On The Money

[the galah]

2 hours ago, Brodie said:

TAB, my comments are posted due to continued concern for the harness racing industry!

Big time they are going to be in trouble financially unless they can appoint people that have concern for the industry, as currently it appears they just are not there!

Being Santa Claus and shelling out the funds from the White Knight with gay abandon is not going to improve things, quite the opposite!

The cash from Entain should have been fiscally savvy and yet there is absolutely no sign of this, and no media beef up is going to solve this unfortunately!

If the Committee is bot going to overturn so e of these poor business decisions the  what is the point of the committee???????

I highly doubt the business acumen of those currently making these decisions and kt clearly shows.

Who there has got a history of running a successful business and I do not class Banking as a successful business!

 

brodie,you seem to have a lot of faith in this new advisory board that mr peters put together.

i read an article by mick guerin about that new board and guerin did his thing,rambled on how great the people on it are.

thing is,as i pointed out at the time,when guerin kept saying things were going well at the atc,which he generally did just before each upcoming sales,he lost credibilty. Now you have to recognise thats just what he does. same a swhat hes doing when he wrote that article about the new advisory board.

same type of sentiment  we got form mr steele when he did a press release about that new advisory board..

Thing is,we've heard it all before so many times.

Give me one good reason why this new group will identify things that others haven't in the past? sure they may have influence with peters,but having a group of people come along and say,hey your stuffing things up for the future,when people already can see that,well big deal..

'm guessing you will find the majoirity of the recommendations they make will effect the bigger players in the harness industry and be more thouroughbred industry. applicable anyway.

remember they have had these advisory boards in the past. 

Looking at the current HRNZ board,they seem to have people who we should have confidence in to oversee the making of the right decisions by hrnz employees  around future sustainabilty.

But heres the thing.

those in charge should be fully aware people don't have confidence that the right decisions are being made. Mark jones letter is an illustration of that.So is the chatter you get on the social media sites i read. like this and the other channel.

so theres a reason for that.

many of the issues in harness racing are complex, but balance sheets/profit loss,financial sustainabilty aren't complex.

Edited yesterday at 05:54 AM by the galah

[TAB For Ever]

4 hours ago, the galah said:

 

aren't you just doing what i said will be the playbook of those who feel threatened by the accuracy of what he says.

In the past HRNZ have prioritised the publically expressed concerns of other high profile stakeholder groups, through the implementation of policies to address their concerns. for example HRNZ addressed the concerns of major players within the industry by introducing the likes of bonuses for 2 year old racing.

So speaking out is not something new by people within the industry. In fact the way hrnz seem to operate,its the squeaky wheel that gets oiled ,so to speak.

the only thing i thought unnecessary in jones letter,was his reference to "its baffling how someone with such questionable personal financial history was entrusted with our industry's money in the first place".

Personally i have no idea what jones was referring to there,nor do i think it was in any way relevant and i think he over stepped the line with that bit.Anyway its well known that many of the worlds richest and smartest people have experienced major financial setbacks,learnt from that  and gone on to be great decision makers in business. E.g trump,ford,walt disney . so the same thing can happen,albeit on a totally different scale with anyone smart enough. Personally i think jones should  apologise for that bit,but the rest of his letter was very good.thats my opinion anyway.

Its kinda basic that when you are a licence holder or employee you have a 'built in and understood' responsibility not to bring the Industry or Company into dispute.

Some may say its biting the hand that feeds you !

Correct ,the piece questioning the persons personal financial history is completely 'out of line ' !

Its disgusting !

Boards ,nowadays ,include folk with a versatile set of skills and governance and finance are definitely must haves.

[Gammalite]

50 minutes ago, the galah said:

many of the issues in harness racing are complex, but balance sheets/profit loss,financial sustainabilty aren't complex.

Exactly NOT . Many of you guys complain about much, but the Solutions are Complicated. 

The whole NZ country is Struggling Financially in every sector. We blame governments for acting irresponsibly and causing the pain. I've seen plenty of folk everywhere that are blaming their Government's for everything and anything,  and you Guys are Sadly Putting HRNZ in the same boat.😪

PEOPLE everywhere are struggling to Balance their VERY OWN Home budgets , let alone Run a HUGE organisation like the Government , or the HRNZ or the NZTR racing budgets.  

example : very recently The Tasmanian State Government has gone completely bust so a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE has actually been passed in state Parliament there late May , and they are forced to go to the Polls in July again  very soon(, where Labour will landslide out the current Liberal State Government in all likelihood ) . 

Things are very tough to run Financially.

HRNZ are injecting HEAPS of funds into the Stakemoney for harness racing . via ENTAIN . that's gotta be a good thing really ??? . Prizemoney and racing NEVER BETTER , all across the nation. Yet this site posters  Completely gives them a pasting . can't understand it.

