Lies, spin or just a big miss understanding

It truly troubles me that good honourable harness racing enthusiasts are being deceived from people looking to take advantage of their power and so called ‘government connections’.

The muddy picture is starting to come out about the proposed site the Seymour / Mitchell group have at Alberton and who they have recruited to sell the (not so) good message.

But first, let’s recap the week that was with Alberton’s group and what appears to be turning into a PR disaster for the people involved.

The Mitchell / Seymour group look disoriented to me in settling on the message they are desperately trying to spin to the industry: This ‘concept’ of them taking the $10 million dollars from the Gold Coast Club for a new track site 55KM from the heart of the GC.

Lies, spin or just a big miss understanding, you tell me what your take is on the below?

The link to the full interview by Chris Barsby of Greg Mitchell on 25.10.16

https://audioboom.com/posts/5202311-greg-mitchell-25-10-16?utm_campaign=detailpage&utm_content=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Mitchell makes two very strange claims at best:

1. The article printed by the Courier Mail was in Mitchell’s words “A little bit of a miss-print on that fact” (This was about his quote that) “We Won’t Have A dog Track”.

So after hearing this very one sided interview I contacted the Courier Mail, who made it very clear to me that it was Mitchell himself that told them the dogs will never be part of this project or plan, hence the no lights needed.

2. The article by the Courier mail also stated that, THE $4 MILLION PROPERTY WAS GIVEN TO THE CLUB BY RACING BENEFACTOR KEVIN SEYMOUR, the sponsor of the column, Mitchell told Barsby, “A little bit of a miss quote gone wrong”.

Again, the Courier Mail were very clear with me that Mitchell told them the property had been gifted to his new group, which, as you can see from the statement Mitchell made and published himself back on 14.09.16, this looks to be the case.

On the 14/09/2016 Mitchell issued a statement (full version attached below):

https://www.facebook.com/YatalaHC/

Furthermore, why is it that Chris Barsby (who many people thought was very important for the sport going forward in QLD) is not interested in reporting what’s really going on.

I contacted Chris on Monday, letting him know that the information being published is not accurate. I also let him know that I was available to give him and his listeners information to balance up what is really at play here.

Not only did Chris give me the cold shoulder – He had Mitchell on his show the very next day and did not ask any of the questions that still need answering. It makes me question if he has any involvement in this new setup…

Questions that still need answering:

1. Why is Greg Mitchell struggling to tell us the truth about the ownership of the land?
2. Who really owns it?
3. The total site of 200 acres was purchased for $5,250,000. Why it is that $4,100,000 only buys 25% of the site now?
4. Who gets the remaining 150 acres or 75% of the site that has the reported highest value, at only $1,150,000?
5. The GCHRC was originally offered the 25% parcel for $2 million, why is it now $4.1 million and who’s picking up the healthy profit if this crazy deal goes through?
6. How does the Mitchell / Seymour Group substantiate the claim this will be a world leading facility (in the middle of nowhere) with no night racing or public transport within miles?
7. If the site is so good and with a new high value (claimed by Kevin Seymour on 23.08.2015 to be now north of $20 million), why not just go ahead and do it without pocketing the $10 million promised GCHRC?
8. Why is the name ‘Yatala Harness Racing Club’ used when the site in Alberton?
9. Why is this so called club not acknowledge by racing Qld?
10. The way l read the current Business Name Registration, the Yatala Harness Racing Club is owned by a Seymour Company KS6 Pty Ltd with an address in Queen Street… So much about the claim of it being members club. (See below)

So many people have contacted us at harnessbred.com and are outraged at what’s really at play here with Mitchell / Seymour group and would like to hear from the main man himself, Kevin Seymour. He has always been very kind and giving of his time in the past and I can’t remember any occasion before this week where he hasn’t returned my call, email or text in a timely manner.

Please note, I have been calling Kevin this week and at this point he hasn’t retuned my calls on this matter and when he does my one question will be really simple.

Can we (harnessbred.com) interview you on camera, so you can tell the Harness Racing world the truth about what’s really going on? Because your people are sending out very strange messages and this story is starting to look more like a very profitable property deal that has little to do with Harness Racing at all…

l put all these questions (apart from 7 as l forgot that one) above to Greg Mitchell on a very lengthy phone call (in which he was very giving of his time and was more than respectful in the manner he conducted himself ) and l did offer him the chance to be interviewed or if I could quote him on the answers to the questions above on harnessbred.com. He did decline the offer for both.

Stay tuned as this story is not going away until:

1. We track down Kevin for an interview.
2. The Gold Coast Harness Racing get their first $10 Million Dollar payment of the $40 Million owed to them.

https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/bySearchId.jspx?searchId=612025046&searchIdType=BUSN&_adf.ctrl-state=so2ouyqkm_4

Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com

Driving The Future Of Harness Racing