Murray Fish

5 minutes before the last, as the sun sets... more photos to come! some interesting conversations were had! some had the pleasure of actually me M Fish in person for the first time! more photos and some stories to come.. phew, will be interesting to see how I will back up at Ascot Park on Sunday!

*terrible* ??? I could suggest others! ps. I have recently posted a couple of interesting articles re Au racing! I note no comment yet from our resident cost accountant!

The reality is that the (World) Industry is heading directly into the sunset, reflected by so many key metric, as shown in the lead article. Now where's that cool-aid! ps. What you reckon boay's resident cost accountant would make of a article like this one?

re membership fee, yearly?

By Bren O'Brien - May 07, 2025 One of the key arguments made by the Australian Turf Club in its pitch to members to sell Rosehill is that racing’s popularity is on the decline. But the varying data on this crucial point reveals a much broader challenge for the racing industry. Data that is conflicting or simply lacking enough integrity is hindering racing's ability to properly understand its customer base. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images) A survey of 10,000 people, conducted and released by the NSW government last year, revealed that the percentage of people who bet on racing has slumped from 12.9 per cent in 2019 to 9.9 per cent last year. Even more concerning for the racing industry, was the fact in 2011, that figure stood at 24 per cent. The NSW Gambling Survey 2024 is conducted every five years by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund and was cited in the Australian Turf Club’s extensive missive to members sent this week, as evidence of racing’s decline in popularity. “Participation (by percentage of the population) in race betting in NSW has declined by 23.3% over the last five years (from 12.9% in 2019 to 9.9% in 2024). This represented the largest decline among major gaming and wagering activities,” the ATC document read. “Online betting has provided greater access to other sports, which appear to be gaining market share.” Leaving aside that the NSW survey also said that percentage betting on sport was actually down from 8 per cent to 7.6 per cent on when the survey was first conducted in 2006 – something which seem incongruous given the change in the sports betting landscape in that time – the data on racing also conflicts with broader racing turnover figures. National turnover figures – Racing NSW doesn’t publish state-based turnover – show at least a 10 per cent growth from 2019 to 2023, albeit with a massive peak over the pandemic which has since declined. Curiously, a survey conducted by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGCR) in 2022, with a sample size of 1765, showed that 38.1 per cent of adults gambled on horse racing in the previous 12 months. That survey indicated 72.8 per cent of Australians had spent money on gambling in the past 12 months, where the NSW study conducted in 2024 had that figure at 53.2 per cent. Now there is a possibility that NSW may be much more conservative in its gambling than the rest of the country, but gambling expenditure trends indicate 41 per cent of money spent on gambling in Australia is wagered in that state, which has 31 per cent of Australia’s population. The NSW survey may be a correct measure of the true role of racing in the broader gambling landscape, or the AGCR research may be right, but one thing is for sure, they can not both be right. There is seemingly no end of government departments, state and federal, who put out data on gambling in Australia, usually through the prism of minimising gambling harm. These reports are important to measure the broader implications of gambling harm in our community, but given the results vary wildly when it comes to specifics, they would not seem a suitable platform on which to make broader assumptions about the direction of the racing industry. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Racing is notoriously terrible at understanding its customers. There are myriad reasons for this, including the divided nature of the states, the club versus regulator model and the fragmented wagering environment. The chief cause of this is a lack of data. The most recent edition of Racing Australia’s Fact Book failed to feature wagering turnover, arguably one of the most important raw metrics given the industry’s reliance on betting. ATC’s $57 million carrot for members to support Rosehill sale The Straight understands that at least two states raised concerns over the accuracy of wagering data, so they refused to participate. Anecdotally, we have been told that the most recent annual turnover figures of $26.3 billion in 2022/23 may actually be significantly less than the true number. How can racing bodies make strategic decisions when they do not have authoritative numbers on even the most fundamental of data points? Well, they rely on third-party data, of course. Know More But when you consider that the Rosehill sale shapes as the biggest transaction in Australian racing history, how reliable is that data? And can you afford to cherry-pick it? While looking at the NSW Gambling Survey 2024, the ATC may have come across a couple of other concerning figures. The first is the role of women. The NSW data indicated just 5.7 per cent of women had bet on racing in the past 12 months. The AGRC’s figures in 2022 were much higher at 28.8 per cent. The other demographic aspect which stands out in the NSW report is the participation of people who speak a language other than English at home. Essentially, a measure of those from migrant backgrounds, this was stark. While the survey reported that 11.3 per cent of people who spoke English at home had bet on racing within the past 12 months, it was just 1.8 per cent of those who spoke a language other than English. That’s a six-fold difference. When you consider that 22.3 per cent of people in Australia speak a language other than English at home, it tells you that racing has a huge challenge appealing to what can be characterised as its “non-traditional” audience. How the ATC plans to attract the heartland of western Sydney, something it admits it has struggled to do at Rosehill, is a crucial plank of making the grand plans for Warwick Farm work. It is also surely a factor that when you are considering spending $800 million rebuilding a racecourse in a local government area such as Liverpool where 53.8 per cent of people speak a language other than English at home.

just flick CS a twenty and all the advts disappear!

