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    • Not being able to use it until a bit later in the morning wouldn't be such a big deal, you would think. After all,many dual coded racetracks around the country used to operate for decades like that6 when horse numbers were so much larger.. the only thing about that is hrnz would be investing into a property they don't own. But hey,thats what they do anyway.And at least the trainers and staff who live near franklin park wouldn't have to move house like would have to happen if they established a training centre somewhere else.  But anyway heres some points worth considering,when people discuss any future training facilities. 160-200 horses is the number quoted by the atc as the average for horses being worked each day at franklin park a resident trainer says its can get as high as about 170. i think its safe to say,the 170 figure would be more accurate as that trainer has no ulterior motive in fudging figures to suit a purpose. so,if they didn't go with the,inside the galloping track plan,well what else could they possibly go with. j mckinnon was quoted a couple of years ago saying he thought $15 million would not be enough to set up a new training centre elsewhere. Of course occassionally he's since said ,oh,we may be able to do it for $15 million after all.Like,hey,you know how things always  cost less these days.  we all know if hes saying 15 million 2 years ago its more likely to be over 20 million these days. But lets be generous and say it will only cost $17 million. well,if you divide 17 million by 170 horses,then thats $100,000 per horse to provide a training track elsewhere. I mean, they could pay a trainer/owners who currently has 20 horses in work,20 x 100,000 =2 million and say to them,we're feeling generous,as we are hrnz 2025,and  are giving you a  2 million gift for you to go set yourself up in canterbury or go buy a new property somewhere in the auckland region or just go sun yourself on a beach in hawaii before hrnz realise running small fields with poor turnover is going to snuff out the indutsry elsewhere in nz,so why stick  around for that debacle,when you can get a tan and sip on a margarita now. Hrnz's said in their 2024 annual report that it was their intention that any funding allocation for this year will be sustainable for future. Of course very few believe that and besides,wouldn't spending funds on auckland impact that ,even if what they said was true.. HRNZ had said,net funds from the sale of forbury park of 12.2 million are being held by hrnz for the purposes set out in the property investment strategy,a copy of which is available on the hrnz website. (i've also read 14m,so not sure what that includes) the forbury trotting club were very strong in how they wanted the proceeds spent  arising from the sale of the forbury trotting club. They wanted the money kept in the southern region and not dispersed nationally. There were several articlaes about that,even though they ended up signing an agreement with hrnz which didn't guarantee that. imagine just how badly they would feel betrayed by hrnz if hrnz was to use their funds to establish a new trasining centre elsewhere in the aucklnad region as currently being  reported by peter profit. Its hard to believe in some ways that  hrnz would betray the forbury people so badly. But,i don't think anyone would be silly enough to say hrnz wouldn't consider it,as after all just look at some of their recent decisions.   then theres the infastructure grants fund.the maximum budget for grants from the fund is $250,000 per annum. wasn'tn that where some of the forbury money was supposed to be spent. the hrnz website said the hrnz chair,the hrnz audit and risk chair, and a southern regional forum appointee or nominee form the group that make decisions about how that money is spent. i don't confess to understanding how they operate as it says a maximum of a $250,000 grant is availble. Didn't HRNZ say they were considering writing off a $750,000 loan they gave cambridge. Where did that maney come from. anyways,i would have thought the auckland thing coming to a head was a good thing,but only a good thing if they make common sense decisions. It could well be a death nail for the industy if they decide to prop up auckland  at alexandra park as the atc seem to want. My thoughts are its a good time for THE atc to say,we have come to an agreement to sell franklin park immediately and sell alexandra park and its assets over the next 5 years. That the future plans will be for a teaing cntre /racecourse to be set up somewhere suitable within a timeframe that allows the continuity of traing and racing within the auckland district to continue.They could do things like have portions of funds made available from aucklands asset sales to be used in the form of loans for trainers who could purchase areas at the new training racing centre. All funds invested by hrnz would have to be rtepaid within that 5 year timeframe and the atc could pay limited interest rate on funds lent.Auckland for their part could easily say,yes we agree that has to be done,but we'll only do it if you guarantyeee a level of funding for stake money for the next ,say 10 years. That way veryone wins.so i'm just brainstorming with those thoughts. but the point is,the decisions that are to be made soon by the atc and hrnz as regards aucklands future,will have a significant impact on wheter harness racing in canterbury ajnd southland will  be snuffed out in the future. To me,people in aucklandmust realsie that if they don;t face reality,it will be the people who currently support support racing in auckland,who will suffer the most long term. No doubt about that at all.Because,if hrnz and the atc take the rest of the nz harness racing down with themto any significant degree,there will be no one outside auckland that will think kindly of auckland racing and people will act accordingly.
