Awapuni officially out of action for the rest of 2025

[Chief Stipe]

 

NZTR, in conjunction with the Racing Integrity Board, has today confirmed that all trials and race meetings at the RACE Awapuni track will cease for the remainder of 2025.     No images? Click here Racing at RACE Awapuni Paused as Long-Term Track Plan Progresses New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), in conjunction with the Racing Integrity Board (RIB), has today confirmed that all trials and race meetings at the RACE Awapuni track will cease for the remainder of 2025, as RACE Inc. and NZTR work towards a long-term plan for the sustainability of the track. NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty said the decision followed extensive efforts to restore the track and careful consideration of its impact on participants.  “NZTR acknowledges that the remediation process for the RACE Awapuni surface has placed a significant strain on our Central Districts participants and the wider industry. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, with horse and rider safety being paramount.” “Our team, the RIB, and the Club, with the support of independent experts and international advisors, have worked tirelessly in recent months, and we share the disappointment felt by many. “Despite these efforts, the surface has not consistently met the standard required to confidently host full race meetings during what is an incredibly busy period for our sport,” Ballesty said. Track consultant Liam O’Keeffe said the decision followed careful assessment of the track during recent trials and gallops. “Following recent trials and gallops at Awapuni, it’s evident that further, more aggressive renovation work is required to bring the surface up to the standard the industry needs. At the same time, we’re progressing a wider investigation into the track’s long-term suitability,” O’Keeffe said. As a result, the trials originally scheduled for Thursday 30 October at RACE Awapuni have been cancelled, with a replacement trial meeting set to be held at Woodville Racecourse on Monday 3 November. Nominations will close at 12 pm on Friday 31 October. NZTR acknowledges there will be date and programming changes as a result of the pause in racing at RACE Awapuni, including a revised racing programme to find new locations for the meetings scheduled for 14 November, 20 December, and 26 December. These changes will be communicated in due course.    Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz   New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing 18 Dick Street, Cambridge 3434 Email: office@nztr.co.nz Tel: 0800 946 637 NZTR.CO.NZ Unsubscribe

 

 

[hesi]

Does anyone what went wrong with the initial redevelopment at Awapuni.

If I recall correctly, they called on technical advice withing NZ and Aus.  I think Liam O'Keefe??

[Chief Stipe]

30 minutes ago, hesi said:

Does anyone what went wrong with the initial redevelopment at Awapuni.

If I recall correctly, they called on technical advice withing NZ and Aus.  I think Liam O'Keefe??

Too much sand in my opinion.  Plus over caution.  Return to racing has been delayed because the grass isn’t developing as it should.  I'm not aware of any slipping at the trials.

Grass doesn't grow that well on pure sand so it will take time and perfect conditions.  

[curious]

I understand that Liam O'Keefe recommended they plough it up and start over some time ago but they chose to keep trying to get it into a satisfactory state for racing.

[hesi]

According to Stephen Gray VP of the CD trainers association, the track was fine, a view endorsed by all those present, trainers, jockeys etc.

It was only a horse shying at a marker that caused the fall

[curious]

8 minutes ago, hesi said:

According to Stephen Gray VP of the CD trainers association, the track was fine, a view endorsed by all those present, trainers, jockeys etc.

It was only a horse shying at a marker that caused the fall

I certainly heard that as well but also that it slipped when it shied, which wouldn't have happened on secure footing. Hard to know what to believe.

Edited yesterday at 08:05 AM by curious

[hesi]

5 minutes ago, curious said:

I certainly heard that as well but also that it slipped when it shied, which wouldn't have happened on secure footing. Hard to know what to believe.

That certainly is the problem about all these issues

[mikeynz]

Maybe the real issue is is that Awapuni when it's wet is just simply a wet shitehole, and probably always will be, which means that despite all the hairbrain ideas about closing many tracks down and shifting the load onto supposedly better tracks as in centralisation is just bullshit, maybe Awapuni and Hastings may be fine but just not able to take the workload these knowalls would want, so in theory closing many tracks just ain't practical in reality.

Ascot Park in recent times seems to be a lot better than it was in the past, but it only races 7 times a season, there may be the reason,and just imagine how different it might be if Gore and Riverton were moved there,  we need to stop trying to follow everything they do in aussie and realise it's colder and wetter in NZ  mostly so Messaras ideas might work in aus but not really worth a pinch of shit here.

