FROM THE SHERIFF'S DESK: THE TASK OF FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PROGRESS AND TRADITION

By John Schreck | Wednesday, June 8, 2016

John Schreck, a former Chief Steward in both Sydney and Hong Kong, has seen both the colourful and the dark sides of racing. His wealth of experience and his deep knowledge of racing matters across the board is unquestioned and the reputation he built as a racing ‘lawman’ remains firmly entrenched in racing’s history. Shreck’s personal blog, ‘From the Sheriff’s Desk', appears exclusively on HRO.

The internationalisation of racing is so important these days.

If, by making the changes that have been announced for the Spring Carnival schedule in Melbourne (the switching of the MacKinnon and the Emirates Stakes) they can attract more horses from overseas and more international interest ... well then that is a good thing.

Tradition is also a good thing though and I would hope that, whilst we have to move with the times, tradition can be maintained as much as possible.

Afterall, tradition is one of the two great things about horseracing along with its unpredictability.

I know that sounds like I’m having a bit each-way but that is the way I see it.

No doubt the authorities did a lot of work before they made such a big change to an historical carnival, one which has gone from strength to strength over a long period of time.

It is hard to envisage that they can make it any better but those who succeed the most are always those who are trying to do better and who get those judgement calls correct.

Any good business has to go forward, but I think most of us who have followed the Melbourne Spring over many, many years have been so impressed with it ... and proud of it ... that it is to be hoped there won’t be too many more changes.

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Another thing that was probably inevitable and quite understandable is that traditional race names sometimes now give way to sponsor’s names.

In some cases, as the club’s move through deals with different sponsors you can lose your way in terms of recognising the status and historical significance of individual races.

I find that is terribly sad.

I understand that sponsorship is so important to the sport ... clearly it is ... but there must be a way to maintain names such as the McKinnon Stakes.

I hope that racing authorities bear that in mind for those of us who are traditionalists.

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The calling off of the scheduled re-opening of the Eagle Farm track was, in all of the circumstances, clearly the right thing to do.

No doubt they called it off for safety factors but it also it would have been a tragedy to have raced on the track for the first time in conditions as they were last Saturday.

Putting aside all of the safety factors, after all of the money that has been spent there, to possibly create a bog out of it on the first day would have been just awful.

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Talk about tradition!

The Queensland Winter meetings ... the Stradbroke, Doomben Cups and Doomben 10,000’s and the like ... have been a part of the Australian racing scene for such a long time.

So it is an important time historically.

I wish the Brisbane Racing Club and all involved in the Stradbroke meeting well on the new track opening day on Saturday.

Beyond that, it is to be hoped that the rest of the winter meetings go well and that the Eagle Farm track justifies all of the expenditure that’s been made upon it ... and I’m sure it will.