frankie 119 Report post Posted April 17, 2021 It seems the famous Hill at Ellerslie is to be sold. Funny that there was no mention of this in the ARC's April newsletter. The word in the top part of town, where ARC directors can be found, is that the decision has already been made. Two reasons have surfaced, firstly the Club is simply greedy and bugger the history of the Hill, and secondly the Board is getting more and more woke and increasingly concerned about jump racing not being as P C as it was. Baz (NZ) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogo(aus) 876 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 if this is correct surely you sheep shearers will lobby, protest and eventually overturn such a heinous decision. what will be left if the PC brigade get their way? if the board is "woke " rissole them , vote in those that realise you have something very very special, once it;s gone it's gone.. chevy86, Baz (NZ), Tauhei Notts and 4 others 5 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,700 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 Wonder how long this has been in the pipeline.Makes the sale of Paeroa even worse imo. Patiti and Baz (NZ) 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whyisit 232 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 look on the bright side The money will be going to prop up all the clubs in NZ yeah right 47South, Gruff, dock leaf and 2 others 2 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insider 3,947 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 12 hours ago, frankie said: It seems the famous Hill at Ellerslie is to be sold. Funny that there was no mention of this in the ARC's April newsletter. The word in the top part of town, where ARC directors can be found, is that the decision has already been made. Two reasons have surfaced, firstly the Club is simply greedy and bugger the history of the Hill, and secondly the Board is getting more and more woke and increasingly concerned about jump racing not being as P C as it was. Where did you learn this? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tauhei Notts 1,412 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 An Auckland Racing Club committeeman, years ago, explained the opportunity cost in retaining the steeplechase Hill. It came to more than $50,000 per time it was used. I listened carefully and thought deeply about what he had told me. Then I thought that hopefully, in my lifetime, that good sense would prevail. The steeplechase Hill is historic and picturesque. I use the term steeplechase Hill as the Hill enclosure, that I had used when I couldn't afford the ten shillings to get into the Lawn, has also gone. Good riddance to the Hill, after the winning post. The steeplechase HIll must remain. It is an icon. It is what makes Ellerslie far and away the most picturesque steeplechase course, not just in New Zealand, but the world. It makes Aintree boring. I saw Wise Men Say win the Northern, and thought the steeplechase Hill will only go if fools rush in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerula 1,402 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 There was an recent meeting at ARC to discuss forward planning for the club. A person I know attended and advised that and said a lot hinges on the proposed amalgamation with Counties. That will require a 65% acceptance of CRC members to proceed. if that fails I am advised that ARC is determined to stick with the development plan and 'optimise' some Ellerslie land assets. It was mentioned to me that the opportunity cost per race over the Hill is $3mil pa. That sounds OTT to me - if you said a current commercial ROR is 5-7% on blue chip. Thats all I have heard and I am going away tomorrow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 The current ARC Board seems to be a pro-active group trying to futureproof their place within the NZ setup and I'm sure they will freely discuss this with all members once the various options are available to be presented for voting. If you want to be part of any decision ,join the club as a member and cast your vote. I am far removed from the' top part of town' but already Board members have personally discussed some of their exciting plans with me. As mentioned above , collaboration with the other clubs is top of the list and will be a big influence. Selling land may be part of the plan to build on their cash/investment situation in order to considerably increase the stakes on their 20 plus meetings a year. The Great Northern is indeed a great race.....it has been for some time and the hill is a part of that race that helps make it special. But there are less jumps horses these days ,less owners and trainers to prepare them and less jockeys to ride them. And crucially jumps racing are generally very poor races at attracting punting and even fewer people attend to watch. The past 2 x Northerns have attracted dismal crowds ....the 2018 race was held at TeAroha and no one cut their wrists. The Pakuranga Hunt meeting has been dismal in recent years for betting .....barely $1.1 mill total which is very poor. As Messara report stated in 2018...NZ racing reflects the dynamics of an earlier era. He also highlighted the resilient NZ owner who received just over 20% return of costs thru Stakes........NSW [Aussie] was 48%. With costs going up again at this moment the NZ returns will be below 20% which is pathetic. Stakes rely on Betting..........the ARC know they cant rely on betting so plan to build their nest egg to get their stakes to a more acceptable level. If 160 races held on average ...add $50k per race.......an extra $8 mill pa needed for stake , plus $$$ for infrastrucure , possibly a strathayr track If selling some land can go a good way to providing this .......good on em I say. Join the Club to have a say. Baz (NZ) and Huey 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie 119 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 Tasman Man, I am a member of the Club. What I was told is correct, The thinking is that Te Aroha and Te Rapa can have the jump racing. I also understand that there is disharmony on the Board and a Board member has resigned. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stodge 1,940 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 I'd love to know how "much" it costs to run the Grand National course at Aintree. It is used for, I think, 5 races per year - the Becher, the Sefton, the Foxhunters, the Topham and the National itself. There used, many moons ago, to be a race run over a single lap of the course (half a National I suppose) but that went the way of the dodo and English Rugby supremacy. The "fences" are dismantled for most of the year and just left as frames but it's a huge area to look after. The Mildmay track gets more use and occupies much less ground near the stands - if you took away all the land north of the Melling Road you'd have left four Grand National fences (13, 14, The Chair and the water) but the main chase, hurdle tracks and stands would be fine. For non-National course race days, the Melling Road isn't even closed (there's something similar at Epsom with the 1000m sprint track which crosses a public road). In the 1970s, when the meeting was in dire financial trouble, there was talk of selling the land and moving the National to a new venue but it wouldn't be the same. If you move the race it becomes a different race - the question of why jumps racing is so weak and seemingly unpopular in NZ is a different one. Up here, it was the only game in town before the