Reefton

My best day in racing(not necessarily from the punt) was winning a race on Wellington Cup day with NGH on board. Wasn't there as I did not want to hex the horse but biggest thrill I've had

Crap. How much influence do you think he has? he might provide 5 or 6% of the starters but the programmes are by and large the same year on year. More accurate to say Tim Mills dominates the programming. Pitty is not even the Trainers Assn head or rep in Canterbury. I have told you before get over your Pitman obsession

Weekly Dashboard to 9 January.pdf

Who cares. the info comes direct ex the TAB/NZTR

Don't know whether we deserve congratulations JB but we have it a lot easier row to hoe that say a country club running late Autumn or early winter. Reefton in mid summer at 30 degrees on a good 3 is a lot more attractive than (say) an 11 degree Oamaru heavy 11 winter Tuesday. So we are lucky that Kumara holds us in that holiday spot. I have said before dragging the big Clubs down serves no purpose whatsoever as we desperately need them to do well BUT when they(the likes of NZTR) try to make out that the ARC(say) is comparable to Randwick or somewhere and they are not even doing $100k on course it sort of makes you wonder at the mentality of the people feeding the myth. I am not baggng the ARC - I would bloody hate their job - but PLEASE don't tell me they are the be all and end all of NZ racing And in regards your Trentham comment well they have rooted the best galloping week of the year by splitting it into three Saturdays instead of three racedays in one week. The costs of attending for a trainer/owner have just doubled. Madness

Yes they can now Mike. Presumably the bets on course must go through their mobile cell sites? It is new technology anyway but the Club's get the benefit of a percentage

Don't be an utter dick. Are you trying to suggest I have something to hide? Total $1.184m(versus Ellerslie's $1.893m on a weekend Reefton oncourse (including phone betting) 90.3K versus Ellerslie - with a weekend date, a catchment of 1.5million people, and a heap of feature(read well funded) races - 89.7k. You might be able to fit the entire Kumara crowd on one floor of Ellerslie's public grandstand but from the sounds of things you could have fitted Ellerslie's entire crowd in Kumara's grandstand last weekend

We had quite a debate earlier this week about who contributed more(based on their distributions ex NZTR) to the industry coffers Well well well Saturday Kumara total turnover $2.115m a splendid 16.31% increase on 2021 and only just behind Awapuni's feature day as the top weekend turnover performer ARC Sunday total $1.893m an increase of 6.65% versus 2021 But the gong for the highest increase of the week goes to ..........(where's that effing drum roll?) The Reefton Jockey Club no less with an increase of 23.06% year on year I always knew I was the best!(not to mention the most modest On course is a little sad for you big city fans as well - for the eight meetings during the week three of the top four turnover were where?(you guessed it!) - the Coast! I shall leave BOAYers to draw their own conclusions shall I?????

The money running out is reflected on the facilities everyone is complaining about. 30 years ago when the Racing Authority had a huge Amenities Fund the Wellington Racing Club(say) would trot along and say 'we need x amount of money to build a new Stand' and they would get all or most of it. Now there is no fund left they are unable to replace those aging and delapidated assets and hence the complaints about facilities. The CJC may(and I am guessing here) be in that boat with their public stand - insufficient insurance proceeds to build something suitable and no money of their own so they are hamstrung. Ironically I imagine the Amenities Fund would have helped freehold Riccarton many years ago and then the CJC would be getting all the money out of that housing development not Ngai Tahu -hindsight is a wonderful thing however. Contrast that to the Clubs that never received Amenities Fund monies - they have been forced to carefully look after what they have and hence for instance Reefton having a stand that is 130 years old and still perfectly fit for purpose(and stood through two massive earthquakes - 1929 Murchison and 1968 Inangahua - I might add - though it has been strengthened after the roof blew off many years back). Ditto our stabling block and our admin block was built in the 80's from our(and the Trotting and Rugby Club's) own funds and sweat. We mightn't have much but we paid for what we have ourselves and we look after it. Two wrongs don't make a right but when we now have the Racing Act trying to steal our hard won assets it pisses me off.

For all that I reiterate (as I have at times before) I have no beef with the ARC or any other big city Club. A strong Auckland presence is absolutely critical to the NZ industry as is say a strong Christchurch presence to the South Island Industry. What I object to is the implication they run superior(comparatively) operations and that somehow the wider industry should be eternally grateful to them. They get to run the bigger days because they are subsidised by the income generated lower down the food chain pure and simple - they get a disproportionate share of the funds. NZTR are about to release a further consultation document where - it seems likely - they are going to make massive extra payments to these Clubs and it will just exacerbate the imbalance. It is wrong wrong wrong in so many ways and nowhere else in business or sport is there such an unfair allocation of funding(don't point to the All Blacks because they are absolute world class and put bums on seats every time. They earn their pay.

