You Can't Handle The Truth

[CeeMeNow 371]

GBR/Stakes %  latest figures for Clubs with 6 or more meetings;

Auckland T C        GBR/ Stakes   46.9%      GBR/T/O  16.1%            Stakes $4,251,384               GBR $1,995,287        -$2,256,097

Invercargill                                      73.3%                        16.8%

Manawatu                                      69.4%                         16.4%

NZ Met T C                                     61.9%                         18.8%           Stakes $9,470,737                GBR $5,865,643       -$3,605,094

Waikato B O P                               100%                           18.2%

Winton                                            118.5%                        22.4%

Clubs with good GBR/Stakes ratio's, but less than 6 meetings to date, include;

Ashburton 110%,  Banks Peninsular  120%,  Forbury Park  151%,  Geraldine  123%,  Kaikoura  134%,  Kurow  136%,  METHVEN  223%,  Northern Southland  129%,  Oamaru  119%,  Timaru  115%,  Tuapeka  163%,  Westport  140%,  Winton  118%, & Wyndham 151%

[CeeMeNow 371]

While HRNZ, and it's CEO, continue to make positive comments on Turnovers and the way the season is progressing, they are misrepresenting the facts, the higher Stakes at our 2 Premier tracks are simply leading to higher loss's. Last season, with about 2 weeks left of July, the figures based on Stakes to GBR were;

ATC         -$2,831,971        ADD    -$1,778,065

Now, after only 5 months;

ATC       -$2,256,097          ADD   -$3,605,094

The higher Stakes and more meetings are not generating T/O or GBR to pay for themselves, they are not sustainable, the higher they go the more they fall when the Entain subsidization ends.

[Nelli 551]

Like any business, I assume HRNZ and Entain look at the  overall bottom line for harness racing, not club by club.  For instance, Auckland and Cambridge mostly service one pool of horses/trainers/owners and the high stakes at the former are balanced out by the low stakes at the latter. That's not to say I don't think there could be a little more equitable stake distribution. But as the Next Gen scheme shows, HRNZ and Entain have identified what they think is important to ensure our industry future (new owners, supporting new trainers and sires, and more 2yos racing). I don't agree myself with the amount of money going to those fortunate to have a precocious juvenile. But we seem to follow the US in this, not the Europeans/Scandinavians.

[JJ Flash 2,622]

CMN it will be interesting to see how Omakau numbers stack up given they had a massive crowd on course

[CeeMeNow 371]

I did not see any races live from Omakau, the replays do not give an indication of the crowd like they do at Motukarara.

Banks Peninsular  29/12/23   T/O  $1.854m    GBR $271k    GBR/TO   14.6%

Central Otago          2/1/24               $1.396m             $299k                     21.4%

Banks Peninsular  29/12/24            $1.572m             $304k                     19.3%

The Central Otago population increases massively over the holiday period, and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Canterbury, but maybe the weather might have dampened the turnover on the last couple of races.

[JJ Flash 2,622]

2 hours ago, CeeMeNow said:

I did not see any races live from Omakau, the replays do not give an indication of the crowd like they do at Motukarara.

Banks Peninsular  29/12/23   T/O  $1.854m    GBR $271k    GBR/TO   14.6%

Central Otago          2/1/24               $1.396m             $299k                     21.4%

Banks Peninsular  29/12/24            $1.572m             $304k                     19.3%

The Central Otago population increases massively over the holiday period, and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Canterbury, but maybe the weather might have dampened the turnover on the last couple of races.

With revenue of 299K and stakes of 182K it was a win for a change

[CeeMeNow 371]

Those Central Otago figures are for last years meeting, which incidentally had Stakes of $165k, and Funding of $222k, which is still less than GBR of $299k, it was an extremely good result considering that favorites won 64% of the races.

I don't have the information for last weeks meeting. 

[Nelli 551]

8 hours ago, CeeMeNow said:

I did not see any races live from Omakau, the replays do not give an indication of the crowd like they do at Motukarara.

Banks Peninsular  29/12/23   T/O  $1.854m    GBR $271k    GBR/TO   14.6%

Central Otago          2/1/24               $1.396m             $299k                     21.4%

Banks Peninsular  29/12/24            $1.572m             $304k                     19.3%

The Central Otago population increases massively over the holiday period, and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Canterbury, but maybe the weather might have dampened the turnover on the last couple of races.

The crowd at Omakau looked fantastic and the video I saw on the Harness racing enthusiasts Facebook page showed lots of people having a good time, long lines at the totes and plenty of family entertainments. The meeting has obviously become an annual fixture for holiday makers and locals and congrats must go to the club and all their volunteers. It is those sorts of meetings that give harness racing our "license to operate" and not go the way of the dogs.

