Guerin's article on Awapuni, Hastings track news

[Chief Stipe]

Central Districts get vote of confidence from racing bosses - NZ Herald

www.nzherald.co.nz

KEY FACTS

The troubled Awapuni turf track will undergo intensive work in the hope of being ready for a return to racing in August.

If all goes well the Palmerston North-based track will hold two Group 1s this spring.

The Hastings track will be re-cambered with the plan to have it back hosting race meetings in spring 2026.

The immediate future of two of New Zealand’s most important race tracks became at least a little clearer yesterday.

And both clarifications are good news for the embattled Central Districts region.

It has been a brutal year for the proud racing region with Awapuni’s turf track closed for renovations while Hastings has been on ice since an abandoned meeting in September brought long-running issues with their track to a head.

Things got worse on Anzac Day when the Awapuni relaunch lasted one race before that meeting was called off for the usual reason: a slippery surface making racing unsafe.

Add to that long-term doubts about the sustainability of the remaining Trentham grandstand and Ōtaki losing its only Group 1 to Ellerslie and good news has been hard to come by in the lower half of the North Island.

But help, or at least the promise of help, is on the way.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have backed the new Awapuni track by scheduling two Group 1s to be run there in the spring, if the track can come up to scratch by then.

That IF has to be in capital letters as NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty has made it clear the track must prove itself first and any sign of trouble that threatens the Group 1s will see an alternate venue found.

The two races are the Arrowfield Stud Plate and the Livamol, traditionally the second and third legs of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown.

With Hastings out of play for the spring (more on that soon) the three Group 1s it usually holds will be split between Ellerslie for the first, the Tarzino Trophy, with the next two legs tentatively at Awapuni.

“Subject to a visit from track expert Liam O‘Keefe in early June we intend to run the two Group 1s in that region,” Ballesty told the Herald.

“However, if the track isn’t exactly where it needs to be and more time is needed we won’t rush and we will look at other options.

“NZTR understands all participants, especially trainers, need to know in advance where the races are to be held.”

While the move is hardly the most boisterous vote of confidence in Awapuni being up and running by spring, NZTR are bringing in the big guns in Flemington track man O‘Keefe, who helped Ellerslie smooth out their problems when they launched their StrathAyr track last year.

Like Ellerslie, one of the key Awapuni issues has been compaction of the top layer, making it prone to becoming slippery, so it will need constant verti-draining to break up that level and create more organic matter, ultimately providing a more natural surface.

But one of Awapuni’s issues is rocks underneath the surface which limits the use of certain verti-draining machines.

There will be weekly management meetings between the local administration body RACE, NZTR, O‘Keefe and fellow track expert Callum Brown.

If that all goes well racing is scheduled to return to the turf track in August with Ballesty saying, “a safe return to racing is our number one priority”.

So while nothing is certain in the increasingly weird world of race track management, NZTR are at least giving Awapuni and those who run it the chance to prove themselves.

The second piece of good news for the region came in Hastings last night when Ballesty announced racing will remain at the current track with recambering work to start soon.

The Hastings track has been dogged by problems in recent years, admittedly not helped by erratic spring weather, but one of its biggest issues has been the camber on the bend out of the straight.

There has been debate about whether it is better to fix the current track or look to build a new track in the Hastings region, but Ballesty answered that question when addressing club members last night.

“We will start work on correcting the camber on the track and all going well hope to have it ready for racing in spring 2026,” he said.

That is a far quicker, and cheaper, option than moving the track in what is a famous racing region and all going well Awapuni and Hastings could be racing, on safer surfaces, in the New Year.

[Special Agent]

Oh dear, what a read.

There has been 8 months lost on rectifying Hastings.  The decision announced by Matt Ballesty is contrary to the opinion of the resident caretaker.

Now getting Awapuni back is not going to be rushed.  It's a shame that approach wasn't taken before.

Trainers need to know in advance where the races are going to be held.  No shit Sherlock.

The experts who fixed Ellerslie are being brought in for Awapuni.  So what other experts were utilised at Awapuni till now?

