Opinions divided on racing’s future roadmap - Dennis Ryan

[Chief Stipe]

 

Opinions divided on racing’s future roadmap
Dennis Ryan
04 August 2026
Matamata SCENE

Last week the New Zealand racing industry was
delivered its newest iteration of the best way
forward in the form of a 137-page tome entitled One
Equine View with the subtitle Response to RCP Project
Stamina Masterplan.

What’s come out of Project Stamina, an initiative
instigated by the thoroughbred and harness racing codes
and under-written by TAB NZ, is the rationalisation of
racing venues throughout the country. That essentially
means selling off those venues considered excess to
needs and reinvesting in those identified as essential
to the new model. In case you haven’t already heard,
I should tell you that in the days since, the report has
been the talk of this town as well as many others large
and small throughout the country. The reason for that
animated dialogue is the recommendation to sell up
venues such as Avondale in West Auckland, Trentham in
Wellington’s Upper Hutt as well as the likes of Rotorua,
Hawera, Oamaru and Gore, and repurposing others such
as our very own Matamata Racing Club facility from a
combined racing and training venue to one focused on
training and trial fixtures.https://bitofayarn.com

Taking a broad view of suggestions of racecourse
rationalisation, there’s nothing new in the concept,
based for better or worse on the belief that for the size of
our population, New Zealand has too many racecourses.
It was first recommended way back in 1970 following
a Royal Commission into industry matters overseen by
Sir Thaddeus McCarthy and was recycled in the 2018
Messara Report. The bald fact, however, is that apart
from the closure of provincial racecourses such as
Dargaville, Thames, Wairoa and Gisborne, in essence
little resulted from those reports and various others
commissioned over the years. That begs the question
whether this latest version, which has a target figure of
39 racetracks in total for gallops and harness racing, will
prove any different.https://bitofayarn.com

The answer to that question depends on who you talk
to. Those behind the report, NZ Thoroughbred Racing
and Harness Racing NZ, clearly support it, whereas
those with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their
racetracks hold an unsurprisingly different view. For
example, the Avondale Jockey Club has been fighting
its case for years, while the Wellington Racing Club has
also been aware of moves afoot to realise its value for
investment elsewhere and last week’s report confirmed
that, leading to an immediate response to challenge the
finding. While a number of racecourses and associated
facilities have been slated for closure, the Matamata
Racing Club finds itself in a unique position, having
been targeted for significant investment in its already
extensive training operation at the same time as
downscaling its raceday schedule.

Readers of this page may recall my account several
months ago of a separate report on racing’s future
direction, that emanating from the TAB-appointed
advisory committee chaired by Sir Peter Vela and
including Sir Brendan Lindsay and Mark Chittick,
respective owners of Cambridge Stud and Waikato
Stud. That report had a far wider brief than Project
Stamina, covering industry administrative structures
and responsibilities, racing and training infrastructures
and overall sustainability. What the two reports have
in common is the need for an overhaul of the country’s
network of racecourse and associated facilities, including
the divestment of some for the sake of strengthening
others.

It’s notable however, that only last week’s report
identifies the Matamata racecourse as a key training
facility, including the possibility that it will no longer
stage actual racing. To quote the combined code One
Equine section of the report under the heading Priorities
for transition: ‘Clarifying Matamata utilisation is integral
for setting thoroughbred on a critical path and is the
clearest signal of reinvestment, so it starts immediately.
A careful transition plan from its current function,
including racing, to purely training and trialling will be
required. A working group forms to develop the concept
design and confirm scope: land required, facility mix,
and how the centre serves the wider Waikato and Bay of
Plenty regional hub’.https://bitofayarn.com

That particular part of the report has drawn a range of
local opinions, ranging from someone very familiar with
racing industry matters, Garry Chittick, as encapsulated
by his short and sharp “bloody ridiculous” assessment,
to the stance taken by the Matamata Racing Club in its
preparedness to engage with NZ Thoroughbred Racing
as a first step to investigating what the new plan might
look like.

