New era looming for Pukekohe Park

[Wandering Eyes]

Training facilities will be upgraded and racing is set to continue on a smaller scale at Pukekohe Park as part of the proposed merger between the Counties Racing Club and Auckland Racing Club.

Counties Racing Club chairman Mark Chitty told a meeting of club members on Monday night that the merger was the best thing for a sustainable future for racing in the Auckland region.

The plan would see horses racing for an average stake of $100,000 at Ellerslie, double what it is at present, on a new StrathAyr track.

As part of the plan, the current training facilities at Pukekohe Park would be upgraded to improve its appeal rather than seeking out a new training venue.

“If you look at the Australian models, Warwick Farm (in Sydney) is a large training facility, they do race there, but predominantly most of the racing is done at Randwick and Rosehill,” Chitty said.

“We are right on the verge of New Zealand’s largest city and there’s a lot of opportunity there to get people engaged with the industry.”

There had been discussion whether Pukekohe would continue to be a racing venue, but Chitty said it was likely a few days of midweek racing would be retained.

“We probably won’t have Saturday racing – that will go to the premium track, which makes sense – and by developing the trainer we create a pool of horses that can help facilitate the racedays at the premium venue.”

Chitty said some of the current land at Pukekohe Park would be re-developed, with some sold and other land for lease.

“The land is a mixture of residential, industrial and commercial. With residential land there’s not a lot of desire for leased land so fundamentally that would be sold, whereas the industrial-commercial side you’d be looking at long-term leases.”

The funds generated from the sale and lease of some of the club’s land assets would be placed into a portfolio fund, similar to what the Auckland Racing Club has at present, and income generated from that would be used for prizemoney in addition to betting income.

“You’re fundamentally attempting to achieve on a much smaller scale what the Superannuation Fund does, what the ACC Fund does. Superannuation funds people’s retirement, ACC funds injury in society, and this funds primarily stake money,” he said.

“Racing clubs have fundamentally been solely reliant on income received from betting. What we’re looking to do is change that model and not be so reliant on that.

Chitty said the suggestions were well-received at the meeting. The main question Counties members were interested in was on the future of motor racing at Pukekohe Park.

“With motor racing there are ongoing contracts, and that will be decided upon going into the future. No decisions have been made now, but they are things that need to be considered going forward,” he said.

Counties members are likely to vote on the plan in late June or early July. A 60 percent approval will be needed for it to proceed.

“We’ve had a lot of reports on the industry over a 50-year period and very little has changed,” Chitty said. “We’re not seeing investment in the industry because the current prizemoney funds just don’t add up. We haven’t moved and we need to move if we’re to prevent us becoming a sunset industry.”

Chitty said the Avondale Jockey Club had been kept informed about the plan and that any decision on its future involvement would be up to its members.

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