[We're Doomed 5,908]

4 minutes ago, Nelli said:

The crowd at Omakau looked fantastic and the video I saw on the Harness racing enthusiasts Facebook page showed lots of people having a good time, long lines at the totes and plenty of family entertainments. The meeting has obviously become an annual fixture for holiday makers and locals and congrats must go to the club and all their volunteers. It is those sorts of meetings that give harness racing our "license to operate" and not go the way of the dogs.

Looked like a big crowd at Cromwell today as well. You do wonder why the gallops decided to dump Omakau.

[CeeMeNow 371]

"It seems a lifetime ago, but the IRT NZ Cup week was a massive success,  Cup day T/O $7.2m ( up from $6.8m 2023)" including the Dominion Trot,    CEO  December

This statement is not true, or if it is true, then the figures given in the raceday performance report are not!

Cup Day 2024  Turnover $6,912m             Funding $2,074m        GBR $1,311m         =  -$743k

Cup Day 2023  Turnover $6,945m                             $1,308m                $1,648m        =  +$340k

Show Day '24   Turnover $4,240m                             $1,337m                $1,439m        =  +$102k

Show Day '23   Turnover $923k                                  $917k                     $863k           =   -$54k

'

[CeeMeNow 371]

2 hours ago, CeeMeNow said:

"It seems a lifetime ago, but the IRT NZ Cup week was a massive success,  Cup day T/O $7.2m ( up from $6.8m 2023)" including the Dominion Trot,    CEO  December

This statement is not true, or if it is true, then the figures given in the raceday performance report are not!

Cup Day 2024  Turnover $6,912m             Funding $2,074m        GBR $1,311m         =  -$743k

Cup Day 2023  Turnover $6,945m                             $1,308m                $1,648m        =  +$340k

Show Day '24   Turnover $4,240m                             $1,337m                $1,439m        =  +$102k

Show Day '23   Turnover $3,383m                              $917k                     $863k           =   -$54k

'

Oops!    $923k for Show Day 2023 T/O was actually the Stakes, should be;

Show Day '23 Turnover $3.388m, corrected now!

[JJ Flash 2,622]

On 1/6/2025 at 5:45 PM, CeeMeNow said:

I don't have the information for last weeks meeting. 

Should make for interesting reading

[CeeMeNow 371]

On 1/6/2025 at 10:03 AM, CeeMeNow said:

I did not see any races live from Omakau, the replays do not give an indication of the crowd like they do at Motukarara.

Banks Peninsular  29/12/23   T/O  $1.854m    GBR $271k    GBR/TO   14.6%

Central Otago          2/1/24               $1.396m             $299k                     21.4%

Banks Peninsular  29/12/24            $1.572m             $304k                     19.3%

The Central Otago population increases massively over the holiday period, and I wouldn't be surprised if they beat Canterbury, but maybe the weather might have dampened the turnover on the last couple of races.

I see that HRNZ have released the Omakau Turnover figure for 2025 @ $1.43m, that is only slightly up compared to last year.

They have also altered the Banks Peninsular figure to $1.62m, up from the previously reported $1.57m.

The Omakau turnover is of course meaningless, without the GBR percentage.

 

[CeeMeNow 371]

HRNZ and the ATC were high fiven each other, and breaking out the champagne over the increase in Turnover for their new years eve meeting last year, well the additional information needed to judge the performance in now available;

           Races/Starters   Stakes     T/O         Funding      GBR

'23           8   -   69          $233k        $823k      $260k       $138k          LOSS  $122k                        average starters  8.6        favorite win   50%    GBR/Stake  59.4%

'24          10  -  86          $576k       $1.418m   $603k       $346k          LOSS  $257k                                                       8.6                                20%                         60.1%

[CeeMeNow 371]

On 1/4/2025 at 3:02 PM, CeeMeNow said:

The higher Stakes and more meetings are not generating T/O or GBR to pay for themselves, they are not sustainable, the higher they go the more they fall when the Entain subsidization ends.

Latest figures for the first half of the 24/25 season, compared to the prior season at the same time;

               Races     F/S     HRNZ Funded Stakes   GBR/Stake        GBR                    Funding                                                         GBR/Funding      GBR/Race

24/25    1385      9.79          $25,768,192                84%             $21,667,524         $26,841,323          LOSS  $5,173,799             80.7%             $15,644

23/24    1234     10.21         $20,514,269               105%           $21,562,013          $24,237,789         LOSS  $2,675,776              89%                $17,473

             +12.2%      -4%             +25.6%                    -21%                +0.5%                      +10.5%                  my figures                      -8.2%               -10.5%

[Ned Kelly 189]

The numbers don’t lie, those in charge at the ATC do but the numbers don’t. I’m not really surprised because there is plenty of brown noses out there but am amazed at the number of people that believe raising issues and those like CMN who produce the facts are somehow bringing harness racing into disrepute or being negative. As someone who attends Alexandra park every meeting and have done for years you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to see how far those in charge at both a local and national level have failed at everything they have done. 

