Who is this Hedley fellow?

He has put a lot into the raceclub, whether there is an agenda there, lord only knows.

RT went home with a tdy day,s earnings

Cairns Jockey Club President Tom Hedley has no less than six runners in Saturday’s Cup field at Cannon Park.
A leading owner believes horse racing in the Far North is riding a wave of momentum not seen in years that should continue to increase prize money for participants into the future.

That is the view of Cairns Jockey Club president and leviathan owner Tom Hedley, who owns almost half the field in this afternoon’s $150,000 2019 Cairns Cup.

When Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe won the 2016 Cup the purse was $75,000, now the total prize is double that.

Issues with a wet and non-draining track at Cannon Park are now gone with the number of TAB race days hosted at Cairns Jockey Club in the last season improved again on the previous few.

With the standard of visiting trainer, jockeys and horses increasing over the past two years through the extra prizemoney through the carnival, the local club president believes Cairns racing is returning to its glory days.

“It is pretty rewarding, the prizemoney, and it will only get stronger if we keep the momentum up with this prizemoney,” Hedley said.

“It is good money.

“It is a big positive for the industry.

Trainers are travelling more now because of the prizemoney — people from Rockhampton, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.”

Townsville Cup winner The Harrovian is one of six horses who will carry leading North Queensland owner Hedley’s colours in the Cup.

The horses, who are raced by Hedley in various combinations with other owners, are The Harrovian and Vassal (trained by Stephen Massingham), Follow Suit and Estikhraaj (Lauren Abbott), Harden (Michael Geaney) and Crimson Halo (Roy Chillemi).

A two-time winner of the Cairns Cup, the club president has a handful of live chances this afternoon to make it three.

There are occasional grumbles in the industry that Hedley owns too many horses and it is hard for the smaller trainers to win a race, but the experienced businessman thinks there is enough to go around.

“I am putting my money where my mouth is, supporting the local club and supporting Racing Queensland,” Hedley said.

The Harrovian, a winner of five races from seven north Queensland starts after moving from Victoria, has been installed as favourite today as he searches for the second leg of the Queensland Northern Crown Stayers Bonus.

The horse has pulled up enormous,” Massingham said of The Harrovian, after winning the Townsville Cup a fortnight ago.

“If everything goes to plan, they will all know that he is there on race day.”

The Harrovian already has the $150,000 Townsville Cup under his belt, with victories in the upcoming Cairns Cup and Cairns Amateurs Cup would land connections the increased prize of $200,000 from Racing Queensland.

“He has been excellent, it is so hard to find a horse like The Harrovian and you have to be lucky," Hedley said.

“In the Townsville Cup it was his first time over 2000m and you would think he would improve from that.”

T W Hedley. Seemed to have about 8 runners in the Cairns cup yesterday going by the colours
Also owned the winner