Organic matter will be created at Awapuni to provide a more natural surface.  Is this a joke?  A more natural surface is required for a turf track, and the NZ racing industry needed overseas experts to express that little gem.

If Stephen Nickalls horse had not slipped in Race 1 at Awapuni on Anzac Day when would the known "rocks under the track surface" have been revealed?

The flash tracks, the flash equipment, the flash personnel are being shown up by the country bumpkin committees with their shoe string budget and non-flash stuff.

[Chief Stipe]

8 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

The decision announced by Matt Ballesty is contrary to the opinion of the resident caretaker.

What's the Hastings caretakers opinion?  

I assume it isn't the new track manager you are referring to.

[Chief Stipe]

10 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Trainers need to know in advance where the races are going to be held. 

Why?  Isn't the important information the meeting programme and date?  

[Special Agent]

1 minute ago, Chief Stipe said:

Why?  Isn't the important information the meeting programme and date?  

Ellerslie vs Awapuni ?

[Chief Stipe]

11 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

The experts who fixed Ellerslie are being brought in for Awapuni.  So what other experts were utilised at Awapuni till now?

With regard to Ellerslie to make it clear you are referring to the people brought in AFTER the new track was reopened.  The bigger question is who advised Ellerslie to make the choices they did in the first place?

BTW the irony doesn't escape me that the powers that be are focussing on the camber of the track at Hastings yet Ellerslie seems to be immune from criticism about the camber of the final bend into the straight on the new track.  I guess because it is an iconic camberless bend.

[Special Agent]

A whole training centre might have to cater for reverse galloping for starters.

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Special Agent said:

Ellerslie vs Awapuni ?

Why does it matter where a meeting will be held?  

[Special Agent]

5 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

What's the Hastings caretakers opinion?  

I assume it isn't the new track manager you are referring to.

I have referred before to the opinion the whole track needs remodelling as opposed to part renovating.

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Special Agent said:

A whole training centre might have to cater for reverse galloping for starters.

Most training centre's worth their salt do cater for "reverse" galloping.  If they don't then their trainers will be disadvantaged as all roads point to the Ellerslie gold don't they?

[Special Agent]

1 minute ago, Chief Stipe said:

Why does it matter where a meeting will be held?  

Trentham has a long straight, Ellerslie is reverse, depending on where you train some tracks require an overnight stay.  There are many factors which may or may not suit your particular horse and may influence you racing at a venue, or changing your planned programme.

[Special Agent]

Just now, Chief Stipe said:

Most training centre's worth their salt do cater for "reverse" galloping.  If they don't then their trainers will be disadvantaged as all roads point to the Ellerslie gold don't they?

Absolutely they do but, there may only be one or two at a centre who will take up an opportunity to race at Ellerslie rather than Awapuni or Trentham as an example.

[Special Agent]

4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Most training centre's worth their salt do cater for "reverse" galloping.  If they don't then their trainers will be disadvantaged as all roads point to the Ellerslie gold don't they?

All roads might lead to the Ellerslie gold but does that mean all stables have the quality to take those races on?  Plenty of Waikato and Auckland based trainers compete in CD, even in mid-week $17K events.

[Chief Stipe]

19 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Organic matter will be created at Awapuni to provide a more natural surface.  Is this a joke?  A more natural surface is required for a turf track, and the NZ racing industry needed overseas experts to express that little gem.

No the issue is the obsession with laying large amounts of sand on top.  The only way to have a turf that is truly conducive to galloping is to make sure that the sand:clay:silt:organic matter ratios are optimum for water retention (mimimise irrigation requirements vs optimise drainage) and nutrient retention.

I suspect the Ellerslie track will improve as time progresses relative to the amount of mown grass that is left in situ on the track that is then incorporated into the top layer of the track.  However that will be a long process and relatively uncontrollable e.g. it is dependent on even mowing for a start.  The same process will happen at Awapuni.

I've been thinking about what would be the best way to fix Hastings (cambers aside).  You will move all the track soil off to the centre of the track.  Put in a layer of drainage gravel and new layer of drains, another layer to limit the loss of soil particles (reduce clogging of drains) and then replace the reconditioned top soil.

