Brodie

Gamma, Propping up stake money for 5 years from the Entain money is a temporary band aid. Running races for big money when there are only a few starters is a recipe for disaster. Brad Steele stated that this new committee being formed is PIVOTAL for harness racing going forward? So what he is saying is what they have done over the last couple of years with Entain. money is not working! Dean Shannon stated that he was stepping down “to allow Entain Australia and NZ the chance to enter a new phase, declaring it was the right time for change”. So clearly Entain sees things as being done badly over the past couple of years! We have Auckland Trotting haemorrhaging big time financially each and every week and yet they continue to pay out good stake money to often very small fields. Many meetings are losing money every week but they think that chucking increased stake money is the answer? Gamma you state that Queensland harness was saved by Dean Shannon and Kevin Seymour! Thing is Entain funding is going go stop and then what? The funding shouldve bought the Franklin training at least!

The TAB is operating as a gambling agency, and as such they can not be treating punters in different ways, just because some punters do okz, There is no legal excuse for their ethically abhorrent ways that they try to shut down some punters and yet they get away with encouraging others to wager with bonus money in their accounts! Hopefully things will come to a head where they see the error of their ways or things will continue to deteriorate for them and the racing industry!

Yes I have been informed that it is HRNZ that is making the decisions in regard to how they are blowing the funding from Entain! However Dean Shannon being the CEO of Entain and also a harness enthusiast is surely well aware with how the Entain money is being used? The CEO of Entain and the CEO of HRNZ are both from Queensland and would know each other extremely well!! Anyway those that are making these poor financial decisions will more than likely be looking over their shoulders now?

It is ethically wrong that the NZ TAB is allowed to treat punters not equally!! The problem is that the ones making decisions for the TAB are on big money and are trying to increase the yield on racing by restricting turnover. Totally wrong format for a gambling agency as it has major consequences and this is why they need people with foresight rather than this tunnel vision they have held for years now! They need to be encouraging wagering rather than giving away money to boost turnover, just so flawed. Increased turnover from bigger wagering will flow on to the whole industry and ensure it can survive, with higher gross profit. The TAB current policy is stifling this by trying to attract the smaller punter with bonus this and that! They should be ensuring that their existing loyal punters are retained rather than turned off. Hopefully the new CEO decides that what they are currently doing is detrimental to the future of racing in NZ.

Yes Friday Night Lights is very good, but have we had better Trackside Coverage on NZ racing? Believe the Trackside website being provided by this Racing and Sports Australia trusted for 20plus years is very poor with just shocking comments that are just laughable. The showing of only win dividends on Trackside is just a very poor innovation. The way the money that Entain has been providing for harness has been extremely poorly used, and hopefully this new Entain CEO actually now pays attention to this wastage and earns his massive salary for the betterment of racing in NZ. You can just not run any single business like they have been and expect success!

Gamma, well aware things were not great with the NZ TAB when Entain bought into it! He may well have had good intentions of making the NZ TAB successful once again. He may well be a great guy, but from where I stand, I have heard nothing from him being the CEO for Entain in NZ. Despite what he may have done in Queensland harness to help them out, from the outside looking in here, it is disappointing what has happened! There is a difference in starting up betting agencies and selling them off, to getting an existing one improved upon! Entain clearly have had enough and want things improved, for their investment in the NZ TAB. Yes they will say he stood down just like the other two executives, but we both know that if you do not perform you can be sent packing. Dean probably is looking forward to stepping down anyway? Very interesting times indeed. Hopefully the new CEO will see that they need to encourage their clients to wager, rather than trying to stop them!

Dont worry, the NZ Cup will be something like 200k in 3 years.

Who wouldve thought that Entain would do that? Well I did, there have been far too many financially stupid decisions made since Entain got involved with the NZ TAB! Dean has been very quiet, in fact you never hear from him! There is going to be some changes being made with this new CEO coming in, and hopefully he is someone that has better financial nous! There are many things that they can do far better but it is certainly going to run by more Australians. Watch this space.

I think I must be only on muelied food nowadays Ranga, now that I am supposedly on the Plant based food!

Why would they be breeding greyhounds now if you wont be able to race them? Reality is that the stupid decision to ban greyhound racing providing it doesn't get overturned, means that greyhounds will become extinct in NZ within 5 years! Highly doubt people will breed greyhounds as pets, even if they do make good oets apparently. Banning The crazy Greens and the dangerous TPM would be a far better idea coming from Winnie and co.

Does the TAB take sleepers now? Where do I dump then?

Personally think it is fine to interview the drivers, but far too late when the race is about to begin! Be far better to do the interviews with the drivers well before the race. Also very little point telling us on Trackside 30 seconds out that a horse has been treated for something since it last raced!

Gamma, most of the decent racing is at Addington! Wouldnt think it a great idea racing over a mile or 1800m on that track lol They generally go much faster mile rates over the 1980m so it would be just as hard on a horse over that distance as 2600m!

Gamma, firstly I have never blamed Entain for any demise if racing in NZ, Great that they have put up money to help the TAB. It is just the way they are using the $900m, wasteful spending and not being used the best way possible. At the end of the 5 years where are they going go be? I believe that I am totally on the money, but if I am not right then that us great fir the industry! Still believe that they should be encouraging wagering from their existing loyal customers as they could increase turnover significantly. They are too risk averse in my humble opinion and trying go buy heaps of smaller punters with bonus bets etc. is only falsifying true turnover. At the end if the day we both hope that things improve as I do not believe things can not continue the ay they are with running so many loss making meetings!

