How many times do you have to cop a hiding before admitting defeat?
Queensland Racing Board (QRB) member Bill Andrews was adamant the selection process favoured by Queensland Racing (Bob Bentley) to select the new board was flawed and wanted another selection process.
He was refused, so it went to the Supreme Court. The Court ordered a review of the selection process and according to newspaper reports, QRB had to pay costs.
The QRB went back to the same company which of course came up with the same names.
So it was back to the Supreme Court again and once more the Supreme Court ruled that the selection system was flawed and again ruled QRB had to pay costs.
Newspaper reports are saying costs are close to half a million dollars, money that could have gone into the racing industry for prize money or track improvements.
One of our favourite trainers has called it a day. Brian Mayfield Smith has informed owners and staff that the stables will be closed at the end of the month. Lack of horse numbers and quality of horse was the deciding factor.
A ringer from the top end, Brian is a true horseman and was the one to knock the legendary Tommy Smith off his pedestal, after Smith had won 33 Premierships in the 1985/1986 season.
Brian went on to win the Premiership for the next two years, then suddenly gave it away to go to South Africa to do his bit to try to save the endangered white rhino.
After a number of years, he came back to Melbourne to train again and over the past 12 or so years won 600 races including 74 stakes races and 10 group ones.
It just shows how tough it is now to make ends meet. Brian was a little emotional after his horse Great Wall of China won at Sandown last Saturday.
The honeymoon period is over when the husband calls home to say he will be late for dinner and the answering machine says it’s in the microwave.
Never thought we’d hear it. A steward admitting that perhaps there could be a place in Australian staying races for a pacemaker.
Victorian Chief Stipe Terry Bailey made the comment after this year’s Melbourne Cup which was a dawdle with lots of interference and basically became a sprint home. Pacemakers are allowed in Europe.
Meanwhile the trainer shuffle continues with millionaire Melbourne owner Lloyd Williams.
Last week John Sadler parted company with the stable along with stable jockey Steve Arnold. The training baton has been handed to Robert Hickmott who has been assistant for the past few years.
Hickmott, apparently on instructions from “the boss”, refused to be interviewed through the week and he and jockey Michael Rodd refused to answer any questions after Zipping won the Sandown Classic for the third year in a row.
Big run by locally owned Gundy Sun at Eagle Farm last Saturday. The draw probably cost him the race.
Has struck bad luck a few times in his career and also run into a couple of handy horses. He’s pretty handy himself and will win one soon.
For over half a century, one of the major two year-old races of the spring was the Merson Cooper Stakes.
Once a youngster won the race, for the rest of his career it would be mentioned that it was a Merson Cooper Stakes winner.
This year’s race was named the “Triple M’s Hot Breakfast Stakes”. It makes racing people feel sick. What would be wrong with the Triple M’s Merson Cooper Stakes?
“I’m in the bad books with the missus,” Rather Rotund Resident of Baker Street confided to Drinking Partner.
“Her mother came to visit and said ‘How would you like to have a chat with me?’ and I said, ‘Through a Medium.’”
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