scooby3051

100% agree Idol...start small and can easily lead to big...but still a ton of fun..a win is a win...nothing like the thrill of that.

Will be a long time coming Shad, the Club not that flush with $ like most clubs

F.ck the all weather track.......trying to get a line on her on a grass track 🙂

George Simon: Is it time to question the status quo?
George Simon  •  April 28th, 2025 5:13 PM Early Bird winning race one at Awapuni on Friday, April 25. Credit: Race Images. The abandonment of the Fielding JC race meeting last Friday had many shaking their heads in disbelief. With a fair bit of justification too. Greater minds than mine have given their considered opinions over what is becoming a blight on the racing industry. It's an unwanted recurring theme having to abandon race meetings due to unsafe track conditions.  Compounding matters with the Awapuni track last week was that it was the first official race day on the newly refurbished track. Local racing enthusiasts were understandably excited by the return to racing after a near two year break due to the track undergoing a major renovation.  And the comeback lasted all of one race.  Disappointingly, Dark And Dusty, ridden by Kate Hercock, slipped free of interference rounding the home turn.  After the obligatory track inspection by jockeys and officials, it was deemed in the best interests of safety for horse and rider, the meeting be abandoned.  Inevitably there was a swift response from industry participants.  Senior rider Kate Hercock was interviewed on Trackside over the incident that saw her mount Dark And Dusty slip on the home turn. Hercock, one of the most experienced jockeys currently riding, didn't hold back in voicing her disappointment. According to Hercock, a large part of the reason for the abandonment, was the placement of the rail out 6 metres. Trials had been conducted in the lead up to last Friday's meeting, but the rail was out only 3 metres.  With the rail out 6 metres on race day, the horses were essentially racing on new ground, instead of the previously used ground from the trial days. Hercock was adamant this contributed significantly to the abandonment of the meeting. Brad Taylor, RACE General Manager of Racing, acknowledged that, with the benefit of hindsight, more should have been done to ensure the track was safe for horse and rider. He gave further assurances to achieve this objective going forward, which everyone says when their meeting has been abandoned under such circumstances. Taylor was keen to inform industry participants that the new Awapuni track was a vastly different version from the previous one.  It’s obvious everyone wants racing to prosper and having safe and fair tracks to race on is an integral component. Has the time arrived where we start to seriously question the status quo regarding the preparation of our racetracks for race day? Why does the rail have to be shifted in and out from race meeting to race meeting? I’ve heard a few jockeys say just leave the rail in the true position and let them find the best part of the track. As they say that's part of their job.  It's getting to the stage where we need to think outside the square.

I still dont get why they dont use Stratford New Plymouth is a lease and sorry but its not fit for purpose and the public stand has now gone, it will be gone in a few years .

Scooby, where does that leave you and me?

Good article and speaks to the heart of the matter.
 

