hesi

They did their best to get people not to attend, on the days when they used to get big crowds, by closing the infield, stopping picnics and boot parties, and BYO. Used to be legendary, especially on Boxing Day Now they have to tell the camera operators, not to pan wide and show an almost empty racecourse on the big days

The main reasons for proposing the retention of each of these 28 racecourses, and the major capital projects required, are set out below. Note that rebuilding a course proper could mean up to 2 years without racing, a reconstruction 12 to 18 months without racing and a renovation 6 to 12 months without racing. The retained venues are: Ellerslie – Venue with 18 race meetings in 2017/18. Best racecourse venue in New Zealand. Excellent location in Auckland. No training. Requires rebuilding of course proper, some general facility improvements and landscaping. Freehold.

That's why I said, regarding this whole exercise of track rationalizations you have to be very clear what your objective is and that the rationale for that objective is well thought out At the moment the logic is closing tracks to generate cash, but lots if holes in the plan, that even a nobody like me can conclude

And then the plan is to sell whatever it is they have there in 8 years time and move to the Waikato Greenfields project. Seems like a waste of money to me

I'm glad to see you are on the Strathayr wagon, albeit, constructed properly. Synthetic tracks(Polytrack, Tapeta), would be a bridge too far and a big mistake. Thoroughbred racing in NZ is turf. I recall the experiment of night racing at Avondale being an abject failure, because so many trainers would not take their horses to race there at night, so fields eventually became abyssmal

Good that you have put in some objectives. Any plan has to be based on what you are trying to achieve and why Generating money to upgrade facilities? Getting more people to the races? Providing a better racing product ? etc etc

What is the point of upgrading Ruakaka, too far away from anything, especially with rising fuel costs Would you not also need to keep tracks at Matamata and Cambridge as your 2 major training centres in the North

What about Tauranga and Rotorua?

And, if the plan is for Rotorua to race at Cambridge??, why can't Counties race at Cambridge(an extra 18 km), or even Te Rapa, then ideally Ellerslie(total track rebuild in the plan), or the Waikato Greenfields option That leaves Counties(freehold) available to sell, which with all the housing development going on just south of Auckland, they would bring in probably more than the sale of all rural racecourses

Track closures must be based on a previous report, you can't come up with 190 mil figure to upgrade 28 tracks, 294 mil figure to upgrade 52 tracks, in 3 months. If the plan is to close tracks to generate cash, then I struggle to see the need to close any rural tracks, because their sale will generate very little cash. That's assuming of course, that the track is safe, the facilities are adequate, even if outdated(who goes other than the big days and Xmas hols), and that they are not a drain on NZ racing resources. On that criteria, close the tracks that will generate the big dollars, even though it may be a bitter pill and a contentious land grab issue Can someone also explain, how can you race at Cambridge in 2019/20, on a synthetic track(work to start Jan 2019), when there are no facilities there to be able to conduct a race meeting, or are there?? And if there are no facilities there, how can Rotorua close, and race at Cambridge

Perhaps Garrick Knight(welcome), could put forward a viewpoint on the Messara Report, other than the obvious emphasis that it has on thoroughbreds

They can dress it up any way they want, but it is censorship You getting soft in your old age Chief, wasn't censorship and inequity on RC, part of the reason an opportunity opened up for BOAY

What are the chances Curious, of NZ Racing getting there hands on money from the sale of Rotorua

