coro fan

Hunt Club hasn’t raced there for years........ 

Nine races at Omoto and only one two divi race. Compare that with Awapuni yesterday: eight races; two with six starters and one with seven. Two of those worth $30,000 and one worth $40,000. So $100,000 of industry funding for three races with a total of 19 horses. The entire nice race Omoto card receives $108,000 of industry funding. It wouldn't surprise me if the on course turnover at Omoto will be higher than Awapuni as well.
We perhaps need to rethink just where the inefficiencies and the waste is in this industry, and just who the parasites really are.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/118505389/crowds-enjoy-christmas-races-at-timarus-phar-lap-raceway

https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/118505389/crowds-enjoy-christmas-races-at-timarus-phar-lap-raceway

On ya Baz - I had $20 a place on Dr Hook.......  

Yes I realise numbers of horses, jockeys, owners are needed, but you aren’t going to get any if there are no races for them to run in.

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

Yes I realise numbers of horses, jockeys, owners are needed, but you aren’t going to get any if there are no races for them to run in.

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

The penny might have dropped that if jump racing goes in the SI, Riccarton stands a good chance of losing the GN meetings.........

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

I’m involved with a club in the SI that is more than happy to support running jumps meetings. Riverton was another one...... 

I get the impression the half-witted idea to have an all weather track in the South has been quietly forgotten. There is absolutely no need for it, with several tracks down there providing good going for most of the winter. We couldn't afford to race on one anyhow. If we can't afford to race at Waimate, which costs nothing for the industry to run, we could hardly afford to race on a multi million dollar all weather track.
Dozens of horses are eliminated in the South every week in $10,000 races. I can't see much point spending millions of dollars on an all weather track and then running $10,000 races, which would probably only start 12 horses, and then continuing to eliminate heaps of horses. The industry would be no further ahead; in fact millions of dollars down.

All I will say is why do we need an all weather track in the South Island when Oamaru can be still a Good 3 in July! Huge amount of rain but no biggie having to decide on 3 courses an hour or so either side of it (excluding Waimate which would have been a great option too - thanks Mr Messara!). An all weather joint is still gonna be soaked with the amount of rain that has fallen lately. Some of you lot think they come with a roof.

Why Wingatui less than 20 horses south of Oamaru, Bulk of horses Timaru and north of.
I would imagine Tyler at Oamaru, Blair Eadie at Waimate
should go to Ashburton or upgrade Timaru to feature day with rejigged programme IMO
Can't look back prefer to be positive and make sure  we still have feature meeting

Agree wholeheartedly.
To be fair to Ashburton, I was referring to the horse facilities which are awful.  The stand is actually quite acceptable.
The arrogance of our local administration is astounding with their assumption that Timaru stakeholders would meekly relocate to Ashburton when the track closures were implemented.
That of course was dependant upon the allweather track being installed at Riccarton,  which was supposed to uptake racing from the redundant courses. That looks less likely now.
My concern now ( one of the many) is that NZTR will carry on implementing track closures without the penny dropping that the remaining tracks cannot take any more racing.
To add to your thoughts, the facilities at Timaru, although dated, are excellent for horses and spectators alike and the track usually very fair.

If I remember correctly, that Ashburton public stand was one of the last industry funded developments in the SI, back in the 80s? I can't remember if it preceded or came after Omoto. I think the Riccarton flash stand came later: now of course the only Riccarton stand.
I actually think Timaru should be a very important course in the SI: something that the Messara people didn't seem to understand. It is very centrally located, invariably provides a good surface at any time of the year, and most importantly has room for expansion. I would love to see a Caloundra type development at Timaru. Any money allocated to the SI all-weather track should be spent to get Timaru upgraded.  They should also swap with Waikouaiti and race on New Years Day. I hardly bothered to read the rest of the Messara report after seeing them recommend Timaru go and Waikouaiti stay; showed how little they knew.

It's probably NZTR's way of making things difficult for Timaru as it is 'marked for closure'.    IMO if someone puts a match to Ashburton's facilities we will all be done a favour.
 

Jockeys are “given” $300 but as yet some haven’t received it from the start of the season.
I think more jumps races and at least one high weight each jumps day would be more incentive for jockeys. We have some loyal jockeys that come year in year out and it would be nice to increase that pool, if the jockeys come the horses will come and the fields will improve.
JumpsNZ used to have such a voice at this time of the year, encouraging owners, incentives (we even got a all expenses paid trip to Trentham with our horse one year), and open discussion on how to improve things. 
We hope that this can return.

