RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
Guest 2Admin2

Foxton Race Course Meeting to Determine if Racing Returns

Recommended Posts

Guest 2Admin2

The Foxton Racecourse is holding a open meeting Friday night at 5.30 pm all are welcome to attend. 

The main agenda item is to determine if there is enough support to try and restart Tote racing on the Foxton track.

It would be a loss to see this good track surface lost to the racing industry.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We would be most interested to see a copy of the certificate of title & associated documents relating to Foxton Racecourse, along with all the other racecourses, past n present throughout NZ.

 

 

To the best of our knowledge the land was gifted to the general public exclusively for racing n recreational use.

Perhaps all the clubs could place a copy of those deeds on there websites so all the public can see the history relating to the different courses n who kindly gifted it for our enjoyment.

We say yes,bring back racing to Foxton.

Rural regions need to be kept alive with the racing industry or we will lose it for life.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not much as I understand Ted. It was the annual public meeting of the Manawatu Racecourse Trust as required under the Act for them to present accounts to the public. Reportedly, about ten people there with some additional discussion around progress of the facility.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 15 July 2016 at 10:11 AM, 2Admin2 said:

The Foxton Racecourse is holding a open meeting Friday night at 5.30 pm all are welcome to attend. 

The main agenda item is to determine if there is enough support to try and restart Tote racing on the Foxton track.

It would be a loss to see this good track surface lost to the racing industry.

 

You have to be joking!!  Get rid of sentiment and start thinking of what's best for the survival of the industry.  A horse of mine won once at Foxton - nice memories but that's all it is.  The days of sustaining tracks at Marton, Bulls, Foxton, Levin, Otaki, Trentham not to mention those in the Wairarapa and Manawatu's need to be consigned to history.  There isn't the money and aren't the horses to justify every town having their own race course.  Focus on some strategically located, well appointed regional tracks and shut down the rest.      

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Timon said:

You have to be joking!!  Get rid of sentiment and start thinking of what's best for the survival of the industry.  A horse of mine won once at Foxton - nice memories but that's all it is.  The days of sustaining tracks at Marton, Bulls, Foxton, Levin, Otaki, Trentham not to mention those in the Wairarapa and Manawatu's need to be consigned to history.  There isn't the money and aren't the horses to justify every town having their own race course.  Focus on some strategically located, well appointed regional tracks and shut down the rest.      

So we're the bloody hell are they going to race in the CD?

Wanganui and Hastings?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Insider said:

So we're the bloody hell are they going to race in the CD?

Wanganui and Hastings?

:D   don't forget Woodville and Tauherenikau... don't think Timon wrote those off ;)   I think Marton and Bulls... are long gone... 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Chestnut said:

:D   don't forget Woodville and Tauherenikau... don't think Timon wrote those off ;)   I think Marton and Bulls... are long gone... 

 

 

Based on his (Tomon's) broad brush approach I presumed that he was including Tauherenikau and even possibly Woodville under Wairarapa. 

Obviously I am very wrong and Timon is suggesting that Woodville is the "chosen" place!

It does have it central position in its favour, but not much else!

Chestnut and Napier, do you think that Timon is on the right track?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Timon said:

You have to be joking!!  Get rid of sentiment and start thinking of what's best for the survival of the industry.  A horse of mine won once at Foxton - nice memories but that's all it is.  The days of sustaining tracks at Marton, Bulls, Foxton, Levin, Otaki, Trentham not to mention those in the Wairarapa and Manawatu's need to be consigned to history.  There isn't the money and aren't the horses to justify every town having their own race course.  Focus on some strategically located, well appointed regional tracks and shut down the rest.      

If a club like Foxton can sustain itself (which it will largely have to under this regime) what business is it of anyone's whether they stay open as a racing or training centre? 

I'm always perplexed as to how the centralisation crowd think the horses in training at these venues will just move somewhere else to train, most of them won't they will pull out of the game altogether. It's critical these smaller venues are at the very least given a fair chance of survival for without them the sport in this country is absolutely knackered! 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

what we all have to remember is that New Zealand racecourses were built/constructed ( whatever term you wish to use ) when there were courses at many venues, some of which are in close proximity ie: Otaki, Levin and Foxton. With this in mind they were not constructed to be raced on every second week. Closing venues forces racing far more frequently on some tracks and they simply cannot take it. Now as most know Awapuni is stuffed. Centralisation will only work if a new racecourse is purposely built and I doubt NZ racing has the funds for that.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Isn't the key factor the complexion of the material below the surface?

I think we all know clay type soils hold water but turn to bog, whereas black sand based soils compact with moisture.

God or nature gave us options to work with of course, beautiful coastal sand from Levin to Marton, or mud and bog at you know where.

The real tragedy here ( if it's true as I'd being reported ) is that Awapuni is likely to get an AW track at say 6 million minimum, but it almost certainly won't work for two reasons, the underlying drainage issue ( similar to Counties ) and the fact NZTR is involved and they don't have the expertise, hence they're still looking at wax based options that don't work long term.

Meantime Foxton, which is arguably a very good winter surface, is apparently  being marginalised. Odd really, but then again maybe it's not odd given that the NZTR board is independent, hence they mostly have no real hands on knowledge of horses, racing & tracks ( breeding doesn't count ) and they invest their faith and trust in blokes with even less knowledge.

I see another great big F coming up here, at considerable cost too I might add, in dollars and resources.

When will we ever learn ??

