BEN DORRIES’ COMMENT: Show some spine and abolish the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission
This week’s Alligator Blood revelations provide more evidence why the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission must be abolished, writes Ben Dorries.
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It’s time for politicians to pony up and get rid of the embarrassment of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.
QRIC has been a rank failure by any measure.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the Spanish waiter Manuel from Fawlty Towers could score a high-ranking position in the joint and it couldn’t go any worse.
Take QRIC’s latest move in a long litany of bloopers and stuff-ups.
The whole sad and sorry Alligator Blood case, which dates back more than four years, has from the start hinged on the principles of natural justice and the right for owners to be heard.
So what does QRIC now decide to do after being poleaxed in court on several occasions?
They rehear the matter in the form of a new stewards’ inquiry but to be held “in-papers”, meaning it will be staged behind closed doors and with no participants allowed to appear at a physical hearing.
“It is then proposed that a determination will be made without the need for an in person hearing,” secret QRIC documents read.
• EXCLUSIVE: Stewards in secret attempt to rehear Alligator Blood case
I get the feeling racing people have had a gutful of the long-running Alligator Blood matter – and some have probably had a gutful of Endresz who isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
But whatever you think of the case – or Endresz – the way that QRIC is going about it again reeks of having little natural justice and doesn’t allow Endresz to be properly heard.
That’s despite QRIC sustaining a number of high-profile losses in court, since Alligator Blood returned a positive swab following his 2020 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas victory.
• EXCLUSIVE: Bombshell Alligator Blood affidavit reveals Qld lab shambles
There has been a suggestion that QRIC is taking this path because it doesn’t want to spend any more money on the case.
That may correct … but this has gone beyond a joke.
As a one-off it would be bad enough, but then you consider how QRIC sensationally dropped an incredibly costly three-year CCTV investigation into legendary jockey-turned-trainer Chris Munce.
Stewards alleged race day treatment by the Group 1-winning trainer relating to a stable inspection, but laid only one successful charge.
The case was reopened in high farce on a number of occasions before being abandoned altogether.
Then there’s the Beaudesert protest howler which became even more of a shambles when QRIC did not release what former high-profile steward Des Gleeson actually thought of the protest when he conducted his review.
There have been countless other blunders and we are still waiting for the results of a government-ordered review into QRIC’s workplace culture and management.
Shane Gillard recently became the latest QRIC boss to leave and now there are career bureaucrats in top QRIC positions who have come into their jobs knowing little about racing.
Queensland Racing Minister Grace Grace has been largely silent on QRIC, no doubt wanting to stay under the radar before October’s state election.
The current Labor Government may be too stubborn to walk away from the integrity body that it set up in the first place.
Shadow Racing Minister Tim Mander and his boss David Crisafulli have been mute on QRIC and have given no intention of their plans.
As the $1.20 favourites to win the election, the Opposition will almost certainly take Government.
Meanwhile, everyone in racing has lost confidence in QRIC.
It’s time to make a strong call and disband QRIC, returning its integrity functions to being under the auspices of Racing Queensland and investing in and empowering stewards without the red tape and bureaucracy under which they currently operate.
Someone must have the spine to do it.
The QRIC car, which was meant to be racing’s shiny new way forward in Queensland, has run out of petrol and is stuck rusting by the side of the road.
Originally published as BEN DORRIES’ COMMENT: Show some spine and abolish the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission
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