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The future of Racing at Waterlea


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What will become of Waterlea Racecourse if racing goes?

STUART SMITH10:39, Feb 17 2019
 
The racecourse and grandstand at Waterlea Racecourse.
SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF
The racecourse and grandstand at Waterlea Racecourse.

OPINION: The announcement that the gallops and harness racing at Waterlea Racecourse may no longer be possible by the end of this year has a number of implications for the Marlborough community.

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Venue Plan identified the Marlborough Racing Club as one of the clubs that may not be issued with a betting licence from August 1 this year.

Last year, Racing Minister Winston Peters' Messara report listed Waterlea as a site that should be refurbished, but not shut. This meant Marlborough's racing community was taken by surprise to some degree by the NZTR's latest announcement.

The Interislander Summer Festival harness races at Waterlea Racecourse in Blenheim in January.
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The Interislander Summer Festival harness races at Waterlea Racecourse in Blenheim in January.

NZTR will receive submissions until March 19 and conduct meetings with stakeholders before that deadline.

 

Should the Waterlea venue be de-licensed by the NZTR, it will become almost impossible for horse racing, gallops or harness racing events to take place at Waterlea Racecourse, and this will end what is a nearly 100-year-old organisation in the region.

A lot of horses are trained at Waterlea, predominantly trotters, and many people will be adversely affected if this is to cease.

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The racing club shares facilities with the Marlborough Harness Racing Club, which has its own national racing authority but may also be affected.

The other significant implication which will no doubt be on many people's minds is that Waterlea had previously been in negotiations with the Ministry of Education as a possible site for Blenheim's new co-located colleges.

The ministry has since announced that the new colleges will be built on what is currently Marlborough Girls' College and Bohally Intermediate.

I suspect that by the time the NZTR makes its final decision about Waterlea Racecourse, likely to be some months away, it will be too late to revisit the racecourse as a potential site for the schools.

The final implication for Blenheim is what to do with the land if the NZTR's decision ends racing at Waterlea. If the owners of the land decide it is to be redeveloped, I would like to see some of the land purchased by Marlborough District Council for the community, such as more sporting facilities to sit alongside Lansdowne Park, which is so nearby.

At this time, we will have to wait and see until decisions are made.

*Stuart Smith is the National Party MP for the Kaikōura electorate.

 

The Marlborough Express

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I don't get this NZTR are making suggestions re the race day are they not , not whether the club/course has a future on its own, that has little to do with NZTR I'd have thought? If NZTR are silly enough to not give them a race date surely both codes can still train there?

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7 hours ago, Freda said:

Obviously not....however,  it hands the harness code hospital passes if it has to maintain facilities for those venues which were formerly shared .

Also not sure the Marlborough Harness will welcome with open arms thoroughbreds looking to overnight before or after the ferry?

Like the Reefton Trotting Club will not be putting out the welcome mat for the thoroughbreds when Omoto is under 3 metres of water and Kumara has no stabling.  Or for the horses Omoto can't (or won't) provide stables for

Still I don't suppose Bernard and Witless Win will be too concerned about those minor details.

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