When the funding decreases so will your prizemoney . Just a normal progression. Has happened ALL through history. and when some bright spark comes along , like the GENIUS I applaud , that made Slot racing . the Prizemoney jumps up to a Million dollars in some of them . What a GREAT great thing . reward for your participants at Last !!!!  

There's a WHOLE GROUP of people  at HRNZ that help put togeather the racing . IN VERY DIFFICULT times . they are putting on great races and concepts. (SLots racing and all sorts of things and schemes to try and help) .

Is just Amazing what they've done, In difficult Financial times  and yet HRNZ have Lifted literally lifted  Harness racing out of the Ashes. 

 And yet  ZERO optimism at BOAY for harness racing Officialdom ?  in Any office Whatsoever, No appreciation of anyone's efforts ,  the Handicapper?, the Stakes board, the underwriters ENTAIN , the whole lot cop a flogging the whole time . 

A TOTAL Vote of NO CONFIDENCE in your Very Own Countrymen all the time ??  .when they're trying to do the best they can in hard times to actually run a business .  

Some just WANT TO BITE THE HAND That FEEDS them Clean off 🤣.  maybe sign up at the greyhounds instead?

 

[Gammalite]

On 6/27/2025 at 5:54 PM, Rangatira said:

 The decision to sell Pukekohe—yet still be in financial turmoil—makes no sense. Auckland is losing its training base, which will reduce horse and trainer numbers even further. Alexandra Park is a logistically difficult venue for many, and it’s not serving the wider industry.

 

The only sustainable path for Auckland is bold: sell Alexandra Park, retain Pukekohe, and invest in a world-class training and racing complex, similar to Menangle in NSW. With the right structure, Auckland could then re-emerge as a vibrant centre with strong prize money, improved horse numbers, and renewed interest from owners and trainers.

Mind you , MARK JONES does have the right idea  here in these thoughts ,  for a BIG solution here at the start of this Thread . to this  financial problem which is exactly the same as the one I offered over the whole time this saga has gone on.. 

It seems the only way to clear that awful ATC Debt before the whole thing (industry) just shuts down broke. 

You Need Pukeohe (Franklin) however,  you could re-locate Alexandra Park out of town ,  like Sydney did with Harold Park,  because the Land was valuable at that site) .  have it going the correct direction too lol 😂.

clear the ATC debt and move on to bigger and better things.  !!! Yeehaa lets do it. 

Have on-site Big horse BArns (like young 'Grimson' and his kiwi mate 'Trainor' have at Menangle ) for the young trainers to LEASE.  young 'Seaton' is probably there as well, and just getting better and better. 

that is so important !!!  as the Galah mentioned often, to have somewhere for the New Young trainers to train in a world class Facility in NZ . ( Woodend Beach not the answer to locating trainers in world class facility  lol ) 

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

Exactly NOT . Many of you guys complain about much, but the Solutions are Complicated. 

The whole NZ country is Struggling Financially in every sector. We blame governments for acting irresponsibly and causing the pain. I've seen plenty of folk everywhere that are blaming their Government's for everything and anything,  and you Guys are Sadly Putting HRNZ in the same boat.😪

PEOPLE everywhere are struggling to Balance their VERY OWN Home budgets , let alone Run a HUGE organisation like the Government , or the HRNZ or the NZTR racing budgets.  

example : very recently The Tasmanian State Government has gone completely bust so a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE has actually been passed in state Parliament there late May , and they are forced to go to the Polls in July again  very soon(, where Labour will landslide out the current Liberal State Government in all likelihood ) . 

Things are very tough to run Financially.

HRNZ are injecting HEAPS of funds into the Stakemoney for harness racing . via ENTAIN . that's gotta be a good thing really ??? . Prizemoney and racing NEVER BETTER , all across the nation. Yet this site posters  Completely gives them a pasting . can't understand it.

When the funding decreases so will your prizemoney . Just a normal progression. Has happened ALL through history. and when some bright spark comes along , like the GENIUS I applaud , that made Slot racing . the Prizemoney jumps up to a Million dollars in some of them . What a GREAT great thing . reward for your participants at Last !!!!  

There's a WHOLE GROUP of people  at HRNZ that help put togeather the racing . IN VERY DIFFICULT times . they are putting on great races and concepts. (SLots racing and all sorts of things and schemes to try and help) .

Is just Amazing what they've done, In difficult Financial times  and yet HRNZ have Lifted literally lifted  Harness racing out of the Ashes. 

 And yet  ZERO optimism at BOAY for harness racing Officialdom ?  in Any office Whatsoever, No appreciation of anyone's efforts ,  the Handicapper?, the Stakes board, the underwriters ENTAIN , the whole lot cop a flogging the whole time . 

