Queensland racing industry needs to heed New Zealand findings

QUEENSLAND decision-makers are burying their heads in the sand if they don’t think there’s lessons to be learned from the report tabled by John Messara into the future of the New Zealand racing industry.

Hugh Bowman guides Unforgotten to a superb win in the Chelmsford Stakes.

QUEENSLAND decision-makers are burying their heads in the sand if they don’t think there’s lessons to be learned from the report tabled by John Messara into the future of the New Zealand racing industry.

WEIR EXPRESS: MEMSIE CAPS OFF MEMORABLE DAY

STUNNING: UNFORGOTTEN HEIR TO WINX’S THRONE

Messara made 17 recommendations after being commissioned by Racing Minister Winston Peters to conduct a thorough review of the ailing NZ industry.

The first recommendation made was to change the governance structure, so that responsibility devolved to each of the individual codes — something that would ring home to Queensland participants.

Another recommendation was to sell almost half of the country’s thoroughbred tracks, freeing up money for infrastructure to modernise the remaining facilities.

John Messara has made 17 recommendations to help rejuvenate an ailing NZ racing industry.

As it is in New Zealand, this is a matter that would be hotly debated in Queensland.

Messara estimated adoption of all recommendations had the potential to almost double New Zealand’s existing prizemoney to more than $100 million.

“The decline of the New Zealand thoroughbred industry has occurred over a long period of time, steadily eroding the confidence of participants,” Messara said in a statement that many Queensland trainers would relate to.

“That confidence is at the tipping point, causing reduced commitment to investment in racing and breeding.’’

AT THE TRACK: J-MAC CONVINCED MARE IS A STAR

EVEREST KING: REDZEL STILL AT HOME AT SUMMIT

‘HAPPY HORSE’: WINX SPARKLES IN CAMEO

Unforgotten makes easy work of the Chelmsford Stakes at Royal Randwick. Picture: AAP

IMPORTS HARD TO PICK

HAVE a casual browse of the attached Melbourne Cup market. Recognise many names?

Of the top 16 in the market, only Kings Will Dream and Unforgotten are trained in Australia.

Of the 14 imports, Marmelo (sixth and ninth in the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double last year) is the only one to have raced in Australia prior.

How many of the imports race in Australia before the Cup remains to be seen, but with Rekindling breaking the ‘‘hoodoo’’ of horses first up off the plane last year (the first to do it since Vintage Crop in 1993), it’s likely more will be keen to follow the trend.

It makes it an almost impossible task to line them up.

For a long time I regarded the Melbourne Cup to be the best betting race of the year. But with more than half the field being imports, and 10 or so of them having their first Australian start in the Cup, it’s become a minefield from an investment point of view.

Perhaps then it’s not a surprise that Ladbrokes is holding more pre-post money on The Everest than it is on Australia’s most famous race.

MARKET

MELBOURNE CUP

Flemington, November 6

$13 Kings Will Dream

$15 Magic Circle, Torcedor, Withhold

$17 Chestnut Coat, Cross Counter, Hamada

$21 Count Octave, Muntahaa, Tosen Basil

$26 Admire Robson, Best Solution, Flag Of Honour, Latrobe, Marmelo, Unforgotten

$31+ Others

Odds: Ladbrokes

THIS WEEK

Tuesday: Townsville, Newcastle, Bairnsdale

Wednesday: Ipswich, Kensington, Ballarat, Strathalbyn, Belmont

Thursday: Kilcoy, Gosford, Ballina, Echuca, Northam

Friday: Cairns, Tuncurry, Geelong (synthetic), Canberra (synthetic)

Saturday: Doomben, Rosehill, Moonee Valley, Morphettville, Belmont, Cairns, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Bedourie, Cloncurry, Goondiwindi, Morven, Nanango, Thangool, Kembla Grange, Kilmore, Alice Springs

Sunday: Sunshine Coast, Muswellbrook, Gundagai, Sale, Casterton, Naracoorte, Kalgoorlie, Devonport (synthetic)

THE QUOTE

“I backed the wrong one.”

— Owner-trainer Steve Tregea after Prioritise upset easing favourite Order Again, with Tregea’s more fancied stablemate Bergerac out of the placings. “Prioritise is a bit of a find at the mile.”

THE TALKING POINT

Which races will Unforgotten target this spring? Part-owner Noel Greenhalgh told Radio TAB on Sunday he was still in the dark as to which way Chris Waller might head with the mare. Given how she finished off a torridly run Oaks, the Caulfield Cup looks well within her grasp. That’s a race stablemate Egg Tart is also being aimed at. She was a touch stiff in the Tramway on Saturday.

THE RIDE

Dale Smith’s winners keep rolling in and he produced different styles of ride for his Caloundra double. Fighting Teo was given a much softer time of it this time by going forward off the gate, while Tversky was ridden more conservatively, with Smith patiently waiting for the runs to come in the straight.

THREE TO BACK

Racecourse Road, Caloundra Race 4: Showed brilliant speed. Barrier probably told late.

Reckless Choice, Caloundra, Race 9: Going places. Still learning, but a class above.

Fiery Heights, Caloundra, Race 7: Hard to catch around Doomben next time.

RISK

Call Me Handsome, Caulfield, Race 5: Has done a super job this prep, but only gets tougher now.

THE FLOP

More Sundays, Randwick Race 1: Failed to live up to the hype and take the leap his backers expected.

SHARP SHOOTERS

Well backed commodities won most of the day at Caloundra, many of which that were served up at significantly bigger prices pre 9am Saturday.