The South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) would seem to have got its desired result regarding jumps racing, with the introduction this week of a Bill into the SA Parliament by Green MLC Tammy Franks to outlaw the sport in the state (a previous attempt having failed in 2011).
In February, after the announcement of the 2015 South Australian jumps racing program, SAJC CEO Brenton Wilkinson made a very public statement expressing his disappointment that Thoroughbred Racing SA (the state’s racing governing body) had intervened to programme jumps meetings at Morphettville in 2015 – despite that fact that the arrangement was a compromise deal agreed upon by both SAJC and TRSA.
This public betrayal by the state’s leading racing club of a sector of its own industry was further exacerbated when the state Racing Minister, Leon Bignell, took this as his cue to also take a swipe at jumps racing, with his ill-judged and provocative remarks in a radio interview that the SA Labor Government might seek to ban jumps racing “under animal cruelty legislation”, despite its many public pronouncements before last year’s state election that jumps racing and its administration was strictly the province of TRSA.
The Bill introduced by Ms Franks therefore sees the SA jumps fraternity locked in conflict with the two parties who it might be reasonably expected would have the welfare of the sport at heart – namely the state’s premier racing club and the minister responsible for racing.
Keen observers suggest that there is nothing coincidental about the timing of the introduction of Ms Franks’ Bill, which would now would appear to have the implicit backing of both Mr Bignell and SAJC.
Ms Franks introduced a similar bill in 2011, which ultimately failed following opposition from both Labor and Liberal.
When a racing minister and a racing club are actively seeking to bring about the demise of a sector of their own industry, is it any wonder that jumps racing struggles to get any positive coverage in South Australia and that its very existence is now under threat?
The SAJC can be well pleased with its work – its own animosity towards jumps racing at Morphettville may now lead to the end of jumps at Oakbank, Murray Bridge and Gawler too.
However, the Bill will enable the SAJC’s role in jumps racing’s demise to be shifted onto the shoulders of the government.
Nevertheless, jumps racing supporters who are also SAJC members should take careful note of this betrayal and, if this Bill succeeds, be prepared to ensure that SAJC takes its fair share of the blame when jumps racing in South Australia is no more.
Mark Angus
Roar Rookie
While I respect your choice not to watch jumps racing, I would take issue with your characterisation of both jumps jockeys and trainers! I also, as I have noted elsewhere, respect the right of the SAJC to run their Club as they ultimately see fit (even though I naturally disagree with their stance on jumps). What I believe is of great concern—not just for the jumps racing fraternity, but for the entire racing industry—is the spectacle of a metropolitan racing club and a state Racing Minister entering into an alliance (however informal) with the Greens Party and Animal Rights activists to effectively destroy a sector of their own industry. My ultimate point is that racing in South Australia should continue to be run by the governing body TRSA, free from government interference. I would venture to suggest that should the SA government align itself with Ms Franks on her Bill, it therefore explicitly endorses her views on horse racing, which would be ultimately to see all racing banned. Given that the Premier and Racing Minster would seem to endorse Ms Franks' views on this sector of the racing industry, how will the government be able to convincingly to argue against supporting any future Bill to ban to 2 y.o. races? Or the whip? Or 2 mile races? Supporting this Bill and ending an industry that is still active (albeit not in great health) will surely only lead to further encroachments on the racing industry by government, who have clearly shown themselves unwilling or unable to resist the pressure of interest groups. If you really believe that Ms Franks and those whose agenda she promotes will stop at jumps racing, I am afraid that is a view I can't share. And as someone loves thoroughbred racing, you should be concerned, irrespective of your views on jumps. Let TRSA ultimately be the arbiter of what the racing industry needs, not a government minister who, quite frankly, shows little affection for or interest in the sport.
