“How often have you been to Royal Randwick?” the seasoned racegoer and contributor asked his youthful replacement after being deposed from an important industry position. “Twice,” he replied. “Have any luck?
The anecdote reverberated with the announcement of the new Tabcorp CEO Gillon McLachlan, tagged a “racing enthusiast.”
Previously McLachlan held the reins at the AFL. Taking a line through the Swans, Tabcorp will get a badly needed lift from his involvement.
Of course, the Tab was given a strong foundation of devotees in 1964 but in more recent decades has gone more for business types than those tuned to the turf.
Consider the first board headed by government appointee R.E. Garbutt but awash with racing credentials: Sir Brian Crowley (Australian Jockey Club), Newman Manion (Sydney Turf Club) and George Wells, from Newcastle. Others to follow were Sir Frank Packer, and Sir Clyde Kennedy. Business expertise aplenty but mixed with a passion for the turf.
Backing them included Al Smith, operations manager, who according to the organisation history “knew the game backwards, once as a punter and also a penciller for a bookmaker where he honed his remarkable skill in mental arithmetic.”
On ground level the inimitable Ken Page, who became the answers for what had become a wonderful operation that spread its expertise to Hong Kong and New York.
Early days were a battle with SP bookmakers, illegal but a strong fabric in society.
Now the Tabcorp face another style of bookmakers, Corporates, mainly from abroad and overshadowing Tabcorp considering their advertising currently under official Federal Government review.
“Primarily leading Tabcorp is a gig that demands, in large part, a technology and regulatory skill and ability to navigate a fierce and fluid competitive landscape,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Elizabeth Knight. Which overshadows Al Smith’s metal arithmetic.
Thus McLachlan arrives at a testing time but like Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club it still requires “racing enthusiasts”. Those seeking positions should state how often they go to the races and why? Official lunches don’t count.
Maybe the demographic has changed but the fervour is still strong. When Sir Brian Crowley and Sir Frank Packer were top owners amongst hundreds, there are now thousands: syndicates peopled by many who may only own a hair of the horse’s tail but still prepared to put money in every month.
The Corporates, too, have come to the fore in getting patrons to the races. Take, for instance, Ladbrokes and its Racing Club seen to advantage at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday when Know Thyself, prepared by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, was successful.
Ladbrokes allows Racing Club members to go into a ballot when their horses are racing and 15 who are successful get the opportunity to be an owner of one for the day, including their share of winning prizemoney paid into accounts for which those involved with Know Thyself befitted.
Know Thyself was given a warm if not raucous reception by them when the promising Autumn Sun three-year-old returned to the enclosure.
Glen Munsie, the playmaker for Ladbroke’s Racing Club last Saturday, is very much a “racing enthusiast” with Al Smith type credentials. Sky Channel hasn’t been the same since Munsie was defrocked.
Again Munsie will be leading the team who have two acceptors at Randwick today: Mascaret (Racing For Good on July 13) and Akasawa (Macquarie St Social).
“Mascaret at $4.80 (yesterday) is a victim of the JMac tax,” Munsie divulged in his role of tipster not tour leader regarding odds shorter than he assesses. “He has drawn 14 and being a Chris Waller horse will go back to the rear where he was last start (beaten 1.35 lengths). He’ll need luck in running”.
Being a great jockey James McDonald should make his own luck but Munsie stressed Akasawa was a certainty beaten at Tamworth last start under a massive 65.5kg on May 20.
Sure, Akasawa, a stablemate of Know Thyself, drops to 59kg, is up in class, usually gives too much start but the gelding has the under-rated Sam Clipperton aboard from the four gate and will be a force at the finish.
Certainly “racing enthusiasts” will be missing at Randwick today, the Wit’s Row being depleted by those abroad, Stephen The Stick, wearing his top hat at Royal Ascot, while the Table Of Knowledge has become wilted with age and illness apart the South Sydney element which remains strong, having resistance to adversity.
However the Spratts, Elizabeth and Anthony, are regulars and have contributed to the WRITE TO MAX page on my website about the documentary on the champion mare Winx, screened during the Sydney Film Festival at the Randwick Ritz.
It will get a general release, exposure the industry vitally needs, later in the year. Perhaps the ATC could arrange a special screening for “racing enthusiasts” at Randwick’s Winx Stand, taking the sting away from its reputation as a booze palace.
Incidentally the answer to the question in the leading paragraph: “Yes, they (the attendance) were for exams”.
(Randwick racecourse is also used as a university examination centre).
3 Responses
Thank you Max – an obvious comment in print – plenty agree / some too ‘tongue tied’ to express!
Great material presented in your inimitable manner. Your point about racecourse attendance is particularly valid. Perhaps one might remark that before committee elections all candidates appear regularly and some even open generous bar accounts!!
Max
The migration of racing enthusiasts to Royal Ascot is growing annually. Certainly the experience is worth the time and effort. The quality of horses varies throughout the week. This is not a Breeders Cup style race meeting. Asfoora was a class above her opponents. She now heads to Goodwood then the Nunthorpe at York. The Abbaye on Arc day is next with the BC sprint at Del Mar the final target. Ambitious maybe but certainly possible. The Gold Cup was a keen tussle with the favourite Kyprios overcoming Trawlerman. The final race on Saturday run over 2m5f143y (about 4340m) was a slog with a third of the field failing to finish.
The singing around the bandstand after the last has to be seen to be
believed. Everyone goes home happy even if they have done their cash. Wits Row was well represented with Steve the Stick resplendent in top hat and tails proving a marvellous host to the newcomers. A side trip to Windsor “twilights” on Monday added to the week. The lack of quality in the horseflesh ( some runners had a rating of 10 ) was secondary to the festive holiday atmosphere. I can confirm that the pilgrimage is worth it especially as Randwick failed to start. The only highlight it seems is that the Swans continued on their winning ways, Sorry Max someone said the bunnies got up as well.