Repeated abandonments damage racing as NZTR deflects blame
by Brian de Lore
Published 27 April 2025
The continuing theme of racing abandonments due to unsafe tracks is causing immeasurable harm to a racing industry that doesn’t seem able to get its act together.
Accountability seems to be a major problem. You can’t blame the jockeys if a track is unsafe, and you can’t blame the stipendiary stewards who are bound by the Health and Safety Act. That only leaves the track managers and the protocols for the preparation of tracks that come from NZTR.
Imagine that you’re an Auckland owner with a horse trained in Matamata that was supposed to trial at Taupo on March 25th. You drive to Taupo to watch it, but after two trials, they are abandoned, and you’ve made the trip for nothing.
The same horse is an acceptor for Awapuni last Friday, so you drive to Palmerston North, stay in a hotel the night before, and expect to go racing the next day. The races are off after race one, leaving the owner angry, deflated and out of pocket. Don’t imagine it; it’s a true story.
That owner is now inclined to give up ownership due to his rising blood pressure and depleted bank account.
Awapuni last Friday adds another statistic to the countless number of abandonments we have seen over the past few years. When there is torrential rain and surface water, we all know that abandonment is inevitable, but here we are talking about avoidable abandonments after the meeting has started.
How much is it costing owners?
How much has it cost the owners who pay for everything on raceday? How much has it cost the TAB/Entain partnership in loss of betting revenue, and Entain in particular, because they pay the cost of running the TAB and guarantee the increased stake levels?
Little wonder there has been a strained relationship between NZTR and Entain.  
The buck must stop with NZTR, but you wouldn’t think so reading the statement made by the new NZTR CEO, Matt Ballesty, following Friday’s Awapuni abandonment after race one.
He said, “I trust that, while understandably frustrated, all participants will continue to show respect towards the track staff and club management. A significant amount of effort, resources, and consultation from track management, consultants, and officials has gone into preparing the track for racing, and the recent setback was entirely unforeseen.”
RACE Awapuni General Manager Brad Taylor expressed his disappointment but was eager to review processes to prepare for future racedays.
“We will examine the process leading into today and learn from it and hopefully resolve this issue to be back racing here in three weeks,” he concluded.
Unforeseen track problem claim disputed
New CEO Matt Ballesty’s claim that the problem was ‘unforeseen’ is disputed by several observers close to the action.
He should also cut out this rubbish about being nice to the track staff because that only suggests they are to blame. NZTR is hiding behind the track staff. By saying that, he is deflecting accountability from himself as the boss of the organisation that put the structures in place.
Okay, he’s been in the job only a short time
A reliable source of information has told The Optimist that two Regional Track Managers in succession wouldn’t sign off Awapuni as ‘ready for use’ (one very recently), and that’s when NZTR involved two Australians, Liam O’Keeffe and Callum Brown, to advise as consultants.
NZTR wanted to get racing again at Awapuni and were too impatient, according to my informant.
The rail at Awapuni was positioned six metres out because rocks had appeared coming through the surface during verti-draining at one small area of the track near the 600-metre mark, about three metres out. The accusation is that they took the cheaper option to fix the problem.
The horse that slipped on raceday was the widest runner, possibly another six metres out from the false rail on ground that had not been galloped on.
All this after 18 months of remediation of the entire course – the last Awapuni meeting took place in September 2023; it’s a ridiculous outcome, but consistent with the Hastings debacle. My informant says that Hastings could be in use now if they simply kept the rail in its true position. Darin Balcombe and Bruce Sharrock made a hasty, ill-conceived decision to sideline Hastings.
Former jockey and now trainer David Walsh testing the going at Riccarton After the Taupo trials abandonment, which had followed the Tauherenikau abandonment, NZTR released a statement saying they took some responsibility but mostly blamed the track staff.
It said: “NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe said, ‘New Racecourse Managers are difficult to find, and we must provide them with stronger induction, training, and support systems.’ 
“ ‘Preparing track surfaces for racing is a specialised skill that comes only with experience, support and proper training,’ he said. 
“NZTR accepts that earlier involvement may have avoided the Taupō outcome. Work is already underway to strengthen support, oversight and accountability across the tracks and infrastructure network.”
Abandonments keep mounting up
Perhaps Darin Balcombe needs to refresh his own memory and count up the number of abandonments racing has had under his watch.
NZTR has some parallels with a book I’m currently reading; it could even be the NZTR anthem. It’s entitled MISTAKES WERE MADE (but not by me), which the Wall Street Journal reviewed by saying “Illuminating when you recognize yourself in the stories it tells – mortifying.”
The New Zealand Racehorse Owners’ Association President, Bernard Hickey, has written to NZTR claiming the problems at Awapuni were known well before the race date, and the meeting should have been transferred to Otaki.
His letter also said, in part,” …evidence from my point of view is that RACE, RIU and NZTR were culpable in terms of the provision of the Health & Safety Act in not showing due diligence in its decision-making process. No doubt the Club’s Risk Register was updated when the hazards were identified during the week that led to the rail being pushed out, which is a risk in itself at Awapuni, but I doubt such documentation even exists.”
The Trainers’ Association does nothing. It is a toothless, benign organisation that is seemingly frightened that its members won’t get their licences renewed each season if they say anything.
In the first week of December 2021, NZTR put out a statement to the stakeholders entitled, “Actions following Trentham Abandonment 4 December 2021.”
Here is the second half of it, outlining the ‘actions’ they would take. While reading it, think about how much of this gets done and the multitude of abandonments we’ve had since it was written:
What NZTR said in 2021…
 Actions
“The NZTR Board has considered a report and recommendations from NZTR Management. One of the major issues identified in the report was the lack of a clear shared understanding between NZTR, the RIB and Clubs about each organisation’s respective responsibilities and accountabilities to prepare a track surface, and the consequences for those entities where non-compliance is identified.
“This is no longer acceptable and the NZTR Board has agreed to a suite of changes to the track preparation and management process so that it is clear what the obligations are and who is responsible for them.
“The agreed actions going forward are:
• NZTR to review and update the Track Preparation Policy and Abandonment protocols by the end of January 2022;
• NZTR to determine, in consultation with Clubs, an investment plan for track equipment and resources for the next three years by the end of March 2022;
• NZTR and NZSTI, in consultation with Clubs, fast track the implementation of and compliance with mytrackmanager.nz – an online portal for all clubs to regularly monitor track performance, build data comparisons, provide training tools and real time access to track maintenance planning by the end of June 2022;
• NZTR to implement a more robust compliance program for Clubs that do not adhere to track preparation procedures and annual maintenance plans, including consequences for non-compliance with policies and procedures, by February 2022;
• NZTR to investigate and arrange a whole-of-industry weather service, with decisions made by March 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with Clubs and RIB, to set a communication process to enhance the sharing of track surface information to all participants by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with clubs, to set a plan to ensure that track renovations are aligned with the annual race date allocation process by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with RIB and Clubs, to determine a process to manage queries/concerns from participants before and after each race meeting by the end of January 2022; and
• NZTR to implement a reporting and action framework for clubs to notify track performance issues during race meetings by the end of January 2022. “
Footnote:
Will the situation improve in the future? – doubtful. Will more NZTR-Stakeholders meetings be held to fix the problem? – bound to be, just as they have done in the past. It’s called Groundhog Day.
No one will get sacked, and NZTR still appears to be accountable to no one.
It’s simply a further reminder of Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

