{"id":256006,"date":"2020-03-31T18:07:07","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T08:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=256006"},"modified":"2020-07-11T12:26:29","modified_gmt":"2020-07-11T02:26:29","slug":"negotiating-the-steeplechase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/03\/31\/negotiating-the-steeplechase\/","title":{"rendered":"Negotiating The Steeplechase"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_256012\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-256012\" style=\"width: 740px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-256012\" src=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd.jpg 620w, https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd-263x163.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-256012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Right now, the racing industry is running in a virtual steeplechase over an indefinite distance<br \/>(Photo: Ross Stanley, Warrnambool, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/gunsynds-gossip\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-69453\" title=\"Gunsynd's Gossip\" src=\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/gunsynds-gossip.jpg\" alt=\"Gunsynd's Gossip\" width=\"210\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/gunsynds-gossip.jpg 210w, https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/gunsynds-gossip-180x300.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a><strong>March 31, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>At present, horse racing (and life in general) is a little akin to the trials and tribulations weathered by jumps jockeys.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Soon after one obstacle is cleared another one &#8211; usually higher &#8211; looms up rather quickly.<\/p>\n<p>All the time, there is a chance that one will prove devastating.<\/p>\n<p>Worst of all at the moment, no one knows where the finishing post is.<\/p>\n<p>Racing Queensland\u2019s announcement on Thursday, March 26 is another manoeuvre designed to bolster the continuation of racing in the state.<\/p>\n<p>The notion of creating almost self contained zones ticks the objective by governments to minimise movement.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, if a problem develops in one of the districts, it should not necessarily bring the whole of Queensland\u2019s industry to a standstill.<\/p>\n<p>It is a pragmatic containment strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, horses and their trainers are restricted to their residential zone.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately jockeys can ride in two adjacent east-west zones such as the South East Coastal and the Darling Downs.<\/p>\n<p>The information below shows the zones, the tracks and the membership areas.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, there are significant cutbacks to the usual calendar in terms of frequency of programs and racecourses involved.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1 &#8211; METRO NORTH:<\/strong> Racing venues are Eagle Farm and Doomben (Saturdays) and the Sunshine Coast (Wednesdays). Horses prepared at those Brisbane centres plus those from Deagon are eligible to race there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2 &#8211; METRO SOUTH WEST:<\/strong> Racing and training venues are the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba (plus horses based at Gatton, Beaudesert and Warwick).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3 &#8211; DARLING DOWNS ZONE:<\/strong> Races will be staged every Saturday, alternating between Roma and Charleville for Downs and Eastern Downs horses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>4 &#8211; SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND COAST:<\/strong> Every second Sunday a meeting will be held at Bundaberg for horses from the SEQ Country Racing Association plus Thangool, Calliope and Gladstone. This is the sole opportunity for South Burnett stables<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5 &#8211; CENTRAL WEST:<\/strong> Races will be on every Saturday alternating between Barcaldine and Emerald. Horses from Central West and parts of Capricornia and Leichhardt are eligible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>6 &#8211; CENTRAL:<\/strong> Rockhampton and Mackay are the hosts with Yepponn based gallopers also eligible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>7 &#8211; NORTH WEST:<\/strong> Mount Isa will be the venue each fortnight for the region\u2019s residents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>8 &#8211; NORTH ZONE:<\/strong> Racing will be provided each Thursday, alternating between Cairns and Townsville for Far North horses as well as those from Bowen, Home Hill, Charters Towers and Ewan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Dilemma For Apprentices<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Trainers, their track riders and handlers are restricted to meetings in their base zone. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This means that if apprentices in Brisbane and Deagon opt to do stable duties for their master, they will not be able to ride at country venues.<\/p>\n<p>They may need to move \u201con loan\u201d to a zone where they are likely to get bookings for the duration of the zoning program, which is currently scheduled to operate until May 31.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, South East Queensland race meetings are a major source of bookings for junior hoops.<\/p>\n<p>The new arrangements will kick off at the Mackay Turf Club on Tuesday, March 31 and will be restricted to Central Coast participants.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday\u2019s Sunshine Coast Turf Club card and Nanango\u2019s stand in cover meeting in lieu of Esk\u2019s cancellation have been abandoned.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Other Points To Ponder<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Ireland, South Africa, England, New Zealand and France are examples of jurisdictions that have proceeded from spectator-free racing to total closures.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Glamour casualties include Aintree\u2019s Grand National, the Kentucky Derby and Santa Anita racing has been shut down by Los Angeles Health Department because it considered to be a non-essential business.<\/p>\n<p>Although the Australian Turf Club is pushing on with its ultra lucrative autumn festival, Queensland has pulled the opposite rein by calling off its famous winter carnival already.<\/p>\n<p>The saved prizemoney can be used to support situations generated by the present emergency.<\/p>\n<p>Last week\u2019s temporary suspension of a few race programs until the test results for Mark Zahra, Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry were known does show the vulnerability of the industry.<\/p>\n<p>Melbourne jockeys who were not in Sydney last Monday cannot compete in the New South Wales capital.<\/p>\n<p>The Inglis Yearling Easter Sale that has regularly produced a cavalcade of million dollar lots has been split into a digital format during April 5-8 and the usual physical set up later in the year.<\/p>\n<p>Arrowfield Stud, under the leadership of John Messara, has already withdrawn its consignment and will conduct its own independent sale.<\/p>\n<p>Australia\u2019s TAB agencies join their pub and club TAB counterparts on the list of businesses that have had to put up the shutters.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_256019\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-256019\" style=\"width: 740px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-256019\" src=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"740\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd2.jpg 620w, https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/20200331gunsynd2-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-256019\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Well-known South Burnett trainer Glenn Richardson and Nanango jockey Hannah English were married at Mulanah Gardens this month (Photo: Kathy Duff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>The Good News<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>The 2020 $2 million Sydney Cup, slotted in for Easter Saturday, April 11, will bring back memories of Tie The Knot, the winner in 1998 and 1999.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The weight-for-age superstar chalked up 13 elite level triumphs.<\/p>\n<p>The chestnut was a grandson of Blushing Groom, a term that did not apply to leading Nanango trainer Glenn Richardson when he married Hannah English at Mulanah Gardens earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>The wedding guests were delighted that the couple had previously uttered the name of Blushing Groom\u2019s star grand-daughter Let\u2019s Elope, the 1991 VRC Melbourne Cup, VATC Caulfield Cup and 1992 VRC Australian Cup heroine.<\/p>\n<p>The word is that it was lovely occasion.<\/p>\n<p>The South Burnett thoroughbred fraternity wishes them nothing but the best for the future.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, it will be work as usual.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Luckily, we do have a number of horses at present that race well at Bundaberg. We&#8217;ll see how the new ones handle it,&#8221; Richardson said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It would have been useful to have, say, an extra meeting each month on a rotational basis at some of the other Burnett tracks,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>The next column will review Saturday\u2019s Monto fixture, the last SEQ card before the rezoning policy becomes the hopefully short-term norm.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/gunsynds-gossip\/\">Read more Gunsynd\u2019s Gossip columns<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At present, horse racing (and life in general) is a little akin to the trials and tribulations weathered by jumps jockeys.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":256012,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[564,3,58,6],"tags":[1136],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.11 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Negotiating The Steeplechase - 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