Chief Stipe

Which they could gain at any number of racetracks. No bias, no emotion that's just a fact.

Which makes it a considerably long period of time that any WRC Club member volunteer actually painted anything.

LOL where is the data to prove that that correlation between stakes and starters exists?

I'm fascinated to hear your theory on that outcome!

You tell me. I gather then you don't think it is "a cause for concern" either.

So was Flemington last week. Caulfield most weeks. Much of the bias is Jockey tempo related. Say's who? Evidence? That's easily fixed - reduce the stakes offered! Which really shows how pointless that metric is which you seem fixated on. Well we don't need more historical versions of Awapuni, Te Rapa, Hastings or Trentham.

What's wrong with it? Note: he didn't say "global".

Foal crops dropped by 9.5 per cent in Britain and Ireland last year and Tattersalls believes there is cause for concern Falling foal crops in Britain and Ireland have been identified for the first time by Tattersalls as a major risk factor for the business in the latest sign of growing concern at the ongoing drop off in horses being bred to race.https://bitofayarn.com Figures published last year by Weatherbys showed a 9.5 per cent drop in the number of foals born in Britain and Ireland during 2025, the most significant drop year-on-year for more than a decade. In its latest accounts published on Companies House, covering the year ending June 30, 2025, Tattersalls’ directors spelt out what they perceived to be the "principal risks and uncertainties" for the company, which included the foal crop for the first time.They said: “Threats from rising costs and a falling foal crop in both the UK and in Ireland illustrate challenges the business faces." The Tattersalls directors also flagged the "ongoing concern" of "intrusive gambling affordability checks for owners and breeders" and the impact of tax rises on spare income. “There is a concern that resulting reduced disposable incomes will threaten the number of existing and potential domestic owners," they said. "The industry risks becoming overreliant on outside investors, which in itself is a high-risk long-term model in terms of losing key bloodstock to overseas breeders, coupled with comparably poorer prize-money levels.https://bitofayarn.com “Recent budget announcements included further enhancements in the minimum wage, increasing the burden on businesses already struggling with a range of rising operating costs. Additionally, while on the face of it not directly affecting racing, the range of tax increases imposed on the betting industry is still anticipated to have a negative and far-reaching impact on the racing and thoroughbred industry.” Concern about the falling foal crop has been repeatedly raised by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, whose chair Philip Newton said it had fallen by 36 per cent worldwide in the last 20 years during a keynote address at last month’s 41st Asian Racing Conference in Riyadh. Newton made a direct plea to British racing that “to deal with a problem, a problem must be accepted in the first place as a problem” and pressed the case for creating a product that could receive substantial outside investment, such as a racing super league.https://bitofayarn.com Despite voicing some of its concerns for the future, Tattersalls reported buoyant results in its latest accounts following blockbuster sales seasons in 2024 and 2025. The group, which also comprises Tattersalls Ireland, Tattersalls Online, Osarus and a minority share in Inglis, reported increased turnover and assets with total profit of £8,624,000 for the year.https://bitofayarn.com "The key performance indicators demonstrate that we have experienced an extraordinary sales season," the directors added.