George Simon: Is it time to question the status quo?
George Simon  •  April 28th, 2025 5:13 PM Early Bird winning race one at Awapuni on Friday, April 25. Credit: Race Images. The abandonment of the Fielding JC race meeting last Friday had many shaking their heads in disbelief. With a fair bit of justification too. Greater minds than mine have given their considered opinions over what is becoming a blight on the racing industry. It's an unwanted recurring theme having to abandon race meetings due to unsafe track conditions.  Compounding matters with the Awapuni track last week was that it was the first official race day on the newly refurbished track. Local racing enthusiasts were understandably excited by the return to racing after a near two year break due to the track undergoing a major renovation.  And the comeback lasted all of one race.  Disappointingly, Dark And Dusty, ridden by Kate Hercock, slipped free of interference rounding the home turn.  After the obligatory track inspection by jockeys and officials, it was deemed in the best interests of safety for horse and rider, the meeting be abandoned.  Inevitably there was a swift response from industry participants.  Senior rider Kate Hercock was interviewed on Trackside over the incident that saw her mount Dark And Dusty slip on the home turn. Hercock, one of the most experienced jockeys currently riding, didn't hold back in voicing her disappointment. According to Hercock, a large part of the reason for the abandonment, was the placement of the rail out 6 metres. Trials had been conducted in the lead up to last Friday's meeting, but the rail was out only 3 metres.  With the rail out 6 metres on race day, the horses were essentially racing on new ground, instead of the previously used ground from the trial days. Hercock was adamant this contributed significantly to the abandonment of the meeting. Brad Taylor, RACE General Manager of Racing, acknowledged that, with the benefit of hindsight, more should have been done to ensure the track was safe for horse and rider. He gave further assurances to achieve this objective going forward, which everyone says when their meeting has been abandoned under such circumstances. Taylor was keen to inform industry participants that the new Awapuni track was a vastly different version from the previous one.  It’s obvious everyone wants racing to prosper and having safe and fair tracks to race on is an integral component. Has the time arrived where we start to seriously question the status quo regarding the preparation of our racetracks for race day? Why does the rail have to be shifted in and out from race meeting to race meeting? I’ve heard a few jockeys say just leave the rail in the true position and let them find the best part of the track. As they say that's part of their job.  It's getting to the stage where we need to think outside the square.

George Simon: Is it time to question the status quo?
George Simon  •  April 28th, 2025 5:13 PM Early Bird winning race one at Awapuni on Friday, April 25. Credit: Race Images. The abandonment of the Fielding JC race meeting last Friday had many shaking their heads in disbelief. With a fair bit of justification too. Greater minds than mine have given their considered opinions over what is becoming a blight on the racing industry. It's an unwanted recurring theme having to abandon race meetings due to unsafe track conditions.  Compounding matters with the Awapuni track last week was that it was the first official race day on the newly refurbished track. Local racing enthusiasts were understandably excited by the return to racing after a near two year break due to the track undergoing a major renovation.  And the comeback lasted all of one race.  Disappointingly, Dark And Dusty, ridden by Kate Hercock, slipped free of interference rounding the home turn.  After the obligatory track inspection by jockeys and officials, it was deemed in the best interests of safety for horse and rider, the meeting be abandoned.  Inevitably there was a swift response from industry participants.  Senior rider Kate Hercock was interviewed on Trackside over the incident that saw her mount Dark And Dusty slip on the home turn. Hercock, one of the most experienced jockeys currently riding, didn't hold back in voicing her disappointment. According to Hercock, a large part of the reason for the abandonment, was the placement of the rail out 6 metres. Trials had been conducted in the lead up to last Friday's meeting, but the rail was out only 3 metres.  With the rail out 6 metres on race day, the horses were essentially racing on new ground, instead of the previously used ground from the trial days. Hercock was adamant this contributed significantly to the abandonment of the meeting. Brad Taylor, RACE General Manager of Racing, acknowledged that, with the benefit of hindsight, more should have been done to ensure the track was safe for horse and rider. He gave further assurances to achieve this objective going forward, which everyone says when their meeting has been abandoned under such circumstances. Taylor was keen to inform industry participants that the new Awapuni track was a vastly different version from the previous one.  It’s obvious everyone wants racing to prosper and having safe and fair tracks to race on is an integral component. Has the time arrived where we start to seriously question the status quo regarding the preparation of our racetracks for race day? Why does the rail have to be shifted in and out from race meeting to race meeting? I’ve heard a few jockeys say just leave the rail in the true position and let them find the best part of the track. As they say that's part of their job.  It's getting to the stage where we need to think outside the square.

