ROB'S SHOUT - JOIN IN AND HELP BUILD POSITIVITY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, July 25, 2013

Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the multi-premiership and Group 1 winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO, workload permitting.

Hello again folks,

I have been ‘offline’ for a couple of weeks but it’s still been a pretty busy period … yes, even with the continual frustration as well as outlined by David Fowler earlier in the week in his blog regarding the state of our race tracks in Queensland and the atrocious weather we have endured this year.

Aside from the enormous stresses and frustrations the continual wet tracks have placed upon trainers and jockeys as well as the connections, the financial cost to the industry has been enormous and it’s perhaps impossible to calculate the damage done.

This six month period of ‘wet’ has had a massive influence as punter confidence has continually been eroded by the uncertainty created by the never ending rain affected tracks.

There are aspects of this racing industry which can be controlled and influenced by external sources but the weather, well, that is one thing we simply have to just cop on the chin, no matter how much moaning we do and I am certainly guilty of that as I am no fan of wet track racing!

The form-lines are just so unpredictable on rain affected surfaces and as a trainer I can assure you that we get just as frustrated as you punters at times.

The incidences of horse running below expectations are far greater with so many variables at the best of times let alone continual bog tracks for an extended period of time.

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I believe it is important that we, as ‘coal face participants in the game’ do all we can to help promote the industry and unite together to build positivity.

Of course it’s easy to sit back as sadly some do and continually throw rocks at racing and be critical of the administrators and club officials for a never ending list of complaints.

It saddens me to be honest as this is a profession I love and an industry I want to prosper as it should.

I don’t profess to have the answers on how to right the many wrongs that may currently exist such as getting a new track at Eagle farm, improving facilities at club level, increasing prize money right across the state and a host of other things on a list a mile long.

I am a realist and I know the answers are not easily found and there is a lot of work and a long way to go but I for one will try to remain optimistic and do what I can to help the industry go forward.

A major part of that is to be as positive as I can and stop chewing on lemons all the time!

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To that end, last Monday I also attended the making of the new marketing campaign commercial which was being filmed at Olympic Park at Hatton Vale.

I applaud the initiative of Racing Queensland to promote the three racing codes in the ‘We Run As One’ Campaign. Yes, we do need change to take place to enable us to go forward and it will certainly help if we all work and pull together.

My wife and I made the drive to Hatton Vale because we wanted to help and be a part of the initiative.

I was so pleasantly surprised to see the large number of industry participants who had turned up. Great stuff and it was a real boost of confidence for me to know there are indeed so many from all walks of life in this industry who do wish to remain positive and promote the strengths of the Queensland Racing Industry and in all three codes.

I particularly enjoyed meeting up with Darrel Graham and Steve Zammit. Both passionate men at the top of their respective professions and willing to help bring about a positive change in our state.

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The racing season is fast coming to a close and I want to take this early opportunity of congratulating jockey Michael Cahill on his stella season.

Michael is one of the hardest working hoops in the game and his premiership win has been very well deserved.

He is just about the most winningest jockey in the land too so it is no mean feat what he has achieved … and he is not a natural light weight.

A ripper bloke and a great ambassador for our states racing.

It will be a real close thing to see who does indeed get the coveted gong for jockey of the year as Damian Browne has also had a super year.

Not quite the number of winners Michael has achieved but plenty of juicy stakes races to compliment his local haul.

Well done lads! Both deserved of the top gong!

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I am thrilled to have the two horses in my stable who may well fight out the ‘Queensland Horse Of The Year’ gong.

Buffering is always a perennial favourite with the ‘voters’ and with Group 2 wins in the Moir, Schillaci and Victory stakes to go with his Group 1 placing’s including his courageous runs in the Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke, well, he is sure to poll well for horse of the year.

The big Russian, Solzhenitsyn has a coveted Group 1 to his name winning the Toorak Group 1 which will help him poll well along with his Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup win at Doomben, a super run in the Group 1 Canterbury stakes against Pierro and More Joyous and a top third in the Sir Rupert Clarke G1 so, yes, a close run race I reckon for the top local gong.

I gotta be honest, it’s a coin toss in my opinion!

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The top sire award has gone right down to the wire with a fascinating tussle between the two Glenlogan sires.

Show A Heart is defending his title against Bradburys Luck who has had a super year and it looks like Showie will just sneak over the line. A top job by the Glenlogan team who have assembled a super sire list.

More success to come their way, that’s a given!

That’s it for this week. I hope to be here next week but I always preach about taking a break, no matter how short. Might be a few weeks away though!

Cheers and good health to you all.

As Eric Idle once sang “Always look on the bright side of life”!

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