Chief Stipe

That's where you theory falls down. You assume that the Clubs were every earning enough to pay their way or put enough in reserve to maintain their assets. These Clubs looked financial on their balance sheets as their assets valuations increased but the reality is the operating revenue was never enough for the rainy day that was inevitable. I'm not talking about a fair return on capital I'm talking about generating enough revenue to maintain the assets. Volunteers, donations and sponsorship helped build the assets (often even the land has been gifted) but as that source of assistance has dropped away so has the ability of clubs to maintain what they often have been given.

No Levin only have $1.2m in the bank. The irony of course is that cash came from selling off a large chunk of land. Then there was some creative accounting involving the three Trusts. The sums involved jumped between cash in the bank and Trust loans. Operationally they run at a loss. Even though they pay a peppercorn rental for the use of Otaki on raceday. Levin has done the exact same thing that you all point the finger at other clubs for doing. Yes Levin has done a wonderful job at providing a jumpout venue.

Finally you get it. However I suspect you think that there was some other magical way of finding the capital to maintain or restore the core racing assets. Where was the cash coming from? The taxpayer?

Amazing how much traffic you supposedly get in an Anti-Racing echo chamber. Have you run a raffle yet to fund the fixing of the electronic timing at Trentham?

Uh? Try the Premier Anti-racing site for that behaviour. BTW its called debate. If you look at BOAY rules they are pub school rules.

Yes it was innovative of the Club at the time. But that's what happens with Clubs from time to time you have an Executive that goes "What the hell lets give this a go"! It works for a while and then politics creep in - committee members change and the new idea people can't get a look in. I remember on a much smaller scale a similar committee at the Westland Racing Club came up with the Miss Scenicland Stakes. Worked for a while and then the energy left. I still don't understand how for a very small amount of money someone can sponsor a race at a country race meeting in memory of grandad. Clubs now have no idea about marketing and rely on the administrators or ENTAIN to do it for them.

Yeah - the Twilight Christmas at the Races hospitality packages are sold out. People are really starting to enjoy these poly tracks! I see free entry for common folk on Mufthasa Day. Hasn't been sold out the last two years. Pain to get to the races as the trains weren't running the last two years. Anyone interested in a fund raiser to get @Huey to the races?

It's a bygone era. The key to the Bayer Classic was the HUGE sponsorship from Bayer and their links to the farming community. That huge sponsorship attracted the best horses. Even in those days Trainers and Owners chased the big dollars. In 1985 when Bonecrusher won the race was worth $122,000 which is about $450k in todays money. The NZ Derby that season was worth $200k so the Bayer was very attractive. In fact it was worth more than the Grp 1 2000 Guineas. From my perspective it was those top horses that got me rushing to the TV on a Thursday.

Show me the analysis.

It is true. Levin has already sold off what it could. That realised cash is slowly diminishing as it funds opex. There isn't enough in the bucket to do anything substantial. I do note though that there are "consultants" clipping the ticket annually.

Oh dear the mafia theory again. How should the allocation be determined? Given there are a limited number of dates available which is decreasing in line with the decreasing horse population. I've suggest in the past that the majority of the dates should be contestable. But the fact is most of the Clubs couldn't afford the contest!

Clubs falling over has less to do with NZTR than you assert. They are falling over for the same reason other clubs are falling over be it the local rugby club or RSA. Those drivers have nothing to do with NZTR. Sure NZTR have stopped propping every Club up because they don't have the resources to support all of them. Why not? I gather you approved of what the Westland Racing Club did when if a fit of churlish pique they gave their assets back to the local community. Racing on the West Coast lost to parochialism and an inability for the four clubs to work together. Oh the irony @Huey if you dig deeper into what the Westland Racing Club did you'll find that on the surface it may have looked a benevolent charitable donation to the community but underneath some benefited just the same way that some are benefitting from the Wellington Racing Club sell off. But that's OK because in your mind the WRC stuck the finger to NZTR! Yes Levin's contribution is significant but it isn't sustainable. If Otaki want to subsidise them then that's their business. Where have NZTR ever said that these Clubs DON'T contribute? In terms of them being surplus isn't it more of a question of is the capital they have invested returning an income that makes them sustainable? The accounts (that we have visibility of) say they aren't. There is a bigger strategic picture that Clubs just don't want to address. If Levin had racedays then very quickly they would end up in the same situation as Ellerslie (was), Te Rapa, Hastings, Trentham and so on.

Levin doesn't have the facilities to run their own racedays and would require considerable capital investment to get up to scratch. Arguably they struggle to maintain what they've got as it is. Meanwhile Otaki has to maintain all its facilities and rents to Levin for three days for peppercorns.

I have no opinion on whether it is archaic or not however even that model wouldn't generate enough revenue for Clubs to pay their way unless they had significant sources of other revenue. Clubs have got by on voluntary work and community donations in services and kind. Hell that is how Hokitika kept going. My own father through his business invested thousands in his local racecourse because it was his passion and hobby. That sought of generosity is diminishing rapidly for many valid reasons.

Last two decades? Yet none of them have done anything to turn things around except expect more handouts? As for your analysis of the 90's that's not correct either. The majority of clubs were sitting on their hands and not keeping up with the maintenance of racing infrastructure. Those chickens are flocking to the roost now! Those Clubs (big or small) that have racing as their sole source of revenue cannot sustain themselves. That is reality.