George Simon: Is it time to question the status quo?
George Simon  •  April 28th, 2025 5:13 PM Early Bird winning race one at Awapuni on Friday, April 25. Credit: Race Images. The abandonment of the Fielding JC race meeting last Friday had many shaking their heads in disbelief. With a fair bit of justification too. Greater minds than mine have given their considered opinions over what is becoming a blight on the racing industry. It's an unwanted recurring theme having to abandon race meetings due to unsafe track conditions.  Compounding matters with the Awapuni track last week was that it was the first official race day on the newly refurbished track. Local racing enthusiasts were understandably excited by the return to racing after a near two year break due to the track undergoing a major renovation.  And the comeback lasted all of one race.  Disappointingly, Dark And Dusty, ridden by Kate Hercock, slipped free of interference rounding the home turn.  After the obligatory track inspection by jockeys and officials, it was deemed in the best interests of safety for horse and rider, the meeting be abandoned.  Inevitably there was a swift response from industry participants.  Senior rider Kate Hercock was interviewed on Trackside over the incident that saw her mount Dark And Dusty slip on the home turn. Hercock, one of the most experienced jockeys currently riding, didn't hold back in voicing her disappointment. According to Hercock, a large part of the reason for the abandonment, was the placement of the rail out 6 metres. Trials had been conducted in the lead up to last Friday's meeting, but the rail was out only 3 metres.  With the rail out 6 metres on race day, the horses were essentially racing on new ground, instead of the previously used ground from the trial days. Hercock was adamant this contributed significantly to the abandonment of the meeting. Brad Taylor, RACE General Manager of Racing, acknowledged that, with the benefit of hindsight, more should have been done to ensure the track was safe for horse and rider. He gave further assurances to achieve this objective going forward, which everyone says when their meeting has been abandoned under such circumstances. Taylor was keen to inform industry participants that the new Awapuni track was a vastly different version from the previous one.  It’s obvious everyone wants racing to prosper and having safe and fair tracks to race on is an integral component. Has the time arrived where we start to seriously question the status quo regarding the preparation of our racetracks for race day? Why does the rail have to be shifted in and out from race meeting to race meeting? I’ve heard a few jockeys say just leave the rail in the true position and let them find the best part of the track. As they say that's part of their job.  It's getting to the stage where we need to think outside the square.

George Simon: Is it time to question the status quo?
George Simon  •  April 28th, 2025 5:13 PM Early Bird winning race one at Awapuni on Friday, April 25. Credit: Race Images. The abandonment of the Fielding JC race meeting last Friday had many shaking their heads in disbelief. With a fair bit of justification too. Greater minds than mine have given their considered opinions over what is becoming a blight on the racing industry. It's an unwanted recurring theme having to abandon race meetings due to unsafe track conditions.  Compounding matters with the Awapuni track last week was that it was the first official race day on the newly refurbished track. Local racing enthusiasts were understandably excited by the return to racing after a near two year break due to the track undergoing a major renovation.  And the comeback lasted all of one race.  Disappointingly, Dark And Dusty, ridden by Kate Hercock, slipped free of interference rounding the home turn.  After the obligatory track inspection by jockeys and officials, it was deemed in the best interests of safety for horse and rider, the meeting be abandoned.  Inevitably there was a swift response from industry participants.  Senior rider Kate Hercock was interviewed on Trackside over the incident that saw her mount Dark And Dusty slip on the home turn. Hercock, one of the most experienced jockeys currently riding, didn't hold back in voicing her disappointment. According to Hercock, a large part of the reason for the abandonment, was the placement of the rail out 6 metres. Trials had been conducted in the lead up to last Friday's meeting, but the rail was out only 3 metres.  With the rail out 6 metres on race day, the horses were essentially racing on new ground, instead of the previously used ground from the trial days. Hercock was adamant this contributed significantly to the abandonment of the meeting. Brad Taylor, RACE General Manager of Racing, acknowledged that, with the benefit of hindsight, more should have been done to ensure the track was safe for horse and rider. He gave further assurances to achieve this objective going forward, which everyone says when their meeting has been abandoned under such circumstances. Taylor was keen to inform industry participants that the new Awapuni track was a vastly different version from the previous one.  It’s obvious everyone wants racing to prosper and having safe and fair tracks to race on is an integral component. Has the time arrived where we start to seriously question the status quo regarding the preparation of our racetracks for race day? Why does the rail have to be shifted in and out from race meeting to race meeting? I’ve heard a few jockeys say just leave the rail in the true position and let them find the best part of the track. As they say that's part of their job.  It's getting to the stage where we need to think outside the square.