    • Https://bitofayarn.com New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has confirmed that two key Spring Group 1 races will be transferred from RACE Awapuni.     No images? Click here NZTR Confirms Relocation of Two Group 1 Races this Spring New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has confirmed that two key Spring Group 1 races will be transferred from RACE Awapuni, as the track continues through its Return to Racing protocols. The decision reflects a commitment to delivering early certainty for Trainers and Owners preparing campaigns for Group 1 runners. NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty said the move gives participants the clarity they need at a critical planning stage. “This hasn’t been an easy decision, nor does it reflect the significant effort that has gone into preparing the Awapuni track by the Club's leadership and their wider team,” he said. “It simply comes down to timing, and this call has been made to give Trainers and Owners confidence as they plan their Group 1 Spring campaigns. “This is not a reflection of any safety concerns, but a proactive step to provide certainty while the track completes the necessary Return to Racing testing. It’s the right decision for the industry at this time, and we remain fully committed to supporting Awapuni’s return as a key metropolitan venue,” Ballesty said.   RACE Inc. Chairman Richard Simpson says the Club remains committed to the long-term success of RACE Awapuni.  “While we are naturally disappointed with the decision, our focus remains firmly on the return to racing on the course proper at Awapuni. We are confident that the extensive maintenance carried out since April has been successful, supported by the data from the going stick, which is an important track assessment tool moving forward," Simpson said.  “Although it’s unfortunate that Central Districts participants will miss out on premier stakes early in the Spring, we are grateful to NZTR for maintaining those stakes at the October 11 meeting. "We will continue to work closely with NZTR and the external experts involved to ensure we deliver the best possible racing surface when Awapuni returns to action,” he said.  The $400,000 Group 1 WFA 1600m (previously the Arrowfield Stud Plate), initially set for RACE Awapuni, will now headline a newly created Group 1 raceday at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s Te Rapa Racecourse on Saturday 27 September. The revamped programme will also feature the $175,000 Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and a strong undercard of open and rating-band races.  The $550,000 Group 1 WFA 2040m (previously the Livamol Classic) will be pushed back one week and relocated to Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 18 October, where it will feature on Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s existing feature raceday. The programme will also include the $175,000 Group 2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). The remainder of the original $550,000 Group 1 WFA 2040m support card, including the $120,000 Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m), will remain at RACE Awapuni on Saturday 11 October, subject to the necessary Return to Racing protocols being met. All races on this RACE Awapuni card will be maintained at a minimum stake of $65,000. NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe said the decision was made with the long-term success of the RACE Awapuni track in mind, while also ensuring industry confidence heading towards headline Spring racing events.  “This decision follows weather-related delays in the turf’s recovery after decompaction work carried out in response to the abandoned Awapuni meeting on 25 April,” Balcombe said. “The surface has shown encouraging signs, but remains untested, with horses only due to return to work on it in the coming weeks. “We are continuing to implement a staged return-to-racing plan for Awapuni, with track performance having been closely monitored throughout July,” Balcombe added.  Horses are scheduled to begin working on the RACE Awapuni surface from Monday 21 July, followed by restricted trials on Tuesday 29 July as part of NZTR’s standard Return to Racing protocols. RACE Awapuni’s return raceday is currently scheduled for Saturday 23 August and remains the intended resumption date, subject to a successful final track assessment. The decision is supported by track advisor Liam O’Keeffe, who acknowledged the positive progress at RACE Awapuni but noted that several key steps still need to be completed before the track can be cleared for a full return to racing. As part of the programme changes, the $100,000 Group 3 Merial Metric Mile (1600m), originally scheduled for Whanganui Racecourse on Saturday 20 September, will now be run at a new meeting at RACE Awapuni on the same date. The Wanganui Jockey Club meeting will now be deleted, with a new meeting added at Ōtaki-Māori Racecourse on Friday 26 September, taking the date vacated by Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s meeting at Te Rapa Racecourse.  Key Programme Adjustments (may still be subject to change): Saturday 23 August | RACE Awapuni: Planned return raceday as scheduled  Saturday 6 September | RACE Awapuni:  Planned raceday as scheduled Saturday 20 September | RACE Awapuni: $100,000 Group 3 Merial Metric Mile (1600m) raceday with a supporting card Friday 26 September | Ōtaki-Māori Racecourse: Programme to be advised Saturday 27 September | Te Rapa Racecourse (New Group 1 Day): $400,000 Group 1 WFA 1600m (previous Arrowfield Stud Plate) $175,000 Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) Supporting races including Open 1200m, R75, R65 and MAAT across key distances Saturday 11 October | RACE Awapuni: Meeting retained as scheduled, minus the $550,000 Group 1 WFA 2040m (previously the Livamol Classic) $120,000 Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m), with the undercard to be maintained at $65,000 minimums Saturday 18 October | Ellerslie Racecourse:  $550,000 Group 1 WFA 2040m (previously the Livamol Classic) added to the existing Ellerslie raceday A full list of Spring racing calendar programme changes is available to view on the LOVERACING.NZ website here.   Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz     New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing 18 Dick Street, Cambridge 3434 Email: office@nztr.co.nz Tel: 0800 946 637 NZTR.CO.NZ Unsubscribe      
    • SA racing's economic impact www.racing.com Https://bitofayarn.com Thoroughbred racing in South Australia contributed more than $500 million to the state's economy, an independent expert report has revealed. Using data from 2024, the report found that racing's impact had grown by 14.2 per cent from the previous year, with the industry sustaining nearly 3500 full-time jobs and more than 163,000 people attending a race meeting in SA. Off the track, Racing SA's flood drought packages helped more than 500 horses, while 1161 care packages were distributed to ex-racehorses by Racing SA's Thorough Care program. "Thoroughbred racing in South Australia is going from strength to strength, not just in terms of its economic growth but also in its unique ability to bring communities together through a shared passion and purpose," said Racing SA chair Rob Rorrison. "This report demonstrates thoroughbred racing's strong economic trajectory, even without including the significant achievements of the past 18 months, including Racing SA and the SAJC's (South Australian Jockey Club) landmark sponsorship agreement with Sportsbet and multimillion-dollar prizemoney investment. "We are determined to continue to grow our industry for the benefit of our participants and the hundreds of thousands of South Australians who rely on and love racing."
