Huey

Just out of interest I haven't seen part payment options available on any of the Auction sites I frequent, is that a private deal between Vendor and Buyer if you don't mind me being nosey.

Seriously how many options do you need? Does the 105 options make you bet more than the 47? Cause my understanding is that this is why the new FO Betting platform will be a success more options. Seems like a helluva lot of options for a punter to go through.

Even if Riccarton were flush with funds it obviously makes sense for them to make a contribution to an AW track as that's where its being proposed to be located so their contribution should go without saying. It's the other smaller clubs contributions that I'd be concerned about the ones that are potentially going to be eaten alive by it, perhaps some contribution mechanism could be put in place based on the number of race dates held at each club.

Interesting comment about the clubs putting in their share as it looks like a lot of the clubs that would benefit the most have little or anything to put into these ventures I'd have thought.

Tried your local TAB for a copy?

That's what I'm saying , its making a contribution to racing in NZ, that contribution may not be able to be measured in just $'s and cents Reefton and thats probably the case with a lot of other venues.

That's getting a bit desperate though isn't it? and if that's the case they surely wouldn't race at Ruakaka. Most of the tracks are set up on a fairly good network from stop to stop , not to mention as I'm sure you're aware that does not take into account what revenue or peripheral contribution each track makes to the industry, the above mentioned track being a case in point.

Agree I can't see any other place that the funds can come from apart from a restructure of the NZRB, anything else including track closures is either a legal/moral minefield or simply wouldn't assist in the long term. My concern is that the focus will be on the wrong parts of the report i.e. track closures to take the focus away from the real issues that being NZRB and how NZTR is operated.

But how can someone or something close a track if they don't own it, it isn't costing them anything to operate and its self sustainable? Simple answer would be they couldn't and shouldn't as that would have absolutely no benefit on the industry whatsoever. This is a scenario played out across the country at a number of tracks, many of them under utilised to the benefit of other tracks. He'd be a breath of fresh air if he stood up and really made some of these larger venues more accountable for what they are achieving and what they have done in the past.

I'm still puzzled at how the track closures will help? There are many tracks out there that cost the industry nothing to operate , in fact they are the ones that are probably doing the best . Closing tracks will reduce the available product, kill the community support and interest , reduce the number of options available for racing and programming etc etc. So how does the closure of tracks assist the industry at all?

Something needs to be done with NZRB no doubt , but racings record in this country having Foreign Personnel in charge hasn't been good.

Yes they don't appear very popular and its hard to see how he can justify his fee at present.

Poppy seeds next to the birdcage at Ellerslie? Hotdog stand attendant put contaminated mustard on handlers hotdog? Wrong ice cream purchased for staff party - Cookies and Cobalt supposed to be cookies and cream? They must be having some fun coming up with an excuse, surely they can better the trough on this one.

I'm with you Barry , place I struggle to watch particularly the meet week meetings put on there.

What about the G1 placed one the silence is deafening!

LMAO now they are telling them themselves, surely the entire stable needs to be tested now?

Great to see chasing stablehands and trackwork riders when they still haven't sorted out the race day positive that 90% of the industry know about.

You can always watch a race on your phone.

100% right. It's what been needed all along, why run Industry dates at Feature/Prem venues makes absolutely no sense to me, they do this then complain the tracks stuffed but have available venues for Industry days which in reality are races for TV if you like so the stands and facilities don't really matter. Less is more at the bigger venues , utilise them for feature and Premier days only, perhaps then they won't needed so many staff. I still can't get my head around how shutting down courses that are self sustainable is a good idea in anyone eyes, it reduces the contribution of product,community interest and involvement, the development of future horse men and horse women and once its gone the possibility of it being a backup venue no longer exists, not to mention I can't see it being easy to sell up courses. Whatever Mesarra recommends they need to be very careful racing is in a very precarious position in this country they already alienated thousands via the freeview deal, teletext, touchtone etc do they really want to risk further damage in the communities?

I know of a few clubs who haven't altered their constitutions with regards to NZTR, I can't see how taking a few race dates away from smaller venues even if it means killing them off is going to have any positive impact on the industry, but like you I won't have a say and like most things with NZ racing the same guys who've been sending the sport into oblivion will be the same guys put on a pedestal as the orchestrators saving it and that gives me little hope. I'm all for Foxton coming back on line , but I fail to understand why they are the chosen ones when there are plenty of alternative venues that would have got things up and running alot quicker than your lot Curious.

It's widely regarded as the best winter surface in the CD as you'd be aware, but I've had it mentioned to me that may no longer be the case? I've no reason to doubt those claims regarding it being the best surface however just thought you may have an opinion on that.

Curious I'd be interested in your thoughts regarding the surface at Foxton , not being smart but I'm told its not what it used to be?

What would you close down the already self sustainable venues that get little if any financial input from the governing bodies? Or is the idea to close down the smaller venues and sell them up so the funds can be put into the main centre venues which has been going on in an indirect fashion for the past 30 years , so I'm not sure why anyone would trust that line of thinking to work in the future? Besides that a lot of the community venues are owned by those clubs that operate from them and any sale proceeds from those venues aren't 100% certain to go back to racing I'd have thought, despite what those on trackside and beyond would have you believe.

But how they are going to close your track down? All the can do is reduce or take away race dates and that's worked wonderfully well for them in the past. Correct me if I'm wrong but is your track a self sustainable venue ? Part of them blame for the mess we are in is related to the calendar and the distribution of race dates and it looks like that will get worse in the future. Greed and self interest has hindered the progress of racing in the this country in particular over the past 25 years , they have an idea that they can create an Asian style with regards to tracks they couldn't be more wrong.

Surely there can be a redistribution of stakes that at the very least allows racing to put something together to at least get one all weather facility off the ground? As an example what are we doing racing for $25k & $35k on a Friday at Riccarton or on a Sunday at Te Rapa for that matter and I do mean the flat events not the prestigious jumps events. This goes on all year and if those races were for $20k the fields wouldn't be any different or $15k in most cases. Saturday and Public holidays are showcase days for the time being and the rest are run at industry levels to get some sort of funding for infrastructure off the ground?