curious

NZTR Club of the Year Award Finalists Announced New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is thrilled to announce the finalists of the 2024 Club of the Year Awards, set to be awarded at the 2025 Industry Development Conference on 31 March. Each New Zealand Racing Club was assessed against a performance framework across four categories: Financial, Racing, Marketing and Compliance and Innovation. The selection of finalists and winners will be presented in three distinct categories: Metropolitan, Provincial, and Country Clubs. An overall Club of the Year Award will also be presented from the winners of each category. NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty is pleased to see our Clubs recognised for their performance. "We see our annual NZTR Club Awards as playing a pivotal role in recognising and celebrating the outstanding contributions and achievements of New Zealand’s well-performing racing Clubs," he said. "I look forward to getting to know our Club representatives at the Industry Development Conference and celebrating their collective wins." To reward our high performing Clubs, NZTR will provide a $20k prize fund distributed across the three categories: Metropolitan, Provincial, and Country, with each receiving $5k in prize fund. Additionally, the Overall Club of the Year will be granted $5k in prize fund. The prize fund should be used to invest in an event or on-course initiative and a short form business case will need to be presented to support the initiative by 31 July 2025. NZTR has outlined the finalists for the three categories below. 2024 Finalists (in alphabetical order) Metropolitan · Auckland Thoroughbred Racing · Canterbury Jockey Club · Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Provincial · Otago Racing Club · Racing Tauranga · Taranaki Racing Incorporated Country · Central Otago Racing Club · Masterton Racing Club · Wairarapa Racing Club Congratulations to all the finalist and we look forward to celebrating at the 2025 Industry Development Conference. Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Contact: Catlyn Calder +64 27 252 2803 nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz

The winter stakes reductions are another matter. Certainly not essential. They could be evened out. However I would have some sympathy for that if it's linked to lower wagering revenue during that period.

Just remember that 3 years ago it was 12,000 per race at that Wingatui meeting. Enjoy it while you can because I can't see how it will be any more than that again in another 3 years.

Back big time and loving it

Everyone loves a bet! $2 a punt By Bidlake Racing_2025 03 15_13 28 56_1_381.mp4

Yeahh. Didn't have much luck that day either.

Legendary Jockey Frankie Dettori Files For Bankruptcy Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 11:57 am | Back to: Europe, Shared News Europe Updated: March 13, 2025 at 11:58 am Frankie Dettori | Getty Images Frankie Dettori has been forced to file for bankruptcy after failing to reach an agreement with HMRC over a long-running tax avoidance case. The Italian released a statement to confirm this latest development on Thursday. “For the last six-months, my advisors have been working with HMRC in an attempt to find a solution to my financial situation,” the statement read. “Regretfully, I will be filing for bankruptcy. “I am saddened and embarrassed by this outcome and would advise others to take a stronger rein over their financial matters. Bankruptcy is a major decision and its consequences will affect me for many years. “I am relieved to be drawing a line on this long-term matter, which enables me to reset and focus on my international riding career.” Dettori's name first came up in a legal battle with HMRC over his anonymity after using a “tax avoidance scheme” in December of 2024. His career voluntarily ended in Britain in October of 2023 and, instead of retiring, he moved to California to continue riding. A three-time champion jockey in Britain, he was ranked 13th by earnings in the U.S. in 2024, with 18 graded stakes wins highlighted by the victories of Beaute Cachee (Fr) (Literato {Fr}) in the GI Jenny Wiley Stakes, Newgate (Into Mischief) in the GI Santa Anita Handicap, and Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) in the GI Malibu Stakes. This term, he's already won a brace of Grade IIIs.

6 years later, how many do?

This possibly didn't help. Rail: Out 3 metres GENERAL The rail position was incorrectly advertised as being True

Me neither!

No, not a piss take. Pretty sure I heard Callum Brown say in the Jayne Ivil interview, that while probably ok for an April return to racing, it would take another 12-18 months to fully consolidate given the sand based profile, and that if it is properly looked after, especially over the winter when recovery from usage is slow.

Sounds like it's only 12-18 months away. Interesting they have the markers out and didn't work on the inside. Sounds a bit like Ellerslie with the sand profile needing a lot of water and verti-draining. Presumably will leave it a slower surface than it was?

I think TAB was including the likes of Castlepoint.

https://www.facebook.com/racingthistimeNZ/videos/1190594179438329

But they haven't and won't do that which would require a substantial reduction in stakes now. They have 3 years of the Entain guarantee left, then stakes will have to reduce given the recent indications of Entain's NZ performance and there still won't be funding for the infrastructure investment that is required.

From my observation of the last few iterations, it is already on its death bed. If jumps racing is to continue at all, it would be nice to preserve a few of those iconic races like the Nationals somewhere.

But I still think this would have to be one of if not the biggest loser on that basis.

Not sure about Oz but certainly not in NZ. As a bloke called Greg Purcell once said, the most profitable meeting we have is the one we don't have. We've come along way from pretty much paying our way from net wagering turnover 20 years ago.

They are aren't they. They certainly get an owners' share of the stakes. Even if you take the kiwi stake out of it you have a remaining $3.7m stakes for about 600,000 net revenue. That's surely not sustainable nor does it make any business sense to me.

No. But it's all owner and TAB money + sponsors isn't it, for that wagering return? And that's gross, so about half that net.

So gross betting revenue say $1.2m without whatever from the world pool. Probably, NZ racing's biggest losing day ever stakes to revenue?

No. And I take that back. The figures do not include the World Pool turnover according to Guerin.

Really? That includes 5 world pool races and they compare it with the 2024 Auckland Cup meeting?

That was a copy and paste of NZTR's font size. Like the raceday programming, surely they can adjust trials programming to trainer demand, which as I noted above they have done by providing a couple of 2yo trials At Ashburton on Thursday.

Yes. I see they've at least added a 2yo trial before the 1st at Ashburton on Thursday.