A TOTAL Vote of NO CONFIDENCE in your Very Own Countrymen all the time ??  .when they're trying to do the best they can in hard times to actually run a business .  

Some just WANT TO BITE THE HAND That FEEDS them Clean off 🤣.  maybe sign up at the greyhounds instead?

 

Gamma, HRNZ are just not bring financially prudent with the cash splash from Entain!

not trying to be personal but the ones that are offloading the extra money just would not be acting this way with their own personal budget!

Making hay while the sun shines is not the way to go!

Farmers that have a good season do not go out and blow the cash on things that do not produce in the future!

They put it away for the bad seasons!

Anyway if they want to carry on the way they are currently and the harness participants are happy for this then I suggest that many will be looking for another job or career in the future!

Most meetings are losing money and yet they think that they can pay out the big stskes and bonuses?

Delusional!

[mikeynz]

8 minutes ago, Brodie said:

 

Anyway if they want to carry on the way they are currently and the harness participants are happy for this then I suggest that many will be looking for another job or career in the future!

Most meetings are losing money and yet they think that they can pay out the big stskes and bonuses?

Delusional!

Would be interesting to gauge how much they like horses if they stop being a cash cow, there has been a small number winning all the races for young ones making a fast buck at the expense of the rest of the toilers.

[the galah]

20 hours ago, Gammalite said:

 

When the funding decreases so will your prizemoney . Just a normal progression. Has happened ALL through history. and when some bright spark comes along , like the GENIUS I applaud , that made Slot racing . the Prizemoney jumps up to a Million dollars in some of them . What a GREAT great thing . reward for your participants at Last !!!!  

 

 

so you do understand,as you say "when funding decreases so will your prizemoney.Just a normal progression"

so really the difference with your view and my view is not related to how much money hrnz have to spend.

its you see no problem with HRNZ spending up now,keeping prizemoney up now,then when they tapped their reserves, just decrease prizemoney.Thats what you said above anyway. 

So your thinking is similar to what those in charge at hrn appear to have. Only difference between you and them is some of those at hrnz will have an exit strategy when the funding decrease happens, whereas you will still be supporting harness racing..

in effect thats a strategy which limits negative impacts on harness racing people now,but substantially increases the negative impacts  later.

Whereas my opinion,and that of many  others is,HRNZ shouldn't be  diminishing their cash reserves at the rate they are,as there will come a point when stakes will have to be cut,and unfortunately they will need to be cut to levels, which will result in less particpation across the industry, which will send nz harness racing in to a steep decline from which they will never fully recover from.

its like someone is leading a life where they have a job that pays ok and they can afford the costof  living , and put aside some money in the bank.Then they find out they've been taken off contract and put on an hourly wage ,the effect of which is to cut their income where their outgoings excede their incoming $.That person has 2 main choices,cut out any excess spending and use the money in the bank to maintain the a reasonable tandard living,or the 2nd alternative of making no cuts to their spending,use discretion as to when they use some of the money they have in the bank, until it runs out. The person who kept spending,day of reckoning come far quicker that the person who didn't. Andlife is tough when it happens.

Edited 5 hours ago by the galah

[Gammalite]

23 minutes ago, the galah said:

so you do understand,as you say "when funding decreases so will your prizemoney.Just a normal progression"

so really the difference with your view and my view is not related to how much money hrnz have to spend.

its you see no problem with HRNZ spending up now,keeping prizemoney up now,then when they tapped their reserves, just decrease prizemoney.Thats what you said above anyway. 

So your thinking is similar to what those in charge at hrn appear to have. Only difference between you and them is some of those at hrnz will have an exit strategy when the funding decrease happens, whereas you will still be supporting harness racing..

in effect thats a strategy which limits negative impacts on harness racing people now,but substantially increases the negative impacts  later.

Whereas my opinion,and that of many  others is,HRNZ shouldn't be  diminishing their cash reserves at the rate they are,as there will come a point when stakes will have to be cut,and unfortunately they will need to be cut to levels, which will result in less particpation across the industry, which will send nz harness racing in to a steep decline from which they will never fully recover from.

its like someone is leading a life where they have a job that pays ok and they can afford the costof  living , and put aside some money in the bank.Then they find out they've been taken off contract and put on an hourly wage ,the effect of which is to cut their income where their outgoings excede their incoming $.That person has 2 main choices,cut out any excess spending and use the money in the bank to maintain the a reasonable tandard living,or the 2nd alternative of making no cuts to their spending,use discretion as to when they use some of the money they have in the bank, until it runs out. The person who kept spending,day of reckoning come far quicker that the person who didn't. Andlife is tough when it happens.

Exactly  🏆👍. Now you're talking !!! You are obviously excellent at saving for the future and budgeting what you need , well ahead of time.

