Time to ditch Hastings Racetrack

[Wingman]

The cost, inconvenience, and massive disruption to fine tuned preps cannot go on. At the moment there is a guarantee of sorts that one of the three days of the Spring Carnival at Hastings will not go ahead. NZTR Board have an opportunity to say enough is enough and walk away from this track. In doing so, that might wish to consider if their continued insistence of over watering to 'achieve' consistency has created the opposite effect. The Venue plan  to 31 July 2029 in commenting on the Hawkes Bay closes with the following

"Discussions continue about the long-term venue for Hawkes Bay RI. NZTR will make further announcements in this regard, as and when appropriate."

[Doomed]

It's a tired looking track and they are already starting to sell off land around it. I have no idea why they haven't pulled down the old tote building. The entrance to the car park at the top of the straight is hidden away with zero signage.

It is probably destined to be a little provincial track with low key racing and a reasonable climate, but it might have been cheaper to retain Wairoa and Waipukurau for that and sell off Hastings for housing. If they sold off Hastings they could probably have a $1m Waipukurau Cup every year.,

[Trojan]

36 minutes ago, Doomed said:

It's a tired looking track and they are already starting to sell off land around it. I have no idea why they haven't pulled down the old tote building.

Are you talking about Trentham?

[Huey]

The tracks are a sideshow to the real problem, the real problem is the inability of NZTR  and the board to make effective decisions that benefit the industry instead of decisions that just convenience a few.

The Venue Plan should burnt and a complete rethink should be taking place, I've said this for many years they are in no position to run around telling venues they don't have a place in the industry. The people doing so are the real dangers to the industry.

They have chosen this path that will slowly but surely destroy the industry, but the industry shouldn't be letting them get away with it.

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Huey said:

The tracks are a sideshow to the real problem, the real problem is the inability of NZTR  and the board to make effective decisions that benefit the industry instead of decisions that just convenience a few.

So how does comment relate to yesterday's debacle?

[Chief Stipe]

12 hours ago, Doomed said:

but it might have been cheaper to retain Wairoa and Waipukurau

Who's to say that those two tracks don't have issues as well?

[Murray Fish]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

14 hours ago, Doomed said:

but it might have been cheaper to retain Wairoa and Waipukurau

Who's to say that those two tracks don't have issues as well?

Perhaps not so nowadays with the wonderful HD Coverage of any slip sliding away... old school! race and be dammed...

[Huey]

5 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

So how does comment relate to yesterday's debacle?

Sinple , how many opportunities does Hastings get? It just goes on and on like it has at many other venues which aren't delivering.

[Trojan]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Sinple , how many opportunities does Hastings get? It just goes on and on like it has at many other venues which aren't delivering.

But isn't it the same problem at ALL tracks essentially a lack of investment renovating and maintaining tracks over decades?

[Huey]

21 minutes ago, Trojan said:

But isn't it the same problem at ALL tracks essentially a lack of investment renovating and maintaining tracks over decades?

Yes it is, but wouldn't you expect personnel on huge $$s to recognize & make decisions accordingly? Or at the very least have some accountability. 

Instead they've closed tracks & moved races & clubs purely based on agenda,favoritism & little or no evidence of the impact those decisions have on the industry in the short & long term, absolute circus has been for sometime. 

[Trojan]

43 minutes ago, Huey said:

Yes it is, but wouldn't you expect personnel on huge $$s to recognize & make decisions accordingly? Or at the very least have some accountability.

But that hasn't happened for decades.  They all thought increasing Stakes was the answer and building flash grandstands that had no way of paying their way.  They ALL neglected the key aspect of racing - the Track!  We are ALL guilty of not doing the work including YOU and I!

In my opinion instead of spraying huge stakes increase around the place invest in fixing the tracks.

Increase stakes sure but not by as much and certainly not on Sweepstake and Novelty races.