“None of this is a shock, I understand that talk about
Matamata’s role as a racing and/or training venue has
arisen from time to time for decades,” commented
MRC general manager Regan Donnison. “We get the
impression that while many past reports have been
largely ignored, the realisation now is that the status
quo is no longer acceptable, something has to change
for the sake of racing’s future.”https://bitofayarn.com

MRC chairman Mike Lissington is on the same page.
““We simply can’t do it by ourselves, we need the
whole industry behind us, so as a club we’re excited
that Matamata figures prominently in future planning,
that’s an obvious plus,” he said. “What the racing side
of it looks like mightn’t be clear for some time yet, but
the next step is a meeting with NZTR to get a clearer
picture.”

Garry Chittick, someone well versed in racing
administration at both club and national level, holding
a prominent role as a breeder and owner as well as
significant sponsor through Waikato Stud, is unequivocal
in his opposition to any plans to remove racing from the
local schedule. “I think it’s bloody ridiculous to suggest
that Matamata’s future is a training facility without any
racing. How can that encourage owners and others
wanting to enjoy raceday?”

Matamata’s leading trainer, Mark Walker, who last
week signed off his ninth New Zealand premiership
thanks largely to the results emanating from Te Akau’s
local operation, is just as adamant that change is
essential for the sake of racing’s future. “All I know is we
can’t keep doing the same thing, racing has to address
its problems,” he says. “We can’t close our eyes, we have
to look at the bigger picture and not just own backyard.
What we shouldn’t lose sight of is that racing in New
Zealand is very attractive given the overall stakes we’re
competing for, and Matamata has a big part to play in
that.”  Dennis Ryan.

[Special Agent]

Does the silence suggest it's a great idea for Matamata to become a training only venue?

Beware if your club is innovative or successful.

[mikeynz]

I think if they are thinking of rationalizing racetracks, and with foal numbers falling you would think it would be smart if they rationalize race days as well, 4 meetings in the North in 4 days, 3 in the CD in 3 days, could easily drop one in each area, looks like New Plymouth and Ruakaka are least desired going by nomination numbers and only one in the south at Oamaru, a track that is very strategic in the Southern landscape, always a go to if too wet n Southland or Wingatui, harness racing is rationalizing racedays to bolster numbers, working up north, we no longer need more racedays mostly, just better ones, small fields, small turnover.

More ain't always best.

Edited August 11 by mikeynz

[mikeynz]

Mixed messages here, on one hand we have Oamaru, good winter track closing,(maybe), central location, good field numbers, then Ruakaka, good winter track, miles away from anything, so small numbers and New Plymouth, shit track, shit fields, mostly, those 2 days at xmas are a embarrasement in favour, what a fucking mess full of contradictions, mixed messages and generally a confused clutching at straws thought process.

[Chief Stipe]

6 hours ago, mikeynz said:

then Ruakaka, good winter track, miles away from anything, so small numbers

Have you looked at the Ruakaka fields?  They are very strong as were the previous recent race days.

The Group 3 Northland Breeders Stakes is a very good field.

New Plymouth - well if the Club owned the track then it would be on the asset sale list.  There are two better tracks not far away and the worst kept secret is...

[Special Agent]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

New Plymouth - well if the Club owned the track then it would be on the asset sale list.  There are two better tracks not far away and the worst kept secret is...

Exactly.

[Shab]

Galah was going on about Full Of Gusto being a maiden in opens a while ago. Today in a maiden so I took 2.6 and turned on the tele. Watched the race, nice big open spaces track looked fair for a heavy 9. I'm thinking why are they closing the place down. Great town Oamaru. No traffic friction to worry about. Just so sad what's going on with nz racing. Looked at next race and the one I liked was paying about 50% more on exchange than with the monop so I left it to those that don't have respect for their money to get taken advantage of. Good racing from Caulfield tomorrow

[Chief Stipe]

4 hours ago, Shab said:

Looked at next race and the one I liked was paying about 50% more on exchange than with the monop so I left it to those that don't have respect for their money to get taken advantage of.

Did the horse win?  How much could you have bet on the "Exchange"?

[Chief Stipe]

12 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Exactly.

Then you'd argue New Plymouth should go.  

[Shab]

3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Did the horse win?  How much could you have bet on the "Exchange"?

