Freda

That old saying 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' applies here, surely. This thread is about bouncing ideas around with the view to try and refloat the sinking ship. The Cup carnival in ChCh is one of the few things in NZ racing that works. Leave it alone and try and be constructive..there have been some good points put forward, as well as the sobering reality of just how broke we are. Your notion of moving the Guineas races is just more deckchair shuffling for no obvious benefit, it wont increase turnover/ revenue and that is the bottom line in all this.

And to add to the above - the Cup meeting is only part of the Cup and Show week carnival, comprising not just gallops but the Trotting Cup and Christchurch Show, attracting horses from not just the N.I but Australia as well....and all the associated hospitality and fashion hype too. Its the best Carnival of its type in the country, and the Guineas races are a perfect fit.

Can't find anything to take exception to here. I've expressed the opinion elsewhere, that as surplus land at Riccarton Park has now been sold for housing [ thus eliminating the scope for further stabling developments as well as a very valuable off-track exercise area ] and the majestic old stand which had fantastic views, is now facing demolition as a result of earthquake damage, that to sell the rest of it and redevelop on light, free-draining soil would make bloody good sense.

You should debate your points with Reefton...as a small club official and very conversant with figures he could give you better reasons why/why not than I could. However the ideas you put forward show an ability to think outside the square that has been needed for ages but not made use of - here, anyway. Plenty evident in NSW by the look of it.

Rangiora ( unfortunately) will never have galloping races again.....political stupidity. As I said, I like your ideas but dealing with head-in-the-sand administration is a soul destroying business.

They do indeed..but it is NZTR who grants - or otherwise - a clubs permit to race.

Geez...wish you would put yourself on and sweep the place clean.

I like the way you think, but NZTR have say over when/how a club races, and would be likely to refuse a raceday licence if the proposals didn't sit well with them. It is the 'chopping up ' of existing circuits that has buggered some of the traditional days. The West Coast of the south island is on the way out with the elimination of the Hokitika track for racing purposes, and can only be followed by the others at some stage as stakeholders see the writing on the wall. Similarly, the separation of Nelson/Westport/Blenheim has led to two of the three venues no longer used for galloping, with the third - Blenheim - hanging on by the skin of its teeth.

Agree here too. I like Barryb's ideas, can't see why a Racing20 trial couldn't take place without ado in the coming summer. Major Cup days would need a longer exposure as well as those country days that are left, I guess. Track improvements will have to wait until there is funding to do the work, a catch-22 for sure....but the other refinements you suggest can be implemented . Is there the will? That is the concern, the handicapping/programming/stakes structure highlighted by you and R.H. a few years ago was largely ignored - and when I brought it up with B Saundry more recently ( and forwarded him the work that he claimed to have not seen ) there was no acknowledgement or action whatsoever. All that can be worked upon at no cost at all.

You're right of course....but I guess I'm taking the view that without some forward thinking the hole just gets dug more quickly. What would you suggest, taking into account the reality of the revenue / costs situation?

Yep, agree.

Love the ideas...however,.do you not think there can be a place for a few one-day clubs in the country areas in summer? As long as there is no or little cost to the industry should they not be allowed to remain? After all, country racing is very popular in Aus and supported by local bodies too as being valuable for the tourism dollar. But all the rest, yes agree.

We have had heaps of discussion and criticism here and elsewhere, and I guess we are hoping that RITA can pull a rabbit out of the hat wrt funding. But I don't see too much agreement, or real lets-do-this policy or enthusiasm going forward. If we assume that racing is not going to die completely ( and it may just do that) - what positive or constructive ideas do people possess?

I sure hope you are right...Riverton is a lovely track, Invercargill a very poor second.

Shouldn't think so, that will take a long time - if ever - to get their hands on club assets. I'm not saying some rationalisation shouldn't happen, but at gunpoint doesn't seem the way to me. Just a thought - the ' world class facilities ' spoken of by some would be better expedited by selling off the rest of Riccarton Park ( which is a park no longer ) to go with the area already flogged off for housing, and develop from scratch out further, West Melton way or out more, on light, free draining soil. The funds garnered by forcing country areas to give up their assets would be peanuts by comparison.

Considering he is a Southlander, you would think he would be supporting the regions...that's sad to hear....but as you know, you can't sell what you don't own.

I think we were...somewhere...but given the performance of the TAB platform only the seriously deluded would have believed that, surely?.....and perhaps the RITA board were able to negotiate a further term of borrowings.....

If that's a dig at me, Pitty, I don't tell pork pies - and I've been involved with the NZTA for years. I've been an office bearer too, not of the notoriety of such as yourself, but I've been busy behind the scenes as well you know. You had a chip this morning about ' complacent" trainers, there may be some of those, but I don't know any who are happy with the state of racing at the moment. But how can any traction develop when the body is funded by NZTR and therefore can hardly be impartial - and trainers themselves won't form a consensus. You have said on several occasions that you are not unhappy with the level of stakes - well, you would be the only one....and pointing to the money earned by your charges proves nothing at all ( apart from advertising your success ) if compared to what they might have earned across the ditch.

They're useless, I disagree with many of their notions, I was a member for thirty-odd years but opted out in protest - however NZTR just takes yer money anyways and you have no choice in the matter.

Actually, after some sleep, yes I can. Notwithstanding the above, the problems facing racing are systemic and lack of funding, while a huge part, is still only a part. The ineffective management from NZTR is instrumental also and we have been responsible for allowing successive administrations to trundle on unchallenged.

Oh dear...can't really add to that.

A great character, and also representative of an earlier era which is sadly no longer with us. Always had a yarn to spin. Rest well, E.B.

I'm still locked out so all irrelevant to me.

Again, you're right...and this situation will be present in all employment situations, not just racing. Just a can of worms that doesn't need to be opened IMO.

You're quite right in what you say, apart from the fact that the girl concerned is not employed - at the moment. I know her well however, she used to lodge with me. This scenario would be consistent country-wide and will be even harder to 'police ' when these nutters decriminalise cannabis.