    • The Tab recently opened some long term markets around feature races in November so here’s an early look forward with harness analyst Greg O’Connor.  The three-year-old season has a predictable feel to it with last season’s 2yo’s of their respective season’s dominating the early bird markets. Marketplace is basically $1.40 in every major race he is likely to line up including the2nd running of the Velocity and of course the jewel in the 3yo year, the Garrards NZ Pacing Derby. His nearest rival and most likely to bridge the gap in the second half of the season, Got the Chocolates is on the second line of betting and is the last horse to beat the star 3yo ahead of Rubira who is the only other horse to have beaten him this year and is currently campaigning in Queensland. The big mover since moving south has been Bar Louie ($12) who is yet to get to the above trio’s level but looks capable having won all three runs in his current campaign. Similarly in the 3yo trotting ranks the brilliant Meant To Be dominates both of the above races, the Derby and The Accent in his age group. The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained son of Father Patrick is unbeaten in three runs as a 3yo with the emerging Rogue Hero ($4.00) and Tarragindi ($5.00) on the next line of betting. The former a son of Marcoola has been super impressive winning half of his six starts for trainers Ken Ford and Amanda Tomlinson, including his last two whilst the latter looks an immense talent for master trainer Phil Williamson. He was 2nd to Rogue Hero first up before beating the older horses by seven lengths at his only other run.  The Christian Cullen is in its second year after Rakero Rocket provided an upset in December. The market reflects the emerging talent amongst the 4yo’s although the top three spots are headed up by stars of the back end of last season’s three-year-old year. Chase A Dream ($3) and We Walk By Faith ($3) and Better Knuckle Up ($7) all won features in October and November last year with the latter stealing the show in the Inaugural running of the Hill, Lee and Scott Velocity. Since then they have all had mixed campaigns giving plenty of hope to the emerging crop. Sideshow Bruce ($7) has been super since joining the Bob Butt team with Harrison John ($8), Duchess Megxit ($10) and Vessem ($10) all have the credentials to play a part on the big night which this year is a week after IRT NZ Cup Week. View the full article
    • Not a junior and hasn't claimed for a good while. This is Not a Junior driver Championship. It is the Australasian Young Drivers Championship being run currently. you have to be 25 or younger to qualify. The competitors were selected by their states. Junior drivers are much more like galloping Apprentices getting a claim. In QLD you get 5 Ratings point drop on a horse if it has a junior  driver with under 100 career wins. and 3 ratings points off a starter if the Junior is 100-200 wins. Our 2 best Juniors in Jack Chappell at Dixons and Layne Dwyer are in that 2nd category. able to claim 3 ratings points as are both on about 180 wins. Funnily enough our QLD Rep in this Young Drivers Championship has 460 career wins and is only 22 years old 😆. CHLOE BUTLER is a part time trainer too, she sometimes puts a 'Junior' on her horses to get a claim and ratings relief !! incredible but true. at 22 she has to use another driver lol.  Further, you can come back One Class on a Metro horse ( race for BIGGER prizemoney Saturday nights) i.e A race for One Win only Metro horses, those boys could drive a horse with 2 Metro wins in it. They claimed a class reduction. They can do this for up to 50 Career Metro wins.  So really , No matter what their age , they are not a junior anymore when they have outdriven the claims, and allowed to start in Group racing as Senior driver. As James Herbertson has done more than 2 years now.     
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