Synthetic Tracks: New Zealand Knows Best.

[Freda]

Hell,  no...close enough for trials,  but to truck teams of horses out of a morning, no way.

[Freda]

4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

So we need to give you either more difficult questions and/or 25 an hour?

both.

[Chief Stipe]

[Kopia]

10 minutes ago, Freda said:

Took ten minutes....

I hope the horses I have shares in are as quick when they get asked the question.....thanks Freda.

[curious]

26 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Rangiora?

I thought the CJC were selling that to pay for the AWT?

[Freda]

1 minute ago, curious said:

I thought the CJC were selling that to pay for the AWT?

Cashing up was the plan in the early days of 'acquisition' ..but at the moment it is required for trials.  Also, as part of the property is flood-plain, some is council-owned, and some is under requirements to Transit NZ for roading, the actual area subdividable is much smaller than previously thought. No pot of gold there.

[Freda]

Actually,  Rangiora would be ideal for an allweather.  Close to ChCh, a burgeoning population north of the city,  light, free-draining land, so much easier drainage etc,  and a smaller circuit [ cheaper?]  also, very close to the horses, instant spectator appeal.

The negative connotations associated  with the track as a result of the serious accident, would be eliminated if the grass track with all its   'perceived' problems was removed.

I say perceived, because any track can be dangerous if poorly managed, and if bad decisions are made alongside that.  Not making light of Judy's plight at all.  Should never have happened.

[Weasel]

5 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Is RITA or Cambridge Jockey Club paying?  Airfares will be close to $600 return - each person.

they clearly havent heard of Zoom

[Chief Stipe]

The Riccarton and Awapuni Synthetic Tracks should be put on hold.  It would be irresponsible management to invest in them while your revenue is in doubt.  

There is insufficient extra revenue now and certainly in the next 2-3 years to keep them properly maintained.  They could become expensive tomb stones.

There is a perfectly good winter racing and training track 30km from Awapuni called Foxton.

[Chief Stipe]

The Minister of Racing said the following when announcing the emergency package:

Compelling arguments exist behind synthetic race tracks because they reduce the number of cancelled events due to weather or poor surfaces.

For example in the 2018 year there were 32 races abandoned which cost the industry millions of dollars.

 

32 races abandoned? Isn't that about 4 race meetings maximum? How did the abandonment of those meetings "cost the industry millions"? Bear in mind they budgeted for abandonments.

[Huey]

5 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The Minister of Racing said the following when announcing the emergency package:

Compelling arguments exist behind synthetic race tracks because they reduce the number of cancelled events due to weather or poor surfaces.

For example in the 2018 year there were 32 races abandoned which cost the industry millions of dollars.

 

32 races abandoned? Isn't that about 4 race meetings maximum? How did the abandonment of those meetings "cost the industry millions"? Bear in mind they budgeted for abandonments.

If thats true thats a joke, 32 races probably saved the industry money. 

I don't get all this carry on over abandonments happens  is Aus. particularly around the bushfires , but they don't panic and drop 3 AWT down that will supposedly stop it from happening.

[Chief Stipe]

4 minutes ago, Huey said:

If thats true thats a joke, 32 races probably saved the industry money. 

 

It did especially when you consider that if ALL the budgeted meetings had gone ahead there wasn't any money to pay the stakes!

Huey would you let your high priced yearling that you just bought at Karaka be trained on the Synthetic Track in its first 2 years of operation?  From what I've read they need to be micro-managed on a daily basis relative to environmental conditions.

[Kopia]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

The Riccarton and Awapuni Synthetic Tracks should be put on hold.  It would be irresponsible management to invest in them while your revenue is in doubt.  

There is insufficient extra revenue now and certainly in the next 2-3 years to keep them properly maintained.  They could become expensive tomb stones.

There is a perfectly good winter racing and training track 30km from Awapuni called Foxton.

Just read about Te Teko getting the 'don't come Monday'....the Committee are now deciding to wind the club up, according to NZTR not required for races OR trials. Wait until the end of this winter, Cambridge won't be ready, NZTR will go to Te Teko and plead..' just one more set of trials boys?'..they should tell them to get fcked. Which they probably already have.

[Huey]

16 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

It did especially when you consider that if ALL the budgeted meetings had gone ahead there wasn't any money to pay the stakes!

Huey would you let your high priced yearling that you just bought at Karaka be trained on the Synthetic Track in its first 2 years of operation?  From what I've read they need to be micro-managed on a daily basis relative to environmental conditions.