Where do I start here? So you are telling us on course turnover is a red herring? So why don't we just forget about NZ Racing and just take the second leg from Busan or Golden Gate and be done with it? Incidentally Kumara's total turnover was just on $2m so given the extra industry funds Auckland received I would expect proportionately at least $10m in turnover on that meeting. You only say oncourse turnover and attendance is irrelevant because Ellerslie's was both proportionately and (no doubt) actually abysmal by comparison The difference is Reefton paid for its own facilities where Ellerslie(like all the big Clubs) had the majority of it's buildings funded by the Amenities Fund in the old NZRA days. So effectively Reefton paid part of Ellerslie's but Ellerslie paid not one effing cent for Reefton's. But on the topic I have had the good fortune to attend as an owner Ellerslie(admittedly a few years back) Royal Randwick on QEII Stakes day and the Gold Coast. Ellerslie trailed in a poor and distant third when it came to the facilities and treatment meted out. As an owner in the Karaka Million 3yo race(when it was worth $100k not $1m) I went to the owners area and couldn't even get a decent beer. I know they are a Lion outlet but there was not even a Corona in sight - only Speights and champagne neither of which I drink. Our friend Mr Notts on the other channel who is a member of Reefton turned up there one day and specifically complimented me on the range of drinks available and assured me it was superior to anything Ellerslie put on. To be fair we don't run our own bars so I cannot take credit for that and would have no idea what range of drinks are available - our Presidents room beer is our sponsored Wild Buck but it is free and the spongers seem to lap it up along with the free tucker we provide. I have been to Kumara probably 40 times and have certainly never struggled to find somewhere to stand nor had any issues getting a decent look at whatever I wanted to see. I will concede the big crowd can be a pain in the arse but food and drinks are readily available and the toilet situation is drastically improved from the days when there was a 100m queue. i do not recall ever being 'burnt to a cinder' at Kumara. Absolutely soaked to the skin on occasion but to get burnt to a cinder hop up to Reefton and we will see what we can do. As far as Ellerslie's view of the nags pre race or on the course they are bloody miles away(like most city courses). If you want to see the whites of their eyes head for the Coast(everyone says that) They should sell effing Ellerslie and put some real money into their stakes. it is without doubt the poorest returning asset in NZ racing(in terms of rate of return on its value). I hesitate to say it for obvious reasons but if Brierley Investments in its heyday brought the NZ Racing Industry Ellerslie would be gone by Monday closely followed by all the other Big City courses returning piss all to the industry. Pure economics that neither you nor the halfwits running the industry understand(or if they do they are ignoring them) As far as stuffed goes well insofar as I am aware none of the Coast Course have suddenly developed a whopping great hole down the back straight(nor I might add had casual golfers wander into the path of a race field nor for that matter had vital camera footage not available because no camera was pointed in that direction) Crap! As I say why not just concentrate on the next from Busan if you abandon the aim to get on course attendance You can doubt what you like Son. The facts are the industry will have pumped hundred of thousands into yesterday's Ellerslie day and maybe $120k into Kumara. Put up the turnover facts for Ellerslie and let us all assess the comparative return. That new technology you talk about - well someone as big a know-all as you would know the TAB pick up phone betting on course now and include it in the oncourse turnover(maybe not immediately but the Clubs get a percentage). And as far as what we might have done to promote offcourse turnover well what the bloody hell does Ellerslie do to promote off course turnover? There would be an effing sight more non racing people aware that Kumara was on this past weekend than would have known or cared that the ARC was running a day. Kumara promotes off course betting simply by being Kumara

Wait till the 'Elite' Trainers get into action and the training fees skyrocket. The owners will really get a boot in the guts then

That was me taking the mickey. First thing I got asked at Omoto last Monday though - is Bernard coming to your meeting?

You said you could fit the entire crowd from Kumara on one floor of the Ellerslie Public Stand then when I challenged you you tried to say the entire area of both Ellerslie Grandstands(incidentally both built using industry funds(the old Amenities Fund) that Kumara contributed to). Whats more if you think Kumara only get 2000 people then you are living in fairyland(I will reserve my judgment re that). But anyway even if they do only get 2000 based on a population of 700 that is almost three times their population through the gate. So why doesn't Ellerslie get 4.5m people to their dump? Even over the course of a season?? I wonder how many Kumara people caught flights to Auckland to attend Ellerslie yesterday because there was a shitload of Aucklanders on track at Kumara Oncourse turnover on Saturday at Kumara $258,000 - that extrapolates out to oncourse for Ellerslie of about $552,636,000. Think your heroes at the ARC might be a tad behind the eight ball? Don't 'typical accountant' me

You said one floor of the public grandstand. If you want to shift the goalposts like that you ought to be working for NZTR

Not on my watch BUT....... If you do not fit the criteria will you be able to retain a licence? To me it is saying we are going to eliminate 90% of the trainers so that anyone wanting to have a horse share is compelled to use one of the 'elite'(and to pay accordingly. This CPD requirement will be interesting. We(Accountants) have to do it but not 100% sure what the reaction of (for instance) KT Myers will be when Bernard tells him be has to go back to the classroom. Blokes like him are not just trainers - they are fair businessmen as well so I would be interested in the content of the CPD courses(and the qualifications and list of achievements of those running them).