46 minutes ago, Huey said:

Instead they've closed tracks & moved races & clubs purely based on agenda,favoritism & little or no evidence of the impact those decisions have on the industry in the short & long term, absolute circus has been for sometime. 

There is a bit of that but that isn't the fundamental problem.  Race tracks and training facility investment is what is needed.

[Chief Stipe]

The Hastings problem appears to be just a small part of the track - not much more than 100m of it.  In my opinion the directives that the NZTR "experts" have given to remedy the problem are wrong.  One of their recommendations is grass length - it is clear from yesterday that the grass length is far too long.

[curious]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Yes it is, but wouldn't you expect personnel on huge $$s to recognize & make decisions accordingly? Or at the very least have some accountability. 

Instead they've closed tracks & moved races & clubs purely based on agenda,favoritism & little or no evidence of the impact those decisions have on the industry in the short & long term, absolute circus has been for sometime. 

The problem is they've done one part of the Messara recommendations without a large part of the other, which was the investment in the remaining tracks during the 6 years over which the closures were to occur. That was to be staggered over that time to allow the wqrk on those tracks to be completed.

1. Reduce the number of existing thoroughbred racing venues in New
Zealand over the next 6 years by 20, from 48 to 28 venues, and establish
Cambridge as a new synthetic track racing and training venue within 1
year, so making a total of 29 venues. Sell all freehold racecourse land of
the closed venues with the proceeds to accrue to NZTR. Maintain
racecourses in all regions of New Zealand where racing is currently
conducted. Not require any Race Clubs to close but encourage them to
race at another venue or merge with another Club.

2. Significantly improve the racing and facilities infrastructure at all
remaining tracks over the next 6 years and build 3 synthetic racing and
training tracks (including Cambridge) over the next 3 years, at an
estimated total cost of about $190 million.

[Wingman]

Had NZTR been an entity of a PLC there would have been, at least 3 years ago a please explain re meeting abandonments. The situation as it was 3 years ago pertaining to the calendar and the tracks being used, would have been specifically documented and  non negotiable kpi's would have been put in place. Which tracks, why? Guaranteed track upgrades, when? AND a guarantee that the tracks will then do what they are supposed to do. support thoroughbred gallops.

In this lovely imaginary world the calendar today would have significant differences and the executive of NZTR as we still know today would have long ran away on their rat trails or been fired.

Unless there is a complete clean out of NZTR executive we will continue to see the same long winded  press releases telling us how robust the new processes are to enable this not to happen again. except sadly it will. This is where you come in Mr Fish with a loud SIGH

[Trojan]

40 minutes ago, Wingman said:

Unless there is a complete clean out of NZTR executive we will continue to see the same long winded  press releases telling us how robust the new processes are to enable this not to happen again. except sadly it will. This is where you come in Mr Fish with a loud SIGH

MIA Sharrock - admits he knows nothing about wagering (core source of revenue) and would appear to know nothing about track maintenance, handicapping, or programming.  Nor does he seem to have hired anyone who does.

[Huey]

3 hours ago, Trojan said:

But that hasn't happened for decades.  They all thought increasing Stakes was the answer and building flash grandstands that had no way of paying their way.  They ALL neglected the key aspect of racing - the Track!  We are ALL guilty of not doing the work including YOU and I!

In my opinion instead of spraying huge stakes increase around the place invest in fixing the tracks.

Increase stakes sure but not by as much and certainly not on Sweepstake and Novelty races.

There is a bit of that but that isn't the fundamental problem.  Race tracks and training facility investment is what is needed.

Not true , many many people in the industry warned them this wouldn't work & so it has proven.

[Special Agent]

14 hours ago, Trojan said:

Nor does he seem to have hired anyone who does.

A very important point, in my opinion.

[curious]

21 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

A very important point, in my opinion.

Bruce Sherwin on handicapping might be an exception?

[Special Agent]

6 minutes ago, curious said:

Bruce Sherwin on handicapping might be an exception?

Agreed.