As all of the country’s focus is on Melbourne and the Spring Racing Carnival, we are hopeful that our local Queensland trainers can once again have success on the biggest stage. For those that have taken horses south, they understand the difficulties faced in just getting the horse there in a happy and sound state, let alone the challenge of then facing the best quality of horses from not only Australia, but often around the world. So we wish all our trainers the best of luck and know they will do us proud in flying the mighty Queensland flag.
MEETING WITH RACING QUEENSLAND
On October 11 a meeting is scheduled for the ATA Committee and Racing Queensland to discuss a variety of issues that came out of our most recent quarterly meeting. High on this list is the ongoing problem we are having with owners walking away from their commitments with one trainer and simply just starting fresh with a new trainer. We are hopeful that Racing Queensland will finally take a strong stance on assisting trainers with this concern and put some constraints in place that ensure where money is legitimately owed to a trainer that the horse can’t continue racing. More on the outcomes of this issue, and the others being tabled will be in next month’s report.
WORKCOVER REFORM
Another issue that will be discussed at the trainer’s forum with RQ is following up with them on what is being put into place regarding their dedicated focus on Work-Cover reform. We need to ensure that this massive concern within our industry is treated with the priority and importance that it warrants. RQ have committed to us that certain things will be happening in “cleaning-up” the current process.
TRAVEL SUBSIDY FOR JOCKEYS
A proposal has been suggested to assist the travelling costs of our jockeys to the country meetings. We certainly agree encouraging jockeys to attend these meetings is important as the show can’t go on without them. But there would be no show at all without the horses, and they are provided by our trainers. Travel assistance could quite easily be justified in being paid to trainers to bring horses to these meetings, and in fact to all meetings – in the form of a starter’s subsidy as we see in other states. So to ask our trainers to financially assist the payment of the travel subsidy to jockeys was not agreed to by the ATA in its proposal.
2013 WAYNE WILSON MEDAL
The 2013 Wayne Wilson Medal has been won for the month of September by Robert Heathcote for the magnificent performance by BUFFERING in winning the Group 2 Moir Stakes at Mooney Valley.
BUFFERING's tenth win stamps him now as one of the country’s best performed sprinters, with prize-money approaching $2million.
Rob rounded out a successful weekend in Melbourne with Solzhenitsyn running 3rd in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. Both these horses look set to have a big spring ahead of them.
The 12 monthly winners will be in the running for the 2013 Wayne Wilson Medal.
The Wayne Wilson Medal 2012-13
August : Patrick Inwood, JABIRU DREAMING winning 9 straight culminating in the Cleveland Bay.
September : Robert Heathcote, BUFFERING winning the Group 3 Moir Stakes at Mooney Valley.
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One of the major benefits of being a member of the ATA is having a support network to go to if you have problems or concerns. We can’t solve them all, but we will take your issue on board and try and negotiate on your behalf where we can. Whatever the problem contact us and we will at the least, point you in the right direction. If you are not a member yet, now is the right time to join. Call Cameron Partington on 0433-329-395 or email ataqld@austrainers.com.au for any further information about the Queensland Branch of the Australian Trainers Association.
