Maurice Logue has been appointed as the new head of training and jockey welfare at Racing Queensland after filling a similar position in NSW.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Logue who rode in Brisbane after completing an apprenticeship with the legendary Sydney trainer Theo Green in the early 1980s.
He won the 1983 Doomben Cup on Lord Seaman for trainer Don Cleal, the last time a locally trained horse won the Group One race.
RQ’s chief executive Eliot Forbes said Logue had agreed to take the important leadership position as Manager of Education and Jockey Welfare from next month.
“Maurice has a well-deserved reputation in a wide range of roles in the racing industry starting out as an apprentice jockey before a successful career as a jockey with more than 750 wins over his riding career,” Forbes said.
Logue has been in charge of workplace development, education, employment, industry welfare and safety for Racing NSW since 2006.
Logue said he was pleased to be given an opportunity to bring his lifelong commitment to racing and apply it to Queensland.
“I intend to use my background in workforce development planning and my focus on welfare issues to bring a new level of shared commitment to the educational objectives of all in the racing industry,” Logue said.
Forbes said the appointment came as RQ continued to work with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to address issues identified during a recent audit of the RQ Education unit.
RQ has appealed a decision by ASQA to reject RQ’s renewal application as a Registered Training Organisation based on non-compliance claims.
“RQ remains in ongoing communication with the Queensland Jockeys Association about the process and has assured current students their education arrangement will continue as normal,” Forbes said.
