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I do agree, but where was the wisdom when they cut out phone betting and adjusting the minimum spend, love to know how much that has cost the industry. Not all people are computer literate/ Savy. I know it’s the older people in most cases, but why deprive them of their interest in the industry.

I'm not on here to make comparisons with New Plymouth that's not going to get anyone anywhere and what is this fascination with quoting on course turnovers as a means of justifying a racing club having a race day? These can be easily distorted by several factors which I'm sure I don't need to go into. Besides that you're happy to ignore the other positive contributions that Stratford Racing Club makes to racing locally, why is that? The race day would be lost to Stratford and the local community and that is something our club believes is important to racing locally and in Taranaki.

Ladies & Gentlemen raise your glasses to John & Glenda............. Nah It's a TUI Billboard. If it ain't broke F#%K it up good.

Just a few comments on the NZTR proposal for Stratford Racing Club to lose its Thoroughbred Race Date Our December 29th 2018 race meeting had over 4500 patrons in attendance Our Annual race day is a huge part of the local community , social calendar and as such is part of the historic fabric of the town and its residents December 2018 Stratford Racing Club had over 80 horses in work at the Club, this regularly swings from anywhere between 60-90 thoroughbreds Last Thoroughbred Racing season 2017/18 the Stratford Racing Club and its trainers provided 3 out of 10 starters i.e. 30% of the starters from the Taranaki region i.e. (New Plymouth,Stratford and Hawera ) to put this in perspective that is more than the two biggest trainers at New Plymouth provided combined. Stratford Racing Club regularly provide jumpouts for trainers throughout the Central Districts For the past 3 years Stratford Racing Club has opened its doors for use to New Plymouth trainers and their horses during WOMAD when their track is under pressure from that event and any others and we sporadically have trainers from New Plymouth and Hawera come to our track to work horses. There are 15 thoroughbred trainers at Stratford Stratford Racing Club have offered to hold more race dates but have not been taken up on that offer by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, particularly last year whilst Otaki Racing Club was in limbo The Stratford Racing Club is completely financially self sustainable and does not receive any financial assistance/support from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to operate in its present capacity It's difficult to understand why a club that contributes the above to the racing industry is in line to potentially lose its one and only race day, how does taking a race date(one date) off Stratford Racing Club contribute to saving the industry? Particularly when the club is as active in the local racing community as Stratford Racing Club is. John Gray Stratford Racing Club

On a Wednesday in the Bay of Plenty, a public holiday to boot, what would your entertainment options be? A bit of shopping at Bayfair, a nice day to lie on the Beach, or in a lot of people’s cases, a great day to attend the Tauranga races. The crowds flocked to the course, free admission, great idea. Lets showcase a 7 race card, short and sharp and look after those who turn up. These are days people can have a good Raceday experience and return one day for a second look. The que to purchase a racebook from the raceday office was horrendous, up to 50 metres long! Eftpos cues in the same area were similar for a long period early in the day. Racebooks ran out, owners given a sheet of A4 paper with the horses name on. Beers and soft drinks at several outlets on the course were warm, 28c and this happens? Insufficient totalisator staff on in most areas resulting in copious amounts of people being shut out, people I knew left the course because they couldn’t get a bet on. How could they possibly get it so wrong? Tauranga is one of my favourite courses, but this performance by them was dismal! The big day at TeRapa this Saturday will be a good test for this venue to, as their last 18 months catering for big crowds hasn’t been up to scratch either, let’s hope there isn’t two catastrophes in a week!

Hopefully you are right. Have a look at stuff and see the outrage about Cadbury changing the size of a chocolate bar, says a lot about the NZ public mindset that we would be far more upset about that than gifting $100m to marginal use land.

With the latter comment in mind (already mooted aka messara report) What does John think will happen to the 15 trainers that will have their training facility taken off them. Also what has he been told about relocation / compensation costs towards those trainers . Or is it we are going to take your land stiff cheese Stratford trainers .

