Steward learned craft the hard way

By Sarah Schwager
MELBOURNE Racing Club’s chief racing steward, Des Gleeson, provided some insight into his profession when he spoke to business people from across Dandenong last week.
As the guest speaker at the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce business breakfast at the Dandenong Club last Wednesday, Mr Gleeson spoke of the mishaps, humorous incidents and learning experiences in his 30 years as a steward.
Mr Gleeson was invited to last week’s breakfast after a hearing on the day of the Chamber’s last breakfast, which was the day of the Cranbourne Cup, prevented him from speaking.
The steward said he had always had a passion for racing since his formative years near Warrnambool – from his job whitewashing the racetrack rail to starting as a cadet steward in 1973.
He said he had learned the hard way in the days before video evidence.
“If the steward gave evidence and the jockeys ganged up or gave contrary evidence, it was hard to maintain a conviction,” he said. Mr Gleeson spoke of a number of racetrack incidents he had viewed in his lifetime. One involved a cadet steward who ran on the track to pick up a fallen saddlebag before driving it back to the finish line.
When asked why, the cadet said the jockey and horse, which ended up winning the race, had no hope of making weight without it.
Mr Gleeson said despite loving his job, to be the perfect steward required degrees in veterinary medicine and law, as well as detailed knowledge of horses and racing.
“For every challenge, the appeal process must ensure that everyone gets a fair hearing and doesn’t deviate outside the rules,” he said.
His main concern for the future of racing was the emergence of the online gambling company Betfair, where punters can back a horse to lose rather than win.
He said this opened up racing to a world of deceit and unfairness. “I would hate to think a strapper did something unscrupulous, then knowing the horse couldn’t win, put on a Betfair exchange.”