Huey

Joe public who likes premium facilities when they go out is obviously not their target market either.

The average joe who likes a bet is sadly no longer the target market.

Not me.

This shows just how much they have lost touch with Joe Public , their core client base .

Given the extremely adverse weather predicted for large parts of the North Island in the next 48 hours consideration is being given to postponing Wednesday’s Matamata to Sunday 15 January. A final decision will be made on Tuesday morning. If this change proceeds fields will remain the same with the re-inclusion of any scratchings at the time. The start time for this meeting will also be brought forward.

The difference is something will be done to make sure it does not happen again as in consequences ...unlike here where everyone is everyones mate first so nothing happens.

when there is rain forecast you've  got to put a heap of irrigation on to get the water down through the hard pan a few inches below the surface, otherwise you will have a skating rink when rain arrives. To hell with NZTR's cutesy directive to have the track at a 4 on the morning of the races improving to a 3 by racetime. That is a recipe for disaster as has been seen time and time again recently only for the clubs and their staff to be caned instead of the dropkicks making the rules at NZTR.
The clubs are playing Russian Roulette adhering to the NZTR directive. If it rains on raceday there is a bullet in the chamber with NZTR etched on it, imho.

I am totally bemused by it all.
For God's sake, for the dollars they are on can't they run a decent show.
Over the last 4 months it is nothing but a sideshow.
After a recent meeting they put a track protocol and inspection  procedure in place, early days but it ain't working.
Good luck if you follow the local circus, as a circus it surely is
 

Who the hell worries about kumara it's Trentham on Saturday forecast is for some rain tomorrow then light rain on the day , now  let's hear what's the right thing to do , now don't be shy let's hear it, tell us what preparation should be done to the track to ensure we don't have another meeting abandoned .

"Look after"  ????  The mind boggles.  All young women with no corporate experience? Does the TAB now have a corporate jet? Champagne and caviar distributors? Are they odds setters and tipsters?
I cannot imagine how the "looking after" would manifest and would be interested in the HR job description. I would have thought most Elite punters are self-assured lone operators, confident in their decision making and don't need "looking after" in any material sense.

How can that be when NZ racing now has $300,000 Group 1 races?

Surely between loveracing and TAB staff they could employ one or two people in a hybrid role so if the loveracing website is getting updated with the correct info, the TAB site is done at the exact same time.

22/12/22
OK here's a bit of good news x race email
Our track team at Awapuni will be working through the holiday period to undertake an industry-agreed plan of remedial work, with the aim of returning to activity on the course proper when the agreed protocols have been implemented.
In the meantime we look forward to an expanded four-day Summer Carnival at Trentham, culminating in the 150th running of the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport Wellington Cup on January 28. As you’ll see below all hospitality packages are now on sale, and we have a bonus for all General Admission tickets and/or Premier Memberships sold before January 7. Of course, you and a guest can also experience the Wellington Cup for free if you’re a premier member of one of our racing clubs, and this also enables access to the members lounge and grandstand on Cup Day.
YEE HA Four days at Trentham FANTASTIC , I've got family from overseas staying and they want to go racing this couldn't be better , crack open the piggy bank and were on our way .

"industry-agreed plan of remedial work", agreed protocols have been implemented,  What a load of BS spewed out by  unproductive Office tossers and more unproductive Consulting/Turf experts telling each other how great they are at there jobs , Woodville has got PRODUCTIVE consulting turf experts as well, they are called 300 mixed age ewes that have given the Woodville turf/Grass a root structure probably 8-10 inches,  OPPS!  20-25 cm if not more , where as a lot of irrigated track have a minimal root structure (very close to the surface) and a hard pan just below, giving them the very dangerous Mat on a varnished floor syndrome. IMO

John, and that is exactly why we are in the mess that we are. The “experts” have got rid of  most of the provincial tracks  that have been prepared that way for a 100 years and served us so well. Incidentally NSW seems to be keeping all their country tracks, promote racing there, put up reasonable stakes and offer the country runners huge grand finals in Sydney when country comes to town. 

It scares me to think of how much money the industry has GIFTED to these TURF EXPERTS/CONSULTANTS ?? I'm pretty sure they would not accept any sort of accountability even though they are right up there accepting Industry money.  