Tab, thanks for reply. all good if you believe I am confused, probably early dementia? No problem with people having differing views, at the end of the day all of us want harness racing to thrive. Hopefully this committee will have ideas that no one has ever thought about, and things will come right! At the end of the day if they don’t then the industry is going to be battling. I still maintain that they have not acted financially responsibly with the cash splash from Entain. Time will tell, TAB For Ever!

Bit confused TAB? I thought you were with the play, as you thought the TAB was operating well since Entain bought into the TAB? The truth of the matter is that mismanagement must have continued for the past 2 years if they are now needing this committee? HRNZ CEO has been coming out every now and again stating that every thing was looking rosey with harness with what they were doing! Now he is stating that this committee is now PIVOTAL to harness? Which is it? Has he been telling porkies and why has he? Some on Trackside etc. are saying that there are some participants that are negative with what they are saying about how the industry is going rather than seeing the positives! Maybe just maybe these people who are supposedly talking negative actually know what they are talking about, and actually care about harness racing and are actually “On the money”? These to my mind are the ones that also need to be listened to!

Gamma, it is not about the racing. It is about what they are doing to racing at the moment. They have not gone with the times, and now think that chucking money that Entain has chucked in to get 50% of the profits for 25 years, into stakes is the answer! What at the end of the 5 years? Winnie can see this and that is why he has called on this new committee being formed to try and sort! This should've happened when Entain came aboard surely?

Group 3 for $40k. With 5 minutes to go $1100 in the win and $800 in the place tote pools. So much interest from the small time punter.

There are punters that want to punt more Shab. Thing is they will not let them on for much. Not sure how many punters are currently restricted but I would say there would be quite a few? They also need to abide by the AML law as well, which they arent, so they are making a rod for their backs. Who is making the decisions for the TAB at the moment?

Betcha seems to be targeting the younger ones but whether it is working is not known unless the TAB comes out and tells us!

Good post! Weird that it was Winston that had to call for this committee isn’t it? He can clearly see problems ahead or maybe he reads BOAY? Just very puzzling that the HRNZ CEO says that the formation of this advisory committee marks a pivotal moment for NZ racing industry!!!! WHAT??? I thought it was pivotal when the TAB sold out to Entain over two years ago???? What have they done with the promised dollars? Blown it with stupid decision making! most people with any business acumen can see that they have not spent the influx of cash wisely at all. The TAB has been led financially very badly and has been for a long time. Going to be very interesting what comes out of this committee meeting, but in between times HRNZ need to wake up and see what is in front of them if nothing is achieved from the committe. Entain shareholders are waiting until they can get their hands on 50% of the Sports betting profits which will be substantial annually and get them for a further 20 years after the 5 is up. Anyone can dispute anything I have said, no worries!

Good to have people who have done well with breeding and training horses getting together! However not sure these are the right people to be having as surely it is new owners that are required as well as the most important ones, Punters! Not really thinking that these ones chosen are the ones who have any expertise on the punting and wagering side of things? Without the right people what can they change to increase participation in increased ownership and more punters?? TAB would be far better interacting with those that they require surely, encouraging wagering rather than restricting due to restrictions on punters and the AML limit rule that they are not abiding by. Very interesting times!

Maybe just maybe they have finally worked out that things are not as rosey as they were trying to point out to us? The fact is that these participants on the committee are not being paid for their contributions. The fact is that unless wise decisions are made from now on in, they will also be sufering financially! The weird thing is that they have waited so long to get together as they mustve been blinded by the money being chucked in by Entain? You just can not run any business like this and expect it to succeed! Going go be very interesting go dee what the Brsins Trust comes up with?

Some of NZ racing biggest players being formed to help sort out the TAB. Peter Vela, Ken Breckon and a few others are joining a committee to set where the future of the TAB goes! This was the idea from Winston Peters. This is probably 2 years too late, shouldve been done when Entain took control and they have blown millions which shouldve been used far better for the future betterment of racing. There is no doubt Entain will pull the plug on subsidising racing when the 5 years is up and anyone that has business sense is well aware that the industry is in deep trouble. Looking from the outside in, from the harness side of things there have been many things that economically just does not make sense!!!! The committee appears to be more thoroughbred based but hopefully it flows onto harness racing! To be honest, it is really quite hard to understand how they have allowed so many poor decisions to be accepted by those that are on the big salaries, as if it was their own money, they would not be blowing it like they have! Anyway the jury remains out on whether there are enough people in the roles that can actually resurrect the poor business plan they currently operate under? Wanting to increase turnover by the TAB? Highly doubt it, when they are stopping their loyal punters from wagering! Have they left it too late to turn things around??

Just can not understand some of these punters that are allowed to put a couple of thousand on? From what Trackside is showing us as big bets, the wagering from these punters is very amateurish, certainly would not call them gifted! Gifting money to the TAB mostly! Why on earth would a punter put $2k on Franco Ezrah and $2k on Paddy McDaddy at such short odds? Both were very poor wagers as both were straight out of maidens up against experienced horses and they took $1.75 fixed to win?? Seriously punters that wager like this need to consider just whether they should be punting if they are wanting to win?