Would love to see you and I am fingers crossed(though not confident) that we might get an extra day and be spread over ten days next year rather than the three racedays in five days currently being proposed Agree 100% re the 'old' days - Ellerslie on New Years day was such a highlight meeting(even if I was only watching on TV) as was the Trentham Carnival. What the hell happened?

But Freda surely everyone would want to go see all the 'elite' trainers struting their stuff?

Been at Kumara and been in the Public Grandstand at Ellerslie and I seriously doubt it. Plus when I was there the atmosphere(or lack of it) at Ellerslie would have chased them all away anyway. No point in apologizing for these big Clubs - overall they suck the industry dry and on ordinary days nobody wants to go there

True no capital gains tax here but if you are in a pattern of selling horses at a profit(ie trading in horses) the profits become taxable regardless. Doing it once you will get away with but if you start doing it regularly they(IRD) will pounce if they get wind of it. More likely they discovered exactly how tough it is over there trying to get a foothold. The stakes might be good but the competition is fierce and the quality of opposition(ie trainers) is pretty bloody good. But no doubt in the NZTR Trainers manual there will be the stipulation that trainers can claim 10% or whatever of purchase prices. While I personally have no issue with that there are plenty would do and it is another way to screw money out of sucker owners.

Forgive me if someone has already mentioned it(I have not read either the document nor all this string) but my impression is this is a commerce commission issue of anti competitive behaviour. Elite trainers will not longer have to compete......? Sounds awfully like price gouging to me. Just because someone is charging a lower rate does not mean they are giving lesser service or are less capable. One or two 'elite' trainers have been known to make noises about how they are moving to Aussie but have never actually got there preferring (I would presume) to remain a big fish in a small pond. They would be better off(as very prominent members of the industry) leading the charge to get NZTR more accountable than tolerating a suggestion that will unquestionably be the final nail in NZ Racing's coffin. There might be the odd mug who doesn't know they are being taken for a ride who will still take an ownership share but the people with their eyes open and a good deal of ownership experience are not going to tolerate whopping great fee increases. Do NZTR think we are all thick?

The rule on the course is no dogs on the course BUT...... To my frustration most people seem to ignore it. Our meeting was awash with dogs and Kumara yesterday the same some of them unleashed as well. Of course the Reefton track does a fair trade in campervans and caravan parks and plenty of that group have hounds. Think there might be some action the first time one runs on a track during a race but until then....

Wasn't really advocating a tiered system Pam but agree with what you say. Just think some horses are suited to industry days and some are suited(or only get suitable races) on the feature days. Some maidens(an Iffraaj filly you have in work for instance - says the hopeful owner!) and R65's are feature day horses as well since they will quickly end up running on those days Setting up a tiered system I reckon needs a look at the way horses are rated(whether that means two ratings - 'country' rating and 'city' rating - who knows but there needs to be a way older geldings are kept in work). The alternative to two ratings is maybe going back to the 'for horses that have not won a race in the last six months' or whatever type of programming

Just a programming anomaly that in the ten weeks since Cup meeting there have been three feature days in the South all south of the Waitaki River. Starting next Saturday there is a run of feature days(seven out of eight weekends or eight out of nine) So the feature class horses have been doing a starve while the lower graders have had multiple opportunities - now it is going to flip around. Why not spread them more evenly?

Yes Pam and I apologize in hindsight for not getting you up into the 'free drinks' area(I had a lot on my mind when I was talking to you) I have the composition of the RJC submission re the dates stewing away between my ears as we speak but the bottom line is three meetings here over five days is impossible. We need a reshuffle of the Calendar so we have it over a minimum of 7 days but the logical deal is four meetings in 10 days(Thursday 5th - Reefton - Sunday 8th - Greymouth - Wednesday 11th - Greymouth(maybe the Westland Racing Club) and Saturday 14th at Kumara). Shift Waikouaiti to Jan 3rd from the 14th. God knows seven feature meetings in eight weeks is too short a timeframe. Mind you that is common sense and getting common sense out of the hoi polloi on Wellington/Parnell might be pushing shiite uphill