Murray Fish

3 very different people involved here if you were to compare and contrast! re Lance, always highly motivated to get that $, and then getting another! He is also involved with running a mid size business! v TK, who doesn't come from a racing family, and he has a serious 'love' for the horse! Back in the Laxon days Laurie had a serious appreciation of TK 'horseman skills'. If he wanted he could walking into any of the big stables in AU as a track rider! A simple pleasant fellow! Wouldn't surprise me to see him find a nice horse one day! Doing it all on the cheap as well!

that you pop up spewing your bile? you come across as deeply misogynist! a Coward! a real keyboard cretin!

When I last spoke to TK, its all around having a bit of fun and keeping his fitness up! As long as the bills are being paid does it really matter?

Avondale communities concerned over being shut out of racecourse plans David Long February 20, 2025 •05:48pm 1Comment Share Play Video Future of Avondale Racecourse uncertain after racing ends in 2025 VIDEO CREDIT: David White fast facts Community organisations urged Auckland councillors for local input on the future of Avondale Racecourse land. Rezoning the land for housing could increase its value from $77.5 million to $200-$400 million. Auckland Council leases part of the racecourse for $28,000 monthly for community sporting activities. A group of community organisations from the Auckland suburb of Avondale came together on Thursday to urge councillors to give them a seat at the table over what happens with the town’s racecourse. The 35-hectare site is owned by the Avondale Jockey Club, but racing will end at the venue in July 2026 and the land then sold off. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is going through a transfer process for the racecourse with the Avondale Jockey Club, and it will be NZTR that receives the proceeds of this sale. Read More from Stuff Fruit fly discovered on Auckland’s North ShoreTeen steals Kiwi mum’s car then crashes it, leading US police to a murder scene at homeThe advice is changing - here’s what to do with your mortgage now NZTR and Avondale Jockey Club are aiming for the transfer to be completed by June 30, but representatives from the Avondale community told Auckland Council’s Policy and Planning meeting they’re worried that the future of the huge section of land will be decided without any local input. The land is currently worth $77.5 million as it’s zoned for recreational use, with only limited residential properties allowed to be built on it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff However, the Avondale Jockey Club is asking for it to be rezoned to allow terrace housing and apartment blocks under the council’s PC78 Intensification process and if this happens the land is projected to be worth between $200m to $400m. Avondale Jockey Club and race track may be rezoned for high density housing.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Around 80 people from the Avondale community packed out Auckland’s Town Hall and heard Jaclyn Bonnici from the I Love Avondale Charitable Trust raise concerns about whether locals will be shut out from discussions about the site, or if deals had already been made. “Has the biggest race at Avondale racecourse already been fixed?” Bonnici questioned. “Are we facing land grabs, backroom deals and a community being shut out? “As community leaders, we’ve spoken with hundreds of locals and we’ve commissioned expert insights. So we’re here to build a table, to pull up a chair and make sure our voices are heard.” Bonnici and the others who spoke at the meeting want the council to set up a working group to oversee what happens to the racecourse. Bonnici and others in the community aren’t against further intensification of Avondale, but want some green spaces to remain and also want the famous Avondale Market to continue. Currently, the centre of the racecourse is used for community sporting activities, which Auckland Council leases from Avondale Jockey Club for $28,000 a month. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff A new community centre and library are being built in Avondale by the Auckland Council-controlled organisation Eke Panuku, but the amount of land the racecourse takes up in the town would transform it depending on how it’s used. “We have no masterplan for our suburb that looks at the connectivity, the existing infrastructure, public transport, community amenities and climate resilience,” Bonnici said. “We are not prepared to talk about the volume of housing that we would see as realistic for that piece of land, because we want to shine a light on the fact that the conversations are already happening about us without us.” Avondale racecourse has seen better days.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Local councillor Kerrin Leoni says she supports the formation of a working group to look at what’s best for the Avondale community. “We need to be front footing any of these issues, because it’s our city,” Leoni said. “We need to make sure that locals are being heard, and we can’t just have people coming in and saying, ‘this is how things are done.’ “We know that there’s possibly going to be a hearing in the future, but in the meantime, there’s nothing stopping community groups coming together with those who are in charge to voice their concerns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT “So they’ve come to council. But actually, central government’s got a huge role to play in this as well.” Racing is scheduled to continue at Avondale racecourse until the end of the 2025/26 season.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Leoni says she wrote to Racing Minister Winston Peters about the racecourse last year, but didn’t get a reply. “I asked him if we could have a meeting and that there were concerned constituents around the future of the racecourse,” she said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get a response. But I’m happy to pick that back up again and get some of the support from my fellow councillors to push that forward again.” Councillor Angela Dalton, who was filling in for Richard Hills as chair for this part of the meeting, said the group’s concern had been taken on board. “You have a commitment from Councilor Hills and I to progress what you are asking of the committee today,” she said. “We won’t know where that lands, and we can’t make a resolution to it today, but you have a commitment. We have heard you and we’ll keep listening.” ADVERTISEMENT After the meeting, Bonnici says she felt the councillors took onboard the group’s concerns. “They’re elected representatives, but they live in neighbourhoods and some of them live in West Auckland. “So they were receptive, and mostly positive and curious and that’s what we wanted most of all. “We want that to lead to some more open forums so that it’s not private profit who has the biggest say in what happens next.” Share your video Have a video worth sharing with the nation? Send it our way and it could be featured on Stuff and ThreeNews share now In a statement, NZTR said no decisions had yet been made about the future of the market and green space on the site of the racecourse. “The focus at this stage is on agreeing a transfer agreement. Nothing has been agreed or discounted at this stage,” the statement said. Avondale Jockey Club did not respond to Stuff’s request for an email or comment. - Stuff

