Forbury - The most important club in NZ

[Happy Sunrise]

If you take out the nostalgia of Forbury (eg Raphoe , an inter-dominion series and warm balmy nights with the sea breeze ) it really is the tone setter for the future of the industry.

First, it was a goner with no dates and no support from HRNZ, then it is back under the ruling of RITA. Messrs Fitzgerald and Markham on their show said 'they didn't want to go on' or something similar about the dates and venues but they really should keep going and dig further because it is important.

What is most interesting is looking at the comments over time and the direction RITA was taking if you look at the last few months. They (HRNZ and RITA) clearly stated some tracks had to go.

A RITA release on January 13th said 'The vast majority of us acknowledge that our current racing venue footprint isn’t sustainable. We have too many venues for the size of our industry, and we haven’t got enough capital to bring all venues up to the right standard of safety and quality for participants and punters. 

On March 20th,  a RITA release said 'The industry knows this is a time for planning and not panic'

On March 24th Dean Mckenzie said 'The racing codes and the TAB are working closely to do everything we can to keep the wheels of commerce turning for the industry and we all play a part in keeping our events going' 

April 2nd 'We know this crisis will have a lasting impact on the TAB and the industry. We know a return to 'business as usual' is simply not possible' and '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'

The Government bailout on May 12th  'However today’s announcement doesn’t change the fact that Covid19 has highlighted some serious underlying structural issues within the industry. In line with the direction of the Government’s reform programme, more tough decisions will be required going forward, and the industry must continue reforming now more than ever in order to be sustainable'

July 3rd after the release of the new season calendar by RITA:

The key changes in the final calendar are: Increased number of Thoroughbred meetings from 273 to 278 and Harness meetings from 246 to 257 (including dual meetings). Greyhound meetings increase from 459 to 478 with new six race programs at Forbury and Ascot Park; Conditional reintroduction of five dates to Avondale Jockey Club and ten dates to Forbury Park contingent on the development of regional racing plans before 31 December 2020; Reintroduction of harness dates at Manawatu Raceway, Gore, Tauherenikau, Otaki, Roxburgh, Blenheim and Timaru venues; Venues that were scheduled to have no racing in the draft but now will are; Avondale, Forbury, Blenheim and Roxburgh; Marlborough (January) and West Coast (March) Harness dates reinstated

Venues which have not been allocated meeting dates in 2020/21 are; Gisborne, Orari, Stratford, Te Awamutu, Te Teko, Waikouaiti, Waimate, Waipukurau, Wairoa and Wyndham.

Then, HRNZ's response to the new dates “However, we believe our initial thoughts on Forbury Park and Timaru were correct and in our final submissions back to RITA we did not include them in next season’s programmes,” he said. and 'HRNZ’s proposed programme was aimed at improving wagering income by racing more often at the higher performing venues, better aligning meetings with the regional horse population and helping reduce servicing costs with the fewer number of venues. This new programme remains a work in progress and HRNZ is committed to working alongside RITA as this new era unfolds,'

So what has really changed in harness racing? There is a clear disconnect between HRNZ and RITA and they are not working together as the landscape has not changed that much when one looks at the clubs who have lost dates. One might argue they are easy targets, akin to an amateur driver or hobby trainer. Not many 'tough' decisions were actually made, eg Avondale and the only people who missed out were the coal face workers like presenters and assets like trackside radio which drove wagering and is another debate in itself.

To me, it seems like panic has won out over planning. If planning was so important, how come so many hasty decisions were made that have been backtracked on?

But back to Forbury, this is taken from an Otago Daily Times article 2 days ago and makes sobering reading.

Forbury Park Trotting Club won out over the body which controls the trotting code. The club won the right to hold 10 race meetings next season despite Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) submitting it supported the club getting no meetings. The Racing Industry Transition Agency (Rita) announced the final race dates last week with the Forbury Park club allocated 10 meetings next season. The HRNZ board, which controls the harness racing code but does not set the dates, said in its submission it was concerned about the very low stakes-to-funding ratio of the Dunedin club which sat below 70%. "Based on review of the club’s financials, this low ratio highlights over $600,000 of industry funding that does not appear to have been passed on to owners, trainers, and drivers in stakes but absorbed into the running costs of the venue," the submission said. The board was also concerned about the low local horse population numbers and the cost to owners and trainers to travel to the venue. It also said costs had to be cut in the racing industry and questioned the age and state of Forbury Park and the financial viability of the club. It encouraged the club to engage with Southern Harness to look at hosting meetings at Forbury Park. Forbury Park Trotting Club revealed it had sold a piece of land for about $1million for a residential development by a local consortium and would be part of a regional review of racing in Dunedin.

