OBE UNPLUGGED - MAJOR NEWS ITEM REGARDING RACING HARDLY CAUSES A RIPPLE AT THE TRACK

By Mark Oberhardt | Monday, December 3, 2012

Mark Oberhardt has been a racing and sports reporter for 40 years. He has written racing for the Courier Mail, Brisbane Telegraph, Sydney Sunday Telegraph, Sportsman, Australian Associated Press, etc. He has also written many sports columns including the Courier Mail’s The Ear. Mark has also been a regular on RadioTAB for 20 years. Mark’s personal blog, Obe Unplugged, will appear every Monday on HRO.

RARELY have so many been so underwhelmed by something which is so important as the changes to racing legislation which were introduced last week.

It is something which every racing industry participant, from trainers and committee members to the average punter, should read in full.

The best way to do that is to google Hansard and read the full transcript of what went on in parliament in the past month. It is little use an old codger such as myself putting a slant on it.

You need to decide for yourself by reading the whole facts … but for the time challenged it, in effect, means Racing Queensland as it now stands will be disbanded as soon as February and will no longer exist.

It will be replaced by a statutory five person Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board (QACRIB) which will include the chairpersons of the three code boards. It will also have two members who are appointed by the by Governor-In-Council (cabinet) on the recommendation of the Racing Minister.

There are several other changes to the Act but that is the most important one. It is a major news item for racing but from my travels around the racetracks of late it hasn't caused more than a ripple.

I think the main reason is that we have heard it all before.

Since the old principal club system - the Queensland Turf Club as the effective boss - we have had at least four different versions of a principal body governing the sport.

There have been some highs but generally it has been a shambles which has seen prize-money levels drop, constant in-fighting, tracks fall into disrepair and the gambing dollar product eroded.

The make-up of the board will again be done by a process which includes recruitment companies. Again we have heard that all before.

The general opinion is that it wouldn't matter who was in charge unless the basics are addressed.

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Most racing folk want whoever is in charge to concentrate on three main areas.

The first is ensuring prize-money levels are increased across the board.

The second is to ensure the tracks are maintained properly with the required level of funding.

The third is to have an integrity department which ensures the sport is run with the confidence of the punting public.

It sounds easy but in the end there have been problems with all three.

I sincerely hope whoever goes on the board will stay in touch with the general populace in the sport.

In many ways I reckon the previous racing boss Bob Bentley lost touch with the masses. He seemed to have problems getting his message across and that was unfortunate because, believe it or not, I actually think he had some good ideas.

Then again he had some ideas which were plain ridiculous.

But instead of being willing to listen to those opposed to his ideas he tried the "my way or highway" style of leadership. You can see what happened in the long term.

I hope the new powers that be do one thing and that is to get a smart adviser and listen to him or her. By that I mean someone who is available for industry members to speak with and someone who can then relay what is being said to the chief.

Racing has really lacked someone to be in that role for some time.

Of course it would be useless to get a yes man or yes woman in the role. An example would be the decision to replace Toowoomba's grass track with a cushion track. Now there were some good reasons to put in a cushion track but there were more good reasons not to. Did anyone bother to check with long range weather forecasts?

Anyway you can't turn back the clock but it going to cost a fortune to change Toowoomba back to grass. But Toowoomba is vital to the Queensland racing industry so it should be done.

Toowoomba is a perfect example of people forgetting racing is a human sport. By that I mean a lot of people rely on it for their living and every decision can impact on not only them but their families.

A classic example was the Deagon fiasco - I mean it could have even seen the local school badly impacted if families were forced to move away.

So the bottom line is it is good to have a change in leadership style but if we are served up the same old, same old you can't expect people not to yawn.

This is racing's chance, yet again, to do things differently and claim back lost ground. But only time will tell if lessons have been learned.

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Meanwhile, it was not surprise that most people I spoke with agreed with last week's blog that racing needs to lift its profile in the general public's arena.

But one reader did point out it isn't just Brisbane racing which has suffered.

He pointed out everything from Sheffield Shield cricket to club rugby league had been pushed into the background.

It is true but it doesn't mean we should lie down and cop it!

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