Racing down to 5 tracks?

[Happy Sunrise]

Garrick Knight's tweet below and some information from the HRNZ.

Pretty interesting stuff. Corona might do what RITA couldn't and finish a few places off.

I am presuming the minimising of costs is not having TAB staff travelling far and wide so centralising into 3 or 5 tracks will do that? I hope it is just for the winter. Not sure what Yesberg means by his one track tweet. Just Addington? At least he has faith in the executives to make the right decision which is admirable considering they seem not to be able to make any good decisions in the eyes of many. Even Fitzgerald who has few good words to say about them agrees with the concept. If Addington were the only track in the short term that would be ok and I suppose you would have 2 meetings a week there? Will we be back with the failed concept of a few years ago of low key meetings on a Tuesday will we not?

There is no need for more than one track in the North Island. That is obvious and it would be interesting to see if even one track could be filled. Forbury, Manawatu, Timaru, Oamaru and Cambridge might all miss out in the upcoming months but, again, as long as it is not in the long term then it is ok. I just hope the powers that be don't get carried away and turn the industry into a colourless and repetitious factory churning out race after race after race like North America.

All this just goes to show how precarious the whole state of racing is. I can't believe the TAB has no reserves of money. I don't hear the casinoes crying for handouts. And I thought Auckland was the only house of cards. It seems the whole game is.

 

HRNZ: As you may know, RITA suspended consultation on the 2020/21 draft racing calendar last week and this week, in conjunction with the Codes, we have started working on developing a revised calendar to take account of the impact of COVID-19.

This calendar will have the overriding objectives of minimising costs and maximising revenue, underpinned by a continued focus on animal welfare.

We’re at an early stage in finalising a revised calendar and no decisions have yet been made. But we expect the reality is we'll be racing at fewer venues to achieve the desired outcomes.

This will require difficult and at times, unpopular decisions, but the alternative is stark. 

[Brodie]

It is purely going to come down to how many horses are still going to be in work!

The way things are going to be over the next 6 months, I wouldn’t think there is going to be that many owners wanting to shell out thousands of dollars per month to have a horse trained!

Stakes are going to be much reduced for quite awhile as well, so not a great prospect when a lot of the owners will have businesses that have suffered greatly.

Will the owners who have year on year been making a loss, be bothered?

Every trainer and jockey or driver is going to have their incomes decimated and many just will not be able to cont8nue in the racing industry in the future unfortunately.

The racing model has been broken for quite a while and this has been a major wake up call, that hopefully it can recover from.

The hierarchy in NZ Racing have been taking salaries far in excess of what they probably deserved and as yet I have not heard anything  from them, in regards to taking large income cuts, like everyone else in racing have.

Hardly likely I would say, as they have never really acted in the best interests of racing in recent years!!!!

 

[Happy Sunrise]

41 minutes ago, Brodie said:

The hierarchy in NZ Racing have been taking salaries far in excess of what they probably deserved and as yet I have not heard anything  from them, in regards to taking large income cuts, like everyone else in racing have.

They have.

The Board and executive management team have taken pay cuts and a significant number of the organisation's staff are voluntarily taking leave, while in some cases we've had to ask staff with high leave balances to use them.

If they want to trim excess I suggest to forget the jewels in 2021. Trim all the stakes of big races in 2020/21. Keep the stakes for lower grade horses the same as they are the bread and butter of the turnover.

[Happy Sunrise]

'I'm told' is a popular gossip line isn't it.

Seems to be very poor lines of communication at times with HRNZ. I hope Forbury have been told of this decision unless it is scuttlebutt as they will be missing out big time. 

So we are down to 4 tracks when it starts up again. Essentially 3, with Southland not traditionally racing until the mid August.

Good luck filling Aucland and Cambridge lol. Can't do that at the best of times.  Isn't that a waste of money? Surely some political bidding went on.

Not sure where the statement 'something plenty in the industry have been wanting for a while now' comes from as this would screw the likes of Timaru, Oamaru and Rangiora and their winter all weather meetings. One needs to remember the Tuesday concept failed a few years ago but I suppose people have short memories.

Wonder how the important conference call went?? It hasn't been leaked via social media yet.

[Brodie]

Seems like a reasonable decision to race at Addington as it is the best track for racing in Australasia bar none.

Think Auckland will struggle with fields as there will be A bit of blood on the floor from both the sharemarket and loss of business income and jobs.