Running a Government , a HRNZ , and funding all the goings on , they just spend what they have , as they go. Even most people just Live week to week (50% of people these days apparently) with out saving for the future. Thank God for Superannuation being brought in the 90's to force us to save for the future . 

I'm amazed at what they can spend on racing Prizemoney. This July in Brisbane we are racing for 100's of thousands of dollars. I asked David Brick (the new QLD racing general manager , who was the Manager of QLD harness for 7 years prior ) where the hell does All the money come from , .When I applied to be Handicapper . He just said from all sorts of sources.

YES the Prizemoney flutuates over the years to do With Sponsors and all sorts of things. You've seen it ? The NZ Cup goes up and down like a yo-yo . The Interdominion has varied greatly over the years.

This year the winner (Probably 'Leap To Fame' ) will get $520,000 first prize. When I went to Tassie with his illustrious QLD predecessor 'Blacks A Fake' , Blackie got $1,000,000 first prize. It's all to do with Sponsorship and Interested parties at the time ( the years the racing is run) . 

Currently in NZ , Interest in Harness is high for a major interested Party > ENTAIN  . so you (HRNZ ) can lap it up while the going is good. and spend it.  And the Participants Get a quid for a while. Excellent stuff.!!!!! 

  Brodie keeps saying it stops at 5 years , so if that's the case , someone else will step up to the plate. Even if the prizemoney for the NZ Cup has to Cut in half . so be it.

Victoria has slashed prizemoney recent years from what it was as they are running broke. But press on anyway with out grizzling too much. still optimistic . someone like Seymour might step in . Seymour currently is bailing out the broke South Australia trotting board. What a legend he is !!! that's what you need mate. more legends 👍😉💰

Edited 5 hours ago by Gammalite

[Brodie]

41 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

Exactly  🏆👍. Now you're talking !!! You are obviously excellent at saving for the future and budgeting what you need , well ahead of time.

Running a Government , a HRNZ , and funding all the goings on , they just spend what they have , as they go. Even most people just Live week to week (50% of people these days apparently) with out saving for the future. Thank God for Superannuation being brought in the 90's to force us to save for the future . 

I'm amazed at what they can spend on racing Prizemoney. This July in Brisbane we are racing for 100's of thousands of dollars. I asked David Brick (the new QLD racing general manager , who was the Manager of QLD harness for 7 years prior ) where the hell does All the money come from , .When I applied to be Handicapper . He just said from all sorts of sources.

YES the Prizemoney flutuates over the years to do With Sponsors and all sorts of things. You've seen it ? The NZ Cup goes up and down like a yo-yo . The Interdominion has varied greatly over the years.

This year the winner (Probably 'Leap To Fame' ) will get $520,000 first prize. When I went to Tassie with his illustrious QLD predecessor 'Blacks A Fake' , Blackie got $1,000,000 first prize. It's all to do with Sponsorship and Interested parties at the time ( the years the racing is run) . 

Currently in NZ , Interest in Harness is high for a major interested Party > ENTAIN  . so you (HRNZ ) can lap it up while the going is good. and spend it.  And the Participants Get a quid for a while. Excellent stuff.!!!!! 

  Brodie keeps saying it stops at 5 years , so if that's the case , someone else will step up to the plate. Even if the prizemoney for the NZ Cup has to Cut in half . so be it.

Victoria has slashed prizemoney recent years from what it was as they are running broke. But press on anyway with out grizzling too much. still optimistic . someone like Seymour might step in . Seymour currently is bailing out the broke South Australia trotting board. What a legend he is !!! that's what you need mate. more legends 👍😉💰

Gamma, there is not one person in NZ that would be doing shat Seymour is dong in Ozzie!

There is no one that is enthusiastic enough to be putting in tens of millions to keep harness going in NZ,

Instead of blowing the Entain  money on bonuses and increased stakes straight off anyone with any business acumen wouldve invested the capital and received  tens of millions per year for ever plus had the massive capital contribution as well if and when required!!
They really are devoid of financial competence.

Edited 4 hours ago by Brodie

[Rangatira]

19 hours ago, Brodie said:

Farmers that have a good season do not go out and blow the cash on things that do not produce in the future!

They put it away for the bad seasons!

 

[Nowornever]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

Gamma, there is not one person in NZ that would be doing shat Seymour is dong in Ozzie!

There is no one that is enthusiastic enough to be putting in tens of millions to keep harness going in NZ,

Instead of blowing the Entain  money on bonuses and increased stakes straight off anyone with any business acumen wouldve invested the capital and received  tens of millions per year for ever plus had the massive capital contribution as well if and when required!!
They really are devoid of financial competence.

Bosses probably all getting big pay increases when the money comes through. That is what usually happens.