How much easier is it for the Harness guys with mostly all weather tracks?

Edited yesterday at 12:53 PM by mikeynz

[Huey]

3 hours ago, mikeynz said:

Maybe the real issue is is that Awapuni when it's wet is just simply a wet shitehole, and probably always will be, which means that despite all the hairbrain ideas about closing many tracks down and shifting the load onto supposedly better tracks as in centralisation is just bullshit, maybe Awapuni and Hastings may be fine but just not able to take the workload these knowalls would want, so in theory closing many tracks just ain't practical in reality.

Ascot Park in recent times seems to be a lot better than it was in the past, but it only races 7 times a season, there may be the reason,and just imagine how different it might be if Gore and Riverton were moved there,  we need to stop trying to follow everything they do in aussie and realise it's colder and wetter in NZ  mostly so Messaras ideas might work in aus but not really worth a pinch of shit here.

How much easier is it for the Harness guys with mostly all weather tracks?

Good point , maybe we just have to accept racing on wet surfaces here is ineviatable!

[jess]

This might be of little more than a passing interest to SI and northern participants but for Central Districts - this is a disaster.

I'm personally over the excuses - the PR spin - & even being thanked for my understanding and patience (newsflash to you, Corporate Communications NZTR - I'm running out of both). 

FFS - trainers at that track are paying good money to rent their stables - owners are paying RACE good money to use the training facility - and you can't even have your horses galloped on the grass!

Then there's the old line about rescheduling to be announced "in due course" - so they haven't even figured out what plan B is (that December meeting scheduled for Awapuni had FOUR black type races!) How are we going to hold onto sponsors with this carry on?  

And just so this doesn't turn into a total rant, I'll finish with one last thing.  I'm completely over the total lack of transparency & accountability.  Chief - you can shoot me down if you want - but I don't see how anyone can say this project has been professionally & competently undertaken.  Nonetheless - no heads roll - the big salaries and payments to contractors & consultants keep flowing - and worst of all when you never accept fault - mistakes will be repeated and incompetence prevails.

Jess       

[jess]

13 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

 

“ ......... “Following recent trials and gallops at Awapuni, it’s evident that further, more aggressive renovation work is required to bring the surface up to the standard the industry needs. At the same time, we’re progressing a wider investigation into the track’s long-term suitability,” O’Keeffe said. ........   Corporate Communications New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing nztrcommunications@nztr.co.nz   New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing 18 Dick Street, Cambridge 3434 Email: office@nztr.co.nz Tel: 0800 946 637 NZTR.CO.NZ Unsubscribe

 

 

And what the hell does "more aggressive renovation work" mean?  Plough it up & start again? 

Again - the so-called industry "leaders" hiding behind carefully worded Comms press releases.   Man up people - front the stakeholders & tell it how it is. 

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, jess said:

And just so this doesn't turn into a total rant, I'll finish with one last thing.  I'm completely over the total lack of transparency & accountability.  Chief - you can shoot me down if you want - but I don't see how anyone can say this project has been professionally & competently undertaken.  Nonetheless - no heads roll - the big salaries and payments to contractors & consultants keep flowing - and worst of all when you never accept fault - mistakes will be repeated and incompetence prevails.

I'm not going to shoot you down - you seem to be lying prostrate anyway!   All jokes aside.  Just to make clear in my opinion the over reliance on sand to fix tracks and to build new ones with has been the biggest mistake.  I've been saying that for the last 15 years and you can see my posts on forums for that period of time.  My early comments back then were directed at Ellerslie and Te Rapa and I stated it was a band-aid solution to a fundamental problem and that eventually it would fail.  

I also raised concerns online about the path Ellerslie went down with their modified Strathayr which is now entirely sand based.  The same has happened with Awapuni.  You don't see good pasture growing on sand dunes nor on a predominatly sand based soil so to think that grass would grow quickly and develop strong root systems on a 100% sand based topsoil threw good agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production) to the winds.

Given the track history (pun intended) of ALL clubs in NZ when it came to regular track maintenance and renovation it was inevitable that this cluster stuffup would occur and rapidly.  It is akin to the market garden systems collapse of the late 70's early 80's in Pukekohe and the Bombay hills due to the overuse and neglect of the underlying soils.