Avondale community group to engage Winston Peters over racecourse housing plans 4:41 pm today Share this Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via email Share on Reddit Share on Linked In RNZ Online There were four people who spoke on behalf of the community group I Love Avondale, raising concerns around the cultural, environment and social impacts the loss the area could have. Photo: Flickr / Public domain An Auckland community group say they're taking their push to protect Avondale Racecourse land to Parliament, as they look to maintain a community green space. The I Love Avondale team presented to Auckland Council's policy and planning committee on Thursday in front of a packed public gallery, raising concerns about potential development of the entire piece of land. In March last year the Avondale Jockey club, who own the 135-year-old racecourse, moved to change the entire 35 hectares to a terrace and apartment buildings zone under Council's PC78 Intensification process. At the time, locals said the Avondale Jockey club's plans caught them unaware. More than 20,000 attend the Avondale Markets every Sunday which has been held since the 1970s, while the land is also leased by Auckland Council every year for local sports clubs. There were four people who spoke on behalf of the community group, raising concerns around the cultural, environment and social impacts the loss the area could have. I Love Avondale's team leader Jaclyn Bonnici said she was encouraged by the response from councillors. "I think we got our main points across well and now I look forward to the next steps," Bonnici said. Those next steps include taking the issue to Parliament and the Racing Minister Winston Peters. "We have always intended to speak with the Minister and engage with central government, but as representatives of Tāmaki Makaurau we thought it best to come to our council first. "We actually find our local board and council look to people to inform them and so then we can mobilise together. "Certainly, we will be going next to Wellington," Bonnici said. I Love Avondale said they're not against the land being developed for housing, but it was important to define "for who and by who" this housing would be for. "More than the fear of the loss, we're trying to focus on the ambition and opportunity of what could be possible for a regional park of the scale in terms of urban ngahere (bush), markets and high-quality housing," Bonnici said. "Sports fields, we need to own them, it's ridiculous that Auckland Council have been paying year on year for those sports fields, they should be in community ownership, it should be a fully community owned asset. "This is just another beginning, hopefully a few more ears have opened and hopefully a few more doors for people to take us seriously as a united front," Bonnici said.

yip! Standard norm re the big owners around the world when the big races are on! is you put your perceived best available rider. It wouldn't actually surprise me to much if the trainer looks for a International rider for that race!

na, it can be the smart option (especially in sport). as in, I had a early season bet of fifty buck bet on 49ers to win NFL. Wham bam! injuries everywhere! I cashed out for $34. almost a winning bet!!!!

the OBC would never allow that! 😁

yip! I think there is plenty of strong cool aid being drunk I presume that they must be confident of getting a lot of students along??

