MY CALL - TIME TO GET WITH THE PROGRAMME. NO CLUB HAS ANY DIVINE RIGHT TO RACE ON SPECIFIC DAYS
By David Fowler | Tuesday, February 5, 2013
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 headline screamed at me "Queensland racing industry degenerates into turmoil" on my return from holidays.
Gee, it only seemed like a fortnight. What had gone wrong ?
The devil is usually in the detail but on this occasion not enough devil to confirm turmoil. A case of over-reach.
That's fair enough. The aggrieved parties that feel they are part of the turmoil are fully entitled to a have their say and it would be disappointing if they didn't voice some dissent.
Of course, it's the release of the DRAFT - repeat DRAFT - racing dates for the 2013-2014 racing season. That has got some people up in arms.
A carefully-planned timetable should see the whole box and dice wrapped up in just over a month.
The Sunshine Coast and Mackay clubs have cried foul over the loss of race dates in the draft.
"My Call" has analysed the draft copy and went through it line by line to establish if there is turmoil as a result of these proposed dates.
For those conspiracy theorists the answer is sadly no.
Sunshine Coast has to take the Toowoomba Saturday twilight/night spot while that track reverts to turf. This goes from July to January then they revert to their normal Sundays in general, but not all.
At this point I pose a question. "Why does the Sunshine Coast assume it must race every Sunday?"
Their Saturday positioning is because they are the only alternative track to Toowoomba that has lights.
In Mackay the blame game is all over the shop. The licencees blame the club. The club blames Racing Queensland.
Forget the finger pointing and examine the bald facts. The horse population in Mackay is poor and can't facilitate the amount of meetings it once had.
Rockhampton is in a slightly similar situation to Mackay. It can't produce strong numbers on a Thursday week in and week out.
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One of the major themes of the 2013-2014 race dates draft is to get racing in the country areas on Sky Racing and, as such, on the TAB.
Beaudesert, Kilcoy, Gatton and Dalby are back on the TAB wagon while Cairns gets more exposure and some tracks make it to the "sacred screen" for the first time like Goondiwindi and Bowen.
It's worth remembering this is not a new found idea from Racing Queensland. This is a cornerstone of previously announced LNP racing policy to showcase country racing.
Ipswich has lost a few Fridays but will run Tuesday, Thursday and the occasional Sunday meet.
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City racing is largely unchanged with the Wednesday-Saturday schedule.
I'm disappointed that public holiday racing has all but left the metropolitan area. Even Easter Monday has been sent to the Sunshine Coast but it was trend that wasn't going to change.
Relative new ground is broken with a proposed twilight at Eagle Farm in early December.
Hopefully, BRC will promote this as a Christmas party day/night, achieved so well interstate in recent years.
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So that's an impartial analysis of what is planned for 2013-2014.
Racing is not in turmoil but racing will go through some change that is not pleasant to some.
Queensland is the only - repeat only - state in Australia where clubs have steadfastly believed they have a God given right to race on a certain day or night.
That belief is now ready to be tested.
Until next week
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