04/04/13

When his eyes closed for the final time in the Allamanda Private Hospital at the Gold Coast on 29 June 1991 after an 18-month battle with cancer, the curtain came down on one of the most controversial figures in Queensland racing and politics – Russ Hinze. To the very end, his political life was embroiled in controversy with the then Premier Wayne Goss denying Russ Hinze the honour of a State funeral and in fact in his capacity as Premier, Wayne Goss even refused to attend the funeral service of Russ Hinze, citing still to be heard corruption charges against the one time “minister for everything” in the Joh Bjelke-Petersen led government as his reason for not going.

I never met Russ Hinze but I did see him only metres away on numerous occasions at racetracks often nod betting with bookmakers in the halcyon days of Brisbane’s headquarters of harness racing – Albion Park – where the huge and impressive grandstand bore his name from the opening night of harness racing in Brisbane on 7 September 1968.

Love him or loathe him – and to this day there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground in the debate – I have always lived my life in the “love” corner of the debate where Russ Hinze was concerned. Why is that? Well I never met the man so I’m not a fit person to pass judgment on any claims regarding “corruption” and the like, but my father, who has sadly long gone, worked in local government from age 17 to his retirement at age 65. He was a Shire Clerk for the vast majority of his working life. Today they call them Chief Executive Officer, City Administrator, or the like. In fact official local government records showed he was the youngest qualified Shire Clerk in Queensland local government history, qualified as a 20-year-old but he had to wait to turn 21 before he could legally be installed to run a shire, as the adult age back then was 21.

My father worked closely with Russ Hinze for many years due to Hinze being Mains Roads minister and when all the kerfuffle regarding Russ Hinze and this alleged “corruption” surfaced, I asked my father what sort of a man Russ Hinze was. My father was a noted hard marker of people who called it like it was, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. I don’t remember his exact words now to quote them directly, but I most certainly have never forgotten what he told me – and that was that Russ Hinze was a man he truly admired. He spoke of a man that was so busy because of his numerous portfolios (at various or the same time he was Police minister, Main Roads minister, Racing minister) yet if you asked for his assistance in helping your shire out, or resolving a local government problem Russ Hinze would fix it. Dad said if Russ Hinze gave you his word on something it would get done with no further follow up of the minister ever needed. Dad found that amazing, given the fact that the “minister for everything” was surely so busy that he would remember what must have sometimes seemed menial requests.

Russ Hinze may well have spent money on racing like there was no tomorrow but he did a lot of good for racing via government funded upgrades to numerous racetracks across the various codes. He was close to the industry as he owned many handy thoroughbreds and pacers during his lifetime and clearly had a passion for the racing industry – something that has been surely sadly lacking in the Racing ministers that have followed in his footsteps.

Of all the equine stock that Russ Hinze raced, the thoroughbred Waverley Star was probably his best performer, as that horse went down narrowly in the 1986 Cox Plate to Bonecrusher. Just 19 months before that memorable Cox Plate, Brisbane based journalist Graham Dawson wrote a wonderful insight in Russ Hinze, the then Queensland Racing minister and it is repeated in full today.

This is the entire article entitled “Big Russ talks the language of the battlers” exactly as it appeared in the March 1985 edition of Turf Monthly. The article penned by the late Graham Dawson read:

It matters not whether you love him or hate him, Queensland’s Racing Minister, Russ Hinze, simply cannot be ignored.

Never has Racing had such a high-profile ambassador.

“Big Russ” is a regular visitor to other Australian States, and New Zealand, as part of the duties associated with his government portfolios of Local Government, Main Roads and Racing, and he takes every opportunity to promote racing as “… the People’s Sport”.

When Hinze opened the new public grandstand at Doomben a couple of seasons back he startled officialdom by telling 50c punters to make every use of the new facility.

“This is your stand”, Russ told the battlers. “It will be up to you to get the maximum use out of it. It will be your own fault if you don’t get full benefit from the best no-charge public grandstand on an Australian racecourse”.