The Trans Tasman Group Racing Champion Comp Saturday, 9 February : Te Rapa, Caulfield & Warwick Farm A beaut way to celebrate an amazing day of quality racing – 14 Group Races and 1 Group Listed Race - not for the faint hearted so I wish you all the best of racing luck ! Schedule of Competition Races: 1. Te Rapa R4 : 2.10pm Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (G2), 3YOF SW 2000m 2. Te Rapa R5 : 2.45pm Warren Storm Lifebrokers Waikato Guineas (G2) 3YO SW 2000m 3. Warwick Farm R1 : 2.50pm Darley Lonhro Plate (GLR) 2YO SW+P 1100m 4. Caulfield R2 : 3.10pm Kevin Hayes Stakes (G3) 3YO SW+P Fillies 1200m 5. Caulfield R3 : 3.45pm Bellmaine Stakes (G3) 4YO & Up Mares 1200m 6. Te Rapa R7 : 3.55pm Herbie Dyke Stakes (G1) WFA 2000m 7. Caulfield R4 : 4.20pm Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (G2) SW+P 1100m 8. Te Rapa R8 : 4.30pm BCD Group Sprint (G1) WFA 1400m 9. Warwick Farm R4 : 4.40pm Aquis Farm Eskimo Prince Stakes (G3) 3YO SW+P 1200m 10. Caulfield R5 : 4.55pm Blue Diamond C&G Prelude (G3) 2YO C&G 1100m 11. Caulfield R6 : 5.30pm Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (G2) 2YO Fillies 1100m 12. Warwick Farm R6 : 5.50pm Yarraman Park Breeders Classic (G2) 4YO & Up SW+P Mares 1200m 13. Caulfield R7 : 6.10pm Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (G2) 3YO SW+P 1400m 14. Caulfield R8 : 6.50pm C.F. Orr Stakes (G1) WFA 3YO & Up 1400m 15. Caulfield R9 : 7.30pm JC Swift Hodges TS Carlyon Cup (G3) SW+P 4YO & Up 1600m Rules: 1. Select two horses in each race and $5 each way will be placed on both selections. Your selections should be posted using the horse's number only. If you want to add the horse's name by all means do, but if your horse's number and name are for differing horses, I will use the number and disregard the name. 2. Select two races as your Best Bet races and any winnings will be doubled on each of those races. 3. Select two races as your Quinella races and a $2 Quinella will be placed on your two selections in each of those races. 4. You can use your BBs and Quinellas on any races but not on the same races. If you have used a BB and Q on the same race I will use the Q and disregard the BB. If any races are postponed or cancelled and it is your BB or Q race, then your BB or Q will move to the next race where either have not been used. 5. Scratching replacements can be made (on a new post) up until 2.00pm. After 2.00pm any scratchings will revert to the TAB sub(s). 6. The competition will close at 2.00pm, 10 minutes before the first scheduled comp race start time. 7. The winner and TT Group Racing Champ will be the competitor that has accumulated the most money after the final comp race. If there is a tie then it well be the competitor who has selected the most winners, if still a tie the competitor that has selected the most firsts and seconds. 8. We will run a few of these Group Racing comps over the year so until the next, the winner can consider themselves the champ of this stage, and the wearer of the yellow silks Prizes : Winner $100 W/P Bet : Second $60 W/P Bet : Third $40 W/P Bet Have fun Below is a posting grid for your use or you can just post the numbers of your two selections, in race order, if preferred. 1. Te Rapa R4 : 2.10pm - 2. Te Rapa R5 : 2.45pm - 3. Warwick Farm R1 : 2.50pm - 4. Caulfield R2 : 3.10pm - 5. Caulfield R3 : 3.45pm - 6. Te Rapa R7 : 3.55pm - 7. Caulfield R4 : 4.20pm - 8. Te Rapa R8 : 4.30pm - 9. Warwick Farm R4 : 4.40pm - 10. Caulfield R5 : 4.55pm - 11. Caulfield R6 : 5.30pm - 12. Warwick Farm R6 : 5.50pm - 13. Caulfield R7 : 6.10pm - 14. Caulfield R8 : 6.50pm - 15. Caulfield R9 : 7.30pm -

