January 23, 2016
Racing Minister Grace Grace has confirmed that State Government funding will override the cuts detailed in Racing Queensland’s Tracking Towards Sustainability document published last December.
“Their (country clubs’) prizemoney and number of meets and races are not going to be affected and we are funding those now fully,” Grace told the media.
“The sustainability report is out of date (in regards to country racing) because the Government stepped in and said ‘we will support country racing’ and we are putting $21 million towards it so that none of those measures have to take place.”
The package includes $13 million directed towards covering cuts to country prizemoney planned by Racing Queensland.
The $13 million will be delivered across four years from July 1 this year, with $4 million each year for the first two years and then $3 million in year three and $2 million in year four.
Racing Queensland confirmed there will be a freeze on any changes to country racing prizemoney or meetings for the next two years from July 1.
They will then work through possible changes to race programs with country clubs in years three and four as State Government funding for country racing decreases under the package.
The other $8 million in the State Government’s $21 million package will apparently be directed towards capacity-building funding in a bid to reduce country clubs’ reliance on subsidies.
In essence, rural racing should expect two years of business as usual.
However the tapering of the government income stream in the following two years will have serious consequences.
Who will invest in a racing sphere that is subject to a halving of purses in a two year time span?
The industry needs to ensure that racing per se becomes an issue in the next State election.
Meanwhile, the South East Queensland Racing Association will be conducting its annual meeting at Doomben on Saturday, September 30.
Clubs involved extend from Monto to Beaudesert.
No doubt the problems looming ahead will get robust air time.
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A Long Journey Turned Out Well
As Hannah English took Moonlight Nova ($10) into gate 14 for the ninth and final event at Ballina’s TAB program last Sunday, she faced the prospect of heading home to Nanango empty-handed.
Her lead up mounts Casla ($51), Enter Sandman ($21) and Overrule ($31) had all missed a place.
However the Beaudesert trained Bel Danoro mare prevailed comfortably and Hannah registered her initial interstate success at her first attempt.
She picked up minor place money with Kenkerjoca ($17) at Toowoomba on Friday, and sports silk at Goondiwindi on Saturday, Beaudesert on Sunday and Kilcoy on Australia Day.
Also at the Toowoomba meeting, Hannah Phillips combined with Lord Wivenhoe ($9) to collect runner-up cheque with the four-year-old Mosayter gelding that is raced by Marshall Thoroughbreds.
Trainer James Curtain made some gear changes for the maiden galloper, whose only other appearance was also at Clifford Park.
On that occasion way back in July 2014, the grandson of Dehere ran a distant third in soft going.
The first up result this time over 1050 metres in is an encouraging effort.
The bay’s stablemate The Equine Bolt (Hannah Phillips, $10) was not disgraced in finishing fifth, a half length astern of the third placing, in the 1200 metre Maiden for Three-Year-Olds.
Phillips holds engagements at the forthcoming Goondiwindi and Kilcoy race days.
Given that last weekend’s Dalby fixture was washed out, it was no surprise to see Toowoomba assemble a mammoth 10 race card on Friday.
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Reminder: “Pandemonium” Pink is naturally the fashion theme for Nanango’s pre-Valentine meeting on Saturday, February 13.
