MY CALL - REMEMBERING RON CASEY. THE PAVAROTTI OF THE BETTING RING HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

By David Fowler | Tuesday, February 2, 2016

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

“The man who sang” has left the building.

The name Ron Casey, recently departed from this earth, would mean little to many racegoers.

But if I asked if you’d remember the bolt upright gentleman who sang like Pavarotti in the Brisbane betting rings, more than likely you would say yes.

That was Ron Casey.

It was also Ron Casey who wrote a plethora of poetry, putting pen to paper to release a troubled mind.

He loved families. Adored them. He had plenty of skin in that game, one of eight brothers under the care of his parents Harry and Ruby.

A brilliant scholar, living life in later years was a fine line for him.

Racing and gambling was the release valve.

It certainly couldn’t be described as a successful pursuit but he was determined to stay in the game as long as could.

He liked the track. Loved the company. The racing community was his family.

You would think the telephone was welded to his ear. It wore many of us down.

Now we wish he’d ring. RIP Ron.

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Expect a lot more than a brand spanking new track at Eagle Farm on May 11.

While the world class circuit will embrace a state-of-the-art training facility, off the track is undergoing a serious refurb on several fronts.

There’s a changing of the landscape and the modernising of several of the more popular bars and eateries.

You’ll also be gobsmacked by a permanent large screen that parks just before the winning post offering a wide array of information and race action.

The May 11 date is described as a “soft” opening. Making sure everything works, in other words.

The June 4 Queensland Oaks meeting will see the grand unveiling.

This massive project is on an extra tight schedule to deliver on time.

In so many ways it will deliver a great boost to metropolitan racing.

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Stewards were spot on in upholding their own protest in the Cup at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday.

I’m a tough marker on protests but gave a clear thumbs up on this, considering the chain of interference and the nose margin.

Some were quick to cast an opinion that “of course it will be upheld if they (stewards) instigate it.

Not so.

Long time owner Neil Brown recalls a stewards protest against his horse Unumgar Lad at Eagle Farm in 1988 when it defeated a heavily-backed commodity called Greek Prince.

The stipes fired in the objection with the belief that Greek Prince had been checked by Unumgar Lad at the notorious 600m crossing.

A subsequent video check showed Greek Prince brought himself undone by jumping the crossing.

Protest dismissed.

Brown is still going strong at 83, sharing in the ownership of Heza Bobbly Dazzler.

Many will recall his top mare Quiet Lady, a multiple metropolitan winner for Roy Dawson in the seventies.

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I reckon last Saturday’s stewards panel were spooked by rain and kick back when they made two downgrades of the Doomben track.

And did the jockeys help or hinder the situation?

Put it this way times of 60.31 (1050m), 1:09.25 (1200m) and 1:09.29 (1200m) are not consistent with a soft 6 rating.

Granted, racetimes are not the only, but are certainly the best, yardstick to judge a surface.

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