Platinum Racing

THE RACING INDUSTRY IN NSW might be the only sector of the community in this State currently lauding our State Govt - but the initiatives announced by the NSW Racing Minister, Mr Kevin Greene today, can only be applauded by those involved in our industry.

In response to a review of the issues facing racing in this State, which has been under seige by the avaricious corporate bookmakers and betting exchanges, who have resisted every attempt to date to pay what the industry considers is a fair share for the use of the product.

The review, conducted by Mr Alan Cameron, was handed to the Government some time back and today the Minister outlined the Government's response.

The Minister said the Government was moving to ensure that the maximum financial return to the industry as a whole was maintained.

"We cannot have a system that jeopardises NSW jobs and its very clear that racing must grow to the benefit of all," Mr Greene said.

Initiatives announced by the Minister include:

• Pursuing a national co-ordinated approach to the regulation and taxation of wagering;
• Allowing NSW TAB to offer fixed odds betting on all races through its account betting network on the phone and internet;
• After further consultation and support of the industry, NSW bookmakers will be permitted to accept bets at racecourses using the internet or telephone on a 24/7 basis, as in Victoria;
• Not permitting betting on reality TV shows, economic events and the like;
• Prohibiting off-course retail bookmaking kiosks; and
• Giving in-principle support for NSW TAB to pool with other Australian totalizators.

The Minister said he hoped the initatives would stem the leakage of money to interstate operators. This can only be great news for the industry.

“While it’s clear Governments need to look at a national approach to wagering, we won’t support a model reducing NSW revenues that puts thousands of local jobs at risk,” he said.

“In consultation with my Victorian counterpart, I approached the Commonwealth Government and asked them to consider introducing laws banning bookmakers offering tote odds betting in Australia.

“NSW already bans this practice as it diminishes the level of funding brought back to the racing industry, which ultimately impacts on employment, especially in regional areas.

"The NSW Government has also relaxed operating conditions for bookmakers and the TAB to help them compete with interstate counterparts and remain viable in the long-term.

“Changes to bookmaker operating conditions will require approval from relevant controlling bodies and the Government will continue consulting Racing NSW, Harness Racing NSW and Greyhound Racing NSW,” he said.

Mr Greene said the NSW Government will ban off-course bookmaker retail kiosks.

“Banning off-course kiosks maintains the physical presence of bookmakers at racetracks, an important part of the raceday experience for thousands of punters each year,” he said.

Mr Greene also acknowledged the call by Mr Cameron for reform of the Intercode funding agreement between racing codes as potentially significant to future innovation and growth.

“However the Government firmly believes this is a matter for the three codes to resolve under their commercial agreement and we welcome news that they have initiated these discussions,’ he said.

“This response from the NSW Government will support the NSW racing industry and keep our local jobs safe.”

The Minister, and the Rees Government are to be lauded on their initatives for the industry.

The industry has been lobbying for some time for these intiatives and with the Opposition in NSW extraordinarily quiet and seemingly nowhere policy-wise on the third biggest industry in the country, many in the industry if moves would ever be made in Macquarie Street to protect the revenue for the industry.

IN NEWS THAT IS CERTAIN to shock some sections of the industry the Australian Jockey Club announced that Sydney will host its first ever "Gay and Lesbian" Raceday at Randwick on Wednesday, February 24, as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbain Mardi Gras festivities.

Once again, it is an initiative that should be lauded. Racing has to continually look at new ways of attracting an audience, and let's face it, the gay demographic is an untapped market, has a high percentage of professional people in it, has a similarly high percentage of above average income earners and is a market that should be encouraged.

The meeting will be held at a time when there will be tens of thousands of tourists in the city and the meeting will see a huge attendance.

Sure, there will be the old homphobic gags and the disdain of a few hardheads in the industry, but racing is one of the last bastions where there is not a strong and visible gay presence.

In ten years time this will change and it is initiatives such as the one taken by the AJC that will bring down the barriers.

WARWICK FARM TRAINER Gary Portelli has taken another innovative step and one that will certainly promote his stable with his new interractive website - www.portelliracing.com.au

Owners have been given a log in pin to the site and each horse in the stable will have its own web page and owners can use the site as a netowrking tool with other clients of the stable.

As a client of Portelli's Platinum certainly appreciates the new site, which is informative and includes automated emails on stable business.

It is another way of bringing racing into the cyber-world and providing owners with a better service.

WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE PORTELLI stable, it was particularly pleasing to see Gary land a winner on his home track on Tuesday with Allervite, part-owned by a mate of Cr Sonya Phillips, the Mayor of Baulkham Hills. He was very impressive on Tuesday after a luckless run at Rosehill behind Friday Creek at Rosehill at his previous start.

VETERAN ORANGE TRAINER JOHN LANGWORTHY is as tough as teak. Langworthy, a former champion amateur jockey before he turned to training has had many good horses in his stable including multiple city winner Siddinghausen. Langworthy currently puts the polish on handy country galloper Nampara Bullet.

Now in his 70's, Langworthy still rides his own work and on Tuesday morning at Towac Park Racecourse, he bit the deck when he was thrown from one in trackwork. Besides all the best advice from those around, Langworthy could not be deterred from getting on another to work and he unfortunately had another tumble, which ended up with the veteran horseman unconscious.

Langworthy was taken to Orange Hospital by ambulance following the second fall.