So I have signed up to respond to this post, Hi everyone.
We (SI jumpers) have several challenges.
-suitable schooling venues
-suitable people to school especially in company
-zero and I mean zero jumping trials, point to points ect
-support for jockeys to come down
-struggle to get enough jockeys to ride the horses that want to start
-jumps meetings day after each other for NI and SI race meetings
-no maiden races to progress horses into open ranks
-numbers game
 
For is us our closest steeple schooling course is Riverton, some of the biggest fences in the county, next closest 3hr drive to Wingatui where it it often super wet so not ideal for horses starting out.
 
We have Stu Higgins down here who does a great job but trying to organise schooling several horses together is a nightmare to get everyone’s schedules to met up with the lack of jockeys, and trainers end up riding their horses
 
When we started having jumpers 12 odd years ago there was jumping trials held in Oamaru with professional jockeys an a heap of jumps trainers...Gerrard, Richards, Stalker, Thompson, Gordon/McKay...even Pitty had a couple.
 
Was talking to a jumps jockey yesterday, his boss actually charges him for days off to come to SI jumps meetings, comes for 2 rides, flights $500 plus....doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that it doesn’t pay for jockeys to come down.
 
There are horses that are waiting to get a start over jumps but just can’t get enough jockeys to come down especially when there is a meeting the next day up north for more $ usually and more rides. Owners get frustrated with the wait and paying more $ without a chance of running
 
With the first and usually only men field at National week unless you have an up and comer it’s hard to beat the open class horses with a bread and butter horse
 
We just don’t have the number of winter horses running around as the north island, with natural attrition of jumpers, retirement, fatal injuries and good ones heading to chase more cash we are never going to have the same size fields, but we have had some quality horses come out of the SI.
What we will be proposing for help at National week:
-Schooling Venue south of Wingatui for chases, with similar set up at Phar  Lap (12 hour return trip for us)
-Jump jockeys given “grants” to come South maybe once a month in summer months for schooling purposes 
- Incentives for airlines to subsides seats for jockeys 
-Southern Series jockey premiership with cash bonus for 1st, 2nd, 3rd
-pleading with bosses to allow staff (jumps jockeys) to come down
-don’t have race meetings same week or close together 
-hold mdn races 
 
These are just our thoughts with what we have struck and what we will be pushing to get help with.
 
 

It doesn’t help that whoever does the programming in the South won’t card high weights alongside what jumping races that are carded, I’m sure it would be easier to attract more riders if more high weights were carded - even if those riders are visiting North Islanders.
Remember when the ‘approved’ jumping venues were announced years ago? Timaru, Wingatui, Riverton Riccarton and Oamaru were the approved venues. 
Oamaru stopped running jumping races, not sure why, and Riccarton only hosts the Grand National meeting with no lead up jumps meetings. So a less races coupled with the uncertainty  of  being able to engage a jockey on race day leads to a reluctance from owners and trainers to school horses,. This in turn has lead to a lack of SI jumps jocks as well as horses.
I’m not sure on a way forward, but with Timaru and Riverton tagged for closure, that is two venues that will potentially be gone. Riccarton only hosts the GN meeting, so you are down to Wingatui and possibly Oamaru as venues.
Perhaps more jumps races should be carded in the SI, it might attract more owners and horses and hopefully jockeys - dreams are free   
 

A very good  question that perhaps RITA will address as it looks to reset the industry.
An area that has been neglected by NZTR.
I think that jumping is an integral part of racing and must continue.

I don't have the answers...but I do think the demise of highweights has some part to play.
I wouldn't have had my guy qualified if I wasn't very fortunate to have an English lad and former jump rider working for me.
Kevin Hughes sent his handy Speedy Jax to Aus recently, as be said, no riders, and the practice hurdles aren't even up and the first jumps race is in  a fortnight...
Canterbury is, these days, typically too hard to risk more than a quiet pop round for months...it's even on the hard side now with several weeks fine weather and hard frosts. The course proper is, of course, sodden...but that is of no use for schooling.
I don't see why the May meeting couldn't host hurdles at least, the Haast steeplechase used to kick of the season here in Canterbury, run over a modified course.
The biggest difficulty is definitely lack of riders.
 

There are a few trotters - not sure of numbers, and very few gallopers.
Stephen Blair-Eddie owns a property near the track and bases himself there in the winter. 

Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru is on the motor home/caravan overnight stay list. Self contained units are welcome for $5 a night. There are powerpoints and water available as well. Maximum stay of three nights, if there are races on then it is a bonus for those stopping there.