Midget 4,489 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 We seem to be struggling to reach any consensus here. Maybe this is as good as it's ever going to get, racing is just fucked, it's a fading sport,a sunset industry and the only way toward profitability is to forget new products, but rather to focus on reducing operating costs. If that's the case where would you start reducing costs ? or maybe reorganizing the way we use our assets ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavetheShire 61 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 On 29/06/2016 at 1:51 PM, 2Admin2 said: I agree with what you are saying unfortunately with the last bit concerning summer - the muppets are reducing the number of permits in those summer areas!! I still think a contestable element should be introduced so that clubs can bid for permits and the composition of their cards. For example what if Riccarton came up with more sponsorship than Ellerslie for the NZ Derby? Why couldn't it be run Christchurch? Or why not rotate the Derby around based on the bids of clubs? I know that is an extreme example but it puts some responsibility back onto the clubs and could empower them. As it is at the moment they are hanging on for grim death to their assets and being manipulated by muppet management at NZTR. I have toyed with proposals where clubs would have lots of freedom to set their race dates and have a structure where they bid and pay for which coverage criteria they are provided by Trackside, but it would probably need to come under a very different funding model and which also includes paying directly for the services they get provided. We all know that the situation with all the tracks needs to change, but nothing seems possible with all the self-interest involved, so maybe the only solution is putting them under a model which forces them to compete and evolve, and part of that would be a contestable element where they bid for permits and the composition of the cards. Huey and Leggy 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley 1,900 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 a considerable down sizing of the corporate suits 7 minutes ago, Midget said: We seem to be struggling to reach any consensus here. Maybe this is as good as it's ever going to get, racing is just fucked, it's a fading sport,a sunset industry and the only way toward profitability is to forget new products, but rather to focus on reducing operating costs. If that's the case where would you start reducing costs ? or maybe reorganizing the way we use our assets ? my views on downsizing the 'suits' are well known by now..we're way too top heavy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavetheShire 61 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 8 minutes ago, Midget said: We seem to be struggling to reach any consensus here. Maybe this is as good as it's ever going to get, racing is just fucked, it's a fading sport,a sunset industry and the only way toward profitability is to forget new products, but rather to focus on reducing operating costs. If that's the case where would you start reducing costs ? or maybe reorganizing the way we use our assets ? I don't necessarily agree that it is a sunset industry, under what is going to happen to society in the next 20 years, where A.I. is going to wipe out so many jobs or a large component of the work done in these jobs. Unemployment will be going to 30% and beyond, or with a 3 day work week, then there will be lots of recreation opportunities; if racing can evolve and position itself, then it should continue, as a real blood and glory heritage past time; or then again, maybe our future is the land of blue lotus eaters and virtual reality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bimbo 732 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 41 minutes ago, the shue25 said: Toowoomba race nearly every saturday night ,and population is about 75,000 people. Fair point, but you have Brisbane only about 100 km away and there are over two million people there. Australians gamble way more than New Zealanders and there are more of them. I don't think a return to night racing would be a success. We just don't have the punters required to make it work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 Scary reading that !! Travel 3 million !!!! Other expenses 4.3 million !! WTF is "other"? And of most concern to me, the seven board members get a miserly $55,000 each, and oddly enough that's about what the Trainers Assn pay their part time secretary......not sure if we need better board members than those you get for $55k because surely being a board member of the NZRB is far more important than a 10 hour a week secretarial job at the Trainers Assn.....what's the old adage about paying peanuts and getting monkeys ?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 How does the ratio of operating costs v. profits compare to say Western Australia which is said to have a similar model, or even Galop France ? That'd tell a story wouldn't it ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashoka 1,179 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 Bimbo... I attended a night meeting at Avondale, making a trip up from Wellington just to see what it was like. I enjoyed the experience and certainly felt that what was being offered could work. I note that there is no answer forthcoming as to what support the Club had from those who are supposed to run our industry in an effective manner. The lack of an answer is the answer. All the best. Ashoka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy 4,007 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 20 minutes ago, hesi said: It's about 55% of the total that is costs to run NZTR(7.8 mil) And that's after they've shed the integrity costs which are now an above the line NZRB expense. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puha 2,177 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 On 30 June 2016 at 7:42 PM, Leggy said: Quite agree Hesi. There might be a way this could work, but there's a number of rather tall hurdles to overcome and you have highlighted one. Another is that Lotto draws are successfully delivered in the evening after 8pm, not on weekdays when most people are working and kids are at school, or on Saturday afternoon when folk are busy playing sport, or watching kids play sport, or gardening, doing DIY projects etc. I think the Avondale lights were last seen in Levin but lord knows where they are now. Another is that it is pointless selling such a bet in TABs - the general non-punting public don't go there; or on the TAB website - they don't go there either. If you can overcome those issues it might work. You could overcome the time issue by running it on a trotting race at that 8 pm time slot? But the major hurdle there is Integrity v thieves on wheels . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy 4,007 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 31 minutes ago, puha said: You could overcome the time issue by running it on a trotting race at that 8 pm time slot? But the major hurdle there is Integrity v thieves on wheels . I think that's the obvious solution to that part of the problem. The races are already there in the time-frame. Why they didn't do that with triple trio I don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berri 2,131 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 10 hours ago, Leggy said: I think that's the obvious solution to that part of the problem. The races are already there in the time-frame. Why they didn't do that with triple trio I don't know. Triple Trio won't get you the aspirational life changing bet. Odds are to cramped in NZ stats and you've got to remember that although the average prize pool is $9,673,000, that's for a $10 ticket. What no-one on this site seem to realise is that this bet is used as an arbitrage tool in HK and the reason it gets large is the sheer volume of betting in the pools. In NZ it was promoted as an aspirational and this was never going to work as for a $2 bet the punter is looking for a chance at a $2m prize - in the TT in NZ the odds are 1 in 148k bloke 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen 3,226 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 there appears to be a bit of excitement this week with lotto powerball reaching $30mill and associated advertising to go with it. Crickey trackside presenters nearly wet themselves when there is a $10,000 carry over! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...