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Insider said:

Based on his (Tomon's) broad brush approach I presumed that he was including Tauherenikau and even possibly Woodville under Wairarapa. 

Obviously I am very wrong and Timon is suggesting that Woodville is the "chosen" place!

It does have it central position in its favour, but not much else!

Chestnut and Napier, do you think that Timon is on the right track?

Not sure it's a broad brush Insider. Writing has been on the wall to "centralise" for some time. That seems to be regardless of track quality. Takes horse numbers to run a centre plus the NZRB are gradually reducing racing days so once lost they're almost impossible to get back. Gotta feel for them though.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Umm.....look at Counties....those who know what they're talking about have been screaming that no more money should be spent on that mud hole masquerading as a swamp, mixed with a duck pond, for years, but firstly Ellerslie, then NZTR, have ploughed the equivalent of the national debt of Bolivia into the shit hole, with the same result every time.....just another unusable and unsafe mud bath.

I remind you that Awapuni has already spent a fortune on sand slitting etc....and it's been a complete failure.

That land is swamp, it's surrounded by a fetid rubbish dump,( appropriate ? ) and the Mangaone stream that forms a boundary is flood zoned as it's so low lying, hence they had food related issues when they did that big subdivision a few years ago.

They might get it right with an AW track, but it's far more likely they won't, whereas any investment in Foxton, or similar sand based tracks, is absolutely guaranteed to provide a great winter racing surface, and a good safe summer track, because that type of sand becomes more even with water, but doesn't bake hard in the dry weather, so it's a win win all year, for punters, aesthetics, and for horse safety and welfare.

Check out a place called Ruakaka, it's great in winter and if it was in the Waikato it'd be great in summer too.

If you think about it the similarities between Ruakaka and Foxton v. Awapuni and Counties are remarkable, and the lessons should be learnt from history when considering this exercise.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Timon said:

  Focus on some strategically located, well appointed regional tracks and shut down the rest.      

Pretty sure that's what some of us are considering, trying to do, and what this thread was about Timon.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Waverley is a classic example of a club and course that survives and thrives. I think it has about two meetings a year. It puts up fairly good prize money and attracts good fields. Obviously the community get behind it and help up keep the course. Like huey , I say if a club can support itself ( together with its proportionate share of the industry money) no one has any right to tell it what to do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Breeder said:

Waverley is a classic example of a club and course that survives and thrives. I think it has about two meetings a year. It puts up fairly good prize money and attracts good fields. Obviously the community get behind it and help up keep the course. Like huey , I say if a club can support itself ( together with its proportionate share of the industry money) no one has any right to tell it what to do.

Agree 100%.

If NZTR had any idea at all they'd grant these community driven clubs licences to conduct meetings with full TAB services, at whatever stakes level the club sees fit, and all winners would be penalty free, yes, no penalties or re-rating for winning at community based tracks.

They'd get huge support and thrive, in the tradition of Kiwi racing as evident from our rich history.

Meantime NZTR could invest in say three or four key national clubs of significance, but leave these strong little community operations to themselves to do what they do well.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Many clubs and trainers worldwide have always gone by the formula once the area is built up cash up and move further out of town.

Therefore taking a business like approach clubs like Waverley are assured since there is plenty space for new trainers setting up.

One has to ask whether Avondale falls into the category of cash up/move out to say  Kumeu, Helensville or Orewa way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Can't think of a single reason Avondale would or should move.

It's now right beside the motorway, it's the best and safest track in Auckland by a mile, and it's mostly occupying city council zoned green belt, so it can't be cashed up anyway.

Is there anything I've missed, a sensible reason why you'd consider relocating it ? I'd have thought the argument should be " why isn't NZTR investing in Avondale instead of wasting money on swamps like Counties and Awapuni ?"

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing,so I was wondering if the training track that was mooted to take the place of Takanini had gone ahead, could they have not also built an all weather track and a grass track from scratch.for racing on.

Doing away with Pukekohe altogether

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, von Smallhaussen said:

what we all have to remember is that New Zealand racecourses were built/constructed ( whatever term you wish to use ) when there were courses at many venues, some of which are in close proximity ie: Otaki, Levin and Foxton. With this in mind they were not constructed to be raced on every second week. Closing venues forces racing far more frequently on some tracks and they simply cannot take it. Now as most know Awapuni is stuffed. Centralisation will only work if a new racecourse is purposely built and I doubt NZ racing has the funds for that.

This is the problem in a nutshell. We have the centralisation movement which seems to again be to the fore wanting to close smaller venues when there is no viable track to move the racedays to that can cope with the extra racing. This nonsense has now gone on for decades in fits and starts without the investment to remedy that.

To make matters worse, most of the tracks with most of the racing are pretty much stuffed and in need of major relaying. How can you do that if there are no alternatives in each region that can accommodate that racing for 18-24 months, and this will be an ongoing issue.

Equally problematic is that some tracks such as Awapuni are built in a swamp as Midget points out. I'm no engineer but to reconstruct that track, for example, so it has satisfactory drainage, seems like a rather large mission unless you can get water to run uphill, and it's not just Awapuni.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, crustyngrizzly said:

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing,so I was wondering if the training track that was mooted to take the place of Takanini had gone ahead, could they have not also built an all weather track and a grass track from scratch.for racing on.

Doing away with Pukekohe altogether

Do I note a bit of sarcasm?    When the Prices Road saga was going there was some very strong opinions why it shouldn't have proceeded. With hindsight and with knowledge of the increase in property values perhaps Prices Road wasn't so silly afterall.

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.