MY CALL - AN AWARD PLAN SHOULD MADE TO ACCOMMODATE A SRIKANDI-LIKE SITUATION
By David Fowler | Tuesday, October 13, 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.
It was an expensive exercise with no chance of a return.
Award organisers were left redfaced when a table seating several connections of Stradbroke and Tatts Tiara winner Srikandi was spotted at Monday's knees up.
A table booked, flights and accommodation paid for, and she wasn't even in the race!
Srikandi is ruled out because she is not domiciled in the state yet on performance would have won hands down with her two Group One triumphs.
I suppose it is the "Queensland" Horse Of The Year yet it doesn't sit well that a Srikandi-like CV doesn't gain a scintilla of recognition.
Organisers must accommodate an award if a Srikandi -type situation pops up again.
It can be explained away this year by a communication mix-up but a repeat performance is out of the question.
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Buffering (horse), Tony Gollan (trainer) and Luke Tarrant (apprentice) were short odds to take their respective titles and saluted accordingly.
The Jockey Of The Year title won by Damian Browne was long overdue and a real crowd pleaser.
Snippets (horse), Digger McGrowdie (jockey), Watty Blacklock (trainer) and Clive Morgan (associate) became Queensland Hall Of Famers on the night.
Andrew Augustine, whose late father John was the managing owner of the Snippets syndicate, remembers as a 15-year-old watching the late Richie Benaud interrupting Channel 9's Wide World Of Sports cricket coverage to cross to the inaugural 1987 Magic Millions won by Snippets.
"He will live in my mind forever, "'Augustine said.
And Digger McGrowdie's granddaughter Rachael was on hand to accept the Hall Of Fame award.
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Full marks to Scott Steele and the team at the BRC for presenting the Awards night in outstanding fashion.
The 200 plus roll up at the Doomben track conclusively proved a lavish spend on a five star city hotel doesn't produce any better result.
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Speaking of BRC, sad to see general manager of marketing Matt Rafton moving to greener pastures.
Matt provided a fresh approach to the promotion and marketing side of things at Eagle Farm and Doomben meetings.
He winds up an almost two year stint after Melbourne Cup day.
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GRAPEVINE: Expect a meeting between Racing Queensland trumps and highly-placed club officials this week to start discussing the nitty, gritty of future prizemoney levels.
The wheels are turning but are they headed in the right direction?
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RQ Integrity boss Jamie Dart would neither confirm nor deny my claim that a licencee tested positive to "ice" last week.
Dart was equally adamant on my Radio TAB Press Room programme that transparency would be a key plank in his tenure.
OK ... right ...
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