ATC Stakes

[lamour 673]

Exciting announcement about stakes increases at Auckland in the coming years.

I would like to see the NZMTC  show some vision and come out with a goal for stakes increases is the next few years also.

I realize they won't be able to match the ATC with their windfall from property developments but they should have a five year vision and plan that can be communicated to the industry to provide some confidence in the future.

Hopefully they will also announce the new  CEO soon.

 

[Hayden Sefonte 42]

A 5 year vision is not enough.

Try 50 years although I guess small steps forward is better than going backwards.

[Double R 260]

I also note that the $150 per runner trainers incentive is being dropped.

[JackSprat 947]

As impressive as the projected stakes sound, they not only aren't the real issue, but they are diverting attention away from what are the real issues.

Yes the record stakes make the club look like they're doing good for they game, but all they're really doing is creating good PR for themselves to justifying their commercial property development projects.

The real issue is the high cost of participation in the north. Trotting has traditionally been supported in the main by the battlers - the hobby trainer with 2 or 3 in work, or the enthusiast owner with a share in a couple of horses. Those people are largely disappearing from the game due to the high cost of participation - long before they ever get to compete for the high stakemeoney.

It's already almost reached a point where only the major stables and the major owners are left in the game.

High stakes sound good in theory, but they do very little to address the real problem, which is participant numbers, particularly at the grass roots level - both horse and human - or to state it in a format even an ATC board member could understand - failure to promote an environment where participation is likely to increase.

Instead of boasting about record stake levels that only the ATC hierarchy and their mates will be racing for shortly, why not use some of the rivers of gold from the property developments to shore up participant numbers in the north.

The big problems for trainers, and some solutions:

• Cost of training facilities - use the US model of satellite training centres. Franklin is a good start. Now build more.
• Cost of feed - set up a feed store at each training centre, buy in bulk from down south and price to break even.
• Cost of labour - fund employee scholarships to encourage trainers to hire.

The big problems for owners, and some solutions:

• Cost of training fees - these will stabilise or even drop when the trainers costs are addressed as above.
• Cost of transport and vets - set up a vet and a transporter at each training center, and charge at break even.
• Finding financial partners to share ownership - get serious about syndication. Syndicate 100+ horse per year, not 2 or 3.

These suggestions would help to create some sustainable growth in the industry instead of pumping ever increasing stakemoney into fewer and fewer pockets.

The Auckland Trotting Club should be about trotting in the north. If the board can't figure out how use the property development proceeds to sustain the sport from the bottom up, then what was the point of doing the developments at all?

[4bettor-orworse 21]

I don't feel like going through everything posted above, point  by point,  except to say...

In terms of the overall tenor,  the long-term perspective and analysis,  one of the best and most pertinent posts made in the cafe for some considerable time!

It will, however, quickly get pushed down the lineup of forum threads.

Far more imprtant things to talk about....

what do you think about Geoff Small?

where should the next jewels be held?

Like Mick Guerin?

Purdon dominance good for the game?

What commentators get your goat?

Are the TAB cutting their throat by restricting successful punters?

What were the stipes thinking?

What driver just blew your hard-earned?

 

Who cares about attracting future generations and broadening the appeal when we can put a bit more into the the pockets of the aging baby-boomers?  (Ok , Ok, its not quite as simple as that)

 

 

[Basil 333]

19 hours ago, JackSprat said:

The big problems for trainers, and some solutions:

• Cost of training facilities - use the US model of satellite training centres. Franklin is a good start. Now build more.
• Cost of feed - set up a feed store at each training centre, buy in bulk from down south and price to break even.
• Cost of labour - fund employee scholarships to encourage trainers to hire.

The big problems for owners, and some solutions:

• Cost of training fees - these will stabilise or even drop when the trainers costs are addressed as above.
• Cost of transport and vets - set up a vet and a transporter at each training center, and charge at break even.
• Finding financial partners to share ownership - get serious about syndication. Syndicate 100+ horse per year, not 2 or 3.

These suggestions would help to create some sustainable growth in the industry instead of pumping ever increasing stakemoney into fewer and fewer pockets.

The Auckland Trotting Club should be about trotting in the north. If the board can't figure out how use the property development proceeds to sustain the sport from the bottom up, then what was the point of doing the developments at all?

