As Riccarton waits to trial to their AWT the days count down for Rangiora.

[Chief Stipe]

It must be hard getting your horses ready for the coming Spring with the disruption and delay of the Riccarton AWT.  Getting everything done before 8:30am in bad weather and poor must be challenging.

I imagine it has been equally hard to prepare that glorious racing surface the Riccarton turf for the upcoming National meeting.  Let alone further into the Spring for Cup week.

Meanwhile from a Thoroughbred perspective (Harness may continue) the perfectly good turf surface at Rangiora inches closer towards its demise.

No doubt the CJC is counting the dollars it will realise when it sells its share.  Although that may not be easy in these economic climes and Harness is sure to have a say.

What will the trainers based their do?  Pack up and move to town?  Will they absorb the extra costs or pass onto owners?  Or will they call it a day?

Rangiora has been and is ongoing a lesson in unintended consequences.

[aquaman]

What a waste Rangiora has become. It should be hung out as an example on how not to do things. A wonderful venue that never failed to attract a crowd that has been completely wasted.

[nomates]

8 minutes ago, aquaman said:

What a waste Rangiora has become. It should be hung out as an example on how not to do things. A wonderful venue that never failed to attract a crowd that has been completely wasted.

Add Foxton to that list , i'm sure there are others .

[aquaman]

1 minute ago, nomates said:

Add Foxton to that list , i'm sure there are others .

You know nomates, Rangiora had real atmosphere where the public could get real close to the action. It was always warmer than Riccarton that froze in an easterly. Rangiora was a people track, and I couldn't think of a better track in summer in the Canterbury region, far superior to Banks Peninsula that always suffers from the elements.

[nomates]

Foxton was the same Aqua , always drew a good crowd , on a fine Queens Birthday for Castletown day the place was packed , these were the days that racing WAS about .

[billy connolly]

9 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

the perfectly good turf surface at Rangiora inches closer towards its demise.

A prime example of how stupid NZTR (Foskett et al) are/were. They permit racing at bullrings like Reefton (1000m) and Greymouth (1100m) yet deregister the banked and cambered 1600m Rangiora track.

Not going to go into the reasons behind Rangiora's demise here, except to say Rangiora were hugely unlucky with the weather and timing of a couple of their racedays after a track refurbishment and were dealt a major blow with a couple of serious race falls.

Whilst talking NZTR I counted approx 50 paid employees - https://loveracing.nz/nztr/info-and-comms/staff-contacts

[Freda]

11 hours ago, billy connolly said:

A prime example of how stupid NZTR (Foskett et al) are/were. They permit racing at bullrings like Reefton (1000m) and Greymouth (1100m) yet deregister the banked and cambered 1600m Rangiora track.

Not going to go into the reasons behind Rangiora's demise here, except to say Rangiora were hugely unlucky with the weather and timing of a couple of their racedays after a track refurbishment and were dealt a major blow with a couple of serious race falls.

Whilst talking NZTR I counted approx 50 paid employees - https://loveracing.nz/nztr/info-and-comms/staff-contacts

...and add the new one, soon to be drawing a nice salary.

[the galah]

So whats happening with the rangiora racecourse? Is the harness club taking it over?

[Chief Stipe]

24 minutes ago, the galah said:

So whats happening with the rangiora racecourse? Is