RACING QUEENSLAND GET RID OF STAFF AND HAVE THEY GIVEN UP TRYING TO RETRIEVE MONEY FROM RESIGNED BENTLEY STAFF - VIC PASCOE TRAINS WINNING PACERS AND ATHLETES AND LOTS OF OTHER RACING UPDATES

Naturally there has been no Media Release about it - but Justracing can advise that the new Racing Queensland regime is getting rid of staff at their Deagon headquarters.

Two staff that will be well-known to licensees left last Friday.

Hollie Roberts had been with Racing Queensland for five years and she had a wonderful rapport with media people, in her capacity as Senior Communications Officer. It is understood she had been offered a different job within Racing Queensland and chose not to accept it. As part of her job, Hollie would pen stories that would regularly appear on the Racing Queensland website.

Benita Bell was a part time employee of Racing Queensland in the marketing and communications area. She has had over 15 years experience working in the racing industry, via initially working at Albion Park, before taking up a role with Harness Racing Queensland, prior to being with Racing Queensland up until last Friday.

Sad to see both Hollie and Benita go – but I suppose some experienced staff had to go to make way for some of the expensive new staff that will be arriving soon to take up residence in Queensland at Racing Queensland.

Justracing publicly thanks Hollie and Benita for their valued assistance over the years.

Justracing can also exclusively advise that all the rhetoric before the State election that a new Board at Racing Queensland would act swiftly to retrieve large payouts made to several key staff who resigned as Bob Bentley’s era was coming to an end - and who reportedly received big payouts – was just a lot of hot air – and Justracing understands that one will never see the light of day in court either. No Media Release from Kevin Dixon has been forthcoming on that one to this point, but it will make interesting reading when it does happen. So much for all the carrying on in the media at the time of their departure.

Cast your mind back to last week's results section and you might remember that a pacer called Suite Living was trained and driven by Vic Pascoe to win at Redcliffe. Pascoe is one of those guys that every community needs. He not only enjoys every facet of the light harness sport, on top of his horse interests, but he also devotes countless hours per week to training a team of young track and field athletes to a very high standard indeed. As I write this, Vic is currently in Cairns as an Australian Team Coach at the Oceania Championships. This contest provides competition for 15 countries in the Pacific Region and several other nations are there as guests. Pascoe has two 16-year-olds from Ipswich in his team and Larissa Chambers has triumphed in the Womens Open 200 metres covering the trip in 24.70 seconds. Larissa has also scored Gold as a member of the 4 x 100 metre relay. The team was actually second home behind the Japanese Olympic Relay team who were competing as guests. Allex Grissell, another 16-year-old who competes as a TF 20 class disabled athlete is also setting the world on fire with a win in the Open 100 metres and second in the open shot putt.

Getting back to Redcliffe, Vic Pascoe claimed an extremely lucky run was the prime factor in Suite Living's win. Believe that if you wish. I prefer to believe that the horse, like Vic's young athletes was trained to the minute, and, getting the opportunity, produced the goods.

Local sulky makers, Gavin Crone and Steven Doyle, the men behind the "Downunder Eclipse" sulky report that sales of the speed oriented cart are steadily growing. A couple of modifications will be available shortly as the particular style of sulky is evolving on a continuous basis.

Australia's biggest producer of race sulkies, Jim Walsh has entered the market place with an American style cart which is constructed of chrome molybdenum steel - as are all but one brand.

You guessed it - Crone and Doyle are sticking to stainless steel which is its own guarantee of strength and long life. It's a good move.

There have been a number of calls for a better race day service to punters with the racecaller providing the overall mile rate and the final quarter time immediately the runners cross the finish line. This will help the punter to assess the run of any horse he may have backed in the race. A fast last quarter may well explain the failure of a horse to make any ground over the concluding stages.

Perhaps another service might be the publication of drivers weights. Weight does stop a train and it was never more evident than at Redcliffe on Wednesday night. The track was well rain affected and the following drivers were successful. Kylie Rasmussen (2), Bart Cockburn (2) Joe Taafe, Danielle McMullen, Lola Weidemann and Grant Dixon. Don't get excited here, I am not advocating that blokes my size should not drive, it is just another piece of info that might cause a punter to risk his hard-earned cash.

The Flying K Series, named out of a successful facebook competition, begins today when the Bulli Harness Racing Club hosts seven heats at Tabcorp Park Menangle in the twilight timeslot.

Commencing at 4:28pm, horses will fly over a 1000 metre journey starting at the top of the back straight, rounding the bend and running home.

The Series consists of $3,000 heats covering all classes of horse from 3YO’s up to M1’s with heats to be held the first three Monday’s in July (2, 9 & 16). The $12,000 finals will be conducted on Monday, 23 July.

The Series is unique and has been programmed to entice punters and horse and hound followers to the sport of harness racing. The initiatives for the Series are as follows:

1. Heats are to be run at shortened intervals - keeping the action constant

 2. All races over 1000 metres - fast paced action, no slowing down, more haste & more speed

 3. All runners will carry coloured coded silks and saddle cloths - making it easier to follow your horse during the race

 4. All meetings will be conducted in the twilight timeslot commencing at approx 4:30pm

 HRNSW CEO Sam Nati said “There are many strategies aligned to this series. Clearly one of them is to cater for the after work pub crowd looking for some fast paced action. It’s also about new racing opportunities for horses that would not normally get the chance to be in a $12,000 final.”