MY CALL: CUP WEEK REMAINS UNRIVALLED IN AUSTRALIAN RACING AS NSW ANNOUNCEMENT BACKFIRES
By David Fowler | Tuesday, November 14, 2017
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.
Melbourne Cup week again demonstrated that is the benchmark of Australian racing on so many fronts.
This unrivalled prowess is acknowledged by all except, sadly, Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club, who tried a "clever dick" approach by announcing an Everest prizemoney increase on Cup day.
It backfired spectacularly.
What were they thinking? Honestly, what fool prompted them into such a stupid move ?
The reaction was swift and consistent. Why would they try and hijack Australia's most important raceday with their smart-arse behaviour ?
It went down like a lead balloon.
Aussies don't like this sort of thing. It was a bad misstep.
They could have waited for clear air and continued the positive vibe that The Everest has clearly created in its debut year.
Anyway, the bottom line is The Everest is now worth a whopping $13 million but I don't report it with as much fervour as I would have previously.
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Interestingly, the State Labor election promise of taking financial responsibility of country non TAB racing was also announced on Cup day.
The strategy was more honorable to try and leverage off the stage racing holds on that day.
Well, as honorable as an election promise can be !
In fairness, this contract between the State Government and Racing Queensland has been in the pipeline for several months and shouldn't be judged in the prism of an election.
State Labor has promised to be the custodian of non TAB country racing to the tune of $70 million over four years,
Their takeover let's Racing Queensland off the hook of $8 to $10 million per annum which can be distributed and added to present TAB prizemoney levels.
It's a win for all concerned.
Will the LNP opposition try to match it or even better it ?
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The bubbling drama in Melbourne regarding horse doping and associated betting will explode soon.
Tit-bits of information are leaking out although The Australian's Brendan Cormick has typically reported accurately and sensibly.
I shake my head when I hear many saying how bad this will be for the image of racing.
Rubbish. If proven, these greedy cheats need to be exposed for their behaviour.
What's that line about "draining the swamp" !
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South Australia didn't miss pinching a piece of the national racing spotlight last week.
Apprentice Dylan Caboche did the wrong thing by punching a wayward horse behind the barriers at Port Lincoln with vision of the incident lurching into the mainstream media.
There were the immediate and predictable cries of life banishment, RSPCA investigations and the like.
Please.
And to racing folk who I'm communicating with on this blog, we'll leave it at that.
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Two clever race names caught my eye last week.
A horse called Hamburger raced at Pakenham. It's by Golden Archer!
And Grim Reaper debuted at Doomben. It's by Domesday out of Premeditated.
Until next week.
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