October
JuneAlone and friendless
To Michael J. Gamble (25/6) and many readers on the eastern seaboard, sadly you have no idea of what the SA racing industry is up against in a state that quite literally hates the sport of thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing. Here are a few facts that people may not know.
1. There is no Minister for Racing in SA. The portfolio was axed under the previous government, led by Jay Weatherill.
2. The racing codes are viewed by the wider community as a Sydney and Melbourne sporting culture that has no place in South Australia.
3. The Advertiser, Adelaide’s sole daily newspaper, does not usually carry racing stories. When it has to, it appears to be done under sufferance. The same applies to our other media outlets. During our autumn carnival barely a word was published or a piece of vision shown. The AFL rules.
4. We in South Australia have the highest point-of-consumption tax in Australia with a nil return to the industry.
This is the reality we face every day in SA. Punters are constantly bullied by the wider community for daring to be different.
Alone and friendless, we will soon be outed from pubs and clubs.
Fairview Park (SA)