MY CALL - A RECOMMENDATION TO BE APPLUADED AND ANOTHER THAT SHOULD BE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL

By David Fowler | Tuesday, June 2, 2015

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.

COMMENTARY PIECE:

A bouquet and a brickbat land on two key recommendations in the MacSporran Commission Of Inquiry into Queensland Greyhound Racing.

There are several recommendations strictly related to greyhound racing and its future which are not in the scope of this website.

However thoroughbred and harness racing have been caught up in recommendations on the industry's structure.

Some say, with some justification, they will pay for the greyhound industry's bad behaviour.

The removal of integrity and handicapping from the commercial outfit to a Queensland Racing Industry Commission is to be applauded.

This has been a bubbling issue for some time and Racing Queensland was on the front foot to voice its approval.

But to structure the commercial arm as a seven man board with four "cleanskins" is a shocker.

It displays a somewhat naive approach to the reality of day-by-day racing.

Most industry participants crave, and were hopeful, for a return to individual boards running their codes which operated well before the controversial Bob Bentley merger of 2010.

Some leeway was made with Bentley’s departure in 2012 when code specific boards were installed but only as a conduit to the Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board (QACRIB).

Most will judge them as glorified advisory boards. They would be right.

But MacSporran's recommendation puts the industry in its worst position ever and must be fought against tooth and nail.

Four members of the seven must have no direct link with the racing industry for two years and one of those will be the Chairperson.

The pool of potential Labor Party board appointees would be rubbing their hands with glee.

"Four spots we never bargained on," they shout with glee.

In its strictest terms, thoroughbred racing would have one vote in seven. Fair?

And being wildly hypothetical, the three codes could be in complete agreement on an issue ... another wild hypothetical ... and be voted down by the band of four.

MacSporran consolidates the fantasy that the three racing codes should be joined at the hip.

How many examples need to be trotted out to expose this hasn't worked?

And this latest recommendation actually further maligns all codes, not just the minor ones.

Even if the state Labor government approves the recommendations lock, stock and barrel, the slow wheels of process won't see an immediate change.

And it's worth remembering it has to be "get up" in the House. Just a thought.

The fact that a third administrative model for Queensland racing in five years is on the table clearly demonstrates politics and personalities still dominate the business.

David Fowler