Closing down NZ tracks

[barryb 2,064]

4 hours ago, Leggy said:

A couple of Strathayrs, even if gifted by some generous soul or souls (hopefully that's not us taxpayers again) won't change that.

I would rather the taxpayer fund racing than see these full and final settlements topped up for a few elite Maori.

 

[hizzy 52]

On 1/24/2018 at 2:01 PM, departed said:

Alan Sharrock, amongst others, is calling for a reduction in the number of tracks in NZ due to the spate of racemeeting cancellations recently caused by inadequate surfaces.  How will this help NZ racing?  Forcing trainers to try and sell their properties and try to buy a more expensive property near one of the main cities where the few remaining tracks remain?  Most will throw the towel in.

Trying to say there are too many tracks in NZ is nonsense.  Victoria has 67 tracks with a population of 5.7million.  Stakes are $23,000 for provincial maiden races, $120,000 for Saturday metropolitan races.  Crowds of 3000 are not uncommon at picnic meetings.  I haven't counted how many tracks there are in NSW, but it is a lot.  4 tracks in Sydney alone.

The problem in NZ is not too many tracks, it is not enough money.  Until the entire industry is taken apart and put together again with a whole new structure, nothing will change.  Winston Peters is not the saviour and never will be.  To get more money flowing in, betting turnover must be increased.  That will not happen as long as the TAB have a government-mandated monopoly.  They offer a mediocre product and have no incentive to sharpen up their act.  Once you let in bookmakers it creates competition and interest, and increases turnover.  It is already possible to operate an account with one of the many Aussie bookmakers from NZ, so why not just accept what is already happening and make the most of it? 

As the rot continues more and more of the capable and ambitious jockeys will jump ship.  Michael Dee, Daniel Stackhouse, Michael Walker and Cory Parish are already doing very nicely thank you.  They won't be the last to make the move.  And in the meantime nothing will change.

Well said You hit the nail on the head P M

[Breeder 609]

I'm with Huey on this. I don't think closing tracks is an answer. Some places like Waverley with their two (?) meetings a year manage really well with good stakes (by current NZ standards) and they always have good fields so I presume the dates help trainers with lead in races. I'm sure there is huge, free community input into the club to help it operate. This is just one example and I think it would be counter productive to take the "knife" to such places.

The one thing being forgotten with the super track idea is NZ's lack of population. Even Auckland is basically a small city by international standards. Hong Kong , Singapore, Melbourne , Sydney etc. have massive populations that are NEARBY to the courses. 

I understand where Sharrock and Pike are coming from concerning the tracks and I do not know enough about track management to really comment except to say abandoning a race meeting 25+ years ago was hardly heard of --something has changed in recent years, for the worse.

[Pam Robson 1,551]

On ‎26‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 2:59 PM, Leggy said:

Exactly. There is no doubt that providing fair consistent surfaces for racing is ONE critical ingredient of the handful of strategies required to build betting revenue. However, ALL are required for that to happen. I won't bother repeating the others for the umpteenth time in the last 7 years or so. Apparently there is "no appetite" for some of those.

This is one instance where "no appetite" will continue to leave stakeholders hungrier and hungrier. A couple of Strathayrs, even if gifted by some generous soul or souls (hopefully that's not us taxpayers again) won't change that.

Quite.

And to drag the content of another discussion here,  the expectation that an opening address from W.P indicated an 'announcement' - I was told that such was imminent -  has left many feeling underwhelmed, to say the least.

All that was indicated was that an allweather would be desirable.  

Successive Ministers have said  ' racing,  get your house in order, we can't help if you don't '   ....and we consistently do nothing to help ourselves.

What,  exactly.  has the closing of tracks [ alluded to by Jess ]  achieved for the industry overall ?    How does the larger racing fraternity benefit by the removal of a volunteer-managed community asset?

An experienced former administrator told me that,  in his time,  Annette King was the R.M....and he found her obliging and extremely competent.  But in the end,  she threw her hands in the air and said to him ' I give up,  you lot are impossible to deal with.'

There are plenty with opinions as to how to 'fix' things,  but so many are motivated by self interest, and there is still no consensus - about anything.

[von Smallhaussen 3,226]

1 hour ago, Pam Robson said:

, and there is still no consensus - about anything.

the only consensus is that there are a number of people being paid ( note I did not say earning  ) massive salaries - and they are not contributing to the benefit of the Racing industry.