So after all they said earlier in the year, RITA allowed Forbury back? How is that? Just because they sold some land for a million dollars? Other clubs who have no dates are more viable entities without selling land. 

Surely, Forbury was the track to go if one had to?

I think all the clubs who have been dismissed from the calendar should band together and take on RITA and HRNZ and ask to be given their dates back for the next season and  included in the regional reviews that are to be done as a due process has not been carried in a fair and consistent manner by the controlling bodies and it is shown by the Forbury fiasco.

[mikeynz]

A quick glance at the results from today in invers showed I think at least 3 winners from eastern southland yet no racing planned there again,mind boggling,in some ways the Forbury one is too what will change next year?same dates in many ways will more than likely produce the same result,same 4 manawatu,at present the whole setup is totally hopeless,does Forbury have a future long term? what did they mean encouraging southern harness racing there.

[mikeynz]

It seems that the issues over clubs ,dates,tracks etc and ideas for change ain't unique to harness racing,,,,,,,,,,,,,I see the rugby is heading same way nz want 8 team comp,5 nz teams,2 ozzie 1 from Pacific,ozzie probably want 4 or 5 teams seems noone is ever gunna be on same page,it is what is.

In all reality I'm getting sick of the whole lot of it,in reality we will still be having these debates in 10 years time more than likely ,in reality the more things change the more they stay the same.

Edited July 9, 2020 by mikeynz

[Noodlum]

I think under the restructure this the last time RITA has a say on race dates.  Next time it is solely in the hands of each Racing Codes admin body.  For harness that will be HRNZ.

[Happy Sunrise]

1 hour ago, Noodlum said:

Next time it is solely in the hands of each Racing Codes admin body.  For harness that will be HRNZ.

So HRNZ will get what they want through the regional reviews?

[mikeynz]

48 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

So HRNZ will get what they want through the regional 

Maybe but it is the clubs who may have the say,hard to know who's in charge at the moment.

[Noodlum]

12 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

So HRNZ will get what they want through the regional reviews?

Yes in the first instance in is up to each racing code body.  BUT.....there is an option to create a body called Racing New Zealand.  An over arching organisation comprised of the three codes, sports and an independent turkey.  They'll sit round and say what happens as a group doing trade off's.  It isn't the same as the old NZRB because the TAB has been separated from it to focus solely on revenue generation.

 

[Harness4All]

The Racing Industry Bill has a $1 each way on all outcomes.  It allows for individual codes to negotiate a commercial agreement with TAB NZ, or Racing NZ (as described above) or if no commercial agreement has been agreed then TAB NZ can constitute a Dates Committee and decide the Racing Calendar. So we could see multiple outcomes or mix and match. In the end the determining factor is TAB NZ resources available to support the dates requested and if the venue can support the TAB NZ operation on what TAB NZ considers 'commercially acceptable' terms.

It will be interesting to see just how it all works and whether the codes can work together or if NZTR or greyhounds will try to go alone leaving harness on the outer? Or perhaps TAB NZ will decide that no commercial agreement can be reached and control the calendar just as it does now. The betting licence can only be issued by TAB NZ and since they also control the resources required to running a successful meeting in betting terms they ultimately hold all the power.

Add to that the possibility that if a club is not given dates for two seasons in a row it can be set up for closure the politics could be a mine field. The next couple of years are going to be interesting to observe.

[Noodlum]

TAB NZ no longer have ANY control over race dates.  There focus is maximising revenue with what they are given by the codes.

[Happy Sunrise]

1 hour ago, Noodlum said:

There focus is maximising revenue

?

[Harness4All]

 

Racing calendar

66Setting of racing calendar and allocation of racing dates

(1)

This section applies only if there is no provision in any commercial agreement between TAB NZ and each or all of the racing codes providing for—

(a)

the setting before the end of one racing year of a racing calendar that comprises all of the dates in the subsequent racing year on which betting races will occur; and

(b)

the allocation of those dates among racing clubs; and

(c)

any conditions of those allocations.

(2)

TAB NZ must establish and maintain a committee (the dates committee) to carry out the functions specified in subsection (4).

(3)

The dates committee must include at least 1 person appointed by the racing codes (acting jointly) to represent the collective interests of the codes.

(4)

The dates committee must, before the end of each racing year, set—

(a)

the racing calendar that comprises all of the dates in the subsequent racing year on which betting races will occur; and

(b)

the allocation of those dates among racing clubs; and

(c)

subject to subsection (6), any conditions of allocation.

(5)

Before carrying out its functions under subsection (4), the dates committee must consult each of the racing codes on the proposed dates, allocation, and conditions.

(6)

The conditions of allocation must include—

(a)

the name of the racecourse at which the betting races will occur; and

(b)

that the racecourse must be approved for racing by the relevant racing code.

Compare: 2003 No 3 s 42