GHRRA MkII + 1: Not again, surely?

[triplev123]

The Grapevine has it rock solid that former NSWHRC supremo Peter V'Landys is lining up for the job as CEO of a new Tri-Code organisation that will run NSW Racing... and that the NSW Gaming & Racing Minister is set to announce something this week. This revelation also clarifies a 'from out of the blue' phone call that I received last week, one which at the time I could not make head nor tail of.

[Thevoiceofreason]

The Grapevine has it rock solid that former NSWHRC supremo Peter V'Landys is lining up for the job as CEO of a new Tri-Code organisation that will run NSW Racing... and that the NSW Gaming & Racing Minister is set to announce something this week. This revelation also clarifies a 'from out of the blue' phone call that I received last week, one which at the time I could not make head nor tail of.
Tri-Code was on the table when HRNSW and GRNSW were handed back regulatory powers in 2009 with recent events it is no surprise to me to back on the table.

The issue with integrity in racing is everyone wants it but no one wants to pay for it. Your two best examples of this are the comments attributed to Paul Fitzpatrick a couple of weeks back were he did not think every winner should be swabbed because prize money might be affected he wanted another system where the stewards made post race decisions I said on another forum he must have been joking he could not have been serious.

The other is the amazing amount of Australian trained stewards now working overseas the list is but not limed to.


Hong Kong 3
Singapore 3
NewZealand 2
Macau 2
Malaysia 1
United Kingdom 1
Qatar 1


and be sure everyone was poached.

[dizzy]

No surprise really, HRNSW is a product of the previous labour government and there is no doubt with the massive extent of the current scandal in harness racing that HRNSW (+the corupt participants) has let the side down. HRNSW is a political liability, the minister has to be seen to be doing something to appease the voters (and all those ripped off punters) and a new governing body is likely to be it.

[triplev123]

In further news (& sorry it is so late in coming as I was told this at around mid day but have been next door helping my neighbour bust up some concrete slabs) I now hear it will be limited to the Stewards only, as in they will all fall under the control of PV/a new body. That I don't have a problem with at all. In fact I think it is an excellent idea.

[aussiebreno]

In further news (& sorry it is so late in coming as I was told this at around mid day but have been next door helping my neighbour bust up some concrete slabs) I now hear it will be limited to the Stewards only, as in they will all fall under the control of PV/a new body. That I don't have a problem with at all. In fact I think it is an excellent idea.

Priorities VVV, the forum comes first.

That would be great news though if true.

[Greg Hando]

In further news (& sorry it is so late in coming as I was told this at around mid day but have been next door helping my neighbour bust up some concrete slabs) I now hear it will be limited to the Stewards only, as in they will all fall under the control of PV/a new body. That I don't have a problem with at all. In fact I think it is an excellent idea.

Good news and i hope your right with only the steward's

[triplev123]

Yeh, I certainly took a dim view of the initial news because, like innumerable others, I wasn't looking forward to the possibility of yet another GHRRA come RQLD style debacle, that which I believe a 3 Code sole control body could not help but eventually become given that it would not also control the TAB ala RWWA. I certainly think it's good news for all 3 Codes if PV were to take an overseeing role with the Stewards.
I can't say that I've spoken to any Stewards about it of course but I assume that they'd be happy enough too. I can't see any reason/s why they wouldn't be. VOR, I'm sure that Peter's always had the Tri-Code thing in his head ever since he first left the NSWHRC. Now you're obviously pretty well in tune with the Stewarding mindset. What do you think about a central Stewarding body that's essentially 'independent' of the 3 Codes?

[Thevoiceofreason]

Yeh, I certainly took a dim view of the initial news because, like innumerable others, I wasn't looking forward to the possibility of yet another GHRRA come RQLD style debacle, that which I believe a 3 Code sole control body could not help but eventually become given that it would not also control the TAB ala RWWA. I certainly think it's good news for all 3 Codes if PV were to take an overseeing role with the Stewards.
I can't say that I've spoken to any Stewards about it of course but I assume that they'd be happy enough too. I can't see any reason/s why they wouldn't be. VOR, I'm sure that Peter's always had the Tri-Code thing in his head ever since he first left the NSWHRC. Now you're obviously pretty well in tune with the Stewarding mindset. What do you think about a central Stewarding body that's essentially 'independent' of the 3 Codes?

In principle I have no issues with it, however from those that have managed it over the years where it has been tried there can be some issues.

The three panels must remain independent so that the stewards can remain fully aware of the main code they are to police and its intricate rule structure. At the moment for instance Ray Livingstone has left the trots and gone back to the Gallops now he could go to a trot meeting tomorrow and be a extremely competent interference steward but would have no knowledge of the current form.

I know in WA the stewards multi coded there for a while and I am led to believe it was considered by all a total disaster, this included the bloke who implemented the system in the first place and thought it would work.

My concern is Racingnsw has stewards scattered all over the state their knowledge of Harness Racing in many cases is nil and many do not even like the sport. PVL is a dollars man if he has a guy living in say Dubbo for instance looking after the gallops he will want him working at the trots as well because it will provide a massive cost saving long term. I am not sure that is good for the sport.

My best example is, the best Rugby Union Reff in Australia may not handle a bush game of League and vice versa.

I am not a GHRRA knocker because one of their major issues in relation to integrity of both codes is they found it difficult to receive funding for many things they wished to implement from the commercial boards of both HRNSW and GHRNSW. I will bet my last cent for instance that HRNSW spent more money on swabbing per year since they took over than they allowed the GHRRA to spend, do not get me wrong that is a good thing I am just saying its easy to throw stones.