coming of All-Weather racing from November to March. You seem able to stage winter Flat racing on grass even in June, July and August. Pam Robson and Huey 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogo(aus) 876 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 And crucially jumps racing are generally very poor races at attracting punting and even fewer people attend to watch. The past 2 x Northerns have attracted dismal crowds ....the 2018 race was held at TeAroha and no one cut their wrists. LOL funniest cop out ever maybe whoever these blokes are that discussed some of their exciting plans with you might like to pick up the phone and call those that promote the warrnambool carnival and work out why aussies can sell out the meetings, book out every hotel and motel within cooee of the bool and send turnover through the roof ??? its called promoting a unique feature . what a joke of a decision if this comes to be, IMHO whoever is marketing racing in NZ is doing a dud job. napier, Baz (NZ), Pam Robson and 2 others 3 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Lady 67 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 The board member who resigned had nothing to do with the hill decision, apparently he achieved nothing while on the board and was ratfacd most racedays Baz (NZ) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohokaman 5,825 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 2 hours ago, pogo(aus) said: And crucially jumps racing are generally very poor races at attracting punting and even fewer people attend to watch. The past 2 x Northerns have attracted dismal crowds ....the 2018 race was held at TeAroha and no one cut their wrists. LOL funniest cop out ever maybe whoever these blokes are that discussed some of their exciting plans with you might like to pick up the phone and call those that promote the warrnambool carnival and work out why aussies can sell out the meetings, book out every hotel and motel within cooee of the bool and send turnover through the roof ??? its called promoting a unique feature . what a joke of a decision if this comes to be, IMHO whoever is marketing racing in NZ is doing a dud job. That’s the problem Pogo....nobody is..... Pam Robson and Baz (NZ) 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_gee 416 Report post Posted April 18, 2021 Iif rumour is true? there's no jumping racing going be there after this season anyway. Baz (NZ) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Clydesdale 229 Report post Posted April 23, 2021 Is 37 million in reserves not enough? Pam Robson, Aaron Bidlake and Huey 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillipe 81 Report post Posted April 23, 2021 Tell me how they got to $37million? thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted April 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Phillipe said: Tell me how they got to $37million? thanks I think John may be an Avondale man...their equity possibly greater. To get stakes to required level and infrastructure to required level reserves of $100 mil would be good target to get 'reserves' to. Reserves being income producing assets/investments or such like. He should tell us why they let their infrastructure slip to its current condition......focus on own back yard ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Clydesdale 229 Report post Posted April 24, 2021 9 hours ago, tasman man said: I think John may be an Avondale man...their equity possibly greater. To get stakes to required level and infrastructure to required level reserves of $100 mil would be good target to get 'reserves' to. Reserves being income producing assets/investments or such like. He should tell us why they let their infrastructure slip to its current condition......focus on own back yard ! Tasman, haven’t been involved with Avondale for a few years now, just a member. So no bias at all, a previous Board at Ellerslie sold a lease on some land, not wanted by them, but negating a lease that the Thoroughbred Breeders Head office had on those same grounds. Under the watch of CEO Chris Weaver, forcing NZTBA to sell a building that had been build with the hard work and good support of breeders, for next to nothing. However, that long lease arrangement generated a significant sum, pre paid, to the ARC (of which I was a member at the time) to allow ARC to invest in various areas and provide a significant reserve sum. A good move for the club balance sheet, somewhat disingenuous of the CEO at the time about the TBA Lease, but they have reserves worthy of an educational course to John Allen of RIB fame. Same CEO wanted to sell the hill for commercial purposes, but the pushback was too strong. There is no need to sell the hill, as the reserves are good and the interest return would be extremely poor, so why do it. I struggle to think that they would consider such a move at this time, but then, they are not perhaps as smart as previous boards. I am not longer a member at Auckland Racing Club, only Avondale and the VRC, who do know what they are doing and have done so for a very long time. Cheers John Huey and Insider 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie 119 Report post Posted May 12, 2021 Now that my info has been confirmed it seems that legal action could now be in the wind. There's a group of concerned " Hill Supporters" currently beavering away at the original documents that gifted the land to racing and the people of Auckland. It seems that the Club may not be able to sell, (or grant a very long term lease, which is a sale), any land. Could become very interesting. , Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted May 12, 2021 15 minutes ago, frankie said: Now that my info has been confirmed it seems that legal action could now be in the wind. There's a group of concerned " Hill Supporters" currently beavering away at the original documents that gifted the land to racing and the people of Auckland. It seems that the Club may not be able to sell, (or grant a very long term lease, which is a sale), any land. Could become very interesting. , Thanks Frankie , I will now hold off on my 200 buck gavelhouse target for the 100k maidens. Ohokaman, Aaron Bidlake and dock leaf 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tauhei Notts 1,412 Report post Posted May 12, 2021 On 18th April I commented about The Steeplechase Hill. I have now seen many documents and I have changed my mind. The Steeplechase Hill has to go. Sad, but the new track will not take jumping races. What will be really sad is the Auckland Racing Club being put to needless legal expense dealing with the Luddites referred to above by Frankie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz (NZ) 1,722 Report post Posted May 12, 2021 Time to create two new jump carnivals! $100,000 bonus for the connections of the horse that can win both! 1. The Great Northern! 2. The Great Southern! One in each island based on the Warrnambool blue print! "If you build it...they will come"! Huey 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edor 67 Report post Posted May 14, 2021 really tauhei you are wrong jumps racing will be gone without the hill at ellerslie it looks like you have never spent your money training a jumper the time and effort put into it its a pity people like you cant see the damage you are doing to the people that love jumps racing if they wanted to get rid of ellerslie hill they would of kept paeroa now really can you see any alternative for a spectale you name it Huey 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...