We all got distracted by racing good times and didn't put anything back into the very thing that provides the source of revenue - the track surfaces.  I did a survey of the annual reports of many of the large tracks and the amount invested in their racing surfaces was either neglible or well below what it should be.

So you can all rant and rave and look for scapegoats but this disaster has been creeping up on the industry for decades.  Australia has been through it now it is our turn.  The difference is we have stuff all capital to fix the problem.  Yes blame the leadership if you want but I actually have a great deal of sympathy for central management as it is they that now have to fund and fix a problem that started at Club level.

[Special Agent]

4 hours ago, jess said:

And what the hell does "more aggressive renovation work" mean?  Plough it up & start again? 

Again - the so-called industry "leaders" hiding behind carefully worded Comms press releases.   Man up people - front the stakeholders & tell it how it is. 

"Following recent trials and gallops at Awapuni, it’s evident that further, more aggressive renovation work is required to bring the surface up to the standard the industry needs. At the same time, we’re progressing a wider investigation into the track’s long-term suitability,” O’Keeffe said.

Jess, I think the second sentence from Liam O'Keefe raises even more serious questions.

[jess]

Indeed Special - you're right there.  If the rest didn't scare the horses - that bit sure does ...

Go all the Waikato racing bluebloods - you might end up with it all to yourself ... seems to be the way some people have wanted it to head anyhow   ....

[jess]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

I'm not going to shoot you down - you seem to be lying prostrate anyway!   All jokes aside.  Just to make clear in my opinion the over reliance on sand to fix tracks and to build new ones with has been the biggest mistake.  I've been saying that for the last 15 years and you can see my posts on forums for that period of time.  My early comments back then were directed at Ellerslie and Te Rapa and I stated it was a band-aid solution to a fundamental problem and that eventually it would fail.  

I also raised concerns online about the path Ellerslie went down with their modified Strathayr which is now entirely sand based.  The same has happened with Awapuni.  You don't see good pasture growing on sand dunes nor on a predominatly sand based soil so to think that grass would grow quickly and develop strong root systems on a 100% sand based topsoil threw good agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production) to the winds.

Given the track history (pun intended) of ALL clubs in NZ when it came to regular track maintenance and renovation it was inevitable that this cluster stuffup would occur and rapidly.  It is akin to the market garden systems collapse of the late 70's early 80's in Pukekohe and the Bombay hills due to the overuse and neglect of the underlying soils.

We all got distracted by racing good times and didn't put anything back into the very thing that provides the source of revenue - the track surfaces.  I did a survey of the annual reports of many of the large tracks and the amount invested in their racing surfaces was either neglible or well below what it should be.

So you can all rant and rave and look for scapegoats but this disaster has been creeping up on the industry for decades.  Australia has been through it now it is our turn.  The difference is we have stuff all capital to fix the problem.  Yes blame the leadership if you want but I actually have a great deal of sympathy for central management as it is they that now have to fund and fix a problem that started at Club level.

Couldn't agree more with your comments about the sand/grass/agronomy Chief.  And I'm pleased you had me prostrate & not prostate (a lot of ppl do struggle with those!  )

But I don't think some ppl quite get the frustration if you are not a CD racing participant.  And you speak of blame & feeling sorry for ppl - crikey - they're all getting paid handsomely and just you name ONE person who has been held accountable for the debacle?  Plus no-one will ever learn to do things better if they never acknowledge or take any responsibility for their role in producing poor outcomes in the first place.  There's no learning!  You must be able to see that? 

No idea what you do for a job Chief (apart from corralling us wild brumbies on this forum)- but if I screw up at my work - there's nowhere to hide & it aint gonna be pretty.  Least of all for me.  And I not only accept that - I embrace it.  Part of what I'm paid (not so handsomely) for, is to shoulder the responsibility to do things well.       

[Chief Stipe]

29 minutes ago, jess said:

Go all the Waikato racing bluebloods - you might end up with it all to yourself ... seems to be the way some people have wanted it to head anyhow   ....

Seriously Jess it isn't like that at all.  Having walked recently in the rarefied air of the misnamed Waikato Racing Bluebloods I know for a fact they are as frustrated as the rest of us with the tracks and the weather.  Contrary to the myth they too want diversity in options.  One stable in particular is doing that very well.  

