Death of the small clubs in the North

[Toblerone 242]

A rumour going around the traps at present that Morrinsville Trotting Club is being absorbed by Harness Racing Waikato. Be lucky if they keep their Te Aroha grass meeting and, if they do, it will be under the HRW banner and only for one more year.

Also heard Northland HRC have lost their grass (only) date, the Thames club is about to close down in the next 18 months after their 150th anniversary (to become a retirement village) and that HRW will probably can the Te Awamutu Grass meeting as well.

 

Factor in that Franklin lost their grass date and Kumeu's date at Avondale is likely to get canned too (worse, the club might fold after the ATC freeze out and loss of Lincoln Farms income), and it's a real concern for both the small clubs and the grass track circuit.

 

Very possible that by 2017 the only grass meeting north of Hawera could be Tauranga.
Sounds like it's the result of powerplay by HRW to poach more dates and run more meetings at Cambridge. Something to do with funding an costs.

 

Of course some of this might be Chinese whispers but I am certain the first paragraph is true.

[hsvman 294]

I guess the horses could go and boost Auckland pathetic fields but what's more likely To happen is those types of horses been sacked or giving away and the complete death of harness racing in the north becomes closer.

[Bruce J Hadley 15]

Even if we do lose the grass track meetings, I am sure that Cambridge would pick them up, and they cater to a similar calibre of horse. I know there are some that have horses that may be better suited to the grass, but the business economics behind this decision (if true) are pretty hard to argue against.

[tim vince 985]

hope kumeu don't go- I have noticed a bit of an upturn recently in numbers there and president roydon downey is a longtime kumeu boy with a  passion for the game and  for  kumeu .

 

so he will be trying hard not too let it happen.

[Toblerone 242]

I guess the rumours were true. Northland, Morrinsville, Avondale all gone in next season's dates. Kumeu being frozen out of Alexandra Park by ATC. Cambridge harvesting all the dates they can get their hands on.

 

What a disgrace this is.

[Johnevans 71]

Now can you imagine HRNZ trying to close down Methven and or Banks Peninsula clubs? No show in hell. So why haven't the northern trotting people kicked up enough to stop this from happening?

[thrillsnspills 36]

The same reason why the blues are no good, not playing as a team you get that in the big city. The problem we have is no one today wants to get there hands dirty not just our sport go to the malls and see how people spend there time they are to dam lazy to mow there own lawns ,A bad move was shifting the Auckland workouts from Saturday to Tuesday and who was paying the bills (the owners) they forgot about that didn't they now we are back at Saturday (thanks to some old hands) and where are the owners now they left never to return that was a smart move, and when all the big money was on offer  6 or 7 years ago went to the top and not filtered down to the battlers, Classic example is why are the trotters in the jewels paid less when its all a mobile and so what if you gonna take less intake from the tote,It takes the same money to feed a trotter as a pacer,an yea think STENT gonna get horse of the year YEA RIGHT see the problem of our sport we (or some) can't  see the wood for all the trees. Hell the slow ones are yelling out for a feed.

[rdytdy 5,343]

Correct Morrinsville has gone.

You may well be spot on the money with your following comments also Toblerone. The interesting comment that I heard this week is that Edward Rendall is against harness racing being held on thoroughbred racing tracks. ie There is a charge that is paid to the thoroughbred clubs and he doesn't like that money going to another code.

Only what I was told a few days ago.

How many grass tracks do harness clubs own in the North?

[Nslram 80]

Cambridge,Auckland and Manawatu are the only tracks in the North Island that are owned by the clubs and if Edward did say that I agree with him. The only way harness racing both North and South Island is going to survive is to centralise to trotting owned tracks which would save the industry millions. It's a game of survival now and clubs that can't run at a profit without been subsidised by the industry need to amalgamate and race at the clubs that own their tracks or die a slow death. And that doesn't mean so called grass track horses are finished. They simply race against each other on all weather tracks. Then we would just need to get rid of penalty free wins and the handicapping system would work a lot better!!

If ATC didn't have 3or4 trotting races a night we would be having 4race programmes because so many pacers can't compete against the penalty free winners

[eljay 1,720]

Kumeu raced at Auckland (which is same as centralisation) but they moved away because presumably it too expensive to race at Auckland.     So your argument (reasoning) Nslam a little flawed - or does it mean that in future Auckland will be making facilities track etc. available to clubs on a cost only basis rather than a cost plus basis.      If you advise that club is presently a cost only basis then this means your wish to centralise is doomed before it even starts.

[beef 74]

Thrillsnspills, unfortunately as I predicted some months ago, the Saturday workouts/trials will be moved to Pukekohe next year. No consideration of the owners once again. But it will keep one of the new directors happy.

