MY CALL: IT IS BETTER TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE BIGGER PICTURE THAN IT IS TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

By David Fowler | Tuesday, July 30, 2019

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.

Too often too much time is wasted on the small things in the racing industry.

By that I mean directing scrutiny and criticism to incidents that are essentially blips on the radar.

Let’s be honest, mistakes happen. No business, big or small, is fault free.

And these mistakes in isolation are obviously significant for those concerned. Totally understood.

But there is a minority (and their acolytes) who will whip up a frenzy on these matters to divert the traffic away from the bigger picture.

Make them a hell of a lot bigger issues than what they are.

Worse still, and dangerously, sometimes fake news is presented.

So, Racing Queensland’s CEO Brendan Parnell’s interview with me on PRESS ROOM on RadioTAB on Monday was insightful in terms of presenting this bigger picture we need to be consistently reminded of.

It’s hard not to argue that the relationship between the industry, racing administration and the State Government is the most positive it has been for some time.

That’s not to say disagreements will not happen now and in the future.

But the thoroughbred industry’s zeal to get a financial windfall out of the Point Of Consumption tax went a long way to getting the ear of the State Government.

It was a watershed moment not only for the financial boon created but on a broader front for the communication channels that were opened.

The annual POC return will allow Queensland to keep pace with their interstate counterparts.

Winter and Summer carnivals for each code are being reviewed and renewed, coming off strong positions in 2018-19. An inaugural early Spring thoroughbred carnival in 2020 is also in the pipeline.

RQ are playing a direct role in forming the new media rights for the business which begin in a year and are in the loop regarding modifications to QRIC where the State Government has kicked off dialogue.

The infrastructure portfolio has never earned the top grade on the RQ report card but the Ipswich project is now collaboratively moving forward while the light is increasing at the end of the Gold Coast tunnel.

Doomben becoming a lit venue is far from a longshot.

It’s not all roses, however, and the slowness in finding alternative harness and greyhound sites to facilitate a departure from Albion Park is bordering on unacceptable.

Yet converting Marburg harness and Capalaba and Bundaberg greyhounds to TAB status earns a significant tick.

It is beyond argument the industry is in a healthier position with a good sized portion of potential in terms of the short and long term future.

And overshadows a grab-bag of negative comment.

David Fowler