Just been reading NZTR news and there's a story on NZTRs new CEO Matt Ballasty , He seems quite positive about the industry .
I know some people think I can be negative but I just got the feeling that he was reading off statement that Sharrock had left on his desk when leaving the office .
Everything sunshine and light .
Good luck to him , I do hope he is the "MOSES" that racing needs .

I think thats a little unfair SB, maybe they are a little behind but both of them were at the end of tough seasons, hard to condemn then on their runs today FWIW...and Ka Ying Rising will be hard to beat if he turns up like he did today.
I hope Mr B maybe can end up at the Legends for his retirement...he has nothing to prove.

Was talking more about the meeting earlier in the month, I only watched a couple yesterday.  
I think ultimately WD will be right though - Wanganui winter they're all on the other side of the course anyway.  Either way, cant see it helping our "sit and sprint" problem.  

Did you tell Jamie , Canterbury Man said to say hello 😅

Try getting a race book at some places. Apparently a reasonable crowd on Anzac Day, for 1 race. Way to go to entice newbies. I hear to many bad reports regarding  race day experience. You are so right Scooby. 

I simply wouldn't have any confidence in having a horse in work in the CD , it's a complete clusterfuck .
Plus I have absolutely no confidence in those charged with running it .
Good luck to anybody who is racing a horse in the CD .

Great to see Jamie getting a few winners these past few weeks, but geez the stress looks like its taking a toll on him...I wish him well for the rest of the season...I for one hope he smashes it there.

Good article and speaks to the heart of the matter.
 

