Chief Stipe

But NZTR don't have a repsonsibility to promote local race meetings to those Clubs local communities. They have a responsibility to promote racing and have a limited marketing budget (trainers, jockeys and owners are screaming out for more stakes!). Where is the local Club's marketing budget?

She got 30 racedays. Which in NZ would be about 10 weeks if you were domiciled in the South Island. There were differences of opinion on mitigating factors but I imagine having picked up over $500,000 during the carnival she will make good use of her holiday - shopping!

You just gave the reason why it may be a successful day - it is a "one off"!!! In a region starved for live racing action in the Hawkes Bay for 14 months!! You CAN'T replicate it for every meeting nor every club. WIll it produce any more of those outputs than if the meeting had been at Hastings? Communities drive community events NOT NZTR!!!! What does it have to do with NZTR? Clubs are generally the architect of their own success or demise!

Uh? Yet you complain about not having online access to a dozen or more Australian online gambling agencies? LOTTO has been in our faces for a very long time. It has huge takeouts, pays big wages and hides behind the dubious image of funding communities and charities!

Correct and very few of the older generation watch the 6 O'clock news anymore. I can't recall the last time I watched the news on TV.

Are you sure it was "live"?

You can support a mid-week meeting in the wops without being there. The reality is the same number of people (often the same people) have been attending these meetings for years. But does any full-time working person in Palmerston North have the time or can afford to take the day off to go watch a mid-week winter meeting at Woodville? But they can still watch and punt wherever they are.

Whats a "load of old cobblers"? The NZ TV channels are struggling for viewership hence the lay-offs of news reporters and presenters. Not to mention the sale of a channel for a $1!!!! Linear TV is not a happening thing. Increasingly viewers are streaming their favourite TV programmes to watch when they want to not when they are first scheduled. As for the NZ Trotting Cup you could have stopped the tractor opened a tinny and watched it streaming on your phone. Get with the programme!!!

They haven't shown it in full for a long time. To be fair they havent shown the Melbourne Cup live for decades! TVNZ is an anachronism from the past. Gone gone gone.

On to the next.

Young flock to Cup Week https://bitofayarn.com Darcy Cosgriff Nov 12, 2025 There was a distinctly young feel about the 286,746 strong crowd across the four Spring Carnival days, and the demographic stats have backed that up.https://bitofayarn.com Of all general admission tickets purchased, 53 percent were bought by people under the age of 35, up 14% from 2025. Victoria Racing Club CEO Kylie Rogers said it was a “particularly exciting” year in that regard. “The success of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival has emphatically demonstrated that racing is back and thriving. With our largest crowd since 2018, record-breaking wagering turnover on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, and significant uplift in broadcast figures, the momentum and energy throughout the week was infectious," she said. “What's particularly exciting is the significant growth in younger audiences. This Carnival has demonstrated that racing continues to captivate a diverse range of audiences.https://bitofayarn.com Rogers said the Melbourne Cup Carnival continued to be Australia's most-celebrated sporting and entertainment event, and the momentum gave the VRC tremendous confidence for the future. Daily attendance figures reflected the Carnival's broad appeal, with Howden Victoria Derby Day attracting 86,343 guests, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day attracting 84,373, Crown Oaks Day welcoming 51,239, and TAB Champions Stakes Day closing the week with 65,012 racegoers. KEY STATISTICS The 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival welcomed its largest crowd since 2018 with 286,746 attending Flemingtonhttps://bitofayarn.com Of all general admission tickets for the Melbourne Cup Carnival, 53 percent were purchased by people under the age of 35 – up 17% year-on-year. Lexus Melbourne Cup broadcast National Total TV reach increased 9% year-on-year, with total audience over 2 million for the first time since 2018. Record wagering turnover across both the Lexus Melbourne Cup meeting and the Lexus Melbourne Cup race. Over 36 million video views across VRC’s digital channels, up 63% year-on-year. The economic impact of the Melbourne Cup Carnival was on full display on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, with 66% of ticket sales coming from interstate or international visitors. The Carnival’s philanthropic and community impact was again significant, contributing over $1 million to charity and equine wellbeing partners.

Hence the changes he made that you found favourable.

The NZ TAB has always been a monopoly - someone like @Huey must surely argue that NZ Racing was at its best when it was a complete rock solid monopoly. As for the current advances "choking off the interest in racing"? How will it? That happens with all operators. The fact is when you have access to multiple agencies you are spreading your bets around to avoid the email cutting you off. The time it takes to run out of options depends on the volume you bet and the amount of agency churn in the market. They do but not on free to air TVNZ. They don't put free on air the 5th from Ashburton or Flemington either. But as you have a TAB account you can watch from your smart phone. Just because you can't get a $10,000 collect?

How do you know? As for more ads we had stuff all of nothing under the previous regime.

FFS no wonder Racing lost its way if one of history's greatest racing administrators doesn't understand Marketing 101. Hint: branding, visual queue, recognition. Delusional about what exactly? You are just pain in the arse negative. The marketing done by ENTAIN since taking over is a zillion miles ahead of anything we saw from the previous lot

Gary owned harness horses that won 20 Grp ones.

I think you'll find he had more success with harness racing.

Yes he was a regular contributor on BOAY. Condolences to the family and those close to Gary.

That's the problem people in the industry have thought it is different to other businesses. From a marketing perspective it isn't. So what's wrong with that? What "branding" of what "product" could the Wellington Racing Club associate directly with? Which is? I gather you havent bothered to look at what the marketing is aimed at. It is about increasing the sales of the products that the TAB has on offer regardless of whether or not it is the only business offering those products. However it is in a business that competes with any number of others for the discretionary entertainment spend. No businesses are more interested in getting value for their marketing dollar. What value do they get from throwing a paltry amount at a race? They dont care about bookmakers or gambling as long as they are getting a return on their marketing expenditure. Those local businesses are no more in the business of charity and making donations than any other.

Didn't realise when I went to Tauherenikau, Ruakaka, Te Aroha or even Te Rapa that they were "Carnivals"!!!!

Well that hardly can be expected to come from WITHIN the industry. You only have to read the comments on social media and here! What if it was for some just a "well dressed piss up"? They're in the door for a start. Yes the key is to keep engaged some of those that do attend. Who knows the woman who vomitted over the back of @Freda 's fence might have contributed $200 to racing coffers and is the next syndicate investor. I'm sure you know a few of your generation that started their involvement in racing after over indulging!

Actually @Huey if you were indeed at Riccarton last Saturday and had your eyes open you would have noticed that the average age demographic of those in attendance was substantially lower than 20 years ago even accounting for the fact that you would have been in your 60's then.

Why? If you've not noticed it isn't working for Colin Wightman aka @Transparency. Nor does it seem to improving the health of your liver. I'm not actually - I've been oncourse more in the last 12 months than you have for the last 12 years!! You wouldn't have a clue what is happening at the races.

Not only is that completely untrue but even if it was it would be a damn sight better than being miserable and moaning about everything. I guess that's all you do when you get dropped off at the RSA.

I'm not being a prat. Just pointing out the facts. Not one post from you about what was a great day's racing on the first day of Cup week at Riccarton. Just a post about someone vomitting over your back fence and another about the noise from the party that was going on and what effect it would have on someone elses horses.