$ 26m racing deal ends strike threat
THE State Government and Racing Queensland have struck a deal to deliver $ 26 million in new prizemoney to the industry after a marathon meeting yesterday.
Townsville’s Cluden Park’s Cox Plate meeting still won’t go ahead today, but it averts any further strike action for Melbourne Cup Day, on which TAB meetings in the state will now proceed as scheduled.
It is understood $ 18 million will be injected on November 1, with a further $ 8 million to come in six months.
The deal is ongoing, meaning $ 26 million will be injected into the industry annually.
Events at some of the state’s biggest racecourses, including Doomben in Brisbane and Toowoomba, would all have been affected by the planned strike.
Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the deal means there would now be racing on Melbourne Cup Day in Queensland.
Townsville will hold its regular non- TAB five race meeting on the biggest day on Australia’s racing calendar.
“The Government and representatives of the racing industry, thoroughbred industry, have reached agreement about bringing an immediate injection of prizemoney into the thoroughbred industry and with further commitments to reform and improvement of the commerciality and sustainability of the industry, which will deliver further prizemoney boosts this year,” Hinchcliffe said. Thoroughbred Racing Alliance spokesman Cameron Partington described the deal as “very, very good for the racing industry”.
“This will restore some confidence. Most importantly we have a relationship with the Government now we can work on,” Partington said.
The money will come from consolidated government revenue.
The deal also comes with a number of industry reforms that are required to take place, including increasing the proportion of TAB meetings run in Queensland.
The resolution will be welcomed with open arms by Townsville Turf Club ( TTC), which has repeatedly voiced concerns over a lack of prizemoney compared with other states.
“I’d love to see the prizemoney go up. It would grow our industry,” TTC CEO Mindy Powell- Hodges told The Townsville Bulletin this week.
“We would have more owners involved and trainers could train more horses. Surely you can see that any type of money funded back into the industry is going to give it a lift.”
Just two horses were nominated for Townsville’s planned meeting today, both from Kelso trainer Cherrie Lindgren.
But fellow Townsville trainer Alby Molino said the industry was prepared to forfeit potential revenue today to make a statement, which has now had its desired outcome.
“We’ve got to stick together, otherwise they’ll walk all over the top of us,” Molino said.