Queensland horse race meetings at Doomben, Gold Coast, Townsville and Toowoomba for Cox Plate Day have been cancelled on Saturday because of a strike.

October 24, 2018

Protest action by thoroughbred racing industry owners, jockeys, trainers and breeders is set to derail the start of the Queensland’s Spring racing season as the battle with the state government over a new 15 per cent betting tax heats up.

Saturday’s protest over how the proceeds of the tax will be spent by the state government have resulted in race meetings at Doomben, Gold Coast, Townsville and Toowoomba for Cox Plate Day being cancelled.

Racing Queensland called them off after trainers did not nominate for the events, despite the nomination period being extended by a day.

“It’s too late for them to re-call for nominations (now) … so they’ve officially abandoned it,” Australian Trainers Association spokesman Cameron Partington told AAP on Wednesday.

Mr Partington said an alliance of owners, jockeys, trainers and breeders wants more of the tax revenue returned to the sector for use as prize money so it can better compete with the NSW and Victorian racing.

If the government had responded to the industry’s calls with an offer, even as late as Wednesday morning, then Racing Queensland could have called for new nominations and held the events, he said.

Mr Partington said the Queensland government had “neglected” the racing industry for 20 years and the sector wants “a fair portion” of the projected $70 million first-year revenue from the new point-of-sale tax directed to the industry for use as prize money.

“When the announcement that zero of it was going to thoroughbred racing so it could be put in the participants’ pockets, that’s when we started our protest,” he said.

Non-TAB covered race meets at Isisford, Gympie, Gladstone, Charleville, Clifton and Richmond will go ahead.

Mr Partington said the government now had 10-days to respond before the protest action would affect planning for Melbourne Cup day race meets.