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How will they replace the millions lost next year without the NZ dogs? Anyone heard?

Chief, it is 2 and a 1/2 years to go, and the usage of the Entain money has been decidedly very poor. The ones making the decisions will not be around when the day of reckoning comes. Anyway nothing we can do apart from pointing out the error of their ways!!

Chief it isnt three years to go, it is 2 and a 1/2. Not sure how the thoroughbreds are going with the extra money from Entain, but it would be odds on that Harness stakes are going to be crucified in the next year or so! Unfortunately you can not powder coat what is going on at the moment.

Ocean Beyond (NZ) (Ocean Park) may not be the friend of the punter, but what he is he’s a consistent money spinner for his connections. The Simon Ryan-trained galloper will try to collect his biggest prize on Saturday when he runs in the $500,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) and attempt to build on his A$535,475 bankroll. Now an eight-year-old, Ocean Beyond has been winless since May 2022 when successful in the Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington. After originally starting out with Daniel Bowman at Warrnambool, which included a win on Ballarat Cup Day in 2021, Ocean Beyond then had a stint with Andrew Bobbin before transferring into Ryan’s care last year. Ocean Beyond has gone winless in 24 starts for Ryan but has picked up more than A$135,000 in prize money from finishing in the placings six times while finishing fourth on a further four occasions. “When he came to my stable, he was on the verge of retirement,” Ryan said. “He hadn’t done much for a while and as he’s got a bit older, he appears to be getting out in distance and has probably reinvented himself a little bit. “When you’ve only got a small stable at Warrnambool, there is some frustration (that he hasn’t won) but it’s nice to have a galloper in the stable that runs good races, in good races, all the time. “I know he’s probably not a punter’s favourite, but if you put your business hat on, he’s winning plenty of money for his owners and covering his costs. “We’re hoping one day that lightning strikes, and he gets away with a good race.” Ocean Beyond is on the quick back-up having chased home Casino Seventeen (Casino Prince) and Rumbled Again (Night Of Thunder) in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield last Saturday, collecting A$18,000 for connections. “The best runs he’s had from me have been when he’s been on the quick back-up,” Ryan said. “I’m confident he can run, at least, as well as he did last Saturday, and hopefully better. “The 2000 (metres) is probably as far as he wants it, but I think he’ll run a strong 2000 coming off the 1800 (metres) last Saturday.” Ryan said swimming, trips to the local pony club along with trotting and cantering at the Warrnambool racecourse will have Ocean Beyond in peak condition for Saturday. “He’s a horse that is easy to train,” Ryan said. “He always eats well, he’s very sound, enjoys his work, but he’s got a racing pattern that’s not conducive to winning a lot of races. “He likes to get back and find the line late, but I think he’ll present in as good as order as he did last Saturday. “It’s as probably as good a race that he’s been in, but his form suggests he warrants a shot.” By Waikato Stud’s proven sire Ocean Park out of the four-win Pins mare Frankly, Daniel Bowman went to $60,000 to purchase the gelding after he was passed in at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale where he was presented by Ohukia Lodge on behalf of Waikato Stud. View the full article

