RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
halfmanhalfbiscuit

Closing down tracks

Recommended Posts

should be a good indicator for some racing club members that they should be the ones to decide, however reluctantly, to let go.

Perhaps the date allocations for this season may force this to happen sooner rather than later.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

should be a good indicator for some racing club members that they should be the ones to decide, however reluctantly, to let go.

Perhaps the date allocations for this season may force this to happen sooner rather than later.

if you leave it to clubs to do.. that is the problem.. they all think they should stay.. there are way too many. Decisions..tough decisions need to be made and yes some of the profitable ones need to go.For the good of the others, and the good of the industry.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So what are you suggesting Spartacus, keep open all the rundown sub standard facilities we call racecourses.... There are too many options for people to spend their gambling $$$$.... they want to do it in comfort. Back in the "good Old days" there were no Pokies, no Casinos, no sportsbet, No Betfair, no offshore betting, no internet betting, these are all things offering comfortable alternatives and until the people running our sport take the bull by the horns, make the tough decisions and shut down the old run down facilities and either upgrade the ones that survive or build new ones, racing is in my opinion in a slippery slope to nowhere.

Thats my humble opinion.

Well it's my humble opinion since I go to many country racecourses which are in no way run down that only a toffey nose would see them that way. They certainly don't cost much to run their meetings as almost all the labour and time put into running them is voluntary.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

if you leave it to clubs to do.. that is the problem.. they all think they should stay.. there are way too many. Decisions..tough decisions need to be made and yes some of the profitable ones need to go.For the good of the others, and the good of the industry.

I fear that you've been brainwashed into thinking those things.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There are too many tracks and the ones that are there are almost all in need of a make over, Trentham stables roofing is all but shot, how much would that cost to re roof that huge area, a wellknown told me that a lot of the buildings on a lot of the tracks are in the same sorry state.

But......... you all know what really has stuffed racing attendences..... its the drink driving thing!!!! people used to go to the races and have a ball and get horribly sloshed and totally enjoy themselves. The cost to drink and drive is too high so maybe more clubs or groups should get together and have a 'big day out' at the races with a Bus driver and then more on course and more enthusiasm for all ... more owners more revenue and so it grows

cheers

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So what is your suggestion on how to fix things.. rather than just criticize others opinions???

I think it's the opposite. The main tracks are top heavy in staff for starters. They are the ones being propped up.

Look I'm on the committee of a small club and our race course is right up to scratch. No buildings falling down like the brainwashed would have everyone believe. Plus we've got a tidy bank account. The only pressure we come under is from the powers that be wanting to close us down. Certainly not from holding race meetings or finances.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think it's the opposite. The main tracks are top heavy in staff for starters. They are the ones being propped up.

Look I'm on the committee of a small club and our race course is right up to scratch. No buildings falling down like the brainwashed would have everyone believe. Plus we've got a tidy bank account. The only pressure we come under is from the powers that be wanting to close us down. Certainly not from holding race meetings or finances.

That is all well and good, but do you have the population to get big crowds, or are you in a small town , and yes the big clubs may need to be trimmed of staff as well, bot for 3 mill plus people there are 5 times too many racetracks, and some must go.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That is all well and good, but do you have the population to get big crowds, or are you in a small town , and yes the big clubs may need to be trimmed of staff as well, bot for 3 mill plus people there are 5 times too many racetracks, and some must go.

Small town but I don't get your argument. If my club has a good track surface, good facilities and is very comfortable financially what's the problem?

Why try and close us down?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Spartacus, can your club race every 2 weeks with 8 races with stakes no less than $40-50k.

How can I be brainwashed? it doesn't make sense, so maybe you shouldn't use a term that you don't understand.

No one was asking to shut down every small town track, just that some need to make way to a couple of tracks that will take an emphasis on providing good racing week in week out.

2 race meetings are held every Saturday, so that provides continued options for great meetings at places like Te Aroha, Tauranga, Hastings, and elsewhere.

Central Districts seems ripe to be the 1st area to move, then others may follow. But South maybe need to get their heads together, but if we can get one are up and running.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Racing is struggling enough without weaning off the grass roots racing enthusiast. The people running racing just don't realise the importance of the grass roots folk.