Repeated abandonments damage racing as NZTR deflects blame
by Brian de Lore
Published 27 April 2025
The continuing theme of racing abandonments due to unsafe tracks is causing immeasurable harm to a racing industry that doesn’t seem able to get its act together.
Accountability seems to be a major problem. You can’t blame the jockeys if a track is unsafe, and you can’t blame the stipendiary stewards who are bound by the Health and Safety Act. That only leaves the track managers and the protocols for the preparation of tracks that come from NZTR.
Imagine that you’re an Auckland owner with a horse trained in Matamata that was supposed to trial at Taupo on March 25th. You drive to Taupo to watch it, but after two trials, they are abandoned, and you’ve made the trip for nothing.
The same horse is an acceptor for Awapuni last Friday, so you drive to Palmerston North, stay in a hotel the night before, and expect to go racing the next day. The races are off after race one, leaving the owner angry, deflated and out of pocket. Don’t imagine it; it’s a true story.
That owner is now inclined to give up ownership due to his rising blood pressure and depleted bank account.
Awapuni last Friday adds another statistic to the countless number of abandonments we have seen over the past few years. When there is torrential rain and surface water, we all know that abandonment is inevitable, but here we are talking about avoidable abandonments after the meeting has started.
How much is it costing owners?
How much has it cost the owners who pay for everything on raceday? How much has it cost the TAB/Entain partnership in loss of betting revenue, and Entain in particular, because they pay the cost of running the TAB and guarantee the increased stake levels?
Little wonder there has been a strained relationship between NZTR and Entain.  
The buck must stop with NZTR, but you wouldn’t think so reading the statement made by the new NZTR CEO, Matt Ballesty, following Friday’s Awapuni abandonment after race one.
He said, “I trust that, while understandably frustrated, all participants will continue to show respect towards the track staff and club management. A significant amount of effort, resources, and consultation from track management, consultants, and officials has gone into preparing the track for racing, and the recent setback was entirely unforeseen.”
RACE Awapuni General Manager Brad Taylor expressed his disappointment but was eager to review processes to prepare for future racedays.
“We will examine the process leading into today and learn from it and hopefully resolve this issue to be back racing here in three weeks,” he concluded.
Unforeseen track problem claim disputed
New CEO Matt Ballesty’s claim that the problem was ‘unforeseen’ is disputed by several observers close to the action.
He should also cut out this rubbish about being nice to the track staff because that only suggests they are to blame. NZTR is hiding behind the track staff. By saying that, he is deflecting accountability from himself as the boss of the organisation that put the structures in place.
Okay, he’s been in the job only a short time
A reliable source of information has told The Optimist that two Regional Track Managers in succession wouldn’t sign off Awapuni as ‘ready for use’ (one very recently), and that’s when NZTR involved two Australians, Liam O’Keeffe and Callum Brown, to advise as consultants.
NZTR wanted to get racing again at Awapuni and were too impatient, according to my informant.
The rail at Awapuni was positioned six metres out because rocks had appeared coming through the surface during verti-draining at one small area of the track near the 600-metre mark, about three metres out. The accusation is that they took the cheaper option to fix the problem.
The horse that slipped on raceday was the widest runner, possibly another six metres out from the false rail on ground that had not been galloped on.
All this after 18 months of remediation of the entire course – the last Awapuni meeting took place in September 2023; it’s a ridiculous outcome, but consistent with the Hastings debacle. My informant says that Hastings could be in use now if they simply kept the rail in its true position. Darin Balcombe and Bruce Sharrock made a hasty, ill-conceived decision to sideline Hastings.
Former jockey and now trainer David Walsh testing the going at Riccarton After the Taupo trials abandonment, which had followed the Tauherenikau abandonment, NZTR released a statement saying they took some responsibility but mostly blamed the track staff.
It said: “NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe said, ‘New Racecourse Managers are difficult to find, and we must provide them with stronger induction, training, and support systems.’ 
“ ‘Preparing track surfaces for racing is a specialised skill that comes only with experience, support and proper training,’ he said. 
“NZTR accepts that earlier involvement may have avoided the Taupō outcome. Work is already underway to strengthen support, oversight and accountability across the tracks and infrastructure network.”
Abandonments keep mounting up
Perhaps Darin Balcombe needs to refresh his own memory and count up the number of abandonments racing has had under his watch.
NZTR has some parallels with a book I’m currently reading; it could even be the NZTR anthem. It’s entitled MISTAKES WERE MADE (but not by me), which the Wall Street Journal reviewed by saying “Illuminating when you recognize yourself in the stories it tells – mortifying.”
The New Zealand Racehorse Owners’ Association President, Bernard Hickey, has written to NZTR claiming the problems at Awapuni were known well before the race date, and the meeting should have been transferred to Otaki.
His letter also said, in part,” …evidence from my point of view is that RACE, RIU and NZTR were culpable in terms of the provision of the Health & Safety Act in not showing due diligence in its decision-making process. No doubt the Club’s Risk Register was updated when the hazards were identified during the week that led to the rail being pushed out, which is a risk in itself at Awapuni, but I doubt such documentation even exists.”
The Trainers’ Association does nothing. It is a toothless, benign organisation that is seemingly frightened that its members won’t get their licences renewed each season if they say anything.
In the first week of December 2021, NZTR put out a statement to the stakeholders entitled, “Actions following Trentham Abandonment 4 December 2021.”
Here is the second half of it, outlining the ‘actions’ they would take. While reading it, think about how much of this gets done and the multitude of abandonments we’ve had since it was written:
What NZTR said in 2021…
 Actions
“The NZTR Board has considered a report and recommendations from NZTR Management. One of the major issues identified in the report was the lack of a clear shared understanding between NZTR, the RIB and Clubs about each organisation’s respective responsibilities and accountabilities to prepare a track surface, and the consequences for those entities where non-compliance is identified.
“This is no longer acceptable and the NZTR Board has agreed to a suite of changes to the track preparation and management process so that it is clear what the obligations are and who is responsible for them.
“The agreed actions going forward are:
• NZTR to review and update the Track Preparation Policy and Abandonment protocols by the end of January 2022;
• NZTR to determine, in consultation with Clubs, an investment plan for track equipment and resources for the next three years by the end of March 2022;
• NZTR and NZSTI, in consultation with Clubs, fast track the implementation of and compliance with mytrackmanager.nz – an online portal for all clubs to regularly monitor track performance, build data comparisons, provide training tools and real time access to track maintenance planning by the end of June 2022;
• NZTR to implement a more robust compliance program for Clubs that do not adhere to track preparation procedures and annual maintenance plans, including consequences for non-compliance with policies and procedures, by February 2022;
• NZTR to investigate and arrange a whole-of-industry weather service, with decisions made by March 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with Clubs and RIB, to set a communication process to enhance the sharing of track surface information to all participants by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with clubs, to set a plan to ensure that track renovations are aligned with the annual race date allocation process by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with RIB and Clubs, to determine a process to manage queries/concerns from participants before and after each race meeting by the end of January 2022; and
• NZTR to implement a reporting and action framework for clubs to notify track performance issues during race meetings by the end of January 2022. “
Footnote:
Will the situation improve in the future? – doubtful. Will more NZTR-Stakeholders meetings be held to fix the problem? – bound to be, just as they have done in the past. It’s called Groundhog Day.
No one will get sacked, and NZTR still appears to be accountable to no one.
It’s simply a further reminder of Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

