Brief Update on Hastings.

[Chief Stipe]

 

 

HASTINGS RACECOURSEhttps://bitofayarn.com

A really positive step for Hawke’s Bay - the recamber work at Hastings is tracking well and ahead of schedule. After a recent walk of the track with our consultant Liam O’Keeffe and our Head of Tracks & Infrastructure Tim Lambert, we’re happy with what we’re seeing: strong grass cover, good “give” underfoot, and encouraging signs the surface is continuing to bed in and strengthen.https://bitofayarn.com

We’re now moving into the return-to-racing process, with some key milestones ahead - a stakeholder track walk in March, jump-outs and trials in April, and (subject to each step ticking off well) an Industry Day meeting pencilled in for Thursday 21 May with a six-race card under the Hawke’s Bay Racing Inc. licence.https://bitofayarn.com

Plenty of work still to do, but it’s heading in the right direction - and it’ll be great to see activity building back at Hastings Racecourse. https://bitofayarn.com

 

 

[curious]

Looks and sounds promising.

[Murray Fish]

Hastings! So Important in the Spring..  up until the last few season perhaps the most sucessful organic new thing to come into being in the last 40 years.. I really enjoyed working there in the early 90's! Top Horse! Great Betting races!  Then the horse went over the ditch and were successful!  I wonder how many of the Spring G1's will be given back to them?

 

[hesi]

19 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

Hastings! So Important in the Spring..  up until the last few season perhaps the most sucessful organic new thing to come into being in the last 40 years.. I really enjoyed working there in the early 90's! Top Horse! Great Betting races!  Then the horse went over the ditch and were successful!  I wonder how many of the Spring G1's will be given back to them?

 

What about the Bayer Classic meeting at Levin/Otaki

[Murray Fish]

3 minutes ago, hesi said:

What about the Bayer Classic meeting at Levin/Otaki

Hastings lasted... sort of

ps, as I have previously,  those early L/O meetings were so much fun! fell privileged to have been on course see quite a few!!! one of those meetings, a photo I took was used in https://www.google.com/search?q=Taperstry+of+the+Turf&rlz=1C1CHBF_enNZ1138NZ1138&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[hesi]

Bayer were big suppliers of chemicals to the farming and horticultural sector (as well as industry) so there was always a huge crowd on course with many clients invited to partake in the Bayer marquee.

Those were the days that the Bayer Classic always attracted the top 3-year-olds, like Veandercross.  It was a credit to the Otaki Maori RC that they were able to get a race like that going in 1981 and how quickly it became secondary only to the 2000 Guineas and Derby

[Muzza]

5 minutes ago, hesi said:

Bayer were big suppliers of chemicals to the farming and horticultural sector (as well as industry) so there was always a huge crowd on course with many clients invited to partake in the Bayer marquee.

Those were the days that the Bayer Classic always attracted the top 3-year-olds, like Veandercross.  It was a credit to the Otaki Maori RC that they were able to get a race like that going in 1981 and how quickly it became secondary only to the 2000 Guineas and Derby

I think you will find Levin started the Bayer

[hesi]

Apologies getting my wires crossed, it's been a long day

The race was first run as the ‘Levin Turf Classic’ at the Levin Racecourse over a mile (1600m) in 1981, an innovative idea by the Levin Racing Club Committee at the time. The inaugural running was won by Altitude. The following year, in 1982, Our Flight became the first, and to date only, Levin trained horse to win the race, trained by Errol Skelton. The significant initial quality of the race resulted in the granting of ‘Group 2’ status from the very early days of the Classic.

In 1984, the Club secured the sponsorship of Bayer, a German pharmaceutical company based in Leverkusen, to sponsor the race. Their internationally recognisable brand, and the considerable amount of prize money pumped into the race made it one of the most prestigious and targeted races for three year old horses in Australasia. They would continue to sponsor the race until 2004, but the race today is often still regarded by many as the ‘Bayer Classic’.