Hi Ladd,
Here's my feedback, most of which aligns with my thoughts around modelling on the JRA.
Probably should keep my head below trench level, but oh well 🤣
 1.what tracks should stay?????
7 'Metro' tier Tracks that have their Premium Race dates on SUNDAYS  - instinctively I'd say Ellerslie, Te Rapa, Tauranga, Hastings, Trentham, Riccarton & Otago.
7 '2nd' tier tracks that primarily race midweek and Saturdays - much debate around which, but if I again went with my first thoughts they would be Ruakaka, Pukekohe, Rotorua, Awapuni (synthetic only), Blenheim, Ashburton, Gore  
14 Race tracks geographically / population based would be sufficient I would think. One of the biggest issues we face is spreading resource and funding too thin, so I believe lesser but improved quality racing with GREAT stakes is one of the key points to turn things around. The industry is currently 'going backwards under a hard ride at the 800 metre mark' and very unlikely to ever win under status quo...
2.1should the tab be sold off????? 
NO - this should be administrated and coordinated within an overall Racing Governing body.
2.2 if you think it should not be sold off give your reasons why you think the following?????
It should be a link in the end to end process of running the industry - selling it off would end up in 2 parties with different objectives and goals being at loggerheads  
3. Should there be more focus on race series within rating bands etc?????
Promotions / options that encourage breeders and owners to 'have a go' most definitely should be in place, but be innovative and solid in their structure.
4. Do the Stewards give the jockeys to much power when it comes to track issues?????
NO - they are in the frontline of risk and need to protect not only themselves but horse, trainers and owners etc THEY are best placed to make the Health and Safety call, period!
5. Do you think the government need to open up the betting landscape and welcome the bookies into new Zealand with open arms?????
NO - We have the core product and should concentrate on running it well 'inhouse'.
6..did the industry as a whole do the wrong thing in not implementing all of the John Messara report?????
To be honest, I've never read it as I was not paying much attention to racing when it came out, but it seems to me that we have ended up with a partial plan in place which would always jeopardise the result. Add poor management / performance at the top end in to the mix, then what chance ????
Anyway, just my opinion, and remember the saying about opinions  😄
Cheers,
Phil

Janitor you can't be serious. Omakau in the middle of nowhere, dusty poor facilities track miles from the people. Westport on other hand grass good track Father Reedy has good whisky and sister Rogers puts on a good feed. No comparison😉
Boy how things have changed....for the worst IMO
 
and you get 3 days.
Dont know what Sister Rogers is going to do with all the whitebait. Fertiliser for the garden i guess

The ATC would kill for that many noms, just saying 

I haven't been posting much lately, but thought I would stick my head up from the trench again, despite the risk of taking another shot to the head from the snipers 😬
"We have boards for TAB NZ, Racing New Zealand, Racing Integrity, Members’ Council, and one each for thoroughbreds, harness, and greyhounds. Every year the collective cost of running these boards grows at an alarming rate while the collective racing industry diminishes with its ageing and dying demographic with no succession plan.
Seven boards that collectively fail as an administrative umbrella because they are thin on knowledge, passion and vision. Inducting a brilliant lawyer, accountant or business strategy analyst onto any of these boards is a waste of time if the inductee is unfamiliar with the industry. All those people do is collect the director’s fees, and contribute nothing but assumingly have an excellent social time – and we keep bringing them in."
Given these comments, surely one Board, administrating the industry from end to end would be cost effective and more efficient ?? 
That being said, it would be largely dependent on the quality and makeup of the board, and isn't that a major part of the issues that currently exist?
So many of the remarks and comments about the wide range of issues being faced, although mostly well meaning (or possibly "patch protecting"), I believe are just 'small fires burning'  whereas it's an inferno of change that's required to truly make a difference.  
I'm NOT a supporter of the current administration or the detail of the master plan previously proposed - I am a supporter of sweeping change that is closely modelled to the JRA / NRA structure in Japan, including creating close ties and partnerships to benefit both parties. Given the quality of operations in Japan, I think we could do a lot worse..... 
 

Looks to professional for a bunch of whackos with backpacks...my guess is no it was not vandalism...

And where are you going to get that? (The true story)
In my opinion it won’t be forthcoming just like every other cock up that has been happening over the last ten years in NZ Racing. 
it started happening when they said that we don’t need people with a background in racing, what we need us people with business experience to take us to the next level. We need to embrace the future and forget the past. 

I think someone sprayed it by mistake and they are trying to cover their arses.

Isn't it funny how 2 of the tracks that are supposed to be mainstays of the CD racing scene are absolute basket cases .

Its a tad amusing but only because these clubs have curbed things to their way of going in the past and now its all caught up with them. No one wants to see our tracks going to the pack though.