In addition, Racing Queensland chief executive Darren Condon has been stood down and asked to show cause why he should not be removed.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement in  Parliament on Tuesday as she handed down her response to the final report into live baiting from an inquiry headed by Alan MacSporran QC, delivered on Monday.

The Inquiry was established after an ABC Four Corners program in February revealed the use of live baiting to train greyhounds in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

‘‘As Mr MacSporran said in his report, it is clear that Racing Queensland has failed, and that started with the boards. Today we are starting a clean slate. We have appointed Ian Hall from KPMG to advise on implementation of interim administrative arrangements and to ensure effective ongoing management of Racing Queensland. All Queenslanders want a racing industry that is based on integrity and proper animal welfare, not one that is characterised by cruelty, dishonesty and, at best, dubious regulation and an environment in which there is a failure of simple compliance measures,” she said. 

Ms Palaszczuk said she had directed the Minister for Sport and Racing Bill Byrne to abolish the Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board, the Queensland Greyhound Racing Board, the Queensland Harness Racing Board and the Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board.

Eager to restore and maintain public confidence in all three codes of racing, Mr Byrne said he was determined to use this opportunity of the MacSporran commission of inquiry to ensure that the punters and participants alike go on enjoying and benefiting from all three codes of racing. The first step is to start with a clean slate. The activities and failures of the past must be left behind and a new and brighter future for the industry established,” he said.

Key report recommendations

A NEW control body for all three codes of racing – thoroughbred, harness and greyhound – and the creation of a new statutory authority dedicated to ensuring the integrity of the Queensland racing industry were the key recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Greyhound industry headed by Alan MacSporran QC.

The commission’s final report, which includes 15 recommendations, was delivered by MacSporran to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday.

In his executive summary, the commissioner said self-regulation in the Queensland greyhound industry has failed and a new statutory authority to safeguard animal welfare and integrity in the industry was needed.

‘‘Public confidence had been dealt an almost terminal blow by the exposure of what is likely to have been a widespread practice of live baiting in the greyhound industry. Those who participated in the ‘‘archaic and barbaric practice’’ have let down the entire industry and have treated the public with disdain. The practice could not be engaged in without the acquiescence of many, who although not directly involved, chose to ignore the cruelty and turned a blind eye. This must have encouraged those directly involved that they could continue with impunity. 

‘‘Although the general tenor of the information contains little by way of evidence that the practice of live baiting is widespread in the industry, it would be naive in the extreme to conclude that the practice is not widespread.  That it was allowed to happen at all in this day and age is a sad reflection on the state of the greyhound racing industry and those who participate in it whether for pleasure or profit,’’ he said

RQ failed its obligations

IN the report, commissioner MacSporran said Racing Queensland (RQ) failed in its obligations because it did not operate a system that adequately assessed risk and failed to plan an overall strategy to deal with the risk to integrity and animal welfare across all three codes of racing.

‘‘RQ’s ability to meet its obligations was compromised by the conflict of interest inherent in having oversight and control of the commercial and integrity aspects of the business. In the commission’s view the current operational model is flawed and the commission recommends an alternative model where the commercial and integrity aspects of the industry are completely separated. This model is designed to allow the control body to concentrate on the business of racing and maximise its prospects of commercial success whilst the new Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) is entirely focussed on ensuring integrity within the industry with the aim of restoring public confidence,” he said. 

The commissioner recommended the new integrity authority be created as soon as possible and in parallel with a review of the Racing Act 2002 (Qld) (Racing Act). 

“The new statutory authority should be called the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission and be headed by the statutory position of a full-time Racing Integrity Commissioner. The QRIC should represent the State and the RIC is to report directly to the Minister responsible for administering the Racing Act. The Queensland Racing control body should focus on the commercial operations of the industry while the QRIC should be distinct from the control body and not form part of the Department,” he said. 

The commissioner also recommended that that the new QRIC should take over both the Stewarding and Integrity Operations Division and the functions of Grading and Handicapping in the Racing Operations Division from RQ; 

New racing control body recommended 

A new all codes board to control all three codes of racing (thoroughbred, harness and greyhound) has been recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Greyhound industry headed by Alan MacSporran QC.

The commissioner recommended the current three individual code boards be abolished and replaced with a new board comprising seven members – all appointed by the Governor in Council. 

Four are to be entirely independent of the racing industry during the period of board membership and to have had no relevant connection to the racing industry (ownership of horses or greyhounds or membership of a race club or organisation) for a period of at least two  years prior to appointment. The four should collectively possess qualifications and experience in the field of accounting, law, business, commercial and marketing development. The Chair and Deputy Chair should be appointed from these four members. The remaining three members should have relevant experience in the industry and be drawn, one each, from each of the codes of racing. 

MM Weanling sale ‘equal to best in the world’

THE Magic Millions national weanling sale is ‘equal to the best in the world’ according to Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox.

Cox based his opinion on the interesting statistic that the median price was about the same as the average price two years ago.

‘‘That is how far this sale has moved and it sits right up there with the best weanling sales in the world. There was great competition from all parts of the world with investors from South Africa, Ireland, America, New Zealand and of course domestically. We’re all very happy with it,’’ Cox said.

All up the sale grossed over $14.8 million - just shy of last year’s auction when 96 more youngsters were catalogued. The clearance rate was about to pass 80 percent when the last lot was sold. The sale recorded a record average price of more than $60,000 – up 38 percent on last year’s successful auction and 70 percent up on the auction in 2013.

Sydney bloodstock agent James Harron paid top sale of $500,000 for a colt by Golden Slipper producing sire Medaglia d’Oro offered as part of Bob and Rosemary Scarborough’s Wood Nook Farm Dispersal. The colt from the black type performed and producing Redoute’s Choice mare Starfish, highlighted a run of four consecutive lots from Wood Nook Farm to sell for more than $200,000. The others in that streak were a Fastnet Rock/Oh Goodness Me filly sold for $220,000, a Pierro/Rocha colt for $300,000 to Segenhoe Stud and a Fastnet Rock/Slapstick filly for $280,000.

Second top sale price was $310,000 paid by NSW-based bloodstock agent John Hutchinson of Scone Bloodstock Services for a filly by former Magic Millions graduate Snitzel from the draft of The Old Crossing. The filly is the first foal of the five time winning Dehere mare Fashions Rocks and hails from the family of Wonderful World, Wonderful Lass, Spartacus and a horse Hutchinson knows well, Billet Express – a Group 1 winning Magic Millions graduate in Hong Kong.

A Fastnet Rock/Sweet Sanette colt offered by Coolmore Stud also sold for $300,000 when bought by Magic Millions as agent for a Victorian client. The colt is the second foal of the South African and Hong Kong group winning Jallad mare Sweet Sanette - a winner of eight races