‘I’m not here to hold the bridle’ – A year in, Kiwi racing boss Ballesty on his plans for New Zealand’s thoroughbred industryhttps://bitofayarn.com After 12 months in the role, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s chief executive Matt Ballesty is attempting to reposition the national industry for long-term sustainability. By Warwick Barr ● Racing Industry ● March 19, 2026 Matt Ballesty (right) describes the changes required in New Zealand racing as more revolution than evolution. (Photo: Christine Cornege) Matt Ballesty knew when he took the job as chief executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing that the role would demand change rather than caretaking. “It’s never a dull moment,” Ballesty says of his first 12 months in the position, reflecting on a career that has taken him from Sydney to Macau and Canada before crossing the Tasman. The Sydney-born executive, a self-described casino guy who now leads New Zealand’s national thoroughbred body, says he arrived with a mandate to reshape an industry that has spent much of the past decade confronting declining infrastructure, fractured stakeholder confidence, and the lingering shadow of reform reports demanding change. “I’m not here to hold the bridle and make sure everything’s OK (as it is),” Ballesty says.https://bitofayarn.com “I’m here, with the board’s direction and support, to make significant changes and test the status quo and make the bold decisions that need to be made. “But we’ve got to build trust, we’ve got to earn respect (but) it would be good for the industry to now give this team a chance to add some professionalism and quality to the decisions that are made.” The scale of that challenge is evident across almost every part of the New Zealand racing ecosystem, from racetrack infrastructure to wagering economics, ownership engagement and the delicate balance between tradition and financial sustainability. Ballesty describes the moment not as a gradual adjustment but as something more fundamental. Asked if it is a revolution or evolution, Ballesty is adamant: “I would say revolution. “We’re in a year of transformation, and me coming into the role wasn’t going to be about just keeping the status quo going. “I was brought in for change and agitation to move us in a direction that’s not the same as what it’s been. “We need to make sure that the investment that has been made into New Zealand sets us up for the years ahead.” Yet before any transformation can take hold, the industry must rebuild confidence after years of debate about its direction. “I think confidence and positivity all need to be rowing in the same direction,” Ballesty says. “People can see change and support change and look to the future, not to the past.” Like most executives, Ballesty will never be able to please everyone. There are divided opinions within the New Zealand industry about the regulator’s ongoing performance and its vision for the future. Adding a layer of uncertainty and a sense of urgency to the landscape is a crucial milestone in Entain’s 25-year deal to operate the New Zealand TAB. Under the terms of the arrangement, including the ongoing profit share, Entain has guaranteed to provide TAB NZ with $NZ1 billion in funding for the first five years. That is due to expire in 2028. That year is widely seen inside New Zealand racing as the first real stress test of the Entain partnership, because it marks the point when the guaranteed funding safety net disappears. Those guarantees allowed racing administrators to increase prize money, launch new events such as the NZB Kiwi, and invest in marketing and infrastructure, confident that the funding floor was locked in regardless of betting performance. Once the deal moves past 2028, however, returns will depend far more directly on wagering growth, meaning industry income will fluctuate with betting turnover, product strength and Entain’s commercial performance. There is some anxiety about what New Zealand racing will look like beyond that point and Ballesty says the messaging about NZTR’s objectives will be key to instilling confidence within the industry.https://bitofayarn.com Communication, he believes, has been – and remains – one of racing’s persistent weaknesses. “One of our biggest challenges is communicating to people and making them feel comfortable that things are happening,” he says. “It’s such a wide and varied group of people. If things do go wrong, which they do in life and business, they seem to need somebody to hang out and I think it’s been us. “But we need to do a better job of just balancing that perception.” Ballesty’s ‘bold’ strategic moves – NZTR executive undergoes major changes Ballesty says that the awareness issue is compounded by the fact that racing’s stakeholders – clubs, trainers, breeders and punters – often interpret discussions about reform as final decisions.https://bitofayarn.com An example he points to is the speculation that NZTR will increase the levy imposed on owners of horses departing the country to boost revenue and support the local racing industry. Opponents of any such plan argue that a significant increase in export fees will make it harder to sell horses to overseas jurisdictions. “An idea is just an idea until it’s not an idea but in our industry it is fact straight away,” Ballesty says. “This (a levy increase) is a great example ‘I’ve heard this, I’ve heard that’. “It’s something that hasn’t even gone to our board. It will be reviewed amongst a whole bunch of other things and we’ll see if it is something we need to address or not.” That environment has forced the organisation to tread carefully in its messaging.https://bitofayarn.com “Sometimes it feels like you can’t say much at all or you’re being misinterpreted,” he says. RATIONALISATION Despite that caution, the most sensitive reform topic remains racetrack rationalisation – a subject that has lingered since the landmark Messara report nearly a decade ago recommended reducing the number of venues across the country. New Zealand currently has around 35 racetracks, down from more than 50 historically, but Ballesty accepts further consolidation is inevitable. “As a broad acknowledgement, there’s just not (enough) money to sustain every racecourse,” he says. “We do need to define what racecourses are – whether they’re a metropolitan racing surface or a provincial feeder or a community engagement venue.” To guide that process, NZTR has launched a detailed infrastructure review designed to shift debate away from sentiment and towards what Ballesty describes as measurable analysis. “We move away from emotion and we move away from people’s opinions and we rely on data and analysis to help lead informed decisions, data-led decisions,” he says. “That’s not to say everything’s to do with data … we’re in a business that has history and that needs to be recognised.” An infrastructure challenge goes beyond simply closing venues; it is also about creating modern racing hubs capable of delivering reliable surfaces, strong wagering outcomes and high-quality race meetings. At present, Ballesty believes New Zealand has only one genuine metropolitan-standard track – Ellerslie. The ambition, however, is to build a broader national network capable of supporting elite racing and attracting international participation. “We’ve got Ellerslie, but we need four Ellerslies to be successful in the longer term,” he says. Plans are already emerging to build that structure.

