Freda

Great result and wonderful gesture. I have heard nothing but good things about Haunui, the operation and its people....it's a great pity they don't always get the deserved results at sale time, but well done team.

Thanks for the support - however, it's not the first time I've been held up to ridicule, no doubt won't be the last. One thing about free speech - you can't pick and choose it! If it came from someone whose opinion was actually valued, it might sting a bit...but.....

I have always thought that the harness folk have managed their share of the 'pie' more fairly.

Just to get back to the 'closure' topic....one thing that hasn't been touched upon much, if at all...those 'dual code' tracks that are down to be 'closed' will then be up to harness people to maintain if they are to be kept going at all. Do HRNZ or local trotting clubs have the funds to do this? The harness fraternity have been given a hospital pass in all this.

I recall one of my first employers using a cattle prod on a particularly capable, but moody colt. He used to ride a smart galloper in company with this colt, and lean over and give the colt a 'zap' when his ears went back and he started to pull himself up. It was very effective - to the point that he then had to give the galloping mate a zap to keep up......

Sad....and, as much as can be seen from the photos, it doesn't look as if it is being farmed, or..anything, really... Who owned it originally, and was it sold.? I

Wouldn't that get their attention?

It hasn't started out too flash, has it? How much is turnover down in the first weeks of the platform? People I talk to are, many of them, so pissed off they have gone elsewhere and likely won't be back.

The 'nimby' syndrome - sure...I agree with that premise, if the club concerned is costing industry funds to keep going. Absolutely. But if a club can sustain itself for a community raceday, and comply with modern H & S requirements, without dragging funding, how is closing it going to help?

I am aware of that! ...and 'taking land' or whatever, is not an ongoing and sustainable means. It is just providing more money to piss up against that wall along with what has gone before. Until the business model changes there is NO POINT in stealing money.

Yep.

Sadly - yes, you're right. I still live in hope that something can be salvaged..the whole point of the Messara land-grab concept was to realise sufficient funding to re-vamp a few specific tracks, and thus improve the racing/betting experience for the viewer and address the falling betting turnover. He's no dummy...but, I do feel he has been poorly advised, there won't be much - if any - capital coming from any potential closures and thence no funding for improvements ; and to improve the racing experience, integrity /jockeyship must be improved, exponentially. The RB and NZTR continue on their rampant way - if they were going to be replaced, surely they could have been prevented from spending precious funds in the meantime..? and MAC - with four members who could hardly be called 'impartial' - even Dean, who is very well respected, was on the NZTR Board that was responsible for this effing 'Draft Venue' document. Maybe, bringing a bit of colour and atmosphere to raceday, in the form of on-course bookies..? might give some incentive to have a dollar or two on - that is, if the TAB platform hasn't turned everybody off NZ racing completely.

The underlying reason for all this b/s...as well as the allweather stuff....is that NZ Racing is technically insolvent and the only SUSTAINABLE way to get income is to increase turnover. All the begging and bludging in the world wont create a sustainable income stream. Neither will closing tracks as a knee-jerk reaction.

Doubt it..his spelling is miles better.

I hope they don't have to give homes to Age of Fire and Embellish......and Highly Recommended needs a few more goals sometime soon. At least there is Almanzour....

I have yet to see any quantitative data for each and every track. This should have been the first thing done. In the absence of any such figures, do we then assume that : a] there aren't any? b] there are, but we aren't allowed to see them because they don't support the spin.? A few years ago, a well-respected and experienced racing administrator did a venue inspection, giving each club/track a 'warrant of fitness'. In the course of this tour, clubs were notified of any work needed to be undertaken to bring the facilities up to compliance standards, if necessary. That administrator told me this morning that he hadn't been asked for comment at any part of this latest drama. He said ' I don't need the headache, or the work...but wouldn't you think I might have been asked? ..considering I probably know more about the venues than anyone..! '

I did notice that there were some lots from tidy-looking international families, with loads of black type. But in most cases, no-one was interested. It may have been that the horses had some physical issues not evident from the TV...but certainly, for someone just wanting quality in a pedigree, it was there. But the only form [ generally ] that was wanted was Aus black type.

My understanding is that the 'tax relief ' refers to gaming duty - currently at 4.5% [ I think ] from 20% some years ago, when Winston gave us parity with other forms of gambling. That windfall was quickly gone and now they expect to go cap in hand and get even more reduction?

On the face of things, Karaka appeared to have a disappointing result. Predicatable, I should have thought ; love him or hate him [ and not getting into a discussion about how/why he operates ] , without D.E there would have been blood on the floor. So, he trumpets that stakes will double next season, I guess that justifies - to some - why buying a large number of lots is viable. Got me buggered, even double the money is just a drop in the bucket to what an owner needs to make the business of racing a horse financially viable. David ia not the only one from whom I have heard that diatribe, but - wheres the money coming from? Closing venues won't realise any dosh, adding allweather tracks won't either, short term at least. J.A has burnt $50 mill on the dog of a platform, borrowed $25 mill to sustain stakes this season, and will have to borrow again to sustain next season's levels. Taxation relief [ I am told] will realise about $13 mill - that we think we deserve even more of a handout from the taxpayer I can't get my head around - but, anyway, the Paddy Power/ Open bet costs are in the region of $17 mill per annum. That makes us, by my calculations, $100 mill in the poo, with turnover plummeting and costs rising. Anyone for a cheap colt?

I'm told that turnover has plummeted 27 % since the racefixing biso became public knowledge...which of course hurts all of us, not just harness racing.

Absolutely.

.I've probably said this before....but to earmark the well appointed [ if somewhat dated] facilities at Timaru for closure and opt to keep a shithole of a track like Ashburton...I have no axe to grind with Ashburton but the facilities are shite - and from whence comes the funding to upgrade the place? If these other tracks are to be un-utilised, how does the 'upgrade' happen, and when? as for the trainers incumbent at Timaru, no way will they shift to Ashburton or Christchurch...so a good number of participants lost. There are some who have said that Ashburton will be the 'second tier' centre for those who 'can't afford' or 'don't wish' to be based at Riccarton. Their arrogance is astounding, I don't see any of them shifting any time soon.

and while I am not against some rationalisation of courses this continued crap about 'how much they cost' to keep going is a crock. The larger courses - mentioned above - are the ones that suck funding, and have done so for years. How much did the industry have to cough up for Karaka Millions night? while the rest of us are chewing the paint off the walls...

The asset grab seems , to my unprofessional eye - not possible, so no money likely to result from that. Not granting permits to race is another matter altogether. I would hope, that if the proposed action does take place, that Reefton [ the club ] and Hokitika do NOT supply stabling for any horses that do decide to make the trip over, as Kumara has none and Greymouth doesn't have enough for all...I shouldn't think many would bother however for two venues only. The lack of racing in the whole of the South Island north of Christchurch has long concerned me though...and with the earmarking of Riverton and Timaru [ in particular ] for closure, that eliminates two viable jumping courses from the South Island. Riccarton now only bothers to host one meeting, the Grand National, which must be under threat if there is only Dunedin left to host jumps races.

I've got a foot in both camps. I think punters must be kept informed - within reason. Obviously every little change to feed/work/tactics is both unnecessary and impractical to notify; yet, punters are what keeps the whole operation going, so some attention to what they want as a group is important. The lot I have going around at the moment are of such modest achievement that I doubt if a punter in the land would give a toss how they are ridden. But the fact that a known good performer is having a tactic change possibly is of interest.