Awapuni officially out of action for the rest of 2025

[Murray Fish]

On 29/10/2025 at 1:13 PM, Chief Stipe said:

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.  

I first wrote about that in '95!   mean while, into the sunset rode the industry...

[Wingman]

2 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

On 10/29/2025 at 1:13 PM, Chief Stipe said:

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. 

I feel your frustration however logically it cannot be every one who is interested or passionate about thoroughbred racing to be responsible for the woeful lack of infrastructure maintenance. I was both a punter and owner in the nineties. I backed a horse(I think it was the month of June )at Awapuni on a heavy track. 200m out it wins for fun then inexplicitly falters, picks itself up but runs 2nd. Turns out it put its leg into a hole. I voted with my feet and whilst we cannot bet into an Awapuni meeting at the moment, for the last 25 years I have never bet on that track unless the condition is fast/firm or easy on a good weather day. Last decade at Awapuni on a summer track I had my biggest single win bet which won but there is no way I would be betting large into that track this decade. As a customer I am looking elsewhere. Many of us were complaining, even insisting that money must be set aside for maintenance. As you know those cries fell on uncaring ears. Ultimately the the responsibility and hence the blame  lies with those that govern the industry.

[Chief Stipe]

11 hours ago, Wingman said:

Ultimately the the responsibility and hence the blame  lies with those that govern the industry.

I guess it is the Kiwi way to find someone to blame.  What about the Club Committees and Members sbould they carry some blame as well?  I believe so.

11 hours ago, Wingman said:

I feel your frustration however logically it cannot be every one who is interested or passionate about thoroughbred racing to be responsible for the woeful lack of infrastructure maintenance. I was both a punter and owner in the nineties. I backed a horse(I think it was the month of June )at Awapuni on a heavy track. 200m out it wins for fun then inexplicitly falters, picks itself up but runs 2nd. Turns out it put its leg into a hole. I voted with my feet

So you were "interested and passionate" about the sport of racing but "voted with your feet" which presumably means for the last 30 years you didn't do anything.  Yet you readily blame someone else?  An amorphous group you call "those that govern the industry"!

The tide turned when to be a member meant you no longer turned up for working bees or remained active or read annual reports or attended meetings or lobbied for change but instead just paid your membership fees and expected top class facilities to wine and dine at the few times a year that they could be bothered to turn up. 

[curious]

29 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

I guess it is the Kiwi way to find someone to blame.  What about the Club Committees and Members sbould they carry some blame as well?  I believe so.

So you were "interested and passionate" about the sport of racing but "voted with your feet" which presumably means for the last 30 years you didn't do anything.  Yet you readily blame someone else?  An amorphous group you call "those that govern the industry"!

The tide turned when to be a member meant you no longer turned up for working bees or remained active or read annual reports or attended meetings or lobbied for change but instead just paid your membership fees and expected top class facilities to wine and dine at the few times a year that they could be bothered to turn up. 

You had to be there to understand @Wingman 

You can keep whinging on here about what did or didn't happen in the past but that's not fixing anything. Good luck with whatever you decide to do about that aside from blaming everyone else past and present.

Edited 7 hours ago by curious

[Wingman]

Curious and Chief Stipe, you are both out of order here. I have never been a member of a club and my saying I voted with my feet is referring to my not betting at Awapuni. That is what serious punters do. We do not waste money on tracks we cannot trust. There are many other venues that can be bet into, here and overseas. I repeat it is the governing body that ultimately decides the direction of an industry and if you think that what tracks are currently getting attention, where money is being put into stakes and how the calendar is being arranged/rearranged is not directly due to racings executive than you should both dance off into the woods together to collect fairy dust.