But JMac hasn't ridden Romantic Warrior in all his Grp 1 wins.

Droll and unoriginal. Who is typing for you nowadays?

On what grounds would it stop it being sold? It was advertised as embargoed was it not.

Stick to photography @Murray Fish

A Savabeel-How Womantic filly sold for $190,000 by Vinery Stud on behalf of a client to agents Mark Player and Rob Roulston also had an “ineligible to race” embargo placed on her by Racing Australia before the Magic Millions. It is believed that the filly, who is by New Zealand’s champion sire, did not have the ownership registration lodged on time because an embargo had been placed on her by Waikato Stud due to an overdue service fee payment. The outstanding amount was subsequently paid by the filly’s breeder, but Racing Australia placed an embargo on her due to the apparent late FOD. The appeal process remains ongoing. The development came as Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, which has been at loggerheads with Racing Australia about breeders’ foal ownership declaration obligations, sent its members an extended reminder email on Wednesday about their responsibilities. Under Racing Australia’s regulations, breeders must now lodge both the mare return and the foal ownership declaration (FOD) within 30 days of a foal’s birth, with the two requirements consolidated into a single online process on the Australian Stud Book website. FODs submitted between 30 and 60 days after birth will attract a $360 late fee. Foals with FODs lodged more than 60 days after birth will be automatically placed under embargo, rendering them ineligible to race in Australia unless a formal appeal is upheld. Racing Australia’s policy states that appeals will be reviewed in 21 days but the aforementioned Spirit Of Boom filly’s case extended well beyond that time period. “Our update to members was intended to reassure affected breeders that support is available and that they are not navigating this alone,” TBA and Aushorse chief executive Andrew Hore-Lacy said. “We have consistently raised concerns that embargoes are a disproportionate penalty, particularly where there has been no intent to avoid compliance. “In some cases, they are creating serious commercial and welfare consequences. We have urged Racing Australia to apply greater proportionality and common sense in the administration of these matters. “Our primary focus for now is on fact-finding and ensuring every impacted breeder has the opportunity to gather and present all relevant information and to have their matter determined in accordance with principles of procedural fairness.” It is understood that two horses catalogued for next month’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale also have a not-to-race embargo placed on them due to the late lodgement of FOD forms with the industry’s national regulator. @Comic Dog

That's the fundamental problem with a club like the WRC. The members buy their membership for the entitlement and none of them can remember when they last painted a rumning rail.

@Murray Fish @curious the racing industry has NEVER been self-funding. No Club put enough profit aside to fund the maintenance amd renewal of core racing assets. Any other business that goes down that path eventually fails. Alll some Clubs have left is a land bank that they can off load to fund maintenance. However the harsh reality is most Clubs don't own their properties or if they do have anything left to sell.

I gather you and @curious don't understand track funding Both of you are so wrong it is laughable. @curious show us all in financial numbers when Racing paid its way.

You miss the point as always. If you win backing winners on NZ races (a remote possibility) with overseas book makers then your conscious will force you to put some of your winnings back into NZ Racing.

And what have you done for any dogs life?

Ok. I'm ok with the Jameson but the last time I nailed Guinness was when they had Toss the Boss at Rumpoles Bar at the Park Royal in Victoria Square, Christchurch. 9 free pints was a bit much.

Ok then over your Guinness what did you decide was the best way to get sufficient return from wagering to fund NZ Racing at the level you desire?

Turnover doesn't equal revenue unless these punters are betting on the Tote. So how do you explain that turnover hasn't moved downwards equivalent to the punters you talk to reduction in punting? Not that I would actually believe what a punter tells me they turnover!

On what basis do you make that statement? Anectdotal feedback over rums at the Racecourse Hotel?