More Details on Hawkes Bay Racing Incorporated Land Swap Deal

[Special Agent]

Everyone's take on this subject is interesting.

Young participants are definitely needed and should be welcomed.  It is a bit of a struggle financially for them starting out and unfortunately a lot rely on selling their best stock.

What does State of the Art facilities mean?  Does it mean flashy, or practical?  The overseas photos look beautiful but, we have to have the money and staff for top notch maintenance.

Russell Warwick said that a metropolitan track will bring the best horses and jockeys.  Unless there is an influx we will still have the same pool of both.  It is fantastic to look at other places and dream but, we don't have the same population as other countries.  I wish we could come up with our own model instead of trying to copy others.  As has been pointed out, sometimes it's quite an enjoyable experience under a simple umbrella.  If Ellerslie is New Zealand's answer to State of the Art, it doesn't have training facilities which goes against the centralisation grain.  I feel we are getting mixed messages from HQ.  I think our State of the Art needs to be more simplistic i.e. safe consistent racing surfaces, horse areas with working components, viewing platforms aligned to the number of patrons, multi purpose facilities etc.

We have every reason to become skeptical as we have seen Takanini sold, then sit unused for a long time and still no State of the Art facility at Puhinui or Whakanui or Greenfields or anywhere else.  Rangiora is providing grass gallops Riccarton is not.  Foxton and Levin continue to do their bit as trial and jumpout venues.  Matt Ballesty made a point of CD needing to sort "racing and jumpout venues", a strange comment in the midst of it all.  Has everyone forgotten Te Teko already.  I have heard from a few in the industry that the Flaxmere property is not the perfect solution either.  There are doubts concerning the soil make up.  Please ensure due diligence is done before blundering into a poorly researched mistake.

Everything is not as it seems at first glance.  Serious industry investment will be required.  It will not come from government, and Entain is a short term fix.  Clubs need to step up with diverse ideas and action.  I think we need to lower our expectations a touch and not dream of some pie in the sky ideal.

There's a bloody lot to work on.  Hearing the backslapping and comments about how terrific each board is offers no confidence to me as I feel that self praise is no recommendation.  I think we probably have some brilliant young people right across the country who could do no worse than those who have let facilities run down, have sold the crown jewels and run up eye watering debt.  After all, those young people will be here a lot longer than us and I often wonder what some oldies are hanging in for.