I still dont get why they dont use Stratford New Plymouth is a lease and sorry but its not fit for purpose and the public stand has now gone, it will be gone in a few years .

Great to see Jamie getting a few winners these past few weeks, but geez the stress looks like its taking a toll on him...I wish him well for the rest of the season...I for one hope he smashes it there.

Miss Icelandic going out to $11 was a welcome surprise….Punch Lane well backed late and walked in.
Pleasure Artist the one to follow. Had no hope from wide gate, then knocked over on turn and not persevered with. Wants longer now.

Good article and speaks to the heart of the matter.
 

Repeated abandonments damage racing as NZTR deflects blame
by Brian de Lore
Published 27 April 2025
The continuing theme of racing abandonments due to unsafe tracks is causing immeasurable harm to a racing industry that doesn’t seem able to get its act together.
Accountability seems to be a major problem. You can’t blame the jockeys if a track is unsafe, and you can’t blame the stipendiary stewards who are bound by the Health and Safety Act. That only leaves the track managers and the protocols for the preparation of tracks that come from NZTR.
Imagine that you’re an Auckland owner with a horse trained in Matamata that was supposed to trial at Taupo on March 25th. You drive to Taupo to watch it, but after two trials, they are abandoned, and you’ve made the trip for nothing.
The same horse is an acceptor for Awapuni last Friday, so you drive to Palmerston North, stay in a hotel the night before, and expect to go racing the next day. The races are off after race one, leaving the owner angry, deflated and out of pocket. Don’t imagine it; it’s a true story.
That owner is now inclined to give up ownership due to his rising blood pressure and depleted bank account.
Awapuni last Friday adds another statistic to the countless number of abandonments we have seen over the past few years. When there is torrential rain and surface water, we all know that abandonment is inevitable, but here we are talking about avoidable abandonments after the meeting has started.
How much is it costing owners?
How much has it cost the owners who pay for everything on raceday? How much has it cost the TAB/Entain partnership in loss of betting revenue, and Entain in particular, because they pay the cost of running the TAB and guarantee the increased stake levels?
Little wonder there has been a strained relationship between NZTR and Entain.  
The buck must stop with NZTR, but you wouldn’t think so reading the statement made by the new NZTR CEO, Matt Ballesty, following Friday’s Awapuni abandonment after race one.
He said, “I trust that, while understandably frustrated, all participants will continue to show respect towards the track staff and club management. A significant amount of effort, resources, and consultation from track management, consultants, and officials has gone into preparing the track for racing, and the recent setback was entirely unforeseen.”
RACE Awapuni General Manager Brad Taylor expressed his disappointment but was eager to review processes to prepare for future racedays.
“We will examine the process leading into today and learn from it and hopefully resolve this issue to be back racing here in three weeks,” he concluded.
Unforeseen track problem claim disputed
New CEO Matt Ballesty’s claim that the problem was ‘unforeseen’ is disputed by several observers close to the action.
He should also cut out this rubbish about being nice to the track staff because that only suggests they are to blame. NZTR is hiding behind the track staff. By saying that, he is deflecting accountability from himself as the boss of the organisation that put the structures in place.
Okay, he’s been in the job only a short time
A reliable source of information has told The Optimist that two Regional Track Managers in succession wouldn’t sign off Awapuni as ‘ready for use’ (one very recently), and that’s when NZTR involved two Australians, Liam O’Keeffe and Callum Brown, to advise as consultants.
NZTR wanted to get racing again at Awapuni and were too impatient, according to my informant.
The rail at Awapuni was positioned six metres out because rocks had appeared coming through the surface during verti-draining at one small area of the track near the 600-metre mark, about three metres out. The accusation is that they took the cheaper option to fix the problem.
The horse that slipped on raceday was the widest runner, possibly another six metres out from the false rail on ground that had not been galloped on.
All this after 18 months of remediation of the entire course – the last Awapuni meeting took place in September 2023; it’s a ridiculous outcome, but consistent with the Hastings debacle. My informant says that Hastings could be in use now if they simply kept the rail in its true position. Darin Balcombe and Bruce Sharrock made a hasty, ill-conceived decision to sideline Hastings.
Former jockey and now trainer David Walsh testing the going at Riccarton After the Taupo trials abandonment, which had followed the Tauherenikau abandonment, NZTR released a statement saying they took some responsibility but mostly blamed the track staff.