Doubt if they care.thats the problem

I’m with you there John .Doesnt make any sense at all .Id say they will try and steal your assets to boot.

one would think so with so much spinning going on in the media. From an interview with John Allen (Published in The Informant and written by Brian De Lore) TAB figures received this week that included only domestic betting on local thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing showed a decline overall on all comparative meetings held in 2018 (conveniently not including overseas racing which isn't comparative meeting number wise with over 100 more meeting held in the first 3 weeks). Taking into account 37 thoroughbred, harness and greyhound meetings held between the FOB launch date of January 7 and February 4, the comparative turnover between 2018 and 2019 was down from $35,516,051 to $31,690,153, a drop of $3,825,898 which equates to an average of $103,403 per meeting or 10.8 per cent per meeting (throw in another $6,000,000 for those 3 weeks down in overseas racing which well included in NZ turnover is down just over 10%.which is in line with the % decrease in NZ Racing for that period) Predictably, Racing Minister Winston Peters didn’t respond to a request for a chat this week, it being the week of Waitangi Day celebrations and only three weeks from his receiving an interim report from MAC (Ministerial Advisory Committee). But NZRB CEO John Allen was agreeable on Waitangi Day and was happy to offer his explanation about the decline in turnover. “We did expect an early downturn of somewhere between six and eight weeks as a consequence of the change to the FOB platform and that’s based on the experience Sportsbet had for the system we have just put in,” Allen said. (Sportsbet don't have the same system as the NZRB they are only online John your Company is online and agencies and outlets). “We expect that will go on for at least the next couple of weeks. We are going to see both volatility in financial performance and a decline in turnover and that’s why getting some ‘sighters’ on the early performance of the sports betting is really positive.” ( what exactly is the early performance in sports betting John? so your saying yield and turnover is both up?) Broader examination of turnover figures shows a decline in TAB betting from the start of the season. Solely on domestic betting on horses and greyhounds from August 1 compared to the previous season, the figures show a decline from $235,945,862 to $230,158,414 which is about $5.8 million less than last year. When suggested to Allen that the NZRB would struggle to meet its budget for the end of the season he responded by saying, “I haven’t changed my view since the forecasts of the last annual report and I haven’t changed my view with what’s happened in the first four weeks of the platform. “Our expectation for next season is that we will be able to continue to distribute the $12 million that we have in each of the past two years and we will be able to increase distributions beyond that, but it depends on some clear signaling around key components like racefields and the POC (Point of Consumption) tax, because while we still expect (spent $50 million and only expect?) the FOB platform to perform, that only gives us an additional $17 to $19 million income and not the more substantial sums we expected before racefields begins to flow (the additional $17,000,000 will pay for the fees and services to Paddy Power & Open Bet). “We haven’t had racefields this season but our expectation is that our profit will be below our initial expectation but above what we had last year. I haven’t seen the January result yet or seen the exact impact FOB has had on it, but I wouldn’t expect any lessening of distribution to the codes. In fact I would expect increases.” (Don't forget the doubling of your customers to help pay for the Platform) When passing on some of the comments from disappointed punters at the usability of the new FOB platform, such as jockey challenges and jockeys’ premierships not now being available for multi-betting, and lack of information including no race stakes, no comprehensive results page, deletion of jockey and driver stats, slowness of the site, constant clicking and scrolling to find your race or horse, no jockey, trainer or track information for last Saturday’s Wingatui meeting, and many other moans and groans, Allen didn’t baulk at supplying the answer. “It’s early days and there is lots of things about the platform that require users to change their behaviour in the way in which they do things but overall we are very comfortable with where we are after a month,” he countered.(those missing components above in the new Betting Platform are basic customer requirements to bet on your product, honestly who designed the system. You have needed to listen to your customers on simple betting requirements needed from day 1. You can't get it right from the get go and you expect your customers to stay loyal come on. Who advised you because they obviously are clueless on betting matters). “We have seen growth in our sports activities over the month but I’d have to say the margins in sports haven’t been that flash as a result of the outcomes of some tennis and games of that kind but we are very pleased with the sports side (above you say that’s why getting some ‘sighters’ on the early performance of the sports betting is really positive now your saying margins were not flash??). – the challenge is racing on the tote side. We need to get more of them actively betting – that’s the challenge and we have strategies in place for that.” Allen would not confirm or deny (not been very transparent there so guess we know how to read into that one) the return on early FOB figures but it’s believed to be as low as three per cent initially instead of the expected eight to nine per cent The tennis he referred to was a match or matches where live betting occurred during a delayed telecast and at least one punter, but possibly several, had a time advantage on the result and placed winning bets, one of which is said to have won $50,000 on a single wager. “It’s true that when we set up the system in terms of the amount of time we were providing, we weren’t quite where we needed to be,” (so you rushed it to make it look as though you were not behind and as such loop holes existed) explained Allen, “so yes, there was a very short period when there was one or two punters who had an advantage on us in terms of the outcome of a particular bet, but that has now been fixed.” Allen would neither confirm nor deny (lot of neither confirming or denying going on which is a worry its an interview about a Betting Platform not murder for #$ks sake, i suppose you could also think it means d "i have no idea") that it included single bet which resulted in a payout of $50,000. But finding out where this industry is heading financially in the long term was a more important question. “We’ve had a challenge on turnover through this financial year and we have talked about that publicly,” he continued. “With the launch of the new platform and the need for people to get used to it, that has exacerbated the situation in the month of January but what we have seen is that with managing costs well through the year, and as a consequence of that, we have been able to get practically right on our forecast number for December year to date. (turnover figures are right on forecast ??? that's a worry that you budgeted to be millions behind) “In January I would expect our profit number to take a bit of a hit because of the problems we have just talked about with transitioning our customers (eg now betting overseas). But overall, I am still confident that in the first full year of operation, which will be from the start of next season, we will see an increased profit of between $17 million and $19 million.(good luck to that) “That’s what we have always said and there is nothing that we have seen that would suggest it will not be the case.” (you survive on turnover get your head out of the sand)

