IF YOU HAVE GOT NO ROOM FOR ERROR, DON’T START OFF WITH A MISTAKE
By Graham Potter | Saturday, October 11, 2025
It would be fair to say that if you are involved in the racing industry you are essentially an optimist at heart. There is no way you would last the distance if you were not one.
Not that you ever accept that it is all a bed of roses … far from it … but some molecule of ‘hope’ generally prevails as committed stakeholders place one foot in front of the other as they continue to try to move forward in spite of the many obstacles that threaten to block their path.
There is very little to balance that hope on though if the stakeholder’s belief, trust and confidence in racing’s bureaucracy’s capability, intent and implementation of purpose has long since gone out of the window.
Which is why the postponement of an event scheduled for Monday (October 13) in which racing stakeholders and participants were to be briefed regarding the Government's response to the Queensland Racing Review is hardly encouraging.
By its own words Racing Queensland has described the Review as ‘a critical initiative shaping the future of Queensland’s racing industry — addressing key challenges, identifying opportunities for growth, and ensuring the industry remains sustainable and competitive.’
So, to be fair, the task set by parameters of the Review is not an easy one … BUT … then don’t go the early crow and call a very important report back session when you are going to backtrack, step out of that arrangement and leave your core audience of stakeholders and participants, without whom racing does not exist, hanging in the breeze ... at least for now.
Whether there was a good reason for the postponement or not … none was offered … it is a really bad look.
Here we go again … one foot in front of the other.
If you want to know why racing stakeholders take any semblance of a review with a pinch of salt, you only have to look at the Independent Review into the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC), launched by the then Racing Minister Grace Grace, in December 2023.
As a point of reference, here is the HRO article written when the review into QRIC was announced. Pay particular attention to the concerns expressed by Thoroughbred Alliance at the time which prompted the Minister to act.
QRIC TO FACE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW
And then, six months later.
THE REVIEW INTO QRIC - WHAT'S HAPPENING? RACING STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTICIPANTS DESERVE TO KNOW
To date, the findings of the Independent Review into QRIC has not been released publically.
All it has been is a confidence sapping exercise which has left many stakeholders fatigued and, to be honest, somewhat disinterested and doubtful of any value of going through a review of any kind … particularly bearing in mind these reviews cost money, so it is not only a waste of time when the perception is that nothing concrete comes of them.
This latest Government’s Review into Queensland Racing was commissioned in March this year after a change in the Queensland State Government from Labor to that of the Liberal National Party.
So, yes, that molecule of hope included giving the new Government a go at a Review of their own … and, who knows, when that presentation is finally made it might come with heartwarming promise of things to come.
This could be different. The window of opportunity is never fully closed and maybe, if you are feeling gracious, the benefit of the doubt could be brought into play on this one.
There's that element of hope again.
But those involved in the review delivery process better get it right this time.
From the start there was really no room for error… and they have already made one.
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