[Nslram 80]

Eljay I don't know all the facts regarding ATC and Kumeu as a lot was before my time but my understanding is ATC provided all facilities for free to tenant clubs but it was decided it was necessary to charge a cost fee to all tenant clubs as ATC could not afford to keep subsidising these clubs. An offer was made to amalgamate tenant clubs with ATC but only Franklin saw any sense in this idea and they did so. No doubt someone will correct me if I don't have this 100% correct because as I said this was before my time. It does however seem to have been a good option for the industry if Kumeu had amalgamated but that's only my opinion

[Nslram 80]

Are you sure you arnt a director Beef because you know more than me!! And I know you will say that doesn't take much!

[beef 74]

Sorry Nslram I'm over qualified to be a director as I can both read and write and I know how to push a broom.

Secondly as far as Kumeu goes, and the ATC subsidising their meetings, don't forget the pokie money the ATC claimed for running such meetings. As you know some of us have been around here for a long time and know the history of the pokie money and the trouble clubs like Kumeu got it too, following the agenda of the ATC.

[rdytdy 5,343]

So, no grass racing and just the three tracks in the North island is what you are advocating Nslram?

I will admit I know very little about harness racing but from a personal preference I would much rather watch a harness race on grass than the all weather tracks like Auckland and Cambridge.

[Nslram 80]

It's not about what you would prefer its about what is viable!! I love grass track racing and when I was training it was great to take a team away for a 2 day grass track meeting but I realise in today's climate it's not economic for clubs

[rdytdy 5,343]

You didn't answer the question Nslram. Are you advocating just three tracks for harness racing in the North Island, Auckland, Cambridge and Palmerston North?

If so there will be no harness at Ruakaka, Thames, Te Aroha, Tauranga, Waipa, New Plymouth, Hawera, Wanganui, Otaki and Tauherenikau (have I missed any).

[Nslram 80]

I thought I did answer the question. I am advocating just 3 tracks in the North Island because that's all we have in the North a Island. We have to pay to use any other tracks.

[Johnevans 71]

I've attended race days at most of NZ's tracks, even some grass track meetings in the north and was pleasantly surprised at the crowd sizes at the grass meetings like Thames and Te Awamutu in the new year. Crowds I don't see at most Addington, Cambridge and Auckland meetings.

 

So there goes those people from the trotting game. Shift the grass track meetings to Cambridge and Auckland and you'll get the normal Cambridge and Auckland crowd which is pitiful.

 

Nice work centralising HRNZ. You're slowly no actually you're quickly killing the game. Still forgetting about the value of country racing.

 

NSLRAM I know of one South Island club that pays $6,000 to $9,000 rent per meeting to use the tracks they have used over the years. Hardly millions for renting of tracks. Gee what do they charge per meeting up north? And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying the land to race themselves.

 

Look folks the population of this country is rising quite fast from 3 million in the 70s to 4 1/2 million now 50% growth so why is trotting going backwards? HRNZ is narrowing the support base, closing up shop instead of working on why we can't turn the trends around even though NZ's population is growing.

 

Time for new blood before it's too late.

[Nslram 80]

That's right John $6,000 to $9,000 but that's just rental . Trackside charges very large amount to televise these meetings supposedly because of things like transport of equipment whereas at ATC Magnus supplies everything for trackside. Also clubs get no income from food and beverage on tracks that are rented. And all that money goes out of the industry. I know it will have a negative effect in many ways but centralisation is the only way I see Harness surviving. We need to do something

[eljay 1,720]

Centralisation takes the product away from the client who happens to live anywhere else but in the areas where the 3 tracks are - so the number of punters who use the TAB decreases I would have thought.     And by having no exposure in a particular area must have a ripple on effect with future gererations.     It is bad enough relying on TV to spread the word as we do todaybut who watches trackside unless they already a follower of the sport. anyway.   And by having to subscribe to the channel as with other Sky outlets, puts the channel out of reach for the casual surfer.    Before you ask me what I think is the answer let me say I'm buggered if I know but I am quite sure that centralisation is not the answer.

[Johnevans 71]

But if the clubs losing their rights to race ARE NOT broke who are HRNZ to tell them they are finished? My club is battling away but we're certainly NOT broke either. What right does HRNZ have to take our license away after many decades?

 

I agree Eljay. Centralisation is not the answer.

 

And truth be known look at the size of Auckland population yet very disappointing crowds every week. Look at Morrinsville (at Thames) big crowds that we will lose.

[Johnevans 71]

Sorry Morrinsville is at Te Aroha.

[tim vince 985]

if kumeu amalgamated with Auckland would the track stay?

[beef 74]

You know it wouldn't