Terry Kennedy said when interviewed at Invers that they are expecting 10000+ on course!

Mrs had to put up with me Jumping up and saying this is why you couldn't bet into this sort of race because of the fascial way they are so often run!!! sigh! lol, i have been on what seems a very slow train, slowly heading down that line.... In saying that! I'm keen to see the upcoming big days in AK! and, as ever, there are the group races coming up in Vic and NSW

There has always be a hierarchy in play! with the dogs running a distance 3rd. To be honest I have not been following enough racing social media to be offering much insight! I mentioned the Invers example as I know people that work at the all the different 3 codes, a big loss of wages lost!

surprised Colin wasn't interviewed!

pay walled...

I did ask the question? 'how protected are our fund$ as the $$$ in our TAB acc?' ((I can hear the violins playing in the background!!! )) tiz a industry and has been 'failing' slowly for 50+ years, very much in 'selling the family silver faze!' From the cheap seats! I no longer have a decent economic understanding of how well 'things are travelling', way to much smoke and mirrors!!. Re EntainNZ, its been fascinating to see how they have gone about it! Their dabbling in ownership make for interesting following! though, the norm is! its rather hard not to be a tad cynical re anything NZ Racing...

lol, I could draw you a 50 year graph line, as it heads into the sunset...

I think that the likes of Invercargill will feel it! as in the Dogs offered quite a few days wages for workers that work on race days for the three codes...

talking nz entain, what would the status of the money that we have in accounts if they did happen to fall over and go broke?

the better the self moderation! the better the board! ps, with thanks for the effort that you (and others) put in!

lol, I recall I once managered to get under Pogo's skin, a big A Dummy Spit! They did add to the sight, back then... yours 'abitroughhouse'

It is very hard to get into the Vic program! Lots of Testing, always, along the way! no ware to hide! next time I am on course I will ask their Mums!

TAB4: NZ jockeys been moving to Australia for a very long time . Nowdays not so many kiwis to replace them so we need to import plenty. slightly different re young Bates and Kennedy in that they applied and managed to get into the Victorian Jockey Program

they run ballots for a few to play at being a owner for the day! as previously mentioned! I'm sure the Ballance sheet will make for interesting reading! a world where propaganda and reality meet!

