Huey

Have discussed this many times around the country circuit, I mean we copy off of Australia for everything else , why not this initiative , it would work very well. Though the push back would come from the metrop clubs as it would likely expose them particularly the 2nd tier metrop clubs via field sizes , performance etc. and of course now the problem is we will be lucky to have any country clubs left shortly, careful or they will start up this initiative and call places like Te Rapa,Hastings,Otaki,New Plymouth,Ruakaka,Wingatui,Invercargill etc country race tracks.

Yet another reason the sport is heading into oblivion, 3 weeks out from a race meeting and they take it as an opportunity to save some stake money by altering programmes instead, if this is the solution why was the race meeting on the calendar in the first place? Utter incompetence. Not to mention with everything that has gone wrong at this track in the recent past why is it one of the few left standing?

A country circuit or the revitalization of country racing in NZ would do the reaching out and engagement itself, but they are too stupid to understand that!

Agree with your thoughts regarding tracks etc, but not the motor racing,seen all those desperate attempts by racing to fit in with other activities go sour before.

Im not afraid, im convinced the sport has no hope in this country as we will all find out in the next 2 years,its kaput and heading no where. Ellerslies greater than thou attitude is evident at NZTR, several stables & studs and amongst many participants in the sport. Beside what you have said above ,the entire sport has become boring and irrelevant in this country , not only has it lost interest for the common man but also amongst many of its hardcore participants who are continuously let down by leadership and poor decision making. It appears to me Ellerslie are only setting up for the inevitable.

Very true, you can't save the industry by cannibalizing it, you also dont need expensive leadership in place whose only solution is to do just that. I've said for many years the nim wits leading us believe selling us all up will last forever and save the sport, it will do anything but. Better use of assets and planning would give us a chance, this wont.

How will the sprinter go in Aus, most intriguing.

Surprise surprise another ill thought out decision, been saying this since the M report anyone who thinks things especially horse numbers and participation will stay the same or increase is dreaming. But then perhaps thats what they want?

Yep a really interesting days racing, including our G1 F&M race.

Of course he underestimates racing on it also, wait till the impact of that kicks in. Ok when you got 50 -60 in work but what happens when the 5 -10 horse trainer finds out none of theirs goes on that , they wont hang around that's for sure.

Has Ellerslie benefitted from less racing? What the nim wits dont understand is the smaller provincial clubs should be utilized to provide the industry product and the metro the premier not both. There probably should be less premier clubs in nz for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately NM if this person appears in NZ they will be shot to pieces by the status quo and unable to get into a position to establish themselves. You see one of the big issues in NZ racing is that decisions need to be made that will level out the playing field somewhat, which will disadvantage several of the bigger players in the industry and therefore will not be allowed to happen. Years ago I thought the industry was every show of survival with some common sense leadership, but alas we simply haven't had any. Unfortunately in today's world doing regular Roadshows & FB lives is seen as listening to the industry as those are the areas you can point to as your attempt to engage with the industry whilst stabbing it in the back.

I agree regarding rugby, but it's still no where near as terminal as racing appears to be. Racing in NZ they took your local course, they took your free to air tv, they took your radio, they took your fields from the paper, they screwed up your weekly racing paper(distribution of it is a sad joke) , they made it hard to spend a Saturday out punting with friends by closing TABs or putting facilities in unsuitable or uninterested venues, they have the most inept programming and calendar for racing anywhere, they make it hard for you to see your horse on race day, they never made any plans around recruiting for staff especially riders when the industry told them to years ago and to top it all off they will not listen to a word you say unless you are from one of the big 5 stables or big 3 studs and they are telling you all the time things are getting better...yeah right!

The industry is in a very sad state, despite what many would have you believe. The changes made particularly around venues have only made things worse as like most decisions in the industry they are ill thought out and made by persons who have no empathy or knowledge of how the sport operates. The only existence I can see for racing in nz in the future is if it continues to cannibalise itself , which I think is its only way of survival. Lets be honest a lot of the players dont care they are coming to the end of it at any rate. I think a largely over looked a major problem for the sport in the future is it just isnt generating enough public interest anymore , people dont know when the races are on anymore, dont know when their local horses are going around and cant depend or plan around it anymore. Its losing all relevance even amongst the hardcore followers of it, thats got to be scary for the future.

some good points. Has anyone ever seen a plan from any of these outfits, like a real one with numbers written by someone or something that knows something about the industry?

Thats a great post NM. However I feel the industry is more in a sinking mode than treading water. Much of the industry is held together by the enthusiasm of its grass roots participants and much of the incompetence at leadership levels is hidden or offset by this. I fear a lot of this enthusiasm is wearing thin and despite roadshows ,fb lives & fancy documents we will see the significant impacts of poor decision making over the next 2 years.

Cant see it going on anywhere in nz in 5-7 years unfortunately.

No different than the horse youre bagging Pitty for winning with over the weekend CS, just horses with different abilities but still a very good training feat!

Standards should apply across the industry,unfortunately some are held to account when others arent.

Rough call NM ,plenty of the larger clubs have had some embarrassing track situations of their own (some on numerous occasions), the neglect of small clubs by the likes of NZTR is a major reason for the prolonged decline of the industry imo. Not that TA is a club that has been neglected though.

Te Aroha breeders to be run on AWT???

Good sole of grass on that !

Watch its Trials could be anything.

If the 2yo of TA that won at Matamata on Wednesday doesn't kick on as a 3yo , then ill give up the punt, looked special.

Something to do with charging for form and online video content?