Bush meet hits mark
NO one was there to watch it, 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 it was 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 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
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
QTIS races make money for the industry and RQ.”
While the Atherton and Innisfail Turf Clubs will not make any cash over the bar with patrons restricted, the local clubs know how important putting these bush meetings on are to keep money flowing in to local 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 the program.
Dual-licensed Tablelands trainers, trainer-jockey Stephen Wilson, who picked up a winner in the last of five, said there were big benefits of non-tab racing returning.
“It is a big part of our industry, especially in the North. We would be lost without them,” Wilson said.