A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

The rein of Peter V’Landys, possibly ending by his own design, has encompassed good, bad and ugly at Racing NSW.

Racing’s Mr Big who has wielded power like no other administrator or ruling body in the State or Australia is taking a break, long service leave, to focus on Rugby League where he will slot into the CEO role, while awaiting a replacement for the departing Andrew Abdo.

Now Australian Rugby League chairman, V’Landys has taken Racing NSW from a toothless tiger, a nonentity with title lacking grunt, to a governing body in a manner more Donald Trump than the former effective administrators, the Australian Jockey Club.

Turmoil is brewing, with the industry at the cross-roads, although in some ways, booming with major contributors like Chris Waller and James McDonald, New Zealanders but wonderful modern attributes to the local turf.

Prizemoney is solvent if top heavy. V’landy’s innovation, The Everest, is now one of the world’s great sprints. It does not top my list, nor does the Golden Slipper which changed the face of Australian racing. It’s a matter of taste.

Country racing has never been better but the attempted sale of Rosehill racecourse, with V’Landy’s support, was bad. So, too, his hopefully failed takeover bid for the Australian Turf Club.

While Racing NSW has an extensive real estate portfolio, Randwick racecourse, once a showcase of the Sydney turf, is verging on derelict, due to unfair distribution of funds it generates.

But the top horses and those that make them, a feature of the Sydney autumn, should not be overshadowed by the politics.

On Saturday Waller notched his 200^th Group One success with Birdman in the Doomben Cup, equalling Tommy Smith and Bart Cummings, a feat I figured beyond reach. And Waller still has a long way to go. He shed a tear after the triumph, an eye mist that sometimes Cummings put down to an allergy when produced by him. There was more chance of getting blood out of a stone than Smith dripping forth.

Yes, Birdman was good as was the Doomben surface, exemplary considering the previous rain, but it did not overwhelm the effort of The Next Episode in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast last Friday night.

I was affronted that the colt’s target was the sponsored $1 million prize for green two-year-olds over 1000 metres compared to Birdman taking on strong weight-for-age line-up including Pride Of Jenny in a 2000 metre staying test for the same amount.

No doubt the quality of the Gold Coast opposition was questionable but the style of The Next Episode, under Jason Collett, rang bells. Before the start he crashed into the gates and had to pass the vet examination.

The colt then began slow but cutting loose over the last 100 metres prompted enthusiasm for the Snitzel colt. Perhaps the entire aspect, so wayward but too valuable to geld, will come against him but the expertise of trainer Ciaron Maher will assist.

Good is not apt enough to describe Jai Arrow, a brick wall would stop him. When it came to blood and guts George Piggins leads the way for the Mighty Rabbits. But after his toil, hard yards and torrid defence, last season when South Sydney was struggling, Arrow filled the quinella. Now Arrow is confronted with motor neurone disease. Arrow will always be a Rabbit but one who hails from Queensland. Just another reason why I hold them so high.

Consider, too, the $50,000 raised by Arrow at Townsville last Sunday when the Cowboys were too good for Souths 30-18 but our depleted outfit, even with walking wounded, maintained the spirit. Alex Johnston is still limping, on “one and a half legs” according to coach Wayne Bennett. Also Keaon Koloamatangi cannot hit top gear.

In the last minutes rookie winger Talanoa Penitani who had earlier scored twice and broke clear before coming down with a hamstring problem. There was as much chance of him being caught as The Next Episode at the Gold Coast. But where was Jai Gray, the major attacking link when fullback?

Still, in defeat, the Rabbits produced a better feeling than the Swans going down to Geelong, peopled by Dad’s Army. Why don’t Geelong do the honourable thing and retire Cameron (33) Dangerfield (36) and give us a fair go.

But not Ugly like …

“It won’t be long until nearly all fields, in Sydney particularly, are along the lines: 12 horses, comprising of four Wallers, four Mahers, three Waterhouses and maybe a Baker or Snowden,” Greg Walker of Ballina, New South Wales, emailed in part to Winnings Post.

“Surely the authorities cannot think this is good for racing in the long term, with big stables just squeezing the life out of smaller trainers.

“It’s also a bad look for the punter.”