It Has To Stop
Racing Queensland is responsible for determining the maximum field sizes for races at each track, based on its assessment of safety. I strongly believe that it has failed when it comes to allowing 16 horse fields over 1000m at Cluden Park, Townsville. Townsville is a track with a circumference of only 1680 meters. That is […]
Bubba and Kliese Survive the Fall – But Racing QLD Are Putting Jockeys Lives at Risk – It’s Just Not On
Racing QLD don’t usually publish replays of race falls. They have here. It’s race 9 at Townsville. The fall happens in the straight. Les ‘Bubba’ Tilley and Graham Kliese go down. The word is that Bubba has broken his wrist and collarbone. Poor bugger. I hope he gets well soon. Kliese walked back to the […]
A Highly Preventable Mix-Up
Wouldn’t you be dirty if you were veteran Northern Rivers trainer Leo Clapham? He trains his horse Lady Alabama up for months to get it ready to run the 1350m at Doomben on Saturday. Even books a claiming apprentice Olivia Kendal to ride the mare to give it a bit of weight relief. Then he […]
CeeCee Bought His Ticket – Now It’s Time To Take The Ride
Anyone who has half a brain realizes that an unrepresented victim of child rape would, by reason of some recent trauma or injury – i.e, the rape – or other circumstances – i.e. the mental health crisis that they had experienced, and contemporaneously been writing openly about – would be at a disadvantage when dealing […]
Poor Bloody Bailey Wheeler – He is Not Waving Either – Only He Doesn’t Know It
They’ve taken my career and life away from me. There’s no easy way to put it, I’ve been filthy at the world. I haven’t really shown up to work or been dedicated because I feel like I’ve got nothing to do in racing any more. Baily Wheeler No-one took anything away from Bailey Wheeler, except […]
Council Decision Puts Racing on the Tablelands at Risk
Last week’s decision by the Tablelands Regional Council to get rid of 44 council owned buildings and facilities in a cost-saving push seems surely likely to imperil the future of racing in Atherton. The council intends to divest or demolish the Atherton Turf Club storage and equipment sheds at Tolga racecourse and, crucially, the on-course […]
They’ve Got The Wrong Sinatra
If your boots are made for walking you hire Nancy Sinatra to come and sing at your party. But if you want Nothing But The Best you get Frank. It’s a bit like Leap To Fame against Kingman. The latter is very bloody good. But the former is better. Damian Sheales is Kingman. James E […]
It’s a Strange Place QLD Isn’t It? – A Real Funny Place Indeed
The strong mail out of George Street is that the exceptionally able Catherine Clarlk, one of the top sports administrators in the Dominion, has been told that her tenure as QRIC Commissioner is soon to be over. Apparently the QRIC itself is all but a dead duck too. Whether Kim Kelly decides to ride out […]
The Die is Cast About Deagon’s Future – But There is No Such Thing as a Certainty When the Magic Man is on the Other Side
We are told that the decision on what to do with the Deagon racecourse has been put back to about Easter time. I think the answer however is already known. Why would Racing QLD have set aside asset funding for an Apprentice Jockey Centre at the Gold Coast when they already have one at Deagon? […]