At the moment though the difference in options are would you rather travel to a track 45 minutes down the road and risk and abandonment of travel a day or more and face the same risk?

[Chief Stipe]

42 minutes ago, jess said:

But I don't think some ppl quite get the frustration if you are not a CD racing participant.  And you speak of blame & feeling sorry for ppl - crikey - they're all getting paid handsomely and just you name ONE person who has been held accountable for the debacle?  Plus no-one will ever learn to do things better if they never acknowledge or take any responsibility for their role in producing poor outcomes in the first place.  There's no learning!  You must be able to see that?

Firstly I've been frustrated as well and I'm not in the CD.  Have travelled a long distance two years in a row to Te Rapa to watch a horse race only for the meeting to be abandoned two years in a row.  Not to mention the 750km trip to the Hawkes Bay Guineas last year to see it abandoned.  The poor horse must be thinking - "here we go again today - heading to a dance that aint going to happen.  Ho hum!"

In terms of accountability - who has done what wrong?  This problem has been decades in the making.  Blame every Club committee, member and NZRB, NZTR employe for the last 30 years if you will but you can't blame ONE individual.  Stop looking for a scapegoat.  Stop blaming too much irrigation or not enough.  Stop blaming the positioning of the running rail.  Stop blaming the length of the grass.  Stop blaming track managers past and present.  

The fact is every single one of us didn't stop to think that we needed to put capital into maintaining our racetracks let alone the buildings and other supporting infrastructure.  

Until we stop the blaming and accept the fact that we need to invest in the tracks nothing will change!!!!

[jess]

You're impossible Chief.  You say nothing will change until we stop blaming - I say nothing will change until we operate with some accountability.  

You want me to stop "blaming" - yet that's all we've heard from these experts - the weather, the season, the busy racing calendar, the grass etc (never their own decisions or actions)  

You say it's decades in the making & something should have been done - well perhaps - but what was a breeder & owner supposed to do?  I'll tell you what I did - I put my heart & soul into it and paid every bill I got from every provider before it was due.  And whether it was the trainer - the feed merchant - the stud master - the farrier - the vet -  NZTR - or RACE - as I paid over that money, I put my faith in them that they were doing a competent job for me & my horses. In some cases - it turns out, imo, they were not.   

Accountability is a vital pillar of developing capability,  of continuous improvement and ultimately of success.  Good luck operating pretty much anything successfully without it.  And as they say - success has many fathers - failure is an orphan. 

I'm at a loss to explain it further, so let's just agree to differ.  I'd prefer for this not to descend into vitriol.  

[Stagman]

We hear you Jess your comments around paying on time is exactly what we do as breeders.

 Would like to have a horse in work but what is the future look like for us to spend our hard-earned savings in racing, probably better to take a world trip instead.

We love racing, but it's galling to hear the same excuses from the men in suits.

Of course, the men in suits rely on the track managers and staff to prepare the tracks in a good racing condition, so best we get rid of the (experts & consultants) and let the track managers do their job then they are the ones that need to front up to their club boards when tracks aren't up to scratch.

 

 

 

 

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, jess said:

You're impossible Chief.  You say nothing will change until we stop blaming - I say nothing will change until we operate with some accountability.  

Your blaming hasn't achieved what you want.  So why keep blaming or looking for accountability?  Why not act collaboratively and get real change?

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, jess said:

You say it's decades in the making & something should have been done - well perhaps -

Not perhaps it's a fact.

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, jess said:

I'll tell you what I did - I put my heart & soul into it and paid every bill I got from every provider before it was due.  And whether it was the trainer - the feed merchant - the stud master - the farrier - the vet -  NZTR - or RACE - as I paid over that money, I put my faith in them that they were doing a competent job for me & my horses. In some cases - it turns out, imo, they were not.   

Thats great @jess but how often did you talk to your fellow trainers (your competiton) and say the track is fucked (i'm over being PC) and we need to get it sorted?

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, jess said:

Accountability is a vital pillar of developing capability,  of continuous improvement and ultimately of success

Where disagree is about WHO is accountable.  What did you do?  Who do you think is accountable?

My view is we are ALL accountable.  Let's move on and fix it.