I could never afford a high priced one, but I'm not interested in racing on it put it that way.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

The Riccarton and Awapuni Synthetic Tracks should be put on hold.  It would be irresponsible management to invest in them while your revenue is in doubt.  

There is insufficient extra revenue now and certainly in the next 2-3 years to keep them properly maintained.  They could become expensive tomb stones.

There is a perfectly good winter racing and training track 30km from Awapuni called Foxton.

If the Cambridge A/W cost circa $13mil and there is 6 meetings programmed for next season where is the rationale that they are financially cost effective , i.e. make enough turnover to return a profit that not only returns enough to the industry to cover their cost , and puts money in the coffers for stakes etc . They would need to be racing twice a week at least , but we already do that at other tracks .

[nomates]

53 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The Minister of Racing said the following when announcing the emergency package:

Compelling arguments exist behind synthetic race tracks because they reduce the number of cancelled events due to weather or poor surfaces.

For example in the 2018 year there were 32 races abandoned which cost the industry millions of dollars.

 

32 races abandoned? Isn't that about 4 race meetings maximum? How did the abandonment of those meetings "cost the industry millions"? Bear in mind they budgeted for abandonments.

It was actually 32 meetings , but i keep saying , it was an aberration , we had a summer that never stopped raining so went into winter already at saturation point . A large portion of those abandonments were for course and facility flooding , i Remember Foxton was unuseable from Sat morn till Wed . That's when all the talk for A/W's started , a complete overreaction . How many abandonments the season before or the 2 seasons since . Very few i suspect .

[Chief Stipe]

25 minutes ago, nomates said:

It was actually 32 meetings

Are you sure?  That's 3 a month!  

[All The Aces]

1 hour ago, Kopia said:

Just read about Te Teko getting the 'don't come Monday'....the Committee are now deciding to wind the club up, according to NZTR not required for races OR trials. Wait until the end of this winter, Cambridge won't be ready, NZTR will go to Te Teko and plead..' just one more set of trials boys?'..they should tell them to get fcked. Which they probably already have.

Te Rapa, Matamata, Waipa, Te Aroha and Taupo can all hold trials. 

[curious]

41 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Are you sure?  That's 3 a month!  

I think there's been some creative reporting going on which as I have said were part of the fraudulent figures presented to cabinet to get the bailout funding including the $20m for the AWTs. 23 meetings affected somehow converted to 32 abandoned. From the FY2018 annual report:

ABANDONMENTS

While there were less races lost than in the previous season, abandonments continued to be a problem.A total of 125 races were lost, through nine full abandon-ments and nine partial abandonments. Five other meet-ings were affected by weather or track conditions but were completed in full after being transferred to another date.Thirteen meetings had been fully abandoned in the pre-vious season but the number of races lost in 2017-18 was only eight less than the previous year. It was only the third time in the past 15 years that more than 100 races were lost in a single season

Edited May 21, 2020 by curious

[curious]

I reckon 125 races equates to about 16 meetings. So I guess it's think of a number and double it.

I also note that the reported costs to NZTR of those abandonments was as below.

Abandoned meeting costs 296,405

[Freda]

Just now, curious said:

I reckon 125 races equates to about 16 meetings. So I guess it's think of a number and double it.

I also note that the reported costs to NZTR of those abandonments was as below.

Abandoned meeting costs 296,405

Ok then,  33 mill should  sort that.

[Chief Stipe]

There must be a PGF application in the system for the Cambridge synthetic track.  How do we get a copy?  There has to be a cost/benefit analysis for PGF funding!

[Huey]

1 hour ago, All The Aces said:

Te Rapa, Matamata, Waipa, Te Aroha and Taupo can all hold trials. 

Isn't Waipa gone also?

Where is the benefit in getting rid of Te Teko if it costs the industry nothing to operate or does it? Especially if they can't sell it up.

[curious]

5 minutes ago, Huey said:

Isn't Waipa gone also?

Where is the benefit in getting rid of Te Teko if it costs the industry nothing to operate or does it? Especially if they can't sell it up.

Nothing to sell. It's leased. From the Messara report:

Te Teko– Venue with 2 race meetings in 2017/18. Fair location. No training.Early season trial centre. Helps to retain racing in the Bay of Plenty. Requiresgeneral facility improvements and landscaping. Leased.

[Huey]

1 minute ago, curious said:

Nothing to sell. It's leased. From the Messara report:

Te Teko– Venue with 2 race meetings in 2017/18. Fair location. No training.Early season trial centre. Helps to retain racing in the Bay of Plenty. Requiresgeneral facility improvements and landscaping. Leased.

I see, well if its not costing NZTR anything to operate , its an even more stupid decision than I thought.