The punters took the Minister at his word and Doomben is again becoming a popular course with Brisbane racegoers.

Things haven’t always been this good for racing’s “battling brigade”.

It took Russ Hinze to push racing into the spotlight, out of the doldrums and give owners, trainers, punters and club officials something to cheer about.

Under the guidance of Hinze, every sector of the industry, particularly in Queensland, has noticed a change for the better, with his enterprising innovations being monitored by club officials around Australia.

Russ Hinze 65, is Queensland’s “Minister for Everything”.

He landed the Racing Ministry when he already held responsibility for three portfolios.

He’s since relinquished Police, but maintains a strong grip on the others, especially the Racing Ministry, the first of its type in Australasia.

A veteran of Queensland politics, Hinze has been Racing Minister just on four years.

“Racing is now recognised as a major Queensland industry,” he says, adding that he considers the turnaround in interest in Racing as the greatest achievement of his period in charge of the “Sport”.

“It is a top sport”, the Minister enthuses. “But it is also an industry.

“The State government has spent something in the order of $60-million and we intend to spend about another $40-million before I relinquish the portfolio.

“I think we’ve transformed the Racing industry from something which had been neglected and all clubs being on the verge of bankruptcy, to a profitable business with clubs paying reasonable prizemoney,” continued Hinze.

Forever a realist, Russ Hinze is quick to admit that it is not all that long ago that Queensland racing was considered something of a joke in other states.

In those days it was possible to bring second-raters from interstate to Queensland and almost guarantee they’d be better than the local product.

“It was a place to send horses after they’d finished racing them in the south,” he recalled. “They’d say that providing you could get a start in Brisbane you’d land a winner!”

The Minister then cited the experiences of trotting trainer-driver Brian Pelling as proof of his claim.

“I can vividly recall Brian bringing pacers from the Riverina and Western NSW up into Queensland and winning a number of races with them.”

Now things are different.

“Recently the Gold Coast club had more horses nominated for its meeting than the corresponding meeting in Brisbane attracted,” observed Hinze.

“It’s just a matter of programming to get the horses”.

Russell Hinze hasn’t always been a keen follower of Racing.

In his younger days he was far too busy with farming and other business interests to give the sport a second glance.

It has only been in the last ten years that Hinze has taken an active interest in the sport.

“I have always been a mad enthusiast when it comes to pacing,” explained the man officialdom loves to hate.

Farmer Russ would go to local shows and always spend more time watching the trotting than anything else.

“When Brian Pelling came to live close by me on the Coomera River, I took more of an interest then and got him to buy me a horse,” Hinze continued.

That started the man destined to become Racing Minister on the path to horse ownership.

His first horse was Willie John.

“He was hopeless, to the extent he cost me $1000 and when Brian got him ready to race Willie John went onto the track and bucked and squealed,” remembered the Minister ruefully. “Willie John bucked himself right out of the gig and the last I saw of him he was headed in a southerly direction.”

The Minister recently had reason to recall the rodeo exploits of Willie John.

While visiting the site which is being prepared to house the new Gold Coast Trotting Club track Russ Hinze noticed some wild horses nearby.

“Where did they come from?” enquired the larger-than-life Russ Hinze of a workman on the site.

When informed that no-one knew the origin of the wild herd the Minister remarked “They could be the progeny of Willie John. He cleared out on me about ten years ago and I haven’t seen him since!”

Hinze readily nominates Decidedly as the best thoroughbred he’s raced.

“I’ll keep him as a sire. He’s particularly well-bred being by Sir Tristram out of a Le Filou mare”, Hinze explained. “I’ll stand him next season alongside Copper Kingdom. “Copper Kingdom has now proven himself to be the best Nijinsky stallion in Australia. His progeny are coming up very well.”