Yes and nothing turns them more off than seing absurd salaries being raked off the top.

If these half or whole million dollar men were any good they would be in other endeavours and not trying to run a gambling joint and sucking well earned dollars from struggling families.

Racing does not have to rely soley on the gambling dollar and certainly not on leaches and parasites.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think it's the opposite. The main tracks are top heavy in staff for starters. They are the ones being propped up.

Look I'm on the committee of a small club and our race course is right up to scratch. No buildings falling down like the brainwashed would have everyone believe. Plus we've got a tidy bank account. The only pressure we come under is from the powers that be wanting to close us down. Certainly not from holding race meetings or finances.

These close em down merchants have not done the numders or do they understand the unique way racing works in NZ, if people cannot have a direct input into there chosen club they just walk away and do somthing else , within 2 generations there will be no people the slightest bit interested in any form of racing, the problem IS NOT TO MANY CLUBS it is to much of the avalible stake money going into to few races and shocking waste at the top. Until spending is controled at the top bottem end stakes rise , tracks are prepared and drained properly there will be no future for big or small tracks in NewZealand.

WE ARE NOT AUSTRALIA think SMALL not BIG Rob Muldoon has gone.:tongue:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Spartacus, can your club race every 2 weeks with 8 races with stakes no less than $40-50k.

How can I be brainwashed? it doesn't make sense, so maybe you shouldn't use a term that you don't understand.

No one was asking to shut down every small town track, just that some need to make way to a couple of tracks that will take an emphasis on providing good racing week in week out.

2 race meetings are held every Saturday, so that provides continued options for great meetings at places like Te Aroha, Tauranga, Hastings, and elsewhere.

Central Districts seems ripe to be the 1st area to move, then others may follow. But South maybe need to get their heads together, but if we can get one are up and running.

Have you seen the list of South Island tracks they want to close? It's most of them.

I'll ask this again. Why should smaller clubs who have good facilities and tracks and good finances have to close down? It can only be because they think it will make things better for the big boys.

Another question. How many more race meetings can Ellerslie and Riccarton handle per year? Their tracks I mean.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

These close em down merchants have not done the numders or do they understand the unique way racing works in NZ, if people cannot have a direct input into there chosen club they just walk away and do somthing else , within 2 generations there will be no people the slightest bit interested in any form of racing, the problem IS NOT TO MANY CLUBS it is to much of the avalible stake money going into to few races and shocking waste at the top. Until spending is controled at the top bottem end stakes rise , tracks are prepared and drained properly there will be no future for big or small tracks in NewZealand.

WE ARE NOT AUSTRALIA think SMALL not BIG Rob Muldoon has gone.:tongue:

:beer: a fair 'essence' in your nutshelling Geoff ;)

.."the unique way racing works in N.Z.," has another binary factoring affecting the imPortant 'theory commodity'..the:flower:Horse

..and closing the vital variety offered by the alluvial range we have., topographically Blessed, not handicapped by it., it's a subtle but absolutely vital "cog" in a 'gear-train' of perpetually reticulating commerce., 'commerce' with the dual planes or planks to it., the 'people~side'...and the 'athletic~development' side., and this latter mentioned...cannot "feed" or deliver the credibility and or quality...to the theoretical Onforth system foreseen by the theorypeople., right Thereabouts,..is where the whole theory's system cycle breaks down., . .with all lobbyists and theorypeople 'walked well away' from the stalemated 'crash'.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good on you Spartacus, stick to your guns. If clubs like yours are paying their way and not acting as a drain on the rest of racing, from a financial and resource point of view, then what is the problem.

You actually help provide a service by offering training facilities and a feeder to the larger clubs of promising younger horses that have had a chance to have a run or two and prove themselves in lesser company.

Geoff, we are not Australia, but we are of similar culture and Australia is one of the most successful racing countries on the planet. Surely a close, hard look at why they are doing and have done so well would not go amiss, instead of trying to re-invent the wheel.

I looked up a few key points about racing in Aus.

They are the third most popular spectator sport behind AFL and Rugby League.

NSW with a population of 7-8 mil has 57 country tracks and 4 Metro tracks.