This sounds impressive, but in reality it's just a variation of the socialist's clarion call: "the government must do something".  The ATC exists to organise and support racing at Alexandra Park.  It has no direct control over the costs of training, of feed, and of labour --- all that intervening in these markets via subsidies will do is what all subsidies do: take money from one group and inefficiently give it to another (in this case, these are likely to be the same groups!)  It will also require a huge, resource-hungry, bureaucracy to administer it all.

The best thing the ATC can do is to run the matters it can control as efficiently as possible. That is, rather than trying to artificially push down costs that it cannot affect in the long run, it should focus on providing the best possible returns to owners and trainers who have to bear these costs.  Anything else just throws money away.   

[Ohokaman 5,841]

23 hours ago, lamour said:

Exciting announcement about stakes increases at Auckland in the coming years.

I would like to see the NZMTC  show some vision and come out with a goal for stakes increases is the next few years also.

I realize they won't be able to match the ATC with their windfall from property developments but they should have a five year vision and plan that can be communicated to the industry to provide some confidence in the future.

Hopefully they will also announce the new  CEO soon.

 

They have...the former CEO of Southern Response. Let's hope he performs better than he did there.

[JackSprat 947]

44 minutes ago, Basil said:

This sounds impressive, but in reality it's just a variation of the socialist's clarion call: "the government must do something".  The ATC exists to organise and support racing at Alexandra Park.  It has no direct control over the costs of training, of feed, and of labour --- all that intervening in these markets via subsidies will do is what all subsidies do: take money from one group and inefficiently give it to another (in this case, these are likely to be the same groups!)  It will also require a huge, resource-hungry, bureaucracy to administer it all.

The best thing the ATC can do is to run the matters it can control as efficiently as possible. That is, rather than trying to artificially push down costs that it cannot affect in the long run, it should focus on providing the best possible returns to owners and trainers who have to bear these costs.  Anything else just throws money away.   

The trouble with leaving things to "run their course" as you suggest, is that that philosophy hasn't worked over the past decade or so, as evidenced by the fact that the game has probably halved in size in both horse and human numbers over that time. Clearly an alternative approach is required before North Island numbers half again.

The ATC now has the means to facilitate a revival of the game in the north, but it needs to do so in a smart sustainable manner.

Simply throwing money at stakes is doomed to fail, for the simple reason that it's only targeting the elite particilants rather than spreading the benefits across the board. Nobody in their right mind would take up training in the north, or buy an average horse, as the average participants (those without a horse that can win regularly at Alexandra Park) are missing out altogether.

Unless the ATC board get smart about re-investing their new found wealth back into the game, It'll soon be the Auckland Trotting Property Club having weekly cocktails with a sideshow of 5 races, each with 5 runners, running for $50k per race, with their chauffeurs making up the crowd.

[Hayden Sefonte 42]

17 hours ago, 4bettor-orworse said:

I don't feel like going through everything posted above, point  by point,  except to say...

In terms of the overall tenor,  the long-term perspective and analysis,  one of the best and most pertinent posts made in the cafe for some considerable time!

It will, however, quickly get pushed down the lineup of forum threads.

Far more imprtant things to talk about....

what do you think about Geoff Small?

where should the next jewels be held?

Like Mick Guerin?

Purdon dominance good for the game?

What commentators get your goat?

Are the TAB cutting their throat by restricting successful punters?

What were the stipes thinking?

What driver just blew your hard-earned?

 

Who cares about attracting future generations and broadening the appeal when we can put a bit more into the the pockets of the aging baby-boomers?  (Ok , Ok, its not quite as simple as that)

 

 

Love the facetiousness oozing thick here. 

[john legend 744]

I find it difficult to believe ATC on stakes levels 2 years ago all races at the park were to be over 10000, so why areweracing for 8000 tonight ? did M Obr. have something to do with it ...LOL. (of course if we win it will be like winning lotto and I will not complain,!!) 

[Double R 260]

Hi John,

A lot of us would be genuinely interested in knowing what your horse racing tonight is, so we can support and cheer it on.

Cheers.

Robert.

[john legend 744]

sorry got busy feeding tab. horse is myeyesadoreya rce 4  ran great 2 nd for us first placing for many months !!