QRIC refuses licence

Townsville keen but no permit for Nikolic

DESPITE being denied a licence late yesterday, one prominent north Queensland racing club say they would have welcomed banned jockey Danny Nikolic to the region with open arms.

After weeks of deliberation, the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission late yesterday afternoon advised Nikolic that his application for a Queensland jockey’s licence has been declined.

“The Commission is not in a position to make any further comment,” they said in a statement.

The Group 1 winning hoop had applied for a Queensland provincial licence to ride after being banned since 2012, after a long battle with Victorian authorities, with QRIC evaluating his application over the last month.

It was widely reported if Nikolic was given the tick of approval to return to race riding, he would base himself in Townsville and ride around the region.

Townsville Turf Club president Malcolm Petrofski would have had no issues with Nikolic, who was banned for his actions towards former top Melbourne chief steward Terry Bailey, riding work and races at his course.

“If he has a licence that is properly approved, we would bloody gladly accept him,” Petrofski said before QRIC’s decision was handed down.

“Townsville is central, you can ride at Rockhampton, Cairns and Mackay and he can go out west, up to Atherton if he needed too. You can get yourself to a fair few meetings within a four-hour drive if you are living in Townsville.

“If you were in Cairns, for example, it would be a bit harder.”

Nikolic’s previous application for a licence in Queensland was rejected in September 2015.

Cairns Jockey Club general manager John Cameron, who worked in Victoria when Nikolic was previously riding, did not want to offer a comment in regards to the banned rider when asked yesterday.

Cairns Jockey Club president Tom Hedley, who owns large numbers of horses in Townsville and Cairns, said he would have allowed Nikolic to ride his horses if he had been given a licence.

Meanwhile, Friday’s TAB meeting at Bowen is set to go ahead despite the heavy rain north Queensland has copped this week.

“QRIC stewards and club officials have inspected the racetrack at Bowen on Wednesday and currently the track is a heavy 10,” Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said. “Pending favourable drying conditions and with no further rain stewards are confident the meeting will proceed. But if there is more rain the race meeting may be in jeopardy.

“Stewards are continuing to monitor the situation.”