BACK IN THE SADDLE
GOLD Coast officials predict the $26 million prizemoney injection into Queensland racing will halt the flood of trainers heading south – and deliver more north.
The dramatic standoff between Racing Queensland and an alliance of industry professionals yesterday ended with the announcement of a prizemoney boost.
Following days of pleading to help salvage the racing industry, Gold Coast Turf Club chairman Brett Cook (below) is seeing a brighter side to life on the track.
Racing heavyweights Chris Waller and Kris Lees are among a host of trainers who had set up a satellite stable on the Gold Coast before the Queensland racing industry was plunged into a crisis stemming from the new Point of Consumption betting tax.
“We have been trying to lure interstate trainers up here to open satellite stables,” Gold Coast boss Brett Cook said.
“In the short term we have got both Chris Waller and Kris Lees up here.
“Now the prizemoney and provincial component is back on track, it makes us more determined to get a few more guys relocated as well.
“As long as we are in striking range of the Northern Rivers prizemoney on provincial races we are more than happy.”
Gold Coast were set to lose $300,000 in revenue from strike action across both the Cox Plate day today and Melbourne Cup day on November 6 but that margin is expected to be just over $50,000 with the return of the latter.
“It’s an enormous relief,” Cook said.
“Melbourne Cup day is an iconic day in Australian racing and for us not to be racing would have been tragic.”
Cook said the high turnover in officials hurt the industry.
“I have been on the board for about a decade and in that time we have had three state governments, different Racing Queensland chairmen, and seven racing ministers,” Cook said. “That is where the problem is. There is too much instability in Racing Queensland boards and turnover of politicians to try to understand the business.
“They just haven’t been in the portfolio long enough to understand. The question has to be asked, why so many racing ministers have gone through the system?”