Huey

Surely they won't go for much, with buyers usually abandoning dead stallions at the sales, might be able to pick one up for the price of a 4 bedroom home in Taupo!

It will be a nothing meeting at HB within 2 years, I don't see what the problem is if the club is funding it, unless of course they wanted an easy out which may have been the case.

Exactly

No true, its the club choice , but its BS they had to make that decision.

BS decision for certain, what a waste of a great week of racing to go to and become just another HB meeting. You on the NZTR payroll now Curious?

I didn't say RITA sorting them out, I meant in general.

I can see no reason why he wouldn't give them another year, racing is not getting sorted out in a short period of time, if its to be fixed its going to take 2-3 years to turn around in its simplest form. It can't be rectified over night, I only hope DM takes a very close look at those at RITA who got the venture into the position it is in today. I hope there is something in place to sort out NZTR/RIU and their proliferate problems.

They don't need a nice guy, they need a leader. He couldn't be any worse than the last 3-4 of them which isn't saying much.

I know what you mean ATA, but they all simply cannot justify the top heavy layers they have in operating those clubs, as you say Ellerslie may be an example but you can't tell me they couldn't also operate Te Rapa & Matamata as well, there is an opportunity for centralisation there, they want the smaller clubs to suck it up well they would be more convincing if they set an example.

Do you think we really need a GM , Finance , Marketing , Admin function at all of the following clubs? There isn't some amalgamation or centralisation that could occur in this space to save the industry millions? There are huge opportunities everywhere, racing is full of duplication. Ellerslie Trentham Awapuni Otaki New Plymouth Te Rapa Hawkes Bay Wanganui Matamata Pukekohe

As you say without mentioning the massive gravy train going on at the clubs, so many $ to be saved there!

Non existent CS, I hear people say how wonderful BS is because he is so approachable, well so is the women at the reception desk , but that wasn't what he was employed to do , what has he achieved since being here? I know he is going to claim success for shutting down venues (utterly pointless at any rate & no financial justification for doing so in most cases, not to mention just a case of acting like a bully to do so) and ride off the back of the success of the Racing Bill (with respect to some change coming whether good or bad) but what else is he here for - FB Live?

Of course , it would have been part of the financial Operational analysis they completed. There is no way they would not have done the appropriate ground and had a really good basis for this , historically speaking they always do ...

That's exactly right and has to change. The racing has been fitting around their cost structure and not the cost structure fitting around the funding of racing.

Surely someone in this industry has done some numbers on this , to see how it can work? I mean surely??? Without government handouts.

I think UE is saying the return maybe from training on them, that may well be the case and I hope so given their cost and I can't see punters warming to them after the initial novelty factor wears off.

Ok, so AWT is up and running in May, thats 6 meetings in first 3 months(Last 3 months of season)? Seriously Curious you think they'll only schedule 6 meetings there a season? I can't see it, that might be the end scenario but I doubt it once its up and going.

so 30 on AWT at Riccarton, 40 at Awapuni , I guess 50 at Cambridge. NZ racing is really going to become a snorefest! Hello world look at our quality racing here on an AWT track from Riccarton on a Wednesday start punting on it, don't worry about that silly racing from Sandown or Warwick Farm Sydney on the grass , this AWT racing is seriously exciting!!!

Let it rip! Now is not the time to stand on precedence!

Agree , there has been too much focus on the Elite punter and not the $50-$500 a week punter, so they have gone MIA or new ones haven't been created .

I think a lot of the industry media made coverage around horse welfare just comes across as propaganda from the industry and is therefore ignored or swatted aside by those that wish to halt the sport. In my opinion the coverage we get for welfare issues doesn't go deep enough and needs to aim at people who are at the beginners level with regards to racehorses , the reason I say this is because the public even the keen punter and avid racegoer have absolutely no idea about racehorses in this country , in fact probably even less than those that work in Petone. Why on earth would an organisation like NZTR give the role of leading horse welfare to someone who probably hasn't got a clue about the day to day care of the animal etc, its just plain tokenism . I'd have thought its that important a role you would have someone who has had experience in the industry or at re homing horses etc. NZTR pay it lip service by putting up a story with Event Stars once a month when its much more important than that.

Unfortunately it wouldn't matter and iota to them, why do you think they protest outside of Melbourne Cup day as well as some other major meets and jumps racing, they wont all racing stopped , you should have a chat to them someday you'll see what I mean fairly quickly.

Unfortunately I think its only the first layer to be attacked, once that goes its 2yo racing etc etc. I don't mind people having a say , but these type of people just have no idea what they are talking about, they make out the horses are mistreated etc which is just plain wrong and its one of these cases where good intent can lead to even worse outcomes. I'd have no argument with anyone who has some complaints about the bail out, as I'm of the opinion its undeserved and will be wasted but making it about animal cruelty just diverts attention from the real problems in the industry.

Petone

I and many others share your pain, I would like to know if you are getting terse emails regarding your account, what are they sending out to those who owe the $1.7m outstanding? Visits from the mafia perhaps.