Proposed racecourse closure divides Rotorua city 8 Sep, 2018 11:00am 4 minutes to read The answer to whether or not the Rotorua Racecourse should close has divided the city. Photo / File By: Katee Shankskatee.shanks@dailypost.co.nzthedailypost Should it stay or should it go? The answer to whether or not the Rotorua Racecourse should close alongside 19 other race tracks around the country has divided the city with many Rotorua residents vocal in their wish to maintain the status quo and others just as vocal in their belief the nation's racing industry is in dire straits. In a report titled Review of the New Zealand Racing Industry, overseen by top racing administrator and breeder John Messara and commissioned by Racing Minister Winston Peters, 17 recommendations have been made. Among them is one to reduce the number of race tracks from 48 to 18 within the next six years. If the recommendations are followed, Rotorua's Arawa Park track will be closed from the 2023/24 season. Tamati Coffey, Waiariki MP, believes the review needed to happen to "give Aotearoa's racing industry the best future possible". "There is much korero ahead," Coffey said. "This is an early recommendation from industry, not a decision from the office of the Honourable Winston Peters. "I will now be engaging and consulting with Rotorua's racing industry to hear their thoughts on how we can best champion investment in our city through the process ahead, utilising the fact nowhere else offers families such a complete package in terms of accommodation and post racing-entertainment, and grow our local economy." In contrast, Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the Government should not close the Rotorua Racecourse. "It is a very popular and well respected course around the region. "I've received calls from local voters concerned about the Labour-NZ First plan to close down racing in our city. "We host races on behalf other clubs in Rotorua because we are more centrally located and our facilities are better. Rather than a government death sentence, Arawa Park should become a first rate regional racing facility for the Bay of Plenty." He said he had spoken to club members on Monday and would be meeting to support their campaign to keep racing in Rotorua. New Zealand First list MP Fletcher Tabuteau said it was too early to discuss the matter. "What we have seen at this stage is simply a report with recommendations from a racing expert. "This will now start an important conversation across all three codes within the racing industry. Until this in-depth discussion takes place there is nothing really to discuss, that is, we are not in a position to even comment on anything yet because nothing has actually been decided." Meanwhile Rotorua District councillor Charles Sturt has made his opinion loud and clear on social media. "Like I said on Facebook, people need to read the report from start to finish," Sturt said. "Only then can they make an informed decision." Sturt compared the amount of New Zealand galloping tracks (58 for 4.5 million people) with racetracks in Sydney (three for 6 million people). "Many of the recommendations made in this last report were suggested [and ignored] 10 years ago because of parochialism. The industry is in financial trouble and if we want to maintain it, we need change. "People need to think of the industry as a whole, and not be self-serving within the communities where the tracks are." If the Rotorua Racecourse were to close, discussions would then have to begin about what to do with the land originally gifted by Ngāti Whakaue for the purpose of leisure activities. Pukeroa Oruawhata chairman Malcolm Short confirmed the land was "gifted reserve". "It's still very early days," Short said. "I have no doubt that further down the track we will have conversations with the Racing Club, but that will be in due course. "I understand the recommendations need to go through consultation with the powers that be so it's a bit premature for me to say anything just now."

Yep, they haven't been playing with themselves and just looking at videos for the last 17 months

God that brings back a few memories, our number was 1511M, down in Te Atatu South, when it was quite a nice place to live, then those Ponsonby wankers put their own spin on the West, and we got the stigma of crap like Outrageous Misfortune. TAB in Henderson, yellow duplicate tickets, gas was ten pence a litre, women were real etc etc etc

The industry may not have a choice, as those charged will use everything within the rules of racing and the laws of NZ to protect themselves and their reputations, bugger what harm it may do to racing. Look at how Cropp exploited every legal avenue available to her, to drag a case on for 4 years. Racing is very good at dealing with the 'sledgehammer on a nut' cases, like the jockey who got put out for aeons for betting and the, 'I raced 90' case with Midget, but seems to be indecisive with the big cases and the big players, like the cobalt issue and cow troughs

They want to close them down so they can generate capital from the sale of land and assets. The report also says, that to bring these 20 courses up to standard would cost a further 104 mil(294 vs 190), and therefore that money would be saved. Can't save something you were never going to spend in the first place

Affected clubs may be convinced to go along with it, for the sake of the industry, without embarking on a legal fight, if all cards were laid on the table. Namely, an open and transparent review of all 52 clubs, and a absolute indication that top heavy costs weighing the industry down, were going to be addressed. In other words, if we are going to bleed then you are going to bleed as well

Our Winnie has won several over there in the last 2 months. One of the races that he won, Fiscal Policy made up the quinella

For the uninitiated, can you explain what it is, but if it is money that can be legitimately saved, then along with the $30mil from a review, you are starting to get up there with respect to doubling stakes I think also, as far as the racecourse/asset closure and sale thing goes, how much more palatable would it have been, if it was worded, bearing in mind the ownership issue. "With the need to generate capital for racecourse upgrading, initiate a review of all 52 racecourses in NZ, with a view to reducing numbers by half within 5 years." From reading many of the posts, it appears very little time was spent at some venues, and that recommendations may have been garnered from another report??

Wasup, none of you guys tipped out Dana's Prophecy, 64/1 in a 10 horse field, R3 New Plymouth

Can't help thinking, that if there was something more definitive in the report(as below), it may have helped ameliorate the concerns on some of the more unpalatable stuff, that people realise has to happen, but just don't like the way it has been done, namely the land grab. "An immediate review of RB costs, both operating and turnover related, and including outsourcing the TAB, with a target of effecting savings of 25% This money($55 mil), to be specifically used per annum to Fund increased stake money - $30 mil Set up a separate racecourse infrastructure fund - $20 mil Set up a specific marketing and promotion fund for racing - $5 mil"