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Bit Of A Yarn

Will Coronavirus be the Death Knell of NZ Racing Industry?


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Is the Industry strong enough to handle the impact of Coronavirus?  I'm not sure it is.

Hong Kong has experienced a drop in turnover of 15% since running its "Ghost" meetings where no spectators are allowed on course.

Granted NZ is much less dependent than it was with on-course turnover.  But we are now more reliant on overseas racing events and both International and Domestic sporting events.

Sporting events are taking a big yet with events being cancelled.  Today the OZ Grand Prix was cancelled and before long travel restrictions will impact other sporting events especially ones like Super Rugby.

The Government can't be expected to help as the nature of their coalition is that other industries will be deemed more needy.

Unfortunately Racing has used up all its rainy day reserves to fund stake increases.

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3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Is the Industry strong enough to handle the impact of Coronavirus?  I'm not sure it is.

Hong Kong has experienced a drop in turnover of 15% since running its "Ghost" meetings where no spectators are allowed on course.

Granted NZ is much less dependent than it was with on-course turnover.  But we are now more reliant on overseas racing events and both International and Domestic sporting events.

Sporting events are taking a big yet with events being cancelled.  Today the OZ Grand Prix was cancelled and before long travel restrictions will impact other sporting events especially ones like Super Rugby.

The Government can't be expected to help as the nature of their coalition is that other industries will be deemed more needy.

Unfortunately Racing has used up all its rainy day reserves to fund stake increases.

This is a man made recession which it going to be of monumental proportions. 

Unless something changes quickly the fallout will be bigger than anyone under 80 years has ever seen. 

Firstly Airlines and Cruise Companies all over the world will go belly up.

Hotels and Motels (many of) won’t survive either.

Companies everywhere will be laying off staff. 

And that’s if the virus doesn’t even really come here. 

It’s share bloody madness
 

 

 

 

 


 

 

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5 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Is the Industry strong enough to handle the impact of Coronavirus?  I'm not sure it is.

Hong Kong has experienced a drop in turnover of 15% since running its "Ghost" meetings where no spectators are allowed on course.

Granted NZ is much less dependent than it was with on-course turnover.  But we are now more reliant on overseas racing events and both International and Domestic sporting events.

Sporting events are taking a big yet with events being cancelled.  Today the OZ Grand Prix was cancelled and before long travel restrictions will impact other sporting events especially ones like Super Rugby.

The Government can't be expected to help as the nature of their coalition is that other industries will be deemed more needy.

Unfortunately Racing has used up all its rainy day reserves to fund stake increases.

It might be tough for us here in NZ to weather the storm but not sure you can comparisons with HK, not even in the same league. 

They will be fine, if you look they are still producing turnovers of over HK$1.2b (NZ$250million) per meeting according to articles online. Incredible really, yes it’s down but remarkable when you think nobody is oncourse, all betting outlets are closed on racedays and most other days. 

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7 hours ago, Dark Beau said:

This is a man made recession which it going to be of monumental proportions. 

Unless something changes quickly the fallout will be bigger than anyone under 80 years has ever seen. 

Firstly Airlines and Cruise Companies all over the world will go belly up.

Hotels and Motels (many of) won’t survive either.

Companies everywhere will be laying off staff. 

And that’s if the virus doesn’t even really come here. 

It’s share bloody madness
 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Restaurants,  cafes....huge impact I reckon. 

We tend to be complacent as we have natural barriers and few endemic nasties....but it IS here, and it will be only a matter of time before more cases appear.

A disaster indeed.

....but lay off the loo paper....

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What are you lot worried about? Winston, Dean, Bernard and their cronies are intent on destroying the industry now. What difference will it make if it is destroyed in two years not five?  So long as there is enough left in the kitty to pay their redundancies they won't give a stuff.

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They are doing their bit to stop the spread though I have to admit.  They only want race meetings in NZ that nobody wants to go to. Anywhere that attracts a decent crowd is to be summarily eliminated.  Can't be encouraging people to actually enjoy themselves at the races now can we?  God forbid they may actually become attracted to the game.

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1 hour ago, Reefton said:

What are you lot worried about? Winston, Dean, Bernard and their cronies are intent on destroying the industry now. What difference will it make if it is destroyed in two years not five?  So long as there is enough left in the kitty to pay their redundancies they won't give a stuff.

Exactly, what is amazing to me is most of these proposed changes are so broad and high level stuff , with little or no thought of the implications of such changes its going to harm a lot more industry participants than its going to benefit. Yet there seems to be this incredible amount of support for some sort of change just because its change, the industry is being incredibly "naive" here .

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1 hour ago, Huey said:

Exactly, what is amazing to me is most of these proposed changes are so broad and high level stuff , with little or no thought of the implications of such changes its going to harm a lot more industry participants than its going to benefit. Yet there seems to be this incredible amount of support for some sort of change just because its change, the industry is being incredibly "naive" here .

