TVN Board brouhaha unearths consultants' bonanza

Cracking yarn from Chris Roots in the Sydney Morning Herald on the brouhaha consuming contenders for the new TVN board, still in caretaker mode and with its CEO about to leave. Roots reports:

"Victoria Racing Club chairman Michael Burn and Melbourne Racing Club chairman Michael Symons have been put forward by their respective clubs. But the Herald understands their (sic) is opposition to both men because they previously held consultancy contracts with the broadcaster.
"The consultancy contracts were identified while Racing NSW was carrying out due diligence on TVN.
"It is understood Burn and Symons charged TVN $15,000 a month each for work on a failed attempt to take over Sky Channel and to secure the continuation of the television rights for Sydney metropolitan racing with the Australian Turf Club last year."

And then this:

Melbourne's Valley vision puts Sydney red hots to shame

A tale of two cities? Announcing a visionary $150m masterplan to redevelop the Valley into a "night racing Mecca", Moonee Valley Racing Club chairman, Bob Scarborough, said "at no stage" had his board countenanced merging with the VRC or moving the Cox Plate to another track. "We could have quickly found a buyer for 40ha of prime freehold land within 7km of the city. It would have been a surer bet than Black Caviar winning her 14th successive race," Scarborough reportedly said. "We have a different view. We're proud of our history and contribution to the industry and the broader community since our establishment in Moonee Ponds almost 130 years ago." Puts into stark relief the visionless mob at the NSW Harness Racing Club who grabbed the money for the 120 year old Harold Park to the cheers of owners, trainers and drivers who will divvy up the estimated $187m windfall until it runs out. The developers also did very well, meanwhile, for punters and long-term fans of the trots, what is the lasting legacy of Sydney's once iconic "ribbon of light"?

Goulburn and Bathurst will have two ''new'' stewards' towers as part of the legacy of Harold Park. The stewards' towers were removed from Harold Park yesterday and transported to the country centres. ''Mirvac allowed us to take the towers down, which was good of them, because they owned everything once we signed the contracts,'' NSW harness racing boss John Dumesny said. ''It is good that the towers can help a couple of country clubs and means they have a part of Harold Park.''

Dismembered, broken up, cast to the four winds. The march of 'progress'. That's Sydney. 

Lloyd Buys UK Farm To "Prepare Horses For US Export"

Bloodstock agent Jamie Lloyd "has bought the former Warwickshire base (Far Westfields Farm) of trainer George Baker to help prepare horses for export to America," reported racingpost.com. Lloyd (whose purchases include Gr1-winners Ticker Tape, Monzante, Magical Fantasy & Singhalese) confirmed: "There is a growing demand for horses to be kept in training so they are ready to compete upon their arrival in the US. But this leaves buyers with a few choices: you can either leave the horse with their previous trainer; use a new trainer who perhaps you have a relationship with; or send them to a livery based yard. To me, both as an agent & trainer, this has never really been an ideal situation. Our idea is to open a family-run operation specialising in the transition of horses for export. What would be better for a US trainer than to receive a horse that's already half-acclimatised on arrival? The property has an excellent all-weather oval track that would lend itself ideally to this purpose."