TAB boss blames others for putting punters on the wrong track

The Australian Jockey Club was to have moved today's eight-race card, and four coming meetings, from the inside course to Warwick Farm but the prospect of financial penalties from TAB Ltd for loss of turnover put paid to the plan.

``It is their decision, we don't tell them where to run their races," Wilson said yesterday. ``Yes, there is a contract with us that has a financial penalty to it but that is normal business."

Wilson wasn't buying into the raging argument that the best thing for all concerned was for the meetings to be moved so the inside track could be given a three-month break and overhaul.

The majority of owners, trainers, punters and even NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board stewards have been vocal in their concerns over the $7million track, which some horses can handle and others not.

The fact that well fancied runners turn in career-worst performances on the surface only to return to their best at other tracks has left many declaring the track off limits.

``We don't subject our punters to anything, it is freedom of choice," Wilson said.

``We are just Woolworths, we simply put product on the shelf, the punter walks up and down the shelf and says, `I'll have one of those, one of those or one of those' and goes to the front counter, puts his ticket through the machine and pays for his bet.

``If he doesn't like the betting at that particular track he won't bet. We are not subjecting him to anything."

Under the terms of the Racing Distribution Agreement, the AJC must stage 37 Randwick meetings annually for the TAB to bet on.

Wilson believes NSW Racing, which represents the three codes of racing and controls the money flow from the TAB, is to blame, and claims three issues confront the industry as a whole.

``The first one is, why is the racing industry penalising the AJC one out?" he said. ``Why aren't they saying to the racing industry, `Look, in the interests of racing, this is how it is going to work and we will all suffer the pain because it will be good for us in the long run.'?"

Secondly, Wilson wonders why the TAB shouldn't invoke contractual arrangements when NSW Racing is taking the betting shop to court on five other matters, two of which TAB Ltd has won.

``The third issue is, if they swapped their meetings to the outer track on Wednesday and swapped the outer track meetings to Warwick Farm on Saturday, they could reduce the penalty by $4 in every $5. That's how it is and yet everyone just wants to throw mud at us."