The changes are driven by the thoroughbred breeding industry which(it has become apparent) is shitting itself lest NZ lose its international status and Group races. 

I have said it before that globalization has stuffed the NZ Breeding industry.  They cannot compete and in the age of shuttle stallions will never be able to unless the government brings in massive consessions for the industry and then the international breeders will swamp the locals anyway.

And even if all this money they are trying to steal from the small clubs was out direct into stakes the effect will be temporary - the big racing jurisdictions with either huge populations and betting(Aussie and Hong Kong) or with astonishing wealth (Dubai) will just go up a cog or two and again leave NZ in their dust again.  It is inevitable that NZ Racing will lose its international standing at some time - it might be unpalatable to some but our standard is not as good as it was and that is reality.

The breeding industry is like the motor vehicle assembly businesses of 40 or 50 years ago(and of course the Holden episode in Aussie is another example) - progress has rendered them irrelevant and uncompetitive internationally and whatever they do they won't change that.  It is sad but it is reality but these pricks, via their buying the current Ministers favour, are determined that if they go down the entire industry is going down with them.

The halfwits running the racing hierarchy and the TAB are not helping either obviously but while they either remain in the pockets of the Breeding faction or are just totally lacking in empathy for the game then what else can we expect.  

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I mean if, say, Group race stakes in NZ quadrupled.  Would it put the NZ Breeders in a financial position to stop the sale of the next Dundeel to Aussie Breeders?  Or  secure a Zoustar or So You Think or Pierro for their operations?  

No it wouldn't and if they think it will they are living in fairyland.

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With my impeccable timing and judgement, I decided to buy a horse and put it in work for the first time in over five years. Thought it might be nice to have the thrill of one more win before either I or the industry are dead, whichever comes first. Sounds like now I won't be able to go to the races and watch.

See Caufield is no owners and no public allowed today.

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3 minutes ago, Reefton said:

I mean if, say, Group race stakes in NZ quadrupled.  Would it put the NZ Breeders in a financial position to stop the sale of the next Dundeel to Aussie Breeders?  Or  secure a Zoustar or So You Think or Pierro for their operations?  

No it wouldn't and if they think it will they are living in fairyland.

Absolutely right!  We are no hope of competing with Australia. Those that tell you we are they are either very rich and thus using the Oz product anyway or don't have any skin in the game and an understanding of just how tough it is. 

Get ready for the worst!

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6 minutes ago, curious said:

With my impeccable timing and judgement, I decided to buy a horse and put it in work for the first time in over five years. Thought it might be nice to have the thrill of one more win before either I or the industry are dead, whichever comes first. Sounds like now I won't be able to go to the races and watch.

See Caufield is no owners and no public allowed today.

It should bring Melody Belle into Winx level favouritism. While the Aussie horses will be spooked by the lack of patrons she will be quite used to racing in front of nobody!

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17 minutes ago, Reefton said:

I mean if, say, Group race stakes in NZ quadrupled.  Would it put the NZ Breeders in a financial position to stop the sale of the next Dundeel to Aussie Breeders?  Or  secure a Zoustar or So You Think or Pierro for their operations?  

No it wouldn't and if they think it will they are living in fairyland.

The other problem they now have is the declining number of total events with pattern races already at a globally high 5.8%. As you lose the low end races which is now happening, pattern race numbers will have to reduce.

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What it will mean is that when the racing industry does collapse Jackson and co will have a convenient excuse.  Nothing to do with us.  Out of our hands etc.  Bit like a human dying of cancer suffering a heart attack.  Cancer was not the thing that killed em

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23 hours ago, Freda said:

Haha,  brilliant!

A temporary measure only, C, don't worry.

You'll be able to go and see your pride and joy eventually, and you won't get your feet trodden on in the crowd either .

Win - win.

I'm thinking I may be eligible for a probationary stablehand/trackwork licence by then if I can find a trainer to take me on. That would solve the problem of gettting on course on raceday.

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On 14/03/2020 at 11:18 AM, Mark D said:

What it will mean is that when the racing industry does collapse Jackson and co will have a convenient excuse.  Nothing to do with us.  Out of our hands etc.  Bit like a human dying of cancer suffering a heart attack.  Cancer was not the thing that killed em

I note some are still positive that the measures contained in the Bill will right the ship....bugger me,  I wish I had their optimism.

If the land grab is legalised,  what hold-ups - and associated costs - with fights in courts might we be looking at....?

If the TAB isn't outsourced,  or similar,  there is no hope.

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The TAB's revenues will like most businesses be vastly reduced as a result of an external event which no one could have predicted. Just like any business unless the Government offers assistance then  the payout can only go one way unless a left field solution offers itself

I note the coaster is blaming all and sundry which im sure allows him to vent but what solutions  has he or any others offered under these circumstances. I'm sure that cost cuts are well underway at RITA and that just like other businesses redundancies will occur,

 

Greg

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