As I have said before "everyone wants integrity but no one wants to pay" PVL will only want this change if it helps his bottom line and the boards of HRNSW and GRNSW will have to release funding for it to work.

[triplev123]

G'day VOR,

I think those are very reasonable concerns and your points are well made. I have to admit to not having thought about it from those perspectives. Also didn't know the WA Stewards were multi coded.
The GHRRA was an expensive administrative debacle as opposed to a regulatory one. In fact the late James Perry did an excellent job under what were, IMO, very trying circumstances that were largely generated 'from on high' as it were and I'm not talking about as high as Board level. That was what I was getting at in my opening post to this thread. If this goes ahead and we see any familiar faces/talking heads from the past popping up in this new venture then we'll know straight away it's yet another jobs for the boys exercise ala the GHRRA & its Board at the time. There's at least one Gaming & Racing Department lacky that we can strike off the list. A tree saw to that. As for the rest of them, God help us all if it again plays out that way. That GHRRA Board was nothing more than a NSW Labor Party backscratching disgrace, IMO.

[Greg Hando]

Totally agree with all the above 2 comment's

[triplev123]

Totally agree with all the above 2 comment's

[VVV] Hey Greg, who's the best Steward or Stewards working out your way do you think?

[coldshot]

In further news (& sorry it is so late in coming as I was told this at around mid day but have been next door helping my neighbour bust up some concrete slabs) I now hear it will be limited to the Stewards only, as in they will all fall under the control of PV/a new body. That I don't have a problem with at all. In fact I think it is an excellent idea.

I'm confused. If the stewards of all 3 codes are consolidated to a new body, I can't see PVL quitting RacingNSW to just run stewards. For PVL to be involved it would mean the gallops are taking over stewarding or harness is contracting the responsibility out to the gallops. Either way the dogs would be a bit cheesed off or have I read this thread wrong and does it refer to gallops/trots stewards only?

[triplev123]

I don't know the specifics of it coldshot but I believe the thrust of it all is that Peter would provide the Stewards for all 3 codes. I very much doubt that he would leave Racing NSW to do so, rather it would be an adjunct to that operation, one which he would charge a fee for the provision of I guess.
As much as it greatly pains me to acknowledge it, I believe the NSW TB Stewards are...with two or three notable Harness Racing exceptions, superior to the majority of Stewards that we have had in Harness Racing here in NSW since pretty much as far back as I can remember.
Further, I believe both recent, not too distant past and verging on historical events have borne out exactly this viewpoint. They also seem to be able to command a greater level of respect than many of our Stewards have been able to.
For example, Owners, Trainers, Jockeys and persons of general interest don't feel they're free to go into the TB Stewards Room at Rosehill or Randwick or wherever, threaten to physically harm those present then turn their rage on an innocent recording device that had all the while been sitting upon the table, minding its own business.

[coldshot]

Thanks VVV. I agree with VOR then, that the panels will need to be separate for it to have a chance of working. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this. I can see people having more confidence through gallops involvement and the professionalism of their setup and personnel however the devil will be in the detail of how it all works. I don't know about the WA experience but I hope it doesn't take 3 years to arrive at the same result here. Shame really in some ways, no matter how its spun it will be seen as trots not being able to keep its own house. Unfortunately as you point out, history is against us. Greyhounds must be laughing/crying into their kibble.

[Greg Hando]

Did you get my message triple

[triplev123]

Did you get my message triple

[VVV] Yes mate. Have replied. Sorry to be so slow.

[triplev123]

Thanks VVV. I agree with VOR then, that the panels will need to be separate for it to have a chance of working. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this. I can see people having more confidence through gallops involvement and the professionalism of their setup and personnel however the devil will be in the detail of how it all works. I don't know about the WA experience but I hope it doesn't take 3 years to arrive at the same result here. Shame really in some ways, no matter how its spun it will be seen as trots not being able to keep its own house. Unfortunately as you point out, history is against us. Greyhounds must be laughing/crying into their kibble.

[VVV] Yes, we should not kid ourselves as far as there being a VERY, VERY significant element of 'never let a good crisis go to waste' in relation to any moves that are made in this direction. However, in all fairness to Peter, I believe that he has long thought along those lines, certainly ever since he left Glebe Gulch and probably for some time before then. Given recent events he would have instinctively known that the timing was perfect to come forward and propose something like this. I'm in two minds about it. I think things definitely must be changed so that never again will be have such nefarious behaviour occurring....but at the same time I am not so sure that multi-code Stewards as a cost saving mechanism is a particularly good idea. I think there's already periodically enough trouble with the interpretation and administration of Harness Racing rules and this from people who do nothing else but officiate on Harness Racing. Of course, the persons best placed to know for certain if it would work or not are the Stewards themselves, although given the dastardly deeds of a couple of their former colleagues in recent and perhaps not so recent times I doubt that they will have a great deal of say in the matter.

[triplev123]

...that this has been clubbed over the head http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/images/productimages/club


http://ic2.pbase.com/t1/28/946228/4/129251575.LkoI6PKs.jpglike a Mutton Bird Chick that ventured from its burrow sans the ability to fly.

[ringman]

They have to take it out of the hands of the clowns running them now rorts have become part and pacel of all 3 codes at one time or another but harness racing is miles ahead in the rorting stakes simply because the powers to be turned a blind eye to it for decades.
I think they should get P morris, G Lang and take your pick the 3rd to clean up the game as lets face it these 2 are sqeeky clean and wouldnt think of doing the wrong thing