No but that’s irrelevant to me. Only interested in getting better than sp. Didn’t take note of the depth but I’m not a whale so can usually get what I want on nz gallops. Funny watching the replays. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s going or gone. Beautiful sight with big green open spaces, Some cows and sheep. But the guy on with Guerin says we need four Ellerslies with plastic mesh tracks surrounded with ticky tack houses and yucky appartments. Imagine what this traffic friction is gunna be like with all the thousands of extra people on the road trying to get to the races at these tracks. Where are they all gunna park when all the car parks have been sold off? 

[curious]

43 minutes ago, Shab said:

No but that’s irrelevant to me. 

Me too. Only a losing punter would come up with such a question and we need more of them.

[Chief Stipe]

20 minutes ago, curious said:

Me too. Only a losing punter would come up with such a question and we need more of them.

They were valid questions.  If the liquidity in the exchange market is hardly anything then the argument that they offer better returns is spurious at best.  If the favoured horse only showed a better price on the exchange and all other markets were priced the same what did the winning punter really gain?  Assuming the horse won.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Shab said:

Imagine what this traffic friction is gunna be like with all the thousands of extra people on the road trying to get to the races at these tracks. Where are they all gunna park when all the car parks have been sold off?

You are living in a time warp.  The majority of major venues be they racecourses or stadiums provide limited parking options.  Less and less people are driving to events now and so why waste valuable real estate on car parks that are very infrequently used.  For example the majority of the 100,000 people that attend the Melbourne Cup don't drive there as there are plenty of public transport options.  Just like Ellerslie a train right to the door.

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

They were valid questions. 

Valid for losing punters maybe. Not ones relevant for me or that I would even think of asking

[Shab]

15 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

How much could you have bet on the "Exchange"?

Exchange Win Market Volume = $72,176
Tote = $9,031
Monop Fixed Odds = sod all

[Shab]

12 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Less and less people are driving to events now and so why waste valuable real estate on car parks that are very infrequently used. 

RCP wouldn't agree but there can be value in open spaces.

[curious]

35 minutes ago, Shab said:

RCP wouldn't agree but there can be value in open spaces.

RCP were asked not to agree. They were asked for the opposite.

Edited August 15 by curious

[Chief Stipe]

On 15/08/2026 at 10:36 PM, Shab said:

RCP wouldn't agree but there can be value in open spaces.

 

On 15/08/2026 at 11:11 PM, curious said:

RCP were asked not to agree. They were asked for the opposite.

Two cryptic replies.  You guys are excelling yourselves.

The fact is a large poorly utilised carpark in a metropolitan area with excellent public transport is a waste of capital.  Better spent on maintaining core racing assets.

[curious]

4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

 

Two cryptic replies.  You guys are excelling yourselves.

Nothing cryptic about it. Read the ToR and come back to us.

[Chief Stipe]

On 15/08/2026 at 11:27 AM, curious said:

Valid for losing punters maybe. Not ones relevant for me or that I would even think of asking

Another insipid vague reply.  You are very quick to spew forth with poorly researched justification for legal action but not prepared to explain your comments.  

[curious]

35 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Another insipid vague reply.  You are very quick to spew forth with poorly researched justification for legal action but not prepared to explain your comments.  

I don't even recall advocating for any legal action. Where did you get that idea?

Edited August 17 by curious

[Special Agent]

On 8/15/2026 at 8:28 AM, Chief Stipe said:

Then you'd argue New Plymouth should go.  

Yes.

[Special Agent]

22 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

The fact is a large poorly utilised carpark in a metropolitan area with excellent public transport is a waste of capital.  Better spent on maintaining core racing assets.

Didn't/doesn't Ellerslie rent out carparks on non racedays? Carparks in metropolitan areas could be goldmines as owners of the likes of Carpark Flyer could attest.

[Chief Stipe]

On 19/08/2026 at 8:41 AM, Special Agent said:

Didn't/doesn't Ellerslie rent out carparks on non racedays? Carparks in metropolitan areas could be goldmines as owners of the likes of Carpark Flyer could attest.

Yes Ellerslie does rent out carparks BUT there is only a limited number of renters and they work within a short distance of Ellerslie.  If you live south and work in the CBD then you would rent a cheaper car park near public transport hubs.  

Regardless the sums say that you sell the land and reinvest in something more profitable.  

[Chief Stipe]

On 18/08/2026 at 11:00 AM, curious said:

I don't even recall advocating for any legal action. Where did you get that idea?

The Brazen Affair affair against Te Akau.