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SPRINT RACING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SRAC)
The SRAC was formed during a presentation by GSRC President, Wayne Graham to the December 1999 AQHA Board Meeting held at Randwick, Sydney. The presentation was developed by the Goulburn Sprint Racing Club (GSRC) using feedback from industry during and after the 1998 All Australian Futurity conducted by GSRC Members at Goulburn TB race track.
The SRAC was formed with support from individuals in Queensland who were in the process of forming a Sprint Racing Club and individuals in Victoria who indicated the VRQHA would also join the national body. The GSRC volunteered to provide a secretariat for the newly formed SRAC.
With AQHA funding the SRAC met for the first time in Canberra in 2000 with an agenda that included setting National Racing Rules, Licensing systems and record keeping. The meeting was attended by:
- AQHA President Paul Lorimer
- Maureen Milburn & R Morgan representing the VRQHA (VIC)
- Lyn Green representing the QSRC (QLD); and,
- Wayne Graham & Ian Wade from the GSRC (NSW)
Unanimous agreement was reached on the concept of national policies and procedures and over the following weeks the new national rules, systems, policies etc were put in place for immediate implementation. A copy of the Minutes of the 2000 SRAC Meeting can be found here.....
During 1999 GSRC President Wayne Graham commenced discussions with the AmQHA and Senior Director of Racing Dan Fick agreed to tour Australia. With the AQHA showing little interest, the GSRC & SRAC made arrangements for meetings with Government and Industry in Australia and for Dan Fick accompanied Maureen Milburn from the Victorian Arabian Jockey Club to a meeting with Victorian Minister for Racing The Honourable Robert Hulls.
Mr Hulls showed keen interest in Sprint Racing and on the spot approved Sprint Racing to be added to the Arabian program of racing at Great Western TB race track on 22 January 2000. Rob Hulls subsequently attended the race meeting - a copy of his Press release relating to Great Western can be found on the Victorian Government website
For a small unfunded organisation the SRAC and Affiliates achieved some major milestones for the Australian Sprint Racing Industry:
- Arranged the Australian trip for AmQHA Senior Director of Racing Dan Fick - paid for by AmQHA including
- Personal meeting with Victorian Government Minister for Racing, The Honourable Robert Hulls
- Personal Meeting with Government Director of Racing NSW
- Personal meeting with Government Director of Racing ACT
- Personal Meeting with Government Director of Racing QLD
- Personal meeting with AQHA President S Myers at Goulburn
- Public Meeting with QLD Industry at Kooralbyn Resort
- Public Meeting with NSW Industry at Goulburn TB race track
- Public Meeting with VIC Industry at the home of VRQHA member Greg Hewish
- Organised 2 National Conferences of Racing States
- Commenced open and co-operative discussions with the TB Industry in Australia - something the AQHA and successive racing organisations had been unable to do since 1993
By late 2000 the GSRC, QSRC and VRQHA were racing regularly under consistent rules and polices across three (3) states
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