Racing Industry By Bren O'Brien - February 06, 2025 Matt Ballesty may have been a surprise choice as the new chief executive officer of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing but having a light racing industry pedigree is not a bad thing for someone expected to change things up at NZ racing’s governing body. Incoming New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Matt Ballesty. (Photo: NZ Trackside) The initial five years of the 25-year Entain agreement, a deal worth a minimum NZ$900 million, was always going to be the most crucial to its success, and ultimately the long-term viability of the New Zealand racing industry. By the time Ballesty, who has extensive experience in casinos and hospitality and has done some consultancy work in the racing industry, takes control, nearly two of those first five years will have elapsed, with a lot still to be ticked off to meet the terms of the deal. There is a huge opportunity, helped by the prospect of a considerable share of the additional $100 million to be secured by the New Zealand government’s pending geo-fencing legislation which will give Entain/TAB NZ a virtual monopoly. But there are a host of existing challenges that will need to be met. We’ve identified what we think are the top five priorities for the new CEO. Sign up for Straight Up - The Straight's newsletter The Straight is a free, membership-based digital publication featuring in-depth coverage of the Australian racing, wagering and breeding industries. The Straight Up newsletter is delivered three times weekly to your inbox. Subscribe No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 1 - Executive refresh Any time a CEO is appointed from not only outside an organisation but also outside an entire industry, there is the likelihood they have been given a mandate to make whatever change is necessary to get things working. With time pressing to resolve a host of challenges, Ballesty will want to hit the ground running and make the call quickly on what is wheat and what is chaff. There is plenty of operational experience at his disposal in the existing team, something he might find helpful as he gets his head around the finer details of the thoroughbred business, but when it comes to formulation and executing a strategy to meet to challenges below, he will likely look to enlist additional help. There was a strategic plan put together by the previous administration, encompassing 2024 to 2028, but the published document looks light on detail, and more akin to a powerpoint presentation than a strategic document. 2 - Venue rationalisation A key aspect of the Messara Report, venue rationalisation has been an ongoing theme in New Zealand racing for a long time. Messara recommended the number of tracks drop from 48 to 28. It is currently at 35. Axing racing venues and rationalising race club costs is not politically palatable and will win Ballesty few friends, but every review of NZ racing starts with the unsustainable club structure. A venue plan released by NZTR in 2024 proposed no major changes to venues over the next five years, somewhat remarkable given what Messara and others had outlined. What it did do was encourage clubs to “develop solutions for racing and training in their regions for the benefit of the industry as a whole”. Straight Shorts - Wednesday February 5 - Matt Ballesty appointed NZTR boss, BlueBet’s TopSport takeover, industry mourns The Aga Khan This is why the issue has not been resolved. There is little incentive for clubs to vote themselves out of existence, while NZTR is not empowered to undertake the cuts itself without government intervention. Ballesty needs to be the galvanizing influence on this issue, bringing together clubs to work for the greater good, and achieve the long-needed rationalisation for the other initiatives to have the desired impact. 3 - Keep New Zealand’s best horses in New Zealand New Zealand owners and trainers - particularly the latter - have become very adept at trading horses, be it to Australia or Hong Kong. While the recent boost in prize money and the development of races like the NZB Kiwi have helped move the dial, the best horses still seem to find their way out of the country. Just this week, Leica Lucy, the NZ Oaks favourite, was sold to Ozzie Kheir and transferred to Chris Waller. Given the record of NZ horses in Australia and Hong Kong’s best races, it is not surprising that they become targets, but if the offerings are stronger at home then fewer of them will be sold. Prize money is a part of the solution, but so too is programming, ensuring horses have every opportunity to target the right races. That’s something that NZTR will have to prioritise with the clubs. The reason why this is important as it has a knock-on impact on wagering turnover and engagement. The best horses attract the most betting interest, and that then flows through back to the industry. The more those best horses run on home soil, the better. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chair Russell Warwick and new chief executive Matt Ballesty. (Photo: NZTR) 4 - Supercharge ownership With extensive experience in casinos and hospitality, Ballesty will have a clear understanding of the importance of customers. Arguably the most important and most engaged customer of the racing industry is the owner, and they are also arguably the most neglected, not in just New Zealand but around the world. As of the end of the last racing season, New Zealand had 14,633 owners, or around one in every 355 people. The corresponding figure in Australia is over 140,000, or one in every 191. The Australian ownership model is something NZ could aspire too, but the core number has remained in that same 14,000-15,000 range for the past four years. While there has been marketing campaigns to drive interest in ownership, what is needed is a game-changing strategic approach to empower the establishment of more syndicates and encourage the ownership experience. It is an initiative that has to be driven by NZTR, led by the CEO. 5 – Fix the tech Sounds boring doesn’t it, shoring up the technology platform which underpins the function of the industry. But it is extremely important and, from all reports, in desperate need of an upgrade. The Straight reported last year that NZTR had abandoned a $4 million project with Racing Australia which was designed to utilise the SNS (Single National System) to upgrade the New Zealand data system, including the stud book. With that project shelved, there hasn’t been a solution put forward on how the current platform will be updated. That issue should be front and centre on Ballesty’s agenda. But it is not just the technological implications. The current system is a drain on resources as well, with manual data entry being used where automated processes could be employed. Processes such as ownership and race entry are needlessly laborious. New Zealand is by no means the only jurisdiction with antiquated technical processes. However, innovation is listed as the second value of NZTR’s 2024-2028 strategic plan and you can’t live up to that while you still rely on pen and paper. Dragging the technical administration of NZ racing into the 21st century would be a huge sign of intent from Ballesty that the status quo is not acceptable.

https://www.tab.co.nz/racing-club click and you can have a 'interest' in 24 horses!