The top soil would be reconditioned to have the optimum sand:clay:silt:organic matter ratios for the local climate.  I thought that this was what the normal Strathayr (not the pure sand version) was about with the addtion of artifical mesh to provide structure.

A track reconditioned like I suggest would have a limited life which could be extended by yearly maintenance.  

A track like Matamata survives (as does most of the Waikato) because naturally it has a high organic matter content and possibly more silt than clay.  Silt is closer to sand in terms of drainage properties.  My brief looks at the Hastings turf suggests it has a high clay content and the organic content is minimal hence the emergence of slipping issues.

[Chief Stipe]

10 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Trentham has a long straight, Ellerslie is reverse, depending on where you train some tracks require an overnight stay.  There are many factors which may or may not suit your particular horse and may influence you racing at a venue, or changing your planned programme.

You are clutching at straws using Trentham as an example!!!  Most tracks have long straights!  The majority of those racing at Trentham chasing Premier races are travelling and need an overnight stay!  From what I can tell they all stay overnight in the Manawatu region.

Hastings is a perfect location though - everyone travels roughly the same distance except those trained on course.

Seriously though would shifting Woodville to Hawera for a BM65 race change your mind?

[Chief Stipe]

17 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

I have referred before to the opinion the whole track needs remodelling as opposed to part renovating.

Whose opinion?  The new track manager or the old caretaker?  

[Special Agent]

Would the turf institute employed by NZTR have given them similar information to what you've explained, relating to each individual track?

[Special Agent]

2 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Whose opinion?  The new track manager or the old caretaker?  

Track Manager.

[Chief Stipe]

9 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Track Manager.

Ok.  My sources have told me that Mildon is well trained, skilled and knowledgeable.  Spent a long time under another very good track manager at Matamata.  He probably realises now that he has been sold a pup.

[Special Agent]

3 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

You are clutching at straws using Trentham as an example!!!  Most tracks have long straights!  The majority of those racing at Trentham chasing Premier races are travelling and need an overnight stay!  From what I can tell they all stay overnight in the Manawatu region.

Hastings is a perfect location though - everyone travels roughly the same distance except those trained on course.

Seriously though would shifting Woodville to Hawera for a BM65 race change your mind?

I find discussing/debating with you quite trying.  Not all Taranaki or Hawkes Bay trained horses stay overnight, and some have been handy performers in the features at Trentham.

What the article pointed out was that Matt Ballesty was considering trainers in that they should have "advanced" notice of where the races are being held with respect Awapuni meetings.  He was talking Group 1 events for which detailed planning, working, travelling and staffing and increased entry fees is required.  I am in no way demeaning Woodville or Hawera as they are very important to the racing calendar but, the BM65 you reference is a far cry from the Group 1's the CEO is referencing.

[Chief Stipe]

22 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

All roads might lead to the Ellerslie gold but does that mean all stables have the quality to take those races on?  Plenty of Waikato and Auckland based trainers compete in CD, even in mid-week $17K events.

Yes but as I said above - if a meeting is shifted from Woodville to Hawera two weeks or even a week out for a programme that has been announced a year out or even 6 months out are you not going to turn up with your midweek BM65 horse?

[Special Agent]

12 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Ok.  My sources have told me that Mildon is well trained, skilled and knowledgeable.  Spent a long time under another very good track manager at Matamata.  He probably realises now that he has been sold a pup.

Yes, you have said that before.

Whatever you do, don't tell him or any of his workers a joke though.

[Chief Stipe]

11 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Whatever you do, don't tell him or any of his workers a joke though.

What's that supposed to mean?  That he is serious about his job?

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Most training centre's worth their salt do cater for "reverse" galloping.  If they don't then their trainers will be disadvantaged as all roads point to the Ellerslie gold don't they?

Agree. Foxton certainly used to and Rangiora does weekly, though the CJC don't seem to have any reverse work days at any speed.

[Freda]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Most training centre's worth their salt do cater for "reverse" galloping.  If they don't then their trainers will be disadvantaged as all roads point to the Ellerslie gold don't they?

Do they?   tell our lot, will ya? 

Edited Wednesday at 11:33 PM by Freda