Bookie brawler banned
It was the brawl of the bookies where punches were thrown, insults delivered and by all reports, no winners were declared.
Betsy has previously reported how an ugly altercation overshadowed the Victorian Bookmakers’ Association’s annual dinner in the Committee Room at Caulfield Racecourse.
Glasses were broken, shirts were off in a fight the VBA told its members was “distressing”.
Betsy has an update on the VBA investigation, which should have been a pretty easy task considering the number of eyewitnesses. Attendees on the night included Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison, who had left by the time the action kicked off.
VBA Executive Officer Monika McKinnon wrote to members that the accused agitator of the fight had been punished.
“A resolution was put to the Board meeting, that the member in question has been guilty of conduct which is derogatory to or not in the best interest of the VBA or its members in accordance with clause 17 of our Constitution. This resolution has been carried,” McKinnon wrote
“The VBA Board resolved to impose the following penalty: the member is suspended from on course operations until 1 July 2026 with the possibility that the suspension period will be shortened to 1 June 2026 provided certain conditions are met.” No mention was provided of what those conditions were.
But the kicker?
“The member will not attend the VBA Annual Dinner for 3 years,” McKinnon wrote, which is a shame, because the dinner sounds like a good night out.
Credit to one of racing’s good blokes
There aren’t too many better blokes in racing than former jockey Jason Benbow. Benbow is now the CEO of Stony Creek Racing Club after retiring from riding in 2022 after a nasty fall.
When he wasn’t riding, Benbow did a mountain of work with the National Jockey’s Trust, raising money for riders, past and present, who were doing it tough. It was important work.
Now Stony Creek had a bad day on Sunday, with its meeting cancelled because its track wasn’t up to scratch. But credit to Benbow who faced the music on Monday, doing SEN radio to explain the situation, offering a detailed explanation of what had occurred.
But why Benbow alone was left to face the music is bewildering. The Stony Creek situation is just another in a long-list of race meetings cancelled at the last minute in Victoria. Small clubs are left to manage tacks, often in parts of the state with unpredictable weather. As Benbow said, they need help – and they aren’t alone.
Track management falls under Jamie McGuinness, who is Racing Victoria’s Executive General Manager of Infrastructure & Clubs.
McGuiness, who is media shy, was again nowhere on Monday, letting others do the heavy lifting and explanation. Nor was his mate, Country Racing Victoria CEO Scott Whiteman. The Stony Creek incident is just one of many where participants and punters deserve better.
Test for Pakenham
One can only hope the Pakenham track is close to its brilliant best on Saturday.
With The Valley closed, Pakenham has been asked to shoulder a massive workload through October and November. Instead of the usual two meetings before its Cup in December, it has hosted five.
Kikuyu grass goes dormant in winter and generally is not at its peak until January. It needs warmth to thrive. Add in wet weather around race nights and the surface has struggled. There have been nights posted as Soft at Pakenham where it raced more like heavy quicksand. The beaten margins have told the story, with plenty of well-fancied horses beaten out of sight as they failed to get through the chopped-up ground.
Pakenham is one of the best racing surfaces in the country. Hopefully the move to cover for The Valley has not compromised its big day, especially given many of those transferred meetings ended up there for sponsorship reasons rather than a lack of viable alternatives.
Wentworth Park sends a warning
Depending on who you talk to, the NSW Government’s decision to essentially shut Wentworth Park was either a shock, always on the cards or a sign of things to come.
Wenty Park will now become park lands to support thousands of new homes. Its inner-city location makes it an attractive proposition. There are a few racetracks in Australia across all three racing codes that depending on who you listen too, could be in strife in years to come. Betsy’s Chris Roots wrote on Tuesday that Canterbury is the most likely to be looked at next. Some tracks across the country are government owned and leased making them easier to develop when leases expire, some are not. For those tracks still owned by race clubs or codes themselves, especially some facing significant financial and engagement battles, the common view is they might face government funding pressures if they don’t move to consolidate their facilities.
Trainer’s eventual day at the races
Stories of a well-known trainer being too refreshed to saddle his runner don’t check out. While the trainer in question had enjoyed a few, and probably one or two too many, they were aware enough of the situation to know when to stay away from the mounting yard.
