are not isolated to Eagle Farm.
Racing Queensland and the BRC have agreed in-principle on the scope of works for Eagle Farm in the coming months. Racing Queensland will again act as project manager with the work to be funded by the Racing Infrastructure Fund. The total cost will be known once the scope is finalised and work tenders are returned.
To many, a cloud still hangs over the Eagle Farm track with more questions than answers.
It is the same in Townsville, which also has a $6m Evergreen track that has deteriorated significantly in the past six months and is about to undergo renovation – again to be funded by Racing Queensland, which obviously accepts some blame for its deterioration. The track is currently closed and there is some doubt when it will re-open, though the club still maintains a September re-opening.
In February this year, in its detailed inspection report on Cluden, Evergreen stated: “The track presents a very good surface for racing, probably one of the best – if not the best – in the state.”
And another thing.
Tenders for the renovation of Cluden closed last Friday. Apparently six companies applied.
Yet one Sydney based contractor, with a lot of gear turned up the previous Monday. So did 500 tonnes of sand plus 13 tonnes of fertiliser.
There is much more to this story.
Even a suggestion of CCC involvement – but first we must wait for the successful tender to be announced, hopefully this week.
Meanwhile I can report there have been some fiery exchanges behind the scenes – some at high government level – and a blame game between TTC and RQ as to how and why the Sydney contractor just happened to turn up on Monday, all dressed up and ready to go.
Watch this space.
A Melbourne-based company EIR that describes itself as a boutique business consultancy specialising in research, strategy development and performance measurement in the sport and entertainment industry, is currently conducting a survey of Queensland country racing.
It is easy to understand the reason, but why the extreme cost of employing an outside agency for yet another costly survey?
Surely Racing Queensland with all its minions could conduct an in-house survey that would come up with the answers.
In a letter to a select group of owners, Glen Hardy, a partner of EIR and formerly employed in a management role at Mooney Valley Racing Club and marketing manager of Racing SA, states he has been appointed by RQ to undertake “a size and scope study of the racing industry in Queensland”.
“The study will provide the industry with an evidence based assessment of the economic and social importance of the three codes of racing in Queensland.”
Really it is a very basic five-minute survey about the average cost of racing a racehorse. Respondents are asked to declare the cost of keeping a horse for 12 months noting the usual costs for training fees, trackwork, farrier, spelling, pre-training, insurance, veterinary etc.
One north Queensland owner completed the questionnaire and declared a cost of $64,000 for one country trained horse.
Reckon that might be a bit over the top. It would require the horse to win at least eight races a year to break even (TAB meetings excluded), and not many do.
But it might indicate the state of the game and that few people are in it for the money. And more owners are getting out of the game than coming in.
On that subject there was an interesting letter from Chris Waller to his owners last week, who apart from boasting about being the top metropolitan trainer for the seventh year, and passing the $26m mark for prize money during the year, says “it is inevitable Queensland will raise prize money in the very near future”.
Waller obviously knows more than most but talks about his new Gold Coast stable that will give him three bases (Melbourne and Sydney) and says it will mean interstate travelling costs will be abolished. Good for him!
He also announced his Queensland daily training rates = just $117 + GST.
In Melbourne he charges $123 a day and Sydney $127.
“The Queensland rate is introduced based on the cost of our services being of the highest standard, including a high staffing ratio and that our horses will be competing in Saturday class and Group racing.”
Top coast trainer Toby Edmonds, by the way, charges $85 per day and there is nothing wrong with his strike rate.