It may no longer be on the big stage of Karaka Millions night, but a win in Saturday’s Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe would mean just as much to trainer Chad Ormsby. The Cambridge horseman is targeting the feature sprint with stable favourite Master Fay (Deep Field), who took out last year’s running on the highly anticipate meeting at Ellerslie on the eve of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales. It was Master Fay’s second start in New Zealand following his comeback from Hong Kong, where he won his sole start for former trainer Caspar Fownes, and he has continued to be lightly raced by Ormsby, having just had the nine starts for four wins and two placings. The now eight-year-old son of Deep Field has had a long, slow build-up this preparation, having three trials and one raceday start, winning first-up over 1200m at Ellerslie in October. He was set to contest last month’s Listed Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe, but Ormsby elected to withdraw his charge from the race due to the rain-affected track. “We missed a run in the Counties Bowl. I made a bit of a blue in scratching a little bit early,” Ormsby said. “I got a little bit scared away from the wet track mid-week, but it didn’t really matter too much. It has ruined a preparation before, hence why I didn’t want to go anywhere near an off track. “It hasn’t rocked the boat too much for his prep. He went to Ellerslie last Saturday for a gallop and worked really well and he has worked well during the week.” While pleased with Master Fay ahead of his fresh-up run, Ormsby is still wary of his opposition, and is hopeful apprentice jockey Sam McNab can continue his 100 percent strike-rate on the gelding. “There are still a couple of decent runners in the field that he is still going to have his A-game on. Things will need to go right for him,” Ormsby said. “I am excited to give young Sam a shot. This horse is as good as we have got and Sam rode him exceptionally well last time, so he gets to steer him around again.” Ormsby will also head to Ellerslie with last-start placegetter Unodostrescuatro, who will contest the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1600. “He found a little bit of form last start at Rotorua, but Saturday is a bit different to a Wednesday at Rotorua,” Ormsby said. “He deserves a shot and I am excited to step him up over a mile.” Looking ahead to Sunday, Ormsby will have a two-pronged attack at Te Aroha, including debutant Marcus Attillus (NZ) (Circus Maximus) in the MVS Equine Maiden 3YO (1400m) and fellow three-year-old Spiritus (NZ) (Ancient Spirit) in the Shackell Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m). “Marcus Attillus is a long-term project for us that we are slowly developing,” Ormsby said. “We will see him hit his straps maybe in his next preparation when he is getting up over a bit more ground. “Spiritus is a horse we have a lot of time for and we feel this campaign he might reach as far as something like a Derby (Gr.1, 2400m).” View the full article

Ultra-consistent sprinter Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) is ready to take an important step to his main summer target when he lines up in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe Park on Saturday. In 14 starts dating back to his debut in July last year, the Per Incanto gelding has won seven times and never finished further back than fourth. As a son of 2013 Gr.1 Sistema Railway Stakes (1200m) winner Fleur de Lune (NZ) (Stravinsky), it’s no surprise that the late January Ellerslie sprint is his prime assignment, and trainer John Bell reports that all is progressing well towards that goal. “The positives are all there, everything’s coming together,” Bell said. “He handles wet ground but he’s really no mudder, so I’m hoping the track comes back from its current (Soft5) rating. “He’s such an athlete, a true professional, and just a lovely horse to do anything with.” On Saturday Twain will return to the scene of his last-start second to Ardalio (NZ) (Ardrossan) in the Gr. 3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m), when he carried four kilograms more than his fellow Cambridge rival. Under weight-for-age conditions at his previous start, he managed an even greater impost, lumping 59kg to victory in the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua. Saturday’s set weight and penalty conditions treat Twain comparatively well, even with topweight of 56kg but only three kilograms above the minimum in the eight-horse field. “He’s there to win, so we’ve got to beat them and they’ve got to beat us,” Bell said. “I’m looking forward to giving him his chance in the Railway, that’s the race he’s headed for. “It would be great to see him do what his mother did, and I’d love to get another Railway to go with the one I won with Julius.” With this campaign’s regular rider Vinnie Colgan committed to Legarto and other important engagements at Trentham on Saturday, Bell has reverted to another familiar with Twain, Triston Moodley. “Fair enough that Vinnie had to go down south, but Triston has won three or four on him and he’ll do the job well I’m sure,” Bell said. Although not sharing the same favourite’s tag as Twain on Saturday, Bell warns not to under-estimate his other Pukekohe runner, MyRacehorse 1500 candidate Zenith. “He had no luck whatsoever last time there, everywhere he went he struck trouble,” Bell said of Zenith’s uncustomary tail-end finish at Pukekohe a fortnight ago. View the full article

Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman love a trip north to Trentham, and they are once again looking forward to heading to the Upper Hutt track this weekend with a trio of contenders. Trentham has been a happy hunting ground for the father-and-son duo, who have recorded some of their biggest wins at the track, including Savvy Coup’s (NZ) (Savabeel) Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) triumph and Enzo’s Lad’s (Testa Rossa) back-to-back victories in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m). “It is probably my favourite track,” Michael Pitman said. “It has been a good track to us. “We don’t go to Wellington unless we have a certain degree of confidence that they will perform.” They have plenty of confidence in last-start Group Three winner Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park), who will contest the Gr.3 Taylor Property Plus Spring Sprint (1400m). The Pitmans were initially looking to tackle the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) this weekend with their gelding but opted to change tack earlier this week when they saw the strength of that field. “We were going to run in the mile, right up until Tuesday night, but when the field came up so strong and the way the ratings are based, I said to the owners that we were better off to go this way this week and concentrate on the Thorndon (Gr.2, 1600m),” Michael Pitman said. “There is a heap of good racing coming up next year for a horse like him without taking on those two good mares (La Crique and Legarto), Ladies Man and Waitak too soon. The sprint looks a nice race for him. “He hasn’t had a lot of racing, he has only had two starts beyond 1400m in his life, so he is probably a better 1400m horse anyway. He looks reasonably well-weighted (57.5kg), that’s why he is the favourite.” Pitman is also looking forward to lining up Rosso (Camelot) in the Rothley 2100, as he gets ready for next month’s Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m). The Irish-bred son of Camelot hasn’t put a foot wrong since joining the Pitman stable a couple of months ago, winning two of his three starts, and they are excited about his future. “He has been fantastic,” Pitman said. “All three of his runs have been really good. He is a revelation really, how would you expect to buy a horse like that and to come back in three starts and do what he has done? Now he is equal favourite for the Wellington Cup and that’s his main aim.” The Pitmans will also be represented by El Vaquero (NZ) (Ferrando) in the Aztech Engineering Ltd Sprint (1000m), and they are hoping the addition of blinkers will aid his chances over the sprint distance. “We took the blinkers off to hopefully let him settle because at one stage we were looking at having a crack at the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) with him, so he has had blinkers off in his last two starts,” Pitman said. “He drops back to rating 65 grade and has got blinkers back on Saturday.” View the full article

Paul Mirabelli may have lost Group One performer Shoma (NZ) (Contributer) from his Cambridge stable, but he believes he still has plenty of three-year-old firepower in his barn. While still a maiden after 10 starts, Shoma impressed when placing in last month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, with that performance generating plenty of overseas interest in the son of Contributer. A deal was subsequently brokered with expat Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, and he will continue his racing career from their Cranbourne barn. “People obviously like the horse and to make the business work they have to be sold, so it is very disappointing, but we will follow him with great interest,” Mirabelli said. Mirabelli said Shoma has a similar profile to his former stable runner Firestorm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who was purchased by leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller following her sixth placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). The daughter of Satono Aladdin has gone on to win the Gr.2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) and finish runner-up in the Gr.1 Coolmore Classic (1500m), and place in four other stakes races to date. While disappointed to lose another promising three-year-old from his barn, Mirabelli is upbeat about the prospects of another three-year-old in Taylor Square (NZ) (Time Test). The son of Time Test won his maiden over 1400m at Matamata in September, and while he has shown a lot of promise, Mirabelli said he has been a test of patience. “We really like him. He is a good galloper but unfortunately the horse is a complete know it all,” he said. “He has made us all better horse people that deal with him because we have had to have so much patience. But he can really gallop and he has got plenty of ability, he just thinks he knows best and can be very difficult to work with.” Taylor Square’s manners have let him down in his last two outings, where he was unplaced in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m), and Mirabelli is hoping the addition of some gear will make the difference when he lines-up in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. “One of his kinks is that he can be quite playful in the gates,” Mirabelli said. “He goes in towards the end and he has the blindfold on Saturday, so hopefully that helps. “Hopefully he can jump away with the field and not give them too much of a head start, which he is capable of doing. “I have got no doubt at all that he is more than competitive with that field and could run really well, but I am also mindful that he could want to do his own thing, and he is very unpredictable.” Mirabelli will also head to Te Aroha on Sunday where he will line-up Rising Wind (NZ) (Rageese) in the Apparelmaster Waikato Maiden (1400m) and Chicflix (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in the Mike Fraser-Jones @ Bayleys (2200m). “Rising Wind went really well last time (third), he worked up particularly well on Thursday, so that was a big tick for him,” Mirabelli said. “He is a horse we have had a lot of trouble with his temperament, but we have kept exposing him to races and life, and the miles on the clock have been his best friend because he is starting to turn it all around and become quite a reliable animal. “Chicflix is super consistent and always gives her best. We are looking forward to her running with a good draw (3) this time. She has had quite a lot of draws towards the outside and this draw allows her to drop in behind them and do no work. “We should get a pretty economical run and she always gives her best, so I have no doubts she will be fighting on.” View the full article

