Industry happy for bush racing return

NO ONE was there to watch it, and you couldn’t bet on it, but there is no doubt about the importance of the return of non-TAB racing in north Queensland.

While racing has continued through the coronavirus crisis, in a limited capacity with restrictions on travel, some elements of the industry were scaled back, highlighted by the country tracks no longer running their regular non-TAB meetings.

The bush meetings were set to return last Saturday before being washed out, but the lifeblood and basics of horse racing were back at Tolga’s Morrow Park on Saturday afternoon.

It is where trainers go to test their horses to see if they are up to the bigger TAB days, or to give a jockey a chance to show their wares, and while it was eerily quiet on track, those involved were over the moon to have it back.

“These country races fill the TAB races,” Mareeba trainer Alex Malliff said after Paniagua won the QTIS Maiden Plate (1100m).

“If we can’t keep them fit or get them ready for TAB races, then we are not filling the fields up and then Racing Queensland are not getting the betting turnover.

“These country non-TAB races make money for the industry and RQ.”

While the Atherton and Innisfail Turf clubs will not make any cash over the bar without patrons, the local clubs know how important it is to put these bush meetings on for keeping money flowing through to local trainers, jockeys and owners.

“It is really good for everyone in the industry and really helps everyone out,” said top Tablelands trainer Sharlee D’Avila, who collected two winners on Saturday.

Tablelands trainer-jockey

Stephen Wilson, who picked up a winner in the last of five, says there were big benefits to non-TAB racing returning.

“It is a big part of our industry, especially in the north; we would be lost without them,” Wilson said. “The country class horses, they seemed to be clogging up just the TAB races and that is not very good for them, so to have the country races back is very good.”

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