[La Zip 468]

Regardless of the crap that pollutes the air this week, the facts remain....nothing, nothing will ever be done...even at the 11th hour....it’s all too hard and as WP stated yesterday he’s throwing it back on the industry to get their issues sorted...and that my friends is the reason why we will not have any domestic racing in this country (at least south of Taupo) in 5 years time. 

[puha 2,177]

13 minutes ago, La Zip said:

Regardless of the crap that pollutes the air this week, the facts remain....nothing, nothing will ever be done...even at the 11th hour....it’s all too hard and as WP stated yesterday he’s throwing it back on the industry to get their issues sorted...and that my friends is the reason why we will not have any domestic racing in this country (at least south of Taupo) in 5 years time. 

What odds will u give me ?

[Insider 3,961]

53 minutes ago, puha said:

What odds will u give me ?

Or me. 

[Uriah Heap 481]

I'm not in favour of shutting the small tracks; cause the only time many NZ's go to the races is Xmas meetings at those small courses. If we had All weather tracks located at Awapuni (or Otaki) and Matamata, early abandonments could be sent there. 

[Ohokaman 5,842]

On 1/26/2018 at 2:59 PM, Leggy said:

Exactly. There is no doubt that providing fair consistent surfaces for racing is ONE critical ingredient of the handful of strategies required to build betting revenue. However, ALL are required for that to happen. I won't bother repeating the others for the umpteenth time in the last 7 years or so. Apparently there is "no appetite" for some of those.

This is one instance where "no appetite" will continue to leave stakeholders hungrier and hungrier. A couple of Strathayrs, even if gifted by some generous soul or souls (hopefully that's not us taxpayers again) won't change that.

Who do you think will be funding an AWT Leggy..? 

Peters already told us.... "The Government and the Taxpayer"........translation....that's you and me mate......

[La Zip 468]

Without getting into a slanging match, it’s not up to me to provide the odds....it’s up to all of you to do the maths....dwindling foal crop, most of the crop is exported, difficult to get skilled workers including experienced track riders, , exhorbitant, escalating costs..and crap prizemoney...lack of decent infrastructure, ordinary industry leadership.......do I need to keep going?  That’s the reality folks...so best all get your heads together and come up with a viable, workable, fundable structure...otherwise it’s sayonara.....

[Tomjr 43]

I am from a family that has bred, owned and raced horses in New Zealand over 4 generations.  We trained at a small country track that has a huge amount of history (many Group 1 winners trained there ), there was a significant rift in The club and the resulting row tore the town apart.  Several of the more successful trainers left as a result.  The new committee has done a magnificent job of healing old wounds and trying there best with tired infrastructure and waning interest in racing.  I love this track with all my heart it has a lot of memories for me especially of working the horses in the morning with my Grandfather.  However the reality is the infrastructure is tired, fewer people go to the races, the trainers can't afford to pay more in fees because the stakes are crap.  I am now the president of another small racing club, we sold our track mod than 50 years ago, we have raced at Te Awamutu, Te Raps and recently Arawa Park, we still have a lot of history 1 race day a year, a Gold Cup race worth $65k on the last racing day of the year.  We are a proud club with good finances all because we have been well run and don't own a track.  Food for thought maybe?

Edited January 29, 2018 by Tomjr
Typo

[Tomjr 43]

Oh and we get 4500 to 5000 to our race meet every year, not bad for the middle of winter

[barryb 2,064]

3 hours ago, Tomjr said:

Oh and we get 4500 to 5000 to our race meet every year, not bad for the middle of winter

Why did the club shift from Te Rapa? That meeting was compulsory attendance for me every year.

[Tomjr 43]

14 minutes ago, barryb said:

Why did the club shift from Te Rapa? That meeting was compulsory attendance for me every year.

Te Rapa charged us a ridiculous course rental for the day, the facilities were tired and we were not treated as though we were valued or appreciated in fact it was more like we were a hindrance or an inconvenience.  Arawa Park have been fantastic the f acillities are great for the punters, the cossie club being in the main stand gives our members the option of making a great night of it as well, the motels are a short stroll.  And lastly the club have provided us with a good winter racing surface, and there is no way we were on a Heavy 11 last year (the times would suggest it was a lot better).  It was a bold move, but it has worked for the club and we would love to have you back on course.