Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
FROM: The Handicapper RE: Prize Money Increases at Albion Park Trots SUBJECT: There Aren’t Any We are pleased to announce that Queensland owners will not have to pay either the additional 2.5% trainers commission being introduced on Saturday, or the 1% animal welfare levy. That’s the good news. The bad news is that you don’t […]
The State of Queensland was near COVID-free while the borders were closed. So we opened them. COVID was effectively contained when the State had strict and broad contact tracing. So we abandoned it. Polymerase chain reaction testing (PCR) is 100% effective. Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) is not. So we abandon PCR testing in favour of […]
Can anyone on earth explain why the Chief Steward would sit on a panel at a meeting and allow his deputy to chair it? That’s what happened at Doomben yesterday, and I am at an absolute loss to understand why. It’s not as if Daniel Aurisch who chaired the meeting needs the experience. He has […]
Everyone is raving about Coolangatta’s performance at Doomben today, and the bookies have wound the filly into $1.80 to win the Magic Millions on the back of it. It looks to be a very weak batch of Magic Millions contenders this year, but I am still not sure about the hype on this Maher/Eustace youngster, […]
Norm Torpey has been around the Queensland stewarding ranks for a long time now, and has held some very senior positions within the ranks of the QRIC and it’s successors (and been demoted from them). Torpey is supposed to be one of the better stipes in the north, but I personally wouldn’t pay two cents […]
What you see above is the Stewards Report from the 3rd round of ID21 heats held at Newcastle last Sunday. The Inter Dominion is – or was until this year, when Harness Racing NSW got hold of it and stuffed the whole thing up – the showcase event on the Southern Hemisphere racing calendar, and […]
Laugh as you may, but here is the make up of Queensland’s soon to be announced Racing Appeals Panel. Come back to me in 3 months time and tell me that I am wrong, if you can. You won’t be able to. President – Her Honour Judge Catherine Holmes Senior Member – Mr Alan Reardon, […]
You’d have to think so. After all, official trials and jump outs are run under the same rules of racing. Rafferty’s rules. Or none at all.
For years now everyone has known that the current racing appeals system in Queensland is broken and needs urgent repair. The ‘independent’ Internal Review system is a bad joke, with the reviewer not being independent at all, but rather an employee of the QRIC who can be hired and fired by the Commissioner, and as […]
Palaszczuk Government acts on Racing industry concerns The Palaszczuk Government makes no excuses for its reforms to protect the integrity of Queensland’s $1.2 billion racing industry. Further industry consultation throughout 2021, highlighted the need for a Racing Appeals Panel independent of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC). This new independent Racing Appeals Panel will replace all current internal reviews and the majority of QCAT appeals. Minister for Racing, Grace Grace said “We have long shared industries concerns with […]