 

[hesi]

Back in my corporate days, this time of year was great as it was the season for company Xmas functions.  We always had one companies do the evening before the Bayer, so it was shut eye about midnight, then up at 4am to drive down to Levin (from Auckland), as we always got an invite from Bayer to the Classic day.  Couldn't do it these days but such a great time, especially to be able to see some of the greatest horses to race in NZ compete in the Bayer Classic

[Chief Stipe]

11 hours ago, Muzza said:

I think you will find Levin started the Bayer

A couple of key people with a strong relationship with Bayer started the race.  I think it was eld at Levin for 9 years.

1 hour ago, hesi said:

Back in my corporate days, this time of year was great as it was the season for company Xmas functions.  We always had one companies do the evening before the Bayer, so it was shut eye about midnight, then up at 4am to drive down to Levin (from Auckland), as we always got an invite from Bayer to the Classic day.  Couldn't do it these days but such a great time, especially to be able to see some of the greatest horses to race in NZ compete in the Bayer Classic

The reason the Bayer succeeded was simply money.  The Grp1 NZ 2000 Guineas in 1981 was worth $40,000.  The Bayer was worth $90,000  thanks to the very large sponsorship of Bayer.   Altitude won both races which at that time were only 11 days apart.  Noble Heights won the 1000 Guineas but it was near impossible for the fillies to back up within 4 days for the Bayer which would have involved a boat trip.

The moved the Bayer out a week the next year 1982 and the filly Our Flight which was second in the 2000 Guineas and won the 1000 Guineass backed up in 11 days to win the Bayer.

The great Kingdom Bay won the 1984 2000 Guineas but could only manage a third two weeks later in the Bayer.  Princess Dram won the Bayer that year ridden by Maree Lyndon.  The Bayer had been elevated to Grp 2 status.  The Bayer was worth $110,500 and the Guineas $70,000.

As time progressed there was pressure to move the Bayer out further from the Guineas races as it was considered too hard to race the top 3 yr olds over 1600m three times in 3 weeks.

Arguably the Bayer existed and thrived because of Bayer's sponsorship which made the race worth at least a third more than the Guineas, was on the way home for the Guineas horses from the North Island (float and boat trip) and when it acquired Group status it became more attractive.  Bayer also pumped a considerable amount of money into promoting the race and on racecourse hospitality.

When Bayer pulled the pin a significant amount of sponsorship went with it - something NZTR nor the Otaki Maori/Levin Racing Clubs could ever match.  The Bayer initially was one of those few races that were televised on national TV and so was very favourable for sponsors.

[Special Agent]

On 3/6/2026 at 10:22 AM, Chief Stipe said:

When Bayer pulled the pin a significant amount of sponsorship went with it - something NZTR nor the Otaki Maori/Levin Racing Clubs could ever match.  The Bayer initially was one of those few races that were televised on national TV and so was very favourable for sponsors.

You may have to do a fact check on that sponsorship comment with reference to the 2007 and 2008 runnings.  I doubt the Otaki Maori Racing Club ever supplied sponsors for the Levin Classic.

[Chief Stipe]

3 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

You may have to do a fact check on that sponsorship comment with reference to the 2007 and 2008 runnings.  I doubt the Otaki Maori Racing Club ever supplied sponsors for the Levin Classic.

I didn't say they did.  I just said that never Club could match the sponsorship of Bayer.

[Special Agent]

1 minute ago, Chief Stipe said:

I didn't say they did.  I just said that never Club could match the sponsorship of Bayer.

Are you sure the 2007 and 2008 sponsorship deal didn't?

[Chief Stipe]

6 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

Are you sure the 2007 and 2008 sponsorship deal didn't?

I very much doubt it - certainly not in real terms as the original sponsorship was huge and is what made the race attractive to Owners and Trainers.  Not to mention the associated marketing around it. 

But are you talking about the First Sovereign Trust sponsorship?  There was no sponsorship 2009 - is that correct?