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This is the reason our Racing Industry is Failing.


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Does this great country actually want a racing and breeding industry? Photo / Supplied
Does this great country actually want a racing and breeding industry? Photo / Supplied
NZ Herald
By: David Ellis

Last Tuesday's editorial in the Herald on the racing industry in New Zealand lacked balance. The article stated racing shouldn't rely on the government for support but must "stand on its own four legs". Is this for real? Does this editor/journalist live on the same planet as I do?

Don't you think the writer should have explained to readers the hundreds of millions of dollars the racing and breeding industry has paid governments of the day in tax over the past 10 years? Wouldn't that have put at least some balance into the story?

Should the writer not have mentioned the 30,000 people employed in our industry? Think just how much PAYE tax the Government collects from this — not forgetting all the GST, ACC levies (which are exorbitant) etc.

Did the writer mention the export dollars our industry generates at the yearling sales? In addition to all the private overseas sales of bloodstock?

Did this writer think to mention the number of people who come to New Zealand from overseas for the yearling sales at Karaka — at a time of the year when Auckland is away on holiday and the eateries, hotels etc are empty? All of these visitors put a smile on the face of cab drivers, restaurateurs, airlines, hoteliers ...

Did the writer criticise the Government for gifting the Rugby Union some $38 million for the Rugby World Cup? No. Did the writer criticise the Government for gifting NZ Cricket around $24m for the Cricket World Cup? No. Perhaps the writer criticised the Government for the millions and millions gifted to various America's Cup campaigns? No.

What about a criticism of the Government for tiding the America's Cup team over with a transitional $5m to give them some help? — No.

Did the writer remember that the Government gave the Michael Hill golf tournament around $3m? And speaking of golf, funding for Lydia Ko.

I could go on and on but before I continue, I want to add that I think the above contributions were a good use of taxpayer money to promote New Zealand. However, to deny our industry, which does so much in terms of taxation and export revenue for government coffers is blatantly wrong.

The New Zealand Herald needs to ask itself one question, does this great country actually want a racing and breeding industry?

If the answer is "yes" then the Government has to stop the TAKE, TAKE, TAKE and contribute something back and encourage racing to double its export earnings and to go from employing 30,000 to 50,000.

The New Zealand thoroughbred has a stellar worldwide reputation and our horses punch well above their weight on the world stage. Why on earth would we not want to see that reputation grow and flourish in the interests of this country as a whole — remember the industry employs young people — and many others — vets and their staff, farriers and theirs, physios, chiropractors, equine dentists, saddlery makers, equine pharmacists — it is a massive industry that is a huge contributor to this country's economy.

I take my hat off to Winston Peters — the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Racing understands that without some assistance from government, the Government and Treasury will be the losers and we will finish up being a third-world racing jurisdiction.

What a difference the all-weather tracks will make. In the Waikato we receive about 55 inches of rain a year, with probably 70 per cent of that coming in June through to September. The cost of having grass tracks for this period is huge. Just last week the trials for Saturday were cancelled, the races in Friday were cancelled. What is this costing owners, trainers, jockeys — the industry and the Government? A LOT OF MONEY.

Not everything in the latest Messara Report might be able to be implemented but I strongly support 90 per cent of it. This is a unique opportunity — if the industry doesn't seize it, our future is very bleak.

With this support — the industry will more than "stand on its own four legs" as the editor suggested it should, it will run on them.

 David Ellis is Principal of Te Akau Stud.

 
 

 

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He writes so much garbage, he has his own interests so far to the forefront, he is seeing this stuff in his head with his own eyes. He's delusional about just how much of a welfare state NZ racing is.

NZ are lucky to have what they do, and they should be heeding the advice about working towards standing on its own feet before a serious government tells them it's over.

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2 points on first reading

1.  We all pay taxes, to pay for infrastructure, without which the industry could not function, so that is a moot point

2.  The rainfall in Hamilton falls reasonably consistently over the year, June to Sept percentage is 39 not 70%

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13 minutes ago, hesi said:

2 points on first reading

1.  We all pay taxes, to pay for infrastructure, without which the industry could not function, so that is a moot point

2.  The rainfall in Hamilton falls reasonably consistently over the year, June to Sept percentage is 39 not 70%

They just make up stuff and add more rubbish to support their cause. It's worked in the past, so the bs continues. 70% of rainfall from June through September? Then an example of cancellations during the other 30%  rainfall month 8 month period.

"The Government has to stop the TAKE, TAKE, TAKE"? I'd say the government needs to reduce the GIVE,GIVE, GIVE and act more in line with our neighbouring jurisdictions to force the racing industry to stand on its own four legs.

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Guest CrossCodes

And some of the examples he gave like money given for Rugby and Cricket world cups as well as the Americas Cuo were one off, stand alone events, not continual and consistent extra funding like it sounds like he is proposing.

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3 hours ago, curious said:

They just make up stuff and add more rubbish to support their cause. It's worked in the past, so the bs continues. 70% of rainfall from June through September? Then an example of cancellations during the other 30%  rainfall month 8 month period.

"The Government has to stop the TAKE, TAKE, TAKE"? I'd say the government needs to reduce the GIVE,GIVE, GIVE and act more in line with our neighbouring jurisdictions to force the racing industry to stand on its own four legs.

I noticed in the Messara Report, that he phrased the money distributed to the codes, as money the Government forgoed, allowing the racing industry to keep

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1 hour ago, CrossCodes said:

And some of the examples he gave like money given for Rugby and Cricket world cups as well as the Americas Cuo were one off, stand alone events, not continual and consistent extra funding like it sounds like he is proposing.

And the Americas Cup has more global coverage than our Derby.

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On 24/01/2019 at 12:32 PM, Freda said:

Unfortunately more seem to believe what DE wrote than not...including many administrators.

What I find difficult to absorb is all the talk NOW from the movers & shakers...where were they 5 years ago...?  Just makes me incredibly angry that these self absorbed, self centred creatures now want to speak up...if they think they’ve got leverage why wait until 2 minutes to midnight to bag the drum?  Again the gene puddle is not deep enough in NZ for independent agenda-free administrators to have a seat at the table. 

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2 hours ago, MaltedMilkshake said:

What I find difficult to absorb is all the talk NOW from the movers & shakers...where were they 5 years ago...?  Just makes me incredibly angry that these self absorbed, self centred creatures now want to speak up...if they think they’ve got leverage why wait until 2 minutes to midnight to bag the drum?  Again the gene puddle is not deep enough in NZ for independent agenda-free administrators to have a seat at the table. 

“Bang the drum”.....may as well be “bag”

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Figures to show just how much our govt. actually does support our industry have been put up here, and elsewhere, many times.

It beggars belief that so many STILL trot out the mantra of a greedy government. 

Would it be too tiresome for Mardi or Curious to list the financial support we have been given for so long?

Then it might be possible to point out quantitatively, yet again, just how needy and disorganized we really are.

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In fact the government contributes more to NZ racing participants than most actually think....

All those horses exported to Asia go GST free and no capital gains tax .... is this ever mentioned by people that feel the government should do more?  I don’t think so .... 

People need to analyse more, not just accept the status quo...

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