Many of the small number of owners will not be wasting their time and Auckland certainly can’t afford the large stakes they currently seem to have!

Will be interesting to see if there are going to be many that don’t settle on the apartments at Alexandra Park now due to the Corona Virus.

Bearing In mind unfortunately the virus death toll doubled today, with respect the deceased was in her 90s and had several age related issues!!!

[Rusty]

Thank God grass track racing will soon be a thing of the past...

I always struggled backing a winner on the turf. Generally horses just couldn't quite run as fast as they could for me. 

I'm just joking. But not really. 

I do feel sorry however for the majority of harness fans, that do love their grass track racing, and hope that it returns for them, like it usually does, later in the year. 

 

[Taku Umanga]

Unfortunately, if the government restricts travel between regions like Auckland and Waikato then I can't see either venue getting a worthwhile meeting off the ground

[eljay]

I can't  help feeling this present climate will be the death rattle for a lot of clubs all codes.    Will be very difficult position they will find themselves when (if) normality resumes.    I hope it not going to happen but Auckland in particular very shaky especially if pending legal action goes against them.    From day one of their venture (wow that was eons ago) it seems every decision made was the wrong one emphasising racing clubs should not dabble in matters other than what their primary business is - racing.     And spare a thought for the small country clubs like Hawera who should have been running their annual meeting this weekend - can they survive?     Surely they deserve better than just a "tough" from the industy barons.

[Happy Sunrise]

10 hours ago, Rusty said:

I do feel sorry however for the majority of harness fans, that do love their grass track racing, and hope that it returns for them, like it usually does, later in the year. 

If the powers that be do not recognise the importance of grass track racing to the lifeblood of the industry they shold resign immediately.

[Happy Sunrise]

Barry Lichter's article from Lincoln Farms.

https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/harness-racing-set-to-use-only-four-venues-after-we-come-out-of-coronavirus-lockdown/

Harness racing is set to be conducted on only four of the country’s tracks as the needs of the TAB and the industry take priority over individual clubs in a new COVID-19 landscape.

Harness Racing New Zealand had been keen to restart racing post lockdown at five racetracks but the cash-strapped Racing Industry Transition Agency is understood to be firm on initially using only four, citing the need to be more cost-effective by not moving personnel around the country.

The four venues earmarked are Auckland, Cambridge, Addington and Ascot Park in Invercargill, with Auckland and Cambridge to run in alternate weeks until the number of horses fit to race increases.

Industry leaders are more confident after canvassing trainers in the last week that there will be enough horses to run meetings in June or July, with racing likely to start first in the south.

While public tracks are closed during the level 4 lockdown, many horses are still being worked up to half pace on trainers’ private tracks, many more in Canterbury than Auckland and the Waikato.

With track fees paid by 170 to 180 horses a month at Pukekohe, which remains closed, Auckland officials are reluctant to programme race meetings too soon, some time in July the best guess for a resumption.

One thing is certain, stake levels will drop, especially at Auckland, the club no longer able to supplement basic prizemoney while it is haemorrhaging money on its building development, losses already topping $70 million with expensive legal battles still to be fought.

* In other disturbing news today it has been revealed that for the first time the number of mares bred in a season has dropped below 2300.

Just 2171 individual mares were served, down from 2333 the previous year. That means the foal crop is likely to be not much more than 1500.

In the last 10 years the number of mares served has declined 35%. In 2011, 3365 mares were bred. Three years earlier the number was 4074.

[Happy Sunrise]

You tie in the future losses/expenses that will be experienced by ATC and the number of foals one really has to wonder about the viability of harness in the north.

3 hours ago, Taku Umanga said:

Unfortunately, if the government restricts travel between regions like Auckland and Waikato then I can't see either venue getting a worthwhile meeting off the ground

It would be impossible wouldn't it? They would need every horse they had before the lockdown to make up enough numbers for a meeting.

 

1 hour ago, eljay said:

I can't  help feeling this present climate will be the death rattle for a lot of clubs all codes. 

 

1 hour ago, eljay said:

And spare a thought for the small country clubs like Hawera who should have been running their annual meeting this weekend - can they survive?     Surely they deserve better than just a "tough" from the industy barons.

All of those central North Island clubs must be under the pump. They were before this mess. Are there enough horses in this region to sustain their own 3 or 4 week circuit once a year?

Can the upper north sort themselves a grass track circuit in January / February during the holiday period or is it time to face reality and 'consolidate' the clubs based around a few venues?