BRIAN FERGUSON POSTS A REPLY TO DAVID FOWLER'S PROPOSITION TO TRANSFER 50 PERCENT OF THURSDAY MEETINGS TO REDCLIFFE..
To use the premise that select northern based trainers are disadvantaged by having to travel to the Gold coast on Thursday’s is flawed!
THIS IS THE TYPE OF RESPONSE WHICH LEADS TO INFORMED AND CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE..LET THERE BE MORE OF IT..Denis.
If you consider that the north side (of town) conducts 3 meetings per week (Redcliffe & Albion Park) compared with 2 on the south side (Gold Coast –excluding the Rocklea meeting), then there is clearly no basis for a change. In fact, if half of Thursday meetings were to be transferred to Redcliffe then it would be 3½ meetings (or 70%) for the north side and 1½ for the south side (30%) –further adding to the imbalance.
One could put up the argument that trainers based at Fernvale, Marburg, Amberley, etc and all points further west, are severely disadvantaged because they have to “travel” irrespective of where the meeting is held! With rising costs, in particular fuel costs, then surely this demographic would be worse off. Surely, a case for a travel / fuel subsidy if there ever was one! By applying Mr Fowlers ‘logic’ there appears to be a watertight case for a meeting to be conducted in the Ipswich / Marburg region, rather than on the north side?
In saying that however, all is not lost! I do support Mr Fowler in his call for changes, albeit via a ‘different” process.
Since moving to Queensland more than 25 years ago, I have always questioned the “traditional / historical” right of Club’s (with the exception of the Principal Club) to conduct meetings on a ‘set’ day / night / timeslot. I believe that (like a Driver’s licence) it should be a ‘privilege”, not a right!
I have always believed that the ‘secondary’ Clubs, here in Queensland, should be allocated race dates as follows:
Firstly, the Club conducting any feature race or carnival (Derby, Cup, Oaks, Breeders, etc.) should automatically get the prime time slot to showcase its’ product. Toowoomba, if still operational, would have been included in this format.
Secondly, no club should have more than 30 meetings in any given time slot. Clubs that put in the extra effort and resources for the industry should be rewarded by allocating them more meetings in their preferred time slot. Subsequently, those Clubs that do not measure up should have meetings deducted. Club performances to be reviewed each season by the Board and allocations adjusted accordingly.
The only drawback I see would be the Sky channel contracts. It is a pity the QHRB did not control this facet, as they would only have to confirm the time-slot’s with Sky. This would allow the Board to assign a Club to any particular time slot and future changes could be made without repercussions!
Brian Ferguson
Camira..