It said: “NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe said, ‘New Racecourse Managers are difficult to find, and we must provide them with stronger induction, training, and support systems.’ 
“ ‘Preparing track surfaces for racing is a specialised skill that comes only with experience, support and proper training,’ he said. 
“NZTR accepts that earlier involvement may have avoided the Taupō outcome. Work is already underway to strengthen support, oversight and accountability across the tracks and infrastructure network.”
Abandonments keep mounting up
Perhaps Darin Balcombe needs to refresh his own memory and count up the number of abandonments racing has had under his watch.
NZTR has some parallels with a book I’m currently reading; it could even be the NZTR anthem. It’s entitled MISTAKES WERE MADE (but not by me), which the Wall Street Journal reviewed by saying “Illuminating when you recognize yourself in the stories it tells – mortifying.”
The New Zealand Racehorse Owners’ Association President, Bernard Hickey, has written to NZTR claiming the problems at Awapuni were known well before the race date, and the meeting should have been transferred to Otaki.
His letter also said, in part,” …evidence from my point of view is that RACE, RIU and NZTR were culpable in terms of the provision of the Health & Safety Act in not showing due diligence in its decision-making process. No doubt the Club’s Risk Register was updated when the hazards were identified during the week that led to the rail being pushed out, which is a risk in itself at Awapuni, but I doubt such documentation even exists.”
The Trainers’ Association does nothing. It is a toothless, benign organisation that is seemingly frightened that its members won’t get their licences renewed each season if they say anything.
In the first week of December 2021, NZTR put out a statement to the stakeholders entitled, “Actions following Trentham Abandonment 4 December 2021.”
Here is the second half of it, outlining the ‘actions’ they would take. While reading it, think about how much of this gets done and the multitude of abandonments we’ve had since it was written:
What NZTR said in 2021…
 Actions
“The NZTR Board has considered a report and recommendations from NZTR Management. One of the major issues identified in the report was the lack of a clear shared understanding between NZTR, the RIB and Clubs about each organisation’s respective responsibilities and accountabilities to prepare a track surface, and the consequences for those entities where non-compliance is identified.
“This is no longer acceptable and the NZTR Board has agreed to a suite of changes to the track preparation and management process so that it is clear what the obligations are and who is responsible for them.
“The agreed actions going forward are:
• NZTR to review and update the Track Preparation Policy and Abandonment protocols by the end of January 2022;
• NZTR to determine, in consultation with Clubs, an investment plan for track equipment and resources for the next three years by the end of March 2022;
• NZTR and NZSTI, in consultation with Clubs, fast track the implementation of and compliance with mytrackmanager.nz – an online portal for all clubs to regularly monitor track performance, build data comparisons, provide training tools and real time access to track maintenance planning by the end of June 2022;
• NZTR to implement a more robust compliance program for Clubs that do not adhere to track preparation procedures and annual maintenance plans, including consequences for non-compliance with policies and procedures, by February 2022;
• NZTR to investigate and arrange a whole-of-industry weather service, with decisions made by March 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with Clubs and RIB, to set a communication process to enhance the sharing of track surface information to all participants by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with clubs, to set a plan to ensure that track renovations are aligned with the annual race date allocation process by the end of February 2022;
• NZTR, in consultation with RIB and Clubs, to determine a process to manage queries/concerns from participants before and after each race meeting by the end of January 2022; and
• NZTR to implement a reporting and action framework for clubs to notify track performance issues during race meetings by the end of January 2022. “
Footnote:
Will the situation improve in the future? – doubtful. Will more NZTR-Stakeholders meetings be held to fix the problem? – bound to be, just as they have done in the past. It’s called Groundhog Day.
No one will get sacked, and NZTR still appears to be accountable to no one.
It’s simply a further reminder of Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

I was writing the same time as you posted Insider...but we seem to agree except I think Hayes will come down a week or two in advance, he will be mighty hard to beat.

Great to see Jamie getting a few winners these past few weeks, but geez the stress looks like its taking a toll on him...I wish him well for the rest of the season...I for one hope he smashes it there.