Matthew
Guest
I'm from NSW and visit Adelaide a few times a year. When I do I love going to the races at Morphettville. If I know a jumps race is on I purposely don't go. Therefore the SAJC has instantly missed out on my gate takings, my money spent inside the venue and my punting money, as well as the 30k they've spent on prize money. I guarantee I'm not the only one who does this... I love my thoroughbred racing and own shares in a few horses (sadly though none in SA at present) the thoroughbred is a beautiful animal and there's nothing like watching them in a full gallop. Now why would I want to go see (and pay for) a bunch of overweight jockeys, ride a horse over a marathon distance for some no hope trainer with the probability there will be a fall throughout the race and the possibility that that fall will lead to a horse breaking a leg. I'm sorry. I just can't buy into it. I can't see how any good can come from this at all. People are sick to death of it and they're changing the channel and all it's doing is giving the sport of thoroughbred racing a bad name and image. Let's face it, how many people that go to Oakbank actually watch a horse race? I therefore submit that you won't see a demise of a carnival like Oakbank it will actually prosper as it will be an event that parents will want to take their children to again (next generation of possible owners?)
Matthew
Guest
How good is it! Once SA gets the sense to drop this stupidity we can finally work at getting SA racing back into the big 3. No one cares about obstacle racing and unfortunately the only people that are involved with it you'd be lucky to feed anyhow...
Mark Angus
Roar Rookie
Please ee my reply to the comment above. Thanks.
Mark Angus
Roar Rookie
I would argue that the attitude of SAJC towards jumps racing has been integral in the running down of the industry (see my previous article). If the state's premier racing club continually shows open hostility towards the industry and has been maintaining its own campaign to evict jumps racing from Morpehettville, is it really surprising that the industry has declined? In a previous piece, I used the analogy of having a party but not sending out any invitations—and then complaining when no-one turns up. SAJC's negligence and open animosity towards jumps has unquestionably had a significant role in the number of jumpers in work in SA. With little or no metropolitan racing and exposure, what incentive is there to train jumpers in SA? But then to use the argument—as Brenton Wilkinson did—that there is no industry in SA and so it has no place at Morphettville is at best disingenuous, at worst duplicitous. However, even if you accept the SAJC's position—and they are, in the end, entitled to run their Club as they see fit—what is of greater concern is the fact that it now appears to find itself in an unholy alliance with the Racing Minister and the Green Party against jumps racing—surely a situation that is hard to reconcile. The consequences of this arrangement would seem to be that we are now heading towards a total ban on jumping in SA. Whether SAJC, the state government and anyone interested in racing will be pleased to see the demise of Oakbank remains to be seen, but it seems to me that SAJC and Minister Bignell coming out so openly against jumps racing is a short-sighted, populist position that will have greater knock-on effects than they intended. The motivation for this is what puzzles me...
Mark Angus
Roar Rookie
The trouble is that the majority of the SAJC membership have gone along with the Board's position re: jumps racing and are willing to see it disappear from the racing calendar at Morphettville. However, with SAJC seemingly throwing their support behind Ms Franks' bill, alongside the Racing Minister, this could now spell the end of all jumps in SA. Whether this is an unintended consequence, or something that SAJC welcomes, is hard at this stage to say.
Mish Mash
Guest
"An integral part of one of Australia’s leading Industries"... are you joking? The hurdle at Murray Bridge was cancelled due a SINGLE horse niminating... and even that was after nominations being extended. ONLY 4 SA horses are set to trial next week to qualify for the SA jumps season. Jumps racing in SA is dead... and it deserves to be.
Bundy
Guest
I'm yet to see evidence that SA jumps racing is an "intergral part" of SA racing. What with the single hurdle race at Murray Bridge this week being cancelled due to only receiving ONE nomination - and only 4 of the 17 horses at the Oakbank trials this week being South Australian.
Toby Johnstone
Guest
I'm Flabbergasted by the chicanery displayed here by both the Minister Leon Bignell and the board of the SAJC, it beggars belief that they would seek to undermine such an integral part of one of Australia's leading Industries. I say that a vote of no confidence in the SAJC, and messers Bignell and Franks should be moved and carried post haste. We should instead of sitting back and crying, take the fight TO the Bastards. T Johnstone, Longwood Vic