[CeeMeNow 371]

Same figures but reported differently;

In the 6 month period HRNZ ran 151 more races, spent $5.254 million more on Stakes, generated $2.871 million more Turnover, but ended up only increasing GBR by $105k.

HRNZ still love me, sent me an email yesterday inviting me for FREE entry to Motukarara, soft drinks and barbecue in the NEXTGEN  tent, I am of course OldGen, it takes more than soft drinks to encourage me!

[CeeMeNow 371]

North v South of the South Island, first 6 months.

                       Races           FS               Stakes           GBR/Stake                T/O                   GBR                  Funding              GBR/Funding

North              434            8.4             $6.708m            66.4%                 $26.068m             $4.455m           $7.117m             62.6%

South              328           9.5              $4.332m            109.1%               $24.278m             $4.727m          $4.443m             106.4%

South of the Waitaki benefited from holiday racing, and leaves North Island dead in the water. 

 

[Pure Steel 1,926]

3 hours ago, CeeMeNow said:

South of the Waitaki benefited from holiday racing, and leaves North Island dead in the water. 

You accountant types are about as much fun as a fart in an elevator.

With the Allstars now shifting back North , (as Mark returns to his roots) the Northern scene will see some of Finest Horsemen On the Planet strutting their stuff.

So not only Barry and Scott with their phenomenal horses that earned awards like Merlin, Duchess Megxit and Meant To Be (amongst others) there will be Tony Herlihy , and now his brother-in law Mark and a whole troop of nice horses to engage in the North Island racing. 

If you Southerners weren't so BIASED , Nz harness would do a lot better. Shame you're too tight to get the Freebies in the NexGen tent. could help you loosen up a bit.

Get your bets on and enjoy the racing !! enough moaning like Myrtle 

[MisterEd 416]

19 minutes ago, Pure Steel said:

With the Allstars now shifting back North , (as Mark returns to his roots) the Northern scene will see some of Finest Horsemen On the Planet strutting their stuff.

Mmm I am not sure another heap of 1.30 winners appearing on an already unappealing betting landscape is going to turn too many punters on. Quite the opposite I would have thought.

[Idolmite 3,389]

6 minutes ago, MisterEd said:

Mmm I am not sure another heap of 1.30 winners appearing on an already unappealing betting landscape is going to turn too many punters on. Quite the opposite I would have thought.

Time will tell, but l can't imagine Mark's and Barry's horses being in different races very often, thus increasing the amount of $1.30 winners, but competing against each other thus increasing the numbers the competition and therefore the dividends. But we'll know for sure this time next year. 

[MisterEd 416]

Yes time will tell but a seven or eight horse field is not that attractive to me even if half them are Barrys and half them are Marks.

[Idolmite 3,389]

27 minutes ago, MisterEd said:

Yes time will tell but a seven or eight horse field is not that attractive to me even if half them are Barrys and half them are Marks.

I wouldn't be too keen either, but it'd still be better than just 4 of Barry's

[CeeMeNow 371]

1 hour ago, Pure Steel said:

You accountant types are about as much fun as a fart in an elevator.

With the Allstars now shifting back North , (as Mark returns to his roots) the Northern scene will see some of Finest Horsemen On the Planet strutting their stuff.

So not only Barry and Scott with their phenomenal horses that earned awards like Merlin, Duchess Megxit and Meant To Be (amongst others) there will be Tony Herlihy , and now his brother-in law Mark and a whole troop of nice horses to engage in the North Island racing. 

If you Southerners weren't so BIASED , Nz harness would do a lot better. Shame you're too tight to get the Freebies in the NexGen tent. could help you loosen up a bit.

Get your bets on and enjoy the racing !! enough moaning like Myrtle 

In the real world, somebody has to pay for the races you enjoy watching, spoiler alert, it is not the ATC or North Island clubs, for the moment it is Entain.

The North Island had the benefit of $2.376m more in Stakes than the Southern Clubs and $2.674m in Funding, yet the South managed to generate $272,000 more Gross Betting Revenue from a fraction of the population that the North has available.

[JJ Flash 2,622]

9 hours ago, CeeMeNow said:

In the real world, somebody has to pay for the races you enjoy watching, spoiler alert, it is not the ATC or North Island clubs, for the moment it is Entain.

The North Island had the benefit of $2.376m more in Stakes than the Southern Clubs and $2.674m in Funding, yet the South managed to generate $272,000 more Gross Betting Revenue from a fraction of the population that the North has available.

Nothing like some good old fashion facts to get in the way of PS's fiction. Once again well done CMN for providing the numbers that count