Copper Kingdom (USA) has just completed his first season at the Russell and Fay Hinze property “Waverley Park” at Pimpama, near the Gold Coast, after standing initially at Jack Zischke’s “Panorama Stud” on the Darling Downs.

Decidedly (ch h Sir Tristram (Ire) – Miss Bruin) recorded a good win in the Queen’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm in October 1982. The stallion defeated Jif and Durham Lodge convincingly with My Sovereign Flight, Nureyev, Prize Lady, Bay Legend, Round Tripper and Shesh Besh in the unplaced division.

The Racing Minister was a happy man when Decidedly won the $23,000 race with Les Harris in the saddle.

“This is the greatest thrill of my life to stand here and receive the Queen’s Cup,” he enthused at the time.

The Minister had earlier purchased Decidedly for $25,000 on the recommendation of Melbourne jockey Pat Hyland.

“I wanted a horse with staying potential and there is no better bred horse around than decidedly,” “Big” Russ added.

Miss Bruin, the dam of Decidedly, is a half-sister to Ursalon, a winner over two miles, and Ursinus , the winner of a number of races over middle distances.

“Waverley Park Stud” is an amalgamation of properties, between Brisbane and the fabulous Gold Coast, with the stud proper covering 60 acres.

Russell Hinze and his wife, have been prominent at stud dispersal sales in recent months securing well-bred winner-producing matrons to add to the home broodmare band.

“The only shortage I have, and I’m looking for one, is Sovereign Edition broodmares,” said Mr Hinze.

“I’ve got everything else I want.”

“We have over 100 head of stock. I would have 30 thoroughbred broodmares, about the same number of pacing broodmares.”

Russ Hinze has mapped out exciting plans for “Waverley Park”.

Rather than sell at yearling auctions, he intends raising the progeny of his pacing and thoroughbred stallions to racing stage.

“Our programme is to bring them through and sell them after they begin racing,” the Minister explained.

“We’ve got our own training complex at Pimpama, where I live and we have 32 horses in training”.

Darrell Alexander, trainer-driver of the Minister’s pacers, is the top driver in Queensland. He drove over 100 winners last year.

“He’s a great acquisition,” said Hinze. “He knows only one thing and that is winning.”

The newly appointed trainer of the Hinze string of thoroughbreds is Simon Kutz.

“He is a very lucky young man,” said “Big” Russ. “He is only 22 years of age and has the ball at his feet.

“He has a string of horses in the stables that has taken years to put together.”

Russ Hinze has tremendous confidence in the Queensland Racing Industry.

He is of the opinion it can improve even further during his term as Racing Minister.

“Where is it headed? It can only go up,” he says confidently. “I believe all clubs will have to continue doing their part and our magnificent race sponsors will, hopefully, continue to contribute to the industry.”

The Minister added that sponsors, by supporting racing, give tremendous confidence to race clubs.

Having given a boost to the racing clubs, Russ Hinze is now turning his attention to support of breeders.

He recently outlined a bold new plan to provide Brisbane with a $100,000 race each month of the year.

“I have had discussions with breeders’ representative Colin McAlpine,” outlined Hinze.

“Colin and I have agreed on a proposal which I have submitted to the Queensland Turf Club and the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club.

“The idea should have enormous benefit to all sections of the racing and breeding industries.”

The Hinze Plan calls for the Queensland government to contribute $400,000 to a prize pool annually.

This amount is matched by the race clubs. Dollar for dollar.

The clubs raise their money through sire fees, foaling fees, early nomination fees and the like.

This provides a “bank” of $800,000 each year.

Brisbane race clubs will then stage a two-year-old race in January, February, March and April, each year, with a prize of $100,000!

It is ideas such as this bold move to push Queensland Racing ahead of other States which sets Russsell Hinze apart from Ministers in charge of racing in other parts of Australia.

“The Governor-General of New Zealand said I was unique,” proffered a smiling Russ.

“The portfolio is generally attached to some other responsibility,” he continued. “It’s regarded as a nuisance, or social, portfolio”.