“Appropriate” amount of prizemoney remains an issue for Racing Queensland

IT will be interesting to see if various groups share the same view of “appropriate’’ when the new product agreement for racing is finalised next month.

Greg Hall celebrates with Nicholas after his son claimed the only Cup he couldn’t when successful aboard Fawkner in the 2013 Caulfield Cup. Picture: Jay Town

IT will be interesting to see if various interest groups share the same view of “appropriate’’ as Racing Queensland chairman Kevin Dixon when the new product agreement is finalised next month.

Dixon said last week he was confident of tabling “an appropriate level of prizemoney” by the due date.

While remaining tight lipped on the specifics of the negotiations, the RQ chairman did reveal his expectations for the pointy end of the money distribution.

“I would be very disappointed if we don’t get to at least $60,000 for Saturday races,” he said.

Amid the recent debate about the programming of public holiday meetings, Dixon said it was of little financial consequence where they were run, in terms of the bigger wagering picture.

Ominously, he said that Stradbroke and Magic Millions days are quite possibly the only ones on the Queensland calendar that are self-funding.

All others run at a loss, only to be supplemented by wagering on other meetings on those days.

Hall strikes Gold

FORMER champion jockey Greg Hall will be a familiar face at southeast Queensland meetings from now on, taking up a position as stable foreman for David Kelly on the Gold Coast.

Hall won almost every Cup race in Australia, bar the Caulfield Cup, which he justifies in public speaking engagements by saying he was more interested in capital cities. “I didn’t care much for suburbs.”

Jockey Robert Thompson after riding his 4000th career winner aboard Lay Down The Law at Newcastle. Picture: Martin Swan

Thommo not alone on honour board

IN a week where Robert Thompson reached an incredible 4000 career winners, there were also some notable riding feats in Queensland.

Jim Byrne had a day out at the Sunshine Coast on Friday, riding four of the first five winners and second in the other.

Billie-Rose Derbyshire came within a length of riding the card at Bundaberg on Saturday.

She rode the first four winners — none of which started favourite — and then ran second in the final event.

Adrian Coome brought up a century of winners for the season at Mackay on the same day. Coome has ridden triple figures in three of the past four seasons and is leading the Queensland title race to be fifth on the national table this season.

To put Thomson’s feat in perspective, his tally represents an average of 100 winners in each of 40 years of riding.

Among his early winners was the 1976 Marlboro Stakes (now J.J. Atkins) at Eagle Farm on Romantic Dream.

Singo sends aboard his next pair

GUN mare Samantha Miss and the blue-blooded Deedra will be covered by the Frankel in Europe this year.

Owner John Singleton has picked that pair to represent him this year.

More Joyous and More Strawberries have returned to Australia safely in foal to Frankel after visiting him last year.