That is a complete copout and also a load of horse shit. A monitoring and review group can’t meaningfully assess the turnover performance without full access to race by race turnover data. They should be able to give a very accurate assessment of everything turnover related and if they can not then the report is a waste of time.

Absolutely Murray. I think you will find many Racecourses were gifted to Racing Clubs by someone, a family or group in their community. That's where the property should go back to.

Horowhenua and Capital for starters.

huh.i explained why .No point picking out bits Again,that ain't neccassarily so,even probably so. i explained why if you read my whole post. but for you again. if you run x amount of races and those amount of races are not generating enough income from wagering to cover the stakes paid.And then you increase the amount of races from x to y,and you generate the same turnover per race on the y races as you had on the x races,then what you have done is maintained turnover but increased the deficit between turnover and stakes paid,because you have run more of them. you just miss the points i made,i can't help that.

Thats not correct.

Over the years I have been involved with quite a few IncSoc, set up a few! A standard rule has usually been that 'on ending', any reserves go back into that local community! To me, most tracks started of and grew through there relevance to their local community! Most have had nice relationships with their local councils and have kosher agreements around rates. (read locals have invested in the track..) rave over.. sigh, refer to my post above!! I will share this with you! Over the last few years I have made the effort to speak to various 'committee people' from Tracks that have been label 'gone', just about, and this is still happening, feel that communication around this topic is very flawed! To be Told that they can be sold up and their assists taken strikes deep! Watch the Lawyer$ getting involved when and if certain tracks/clubs get liquidated! ps. by chance! I have a spare Race Course! out Avondale way! 200mil and its yours! got a harbor bridge going cheap to!

The 3 or 4 presenters for OTG are surely paid employees of Trackside and therefore employees of the NZ TAB. representing OTG they are given preferential treatment by their employer by being allowed to bet on any bet they want and any amount they are allowed to win! Whereas some punters not employed by the TAB are not allowed at all to bet on certain options and restricted to small amounts on other bets!! How on earth is this actually legal despite what is stated in the TAB rules that they do not have to accept peoples bets? It just shows how unethically wrong the way they are operating. They also dont follow the AML legislation limits but they have been getting away with it.

not sure about the NZ bit... re Au, doesn't that 20th share also have technical tax repercussions re ownerships stuff? (tax right off for...) ps, loved the yarn... we must charge a glass together one day!

what age bracket? I ask as, sigh, many in our community are not doing that well! once there was a 80% chance that you would do better than parents! around 2000 that changed, now it is around 20% chance!

I'm surprised Entain has not got a lot more forceful, perhaps it has, perhaps that is why Bruce Sharrock left after the ongoing problems with tracks under his watch

It can't be stealing assets The Racing Act was amended in 2020 to allow the code (NZTR) to declare a club surplus and legally acquire title

But their employees are not getting favouritism. Everyone who bets into the pool is getting bonus. That is everyone is treated equally in the pool.

No it's not a "have". There is a market for it and as the article above indicates a big one. Perhaps the 1,000 that turn up for The Grand Tour have also decided to but a FRAC share. Cheaper than a $2,500 set of bowls for the bowling club you're a member of.

Who's "stealing assets"? How were the assets accumulated in the first place and where are they now best positioned? Racing horses is the aim.

Yes especially if your revenue depends on the quality, placement and promotion of the product.

With FRAC we aren't talking a 5% share & name in a racebook, could be 1000 or more in it ,it's a have.

So that gives you the right to steal assets , because some entity put up $1bn?