Racing Industry A taxing process - Racing NSW demands proof of financial viability from trainers By Tim Rowe - May 08, 2025 New South Wales trainers will need to provide the regulator with personal and business Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Assessments for last financial year before their licence is renewed for next season. Racing NSW is demanding addition evidence of financial viability from licensed trainers. (Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images) Racing NSW will also require trainers to sign a statutory declaration stipulating that they and their training operations are “financially viable” and are capable of meeting their creditor and employee entitlements including superannuation. In a letter sent to trainers, signed by Racing NSW operations manager - integrity Michael Cleaver, the regulator outlined the increased demands as part of the annual licensing approval process. “Professional management of finances and tax obligations is a critical expectation for anyone holding a trainer’s licence,” Cleaver wrote in the letter, dated May 1 and emailed to trainers on May 2. “To help ensure the financial viability of trainers and their ongoing capacity to pay creditors and staff, Racing NSW is introducing new requirements for the licensing renewal process for trainers. “This is, in our view, a necessary step to continue to uphold the integrity, safety and welfare of the racing industry. “It will also allow for earlier intervention where a trainer may not be meeting their obligations and provide a greater opportunity to avoid training businesses from failing.” The move has caused concern among some sections of the training community, who see the additional requirement as excessive and a breach of personal liberty. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The action comes after Anthony Cummings’ business Rosscarbery Holdings was placed into voluntary liquidation with reported debts of more than $2 million, with the Group 1-winning Randwick-based trainer subsequently having his licence revoked by Racing NSW. Cummings, who was also forced to relinquish his stables at Leilani Lodge, is not the only trainer to have accumulated significant debts to the Australian Tax Office and other creditors. Fellow Group 1-winning trainer Tim Martin failed to meet his obligations with the ATO while in Tasmania Scott Brunton was stripped of his trainer’s licence because his business owed the tax office more than $1 million. When trainers first apply for a licence, they are obliged to present financial statements and business plans to Racing NSW, but up until now they have not had to provide any further information such as tax returns when renewing their licence annually. Know More It’s understood that Racing NSW consulted about 15 trainers via a Teams meeting prior to announcing its plan to bring in annual so-called low-touch financial health checks for stables, which prompted some pushback from the licensees and their accountants. But Racing NSW remains steadfast in its view, saying it was incumbent on trainers to supply the information and provide a signed statutory declaration of their ability to meet their financial obligations otherwise they will not be granted a licence for the new season. “If an Applicant is unable to provide such a declaration, their licence will not be renewed until such a time as Racing NSW is comfortably satisfied that their continued participation in the industry does not pose a danger of damaging the industry of racing through the non-payment of taxation debts and other racing industry creditors,” Cleaver continued in the letter to trainers. It is also believed that the demand for 2024 financial year Notice Of Assessments from the ATO will also force trainers who are behind in lodging their tax returns to get their business affairs up to date. Licence renewals have been extended to July 31 owing to the extra regulatory requirements imposed on trainers by Racing NSW. Racing NSW was contacted for further comment.

Two race meetings in Southland this week, both with travel subidies. Riverton RC (Friday) and Wairio JC (Ascot Park, Invercargill, Sunday). Subsidies are: Canterbury horses - $300, South Canterbury horses - $200 and Otago horses - $100. Winners, on either day, are not eligible for the subsidy. Nominations close today (Monday) for Riverton RC and tomorrow for Wairio JC.

In my world view, this massive historical under evestment is at the core of why racing Is a Sunset Industry.... Add in the reality that more than over 50% of NZers have found that their discretionary money has been 40 on a long term excremental decline! Having said that! lol, can't believe how keen I am to be On a Course friday and sunday in the deep south! I wonder how the fields will back up!

boooooooooooo

Mr Eales really liked it! especially for certain horses

I was oncourse for that race! 100% the track was not watered!

I know for those Wingatui meetings that fell over! some $ was given! I can ask someone on course on fri / mon.. thought other than R Dennis I'm not sure who else sct

I found Paul did have a answer if you asked him directly.

Sydenham, proud! 62/68 we usually beat green&black

Some say at the right time of the year its as good as the Riveria, hoping that this is the right time of the year! 52 years since I was last on course at Riverton!

'we' are book to be on course 9th Riverton and Ascot Park 11th. I care! that 3 of the last 5 meetings we have been to have not gone the distance! Weather looking OK for first meeting, but a challenging day on the Sunday! Looking forward to catching up with CWJ, amongst others! @TAB For Ever up for a road trip??? 😎

without asking Prof Goggle! George! every now and then via trackside I spot Harry studying the horses, always in the same spot outside the birdcagde.. I impressed him once by sharing that that colt would win the G1 race and the two fillies would run 2nd and 3rd in that order! having the ticket with that as a straight out tri was better!

Perhaps only Real Estate Industry has more...

Tom Kain? wasn't afraid of a court case or two! his brother (Harry?) had shares in a couple of V Good horses!

lol, I actually find i amusing! a Badge of Honor! NZ has a deep history of Anti-intellectualism! Racing with its long rural and working-class history which has always at it's core a A.I.. this is just being expressed in the modern area in a modern way! Personally, I tip my Hat your way! I always find it adds to a discussion! I look forward to meeting you one day! not to sure on that.. NZTR and Entain I think are seriously trying to believe their own propaganda! about the 'new golden area' that be now entering.. On a more serious note, Historically O don't think either have really understood Social Media very well at all! Likewise! Though I do know some! As always I be happy to share my brutal polemics that I hold about them to when I am standing in front of them!

tick... racing is tough enough without having our spirits polluted by certain toxic racing players...

Cursed deeply with it! so I believe! (chuckle chuckle) 🤓

I still be dealing with 4 bets for 4 nose 2nds,,, phew

as in their overall. gross? spend on both events? I presume extra was spent with the KIWI being a first time event v CUP Week being as old as I can recall..