MY CALL - LEAVE THE QUEENSLAND CARNIVAL ALONE

By David Fowler | Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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.

Why do certain people keep agitating for change to our Winter Racing Carnival?

Maybe we should drop the "winter" tag but that's small bikkies with some of the gripes that surface on a yearly basis.

Today's (Tuesday) Courier Mail piece screaming "revitalise our Carnival" didn't trigger this article but it certainly enhanced it.

There is one point that keeps coming up each year for those who are just desperate to tweak a working wheel. "It's too long".

Could I ask, "too long for whom"

What utter nonsense!

If we can enjoy feature racing with good horses, good crowds and good promotions for longer than other states do, are we not the lucky ones?

There is no better structured carnival than the Queensland one.

It's progression of races allow a charmed run into the Grand Finals on Stradbroke day and then there is a month of opportunity for those not quite good enough for that day to compete.

Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon expresses a wish for the controlling body to work closer with the race-clubs during this period.

Piece of advice to Darren … keep out!

RQ is responsible for the structure of the carnival … big tick already given … and produces an excellent brochure to unveil it all … big tick again.

That's where the train stops for RQ in my book.

Race clubs seize upon the winter opportunity to maximise their crowds and either improve or turnaround their bottom line in certain cases.

They know their communities. They have the staff and resources. And, most importantly, they have the passion to produce a good day.

And the proof is in the pudding. Have you seen a bad day at the races during the Queensland carnival?

Of course, you haven't.

RQ certainly should be there to offer advice and lend assistance but let the club organise and run their day or days.

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To draw a comparison between the recently-run The Championships and our forthcoming Carnival is a long bow.

This blog considers The Championships has real potential after the first running and here is a case where tweaking the structure will be beneficial for next year.

But Queensland does not have the megabucks that was used on advertising nor the plush facilities of Royal Randwick to be put alongside The Championships for comparison.

For everything that was thrown at The Championships in promotion of the event, it achieved average crowd figures of 25,000 each day.

Disappointing.

Flemington's week ranges from 70,000 to 100,000 while 80,000 turned up at MCG to watch Geelong play Hawthorn on Easter Monday.

It's worth keeping those figures in mind when you want to assess the success of The Championships.

And why do some Queenslanders continually parrot that we trail New South Wales and Victorian racing on so many fronts, particularly prize-money?

Is it a geographical thing that we drew alongside New South Wales when the nation was drawn up?

I'll guarantee you no such whinge is heard in South Australia, Western Australia or Tasmania.

Forget racing. Brisbane doesn't have the firepower of Sydney or Melbourne in many walks of life. Never has, never will and racing is no different.

So these "serious" racing comparisons are infantile.

Some good news is coming our way sooner than later but, meanwhile, enjoy this year's Carnival.

And don't bloody change it!

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I'm taking a short break before "resuming" behind the mike on BTC Cup day.

Good punting while I'm away.

David Fowler