You are joking 170 betting options on a single basketball game, how the hell are they going to track each market, no wonder they lost money on a game getting traded to delayed coverage.

I got the figures from James Cameron new movie script 'Titanic 2' The turnover figures are weekly ones, the 6 and 12 month figures will reflect the total weeks for those periods. One would hope a lot more than myself are able to access turnover figures which once upon a time were published to the public on a weekly basis. NZRB say they are transparent unfortunately they don't appear to be as much so as what they were in the past. I think its very obvious when you look at the number of racing options this season compared to last season in the 3 week period but its well down so do you honestly think adding a huge number of options to sports betting will increase turnover?

Are clubs there to make money, or to contribute to other organisations to make money by supplying the product, or bring the product to their area by providing a service to the local populous. I suppose you can argue each of these. I just can't help think of the plight of harness racing in the Hawkes Bay since the area was starved of the product. Remove gallops from Marlbourough (as an example) and there will be no interest in gallops there in ten (maximum) years!

I would actually be quite happy if that was the net result of my betting over three years; or even three months.

Still remember Shipmate and Shipmaster, they did win some races, Tonkey the best trainer, and probably the most respected at Riccarton.

I can remember an elderly owner trainer from Wairau Valley, Blenheim by the name of Jack Fowler. At the age of 83 Jack lined up a horse called Silver Fountain whom won race 3 on the programme and race 8. Said he started in the last as there were only 6 runners. This was around 1968, possibly the last thoroughbred to win 2 in a day. Mouse McCann rode her for a win at some point as did Maurice Thornley. Jack Used to drive his horses around towing a float with a Humber Snipe.

Some great stories here...those fun times are all gone now...seems a shame.

