BROWNIE'S BLOG: RACING VICTORIA MAKES A BIG DECISION. OTHER PRECINCTS SHOULD TAKE NOTE

By Damian Browne | Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Brownie’s Blog is the weekly blog of the now retired, multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne. In this edition Brownie talks about a big decision that has been made by Racing Victoria and how others should pay attention to what is happening there. He also has a look at the upcoming All-Star Mile and finally he reflects the sentiment of the entire racing community when he passes on his thoughts and sympathies to those affected by the sad events of last Monday. This Brownie’s Blog – exclusive to HRO.

Racing Victoria has announced significant race program changes for the next two seasons. These changes will include: a race-free week with no meetings or official trials programmed from Monday to Friday in the final week of the season, Christmas Eve in 2020 and 2021 will also have no meetings giving participants a two-day break over Christmas and night racing will end no later than 9.30.

My response.

Firstly, it would be nice if we were all working with a racing body like Racing Victoria that listens to its participants as they have done down there.

We have talked about the workload, the excessive hours and the fatigue up here before and, as it generally does, it has fallen on deaf ears so Racing Victoria has to get the nod of approval for trying to be proactive and do something about what has become a very real problem.

At the end of the day the stable staff are still going to have to go in to work on those days to look after the horses so it is not going to be a holiday for all of them … but it will lessen the load a lot and therefore maybe allow some staff some time off.

Whether that is the answer or not, it is good to see them trying something.

I definitely hope that other states will take a look at what is happening in Victoria and follow their lead.

Racing Victoria’s CEO Giles Thompson summed things up well when he said, “We understand there’s a balance to be struck for the welfare of all stakeholders. We are alive to the current demands on a broad range of stakeholders, in particular trainers, stable staff and jockeys, and as such we’ve been working closely with the ATA and VJA on a review of the working week for some time. These announcements are the next steps in a range of initiatives that consider the welfare of a broad range of stakeholders whilst seeking to maintain a sustainable industry for the future.”

As I said, it just seems to fall on deaf ears when we talk about it up here. Hopefully now that Racing Victoria has taken this significant step the powers that be up here will take a little bit more notice of what is happening.
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Alligator Blood has one final mission in what has been glorious preparation and that much awaited challenge will take place when he lines up in the $5 million All-Star Mile at Caulfield on Saturday.

The run represents a step up against older age group horses … like Melody Belle. She’s a champion and we all know how well Jamie Richards and Opie Bosson are going. They had another Group 1 double over the weekend in New Zealand. Opie’s riding Melody Belle instead of Probobeel, who races at Rosehill.

Then there are the likes of Kolding who Alligator Blood is going to have to contend with. There’s Fierce Impact as well. He’s already won a Group 1 at Caulfield, so it certainly won’t be a place for the faint-hearted with everybody chasing a winning prize-money cheque of $2,25 million.

It is going to be a cracking race.
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Finally, my thoughts and sympathies … and I’m sure the thoughts of the entire racing community … go out to the family, friends and fellow workers of the stable rider from the Danny O’Brien stable who was killed when the horse he was riding was hit by a car on the morning of the Adelaide Cup (which O’Brien ultimately won with King Of Leogrance).

It was an horrific situation and it was a terrible day for the stable.

At Caloundra we have cars and trucks going up and down to the dump all of the time. It is surprising that sort of collision between horse and a car or truck hasn’t happened here before because some of those drivers are not ‘horsey’ minded and so they don’t really understand just how much you need to slow down or how they need to operate around a horse.

That’s another story which might need to be addressed at another time but, as I say, for now my thoughts and sympathies go out to all affected by those events that took place on Monday on what was such a sad day.

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