MY CALL: IT IS TIME TO GIVE PAM O'NEILL LASTING RECOGNITION FOR ALL SHE HAS DONE FOR RACING

By David Fowler | Tuesday, September 24, 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 every week. This week there is a variation to the normal blog theme as David Fowler's Press Room editorial on Radio TAB, in which he called for an initiative which would give Pam O'Neill lasting recognition for the great service she has done for racing and for female riders in particular. For those who missed this week's Press Room, it is repeated here in full courtesy of Radio TAB

If it wasn’t the impending national release of the movie Ride Like A Girl, Taylor Swift pulling out of performing on Melbourne Cup day, it was the fashion brouhaha between Alison Wilson and the Atherton Turf Club.

Yes, the last few days was all about the girls.

And that prompted me to think about the great lady of Queensland racing Pam O’Neill.

The woman who blazed a trail for female jockeys to ride against men nearly half a decade ago. Setting a foundation for generations to come. Pam’s tireless work is now there for all to see.

You might recall racing enthusiast and sponsor Alex Penklis kindly named a race after Pam at his meeting at Doomben late last year.

It was only a class 6 but full marks to Alex and those responsible for initiating it.

There was chatter at the time that a more permanent and elevated recognition of Pam should be followed up.

No-one could disagree.

But like so many things, it sounded good at the time.

There is a perfect opportunity for Racing Queensland and the Brisbane Racing Club to enact this recognition at the upcoming Summer Carnival.

There are ample precedents with legends such as George Moore, Bruce McLachlan and Keith Noud long acknowledged through feature race names.

Similarly, equine greats are not in short supply either including Bernborough, Buffering, Vo Rogue, Gold Edition, Calaway Gal, Phelan Ready and Winning Rupert.

And there is a race sitting pretty and, ripe for the plucking I might say, that is listed at the BRC’s December 28 meeting.

It is the Nudgee Stakes, a race named after a suburb, but it just happens to be a listed feature for the “girls”, fillies and mares.

How appropriate if this race became the “Pam O’Neill” or the “Pam O’Neill Trailblazer”

A permanent recognition at an appropriate time for a woman who played a significant role in Australian racing history.

And just a further thought. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to name a race after someone who is still with us and still contributing.

Over to you Racing Queensland, it’s a simple stroke on a keyboard.

Let’s do it.

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