Oh come on guys....there's a great spin on this.....started with a decrease of $4.72m, then this decreased to $3.15m in the 2nd month, then $2.9m in the third month. In 6 months time we'll be fine

I rode my bike home from high school and every afternoon Tonky was walking his 3 in work fully bandaged twice around Riccarton course proper - one day I asked why - in his soft voice he told me I can train their body each morning but I train their head each afternoon - wonderful thorough gentleman who I worked for for some10 months - his horses were treated like gold - he lived his trade - he told me never to bet but if you must select one who you think will win and place bet - wish I had listened

I think they would prefer to use their own course for all the reasons John stated .

premixer i now wish that you hadn't asked for the compared figures as it's more depressing that I thought it would be. Have the headache pills on standby to take once you have finished reading the figures. Figures include total NZ and overseas racing turnover (fixed & tote) for all codes 2017 1st August to 31st December 2017 turnover = $766.21m on 34,027 races 2018 1st August to 31st December 2018 turnover = $743.607m on 40,432 races In 5 months this season 6,000 more races taken and $22,000,000 down in turnover with still 7 months of the racing season to go. So in 22 weeks 1st August to 31st December down $22,000,000 which equates to $1,000,000 a week. Remember the Platform was sold to the Industry on the basis that the 1,000's of new betting options that would be made available would increase turnover. It's not happening as the figures show. No wonder they are taking every possible race eg USA, UK, Timbuktu, and Tokyo they can to boost turnover premixer in reply to your query re the first 3 weeks compared to same period last year for the new Betting Platform . 2019 - 3 week period prior to the new web site $119,930,191 2018 - the same period 3 week period $122,204,000 So this year 3 weeks prior to the Platform is $2,268,000 less or $756,000 per week. Into 3 weeks of the Bet Platform launch and with 19% more races this year compared to last year down 10% in turnover compared to 2.5% down in the 3 weeks prior to the launch. So in financial returns the new Betting Platform has seen that decline increase to $3,000,000 a week. In simple terms the new Betting Platform has sped up the decline in NZRB racing turnover. Get Deloittes to do an update on what the Betting Platform is contributing now verse previously and their thoughts on it all. Shouldn't cost much to do as only requires one page. With the above figures and the development cost of the Platform to be paid for along with $17,000,000 a year to service it by Open Bet and Paddy Power and the millions in interest on the loans to pay for it I can't paint any clearer picture for the final outcome which was endorsed by Deloittes. These figures don't even allow for what yield returns sports and racing bookmaking is returning this season compared to last. I don't have access to sports turnover figures but it's highly unlikely that there has been an increase to offset the higher margin racing products. The Racing Minister needs to act now as a Company leaking millions a week instead of making millions it was sold on as doing is only ending up in one place. The false promises haven't eventuated its that close to having a statutory manager needed in the NZRB right now not in months. Winston do what a Minister is voted into do' Act now". Time isn't running out it has already done that.

Its about time John Allen fronted up.

Mate if you dont know what you are talking about leave your shitty speculation aside. FYI McCarthy was a seconded exec on the Owners Fed around 2008. He had to resign from that to take up a position in NZTR Admin He was then made the NZTR delegate to NZRB where he would have ONE vote. To say he signed off the NZRB choice of Paddy Power et al is something you need to be able to prove to have any credence. You would know NZTR tried to promote TABCORP wouldnt you? I have sat in meetings with McCarthy and thought he was the smartest guy in the room. That would certainly be the case it he was in your company.

Here we are squabbling about which track should or shouldn’t close for the sake of little money in comparison to what the NZRB are squandering .

pessimism definition: emphasizing or thinking of the bad part of a situation rather than the good part, or the feeling that bad things are more likely to happen hint definition: a slight or indirect indication or suggestion Correct on the first word but not the 2nd pessimism = 100% hint = 0% Unfortunately figures don't lie

I detect a hint of pessimism

No idea who he is but I would think give him a chance before bagging him.in 6 months time I might join u but let's wait till then.

In terms of sports betting, I went to bet on a basket ball game I was going to watch. There was 177 options to try and sift through to find what I wanted so I gave up. Granted they did need more options but I think they have gone to far the other way. Last night I also went to place a live bet, same problem as in the past odds suspended or can’t get my bet on due to the odds changing between the same two figures over and over again. I got sick of waiting 8 seconds over and over again only to be told the odds had changed so I gave up.