Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
‘Sugar’ Ray Douglas is an amateur jockey, a rider at Picnic meetings where horse loving people come out to pay homage to the great sport of thoroughbred racing and bask in the sun with a drink in their hand as they watch the gee-gees gallop by. They don’t go to races to witness horses being […]
Harness Racing Victoria talks a lot about its HERO rehoming program, but tells us very little. How many retired pacers and trotters a year does HERO rehome? Who knows? The annual report of HRV doesn’t tell us, and neither does either their own website thetrots.com.au or the HERO website hrvhero.com.au. All we know is that […]
For some time now Peter V’Landys has claimed that the thoroughbred breeders are mounting a campaign against him because they want to kill horses. He is right on both counts. There is a campaign against him, and while Big Richie and the big trainers are the cavalry, it’s the breeders who are calling the tune. […]
It is morally reprehensible and completely unacceptable for greyhounds to be euthanised unnecessarily. Such an act destroys all public confidence in the greyhound racing industry. It is common knowledge that participants in the past have been caught deliberately euthanising their greyhounds once the dogs finished their active racing career. This practice must be stopped, or […]
We hear a lot about humans being cruel to horses, but we don’t hear so much about horses being cruel to humans. They can be though, and at times are. Horses kick and buck and bite and stomp a person, and do so without a pang of regret. On Wednesday in the 6th at Doomben […]
Saturday’s race meeting at Longreach was conducted under the QRIC caring for racing animals in extreme heat policy. Start time for the first race was brought forward to 11.00am. Races were run at 35 minute intervals. Pre-race parade times significantly reduced and there were on-course cooling stations in the race-day tie-ups, parade areas and a […]
There are concerns that racing will be less viable in warmer months as the industry makes changes. By Matt Nicholls: North-West News The Outback racing industry is up in arms over a change in heat policy that is taking control away from local clubs and placing it in the hands of south-east Queensland officials. There […]
A Q&A with the boss of Queensland racing integrity, Kim Kelly. By Matt Nicholls: North-West Weekly, 30/10/2025 This is the full transcript between North West Weekly editor Matt Nicholls and Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) deputy commissioner Kim Kelly in response to criticism from the Outback racing industry about changes to the heat policy. You can read […]
Is was revealed today in the Racing Appeals Panel that the QRIC had cut a deal with trainer Todd Austin to reduce his disqualification over the Birdville Incident involving shocking a horse with jolts of electricity from jigger from 5 years down to 3. The question that must be answered by the QRIC is why? […]
Mrs. Haggas reckons that Zac Purton rode against her instructions to get stuck into the horse. She says with scorn that Purton just sat there like a sissy. We must protest. Take a look at the ride of Ciaron Fallon on the horse in last year’s Golden Eagle (above), and Zac Purton’s ride on it […]
