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