Excellent Alan :)

..the most crucial 'mention' you make...is that of and Use of..the word "feeder".

..the summary description you write, Also helps to show the sacrosanctity of this 'cog'., ...but the key is having enough variety of alluvial displacements Available [dates'n'venues]..so that a trainer ushering the owner's investment, can have every opportunity to Place the athlete in an astute biorythmic programme of "gatherings"...so as to let or allow an athlete to lift it's self 'into the next level'....whatever That may be., from maidens onforth through the interim that's absolutely Vital to the kindlymost maximised attainments by and of the horse's career et al.

This underpins the breeding industry., and therefore provides the 'logarithmic' temper of certainty to the Sales side of the industry's interactions., those interactions or commerces are substantial vital proportions of financial reticulations Too.,...and henceforth, 'the machine' runs sustainabley.

All-Weather's are Out here!, our U.V. reality cerTains that.

..a Strathayre inside Riccarton., installed simultaneous to "Riccarton" being redone Properly, is the Decade~way forth., and the inconvenienced populous 'leans-on' and adapts to using Rangiora, and then the obvious regional feeders in the southeastern peripheries of Riccarton etc.[while undertaken and comissioned]

..the assembled and still Growing, bulbous bloat of bureaucratic towers as an empire, will be given the 'Jericho' treatment...or correctly and suitabley Is at the moment being!..with wise truthes observing a realistic $800K per month 'freed~up' for the Stakes~lattice..And!..a portion enough to've funded the alluvial upgrades...and the upkeep of them as well as the parallels for 'the people facilities'...would be apportioned., say $200K of the Eight for 'argument's sakes'

...these towers have exspoused the need and "big benefit" of making the bureucracy efficient., indeed the savings were one of the main selling points recently heard of their speils., and oh how correct they are., we will leave entrailed from the disassembley of these oligarchial bulbous burgeons, a 'skeletal' computor~smart bureacracy..of people sought for their charter integrity.,...behoven To it.,...unlike's currently the philander. :n:

..the future is a two-tiered..'sovereignly designed' OneRACE., the tiers are that two clientel 'turnstiles' or emporiums operate as adjacent parallels[but symbiotic to 'the coffers' of course]...and they are the two separate television apetures., one purely for and of the thoroughbred, ...the other is for the gaiters'n'hounds . .and the correct amount of space that then gives those disciplines[by having sufficient 'spacials']...sees them allowed to fullymost thrive of themselves...as they must anyhow., this thereby gives them the Actual chance of attaining this., not the disappointment of believing the sales-spin, then embarking on considerable endevour to Do so., Only to find out it 'wasn't good enough' to the extent one or both fail., or one gets 'failed out' if you will etc.

...because you could be damned sure it wouldn't be thoroughbreds that 'ran third' in the foreseen OneRACE ' "gambledom" ' of commerce....Hhmm.,

..it's Far~best for them-both, and then thoroughbred-core folk, can jurisdict AUSTRALISley...with time vectored interceede from other global village locales . . .as 'time~spots' to Us in our grenwich mean-timed longitude., . .that's a 24/7 cake baked..and ongoingly bakin' beaut taah :|

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have you seen the list of South Island tracks they want to close? It's most of them.

I'll ask this again. Why should smaller clubs who have good facilities and tracks and good finances have to close down? It can only be because they think it will make things better for the big boys.

Another question. How many more race meetings can Ellerslie and Riccarton handle per year? Their tracks I mean.

It depends what you mean by "good facilities". I would say Most racecourses in NZ have sub standard facilities. If you want to attract new people to Racing you have to supply what they demand and that is quality Everything.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think you are getting a bit sidetracked focussing on the small clubs. The underperformers in NZ racing have always been the major clubs.

Close down Kumara, so what, who cares, who notices. Bit naive to think all those patrons will suddenly all rush to Riccarton instead though.

Get the major clubs/tracks performing and things might improve.

And I saw someone somewhere suggest that since Melbourne only had four tracks and it had the same population as NZ then NZ had too many tracks with 50 odd.

Its overpowering logic like that that's got us into this mess.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It depends what you mean by "good facilities". I would say Most racecourses in NZ have sub standard facilities. If you want to attract new people to Racing you have to supply what they demand and that is quality Everything.

This point makes me think of a relevant one to yours.

Over the full history of racing in NZ without a doubt and most will agree that most people introduced to racing were introduced by racing participants who were already race goers whether trainers owners or punters. Yes I accept like most will agree that things have changed and I blame it on television more than anything but lets not forget that driving away the back bone rural racing person from the industry will have a huge negative bearing on the future. You're dreaming if you think that catering to the young people only will sustain racing in the future.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think you are getting a bit sidetracked focussing on the small clubs. The underperformers in NZ racing have always been the major clubs.

Close down Kumara, so what, who cares, who notices. Bit naive to think all those patrons will suddenly all rush to Riccarton instead though.

Get the major clubs/tracks performing and things might improve.

And I saw someone somewhere suggest that since Melbourne only had four tracks and it had the same population as NZ then NZ had too many tracks with 50 odd.

Its overpowering logic like that that's got us into this mess.

I think that the major tracks have too many meetings per year and actually flood the industry. Keep the country racing and have less meetings in town and go for more quality racing rather than quantity. Stakes would be higher for starters.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good on you Spartacus, stick to your guns. If clubs like yours are paying their way and not acting as a drain on the rest of racing, from a financial and resource point of view, then what is the problem.

You actually help provide a service by offering training facilities and a feeder to the larger clubs of promising younger horses that have had a chance to have a run or two and prove themselves in lesser company.

Geoff, we are not Australia, but we are of similar culture and Australia is one of the most successful racing countries on the planet. Surely a close, hard look at why they are doing and have done so well would not go amiss, instead of trying to re-invent the wheel.

I looked up a few key points about racing in Aus.

They are the third most popular spectator sport behind AFL and Rugby League.

NSW with a population of 7-8 mil has 57 country tracks and 4 Metro tracks.

Ye Hesi I think its out sparse population and difficult distance"s between towns especaily in the South that makes us different to Auss. My father had a taxi bussiness in Reefton in the 50's and use to regulaly take punters to Riccerton & Addington all the way from the Coast, people just dont have the time money or will to do that any more so we need tracks in these places.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Maybe people will not drive from the coast for a normal meeting nowadays.But the concept of feeder clubs whilst retaining the metropolitan tracks for the big meetings makes sense, as Cup week in Canterbury shows.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This point makes me think of a relevant one to yours.

Over the full history of racing in NZ without a doubt and most will agree that most people introduced to racing were introduced by racing participants who were already race goers whether trainers owners or punters. Yes I accept like most will agree that things have changed and I blame it on television more than anything but lets not forget that driving away the back bone rural racing person from the industry will have a huge negative bearing on the future. You're dreaming if you think that catering to the young people only will sustain racing in the future.

Sparticus,

You would not be driving rural NZ away from racing by trying to also attract New patrons. The fact is, rural NZ have to travel to Concerts ,Rugby/League,etc.etc. anyway, racing is no different.

People even travel to Aus. for weekend shopping.

Being Rural is a choice thats life.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Duhhh, had a ton of coal fall on your nut have you?.

We now have Trackside, we don't need tracks in every town any more, you, and all your mates can just toddle along to the local pisser and watch Trackside.

That's why your taxi driver doesn't get to drive punters 500 miles to go racing, because racing comes to you, even you.

You do have TV in Reefton don't you?

whats with the aggressive attitude? Oh that's right you can play with your toys how you like;)

Who wants to watch all their racing on TV?

We do need a state of the art track but need grass roots people and tracks to support it.

NZ has a fantastic racing history full of interesting characters and families.

Following an Asian model of racing that will be lost has to much of a sameness for my liking.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I would rather go from Chch to Reefton for a fun and casual day out than go from Reefton to Chch for a day at the races.

Reefton, or Kumara, or Westport, or Greymouth, or Oamaru, or Timaru, or Rangiora, or Motukarara. But we don't need them all surely!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You would not be driving rural NZ away from racing by trying to also attract New patrons. The fact is, rural NZ have to travel to Concerts ,Rugby/League,etc.etc. anyway, racing is no different.

People even travel to Aus. for weekend shopping.

Being Rural is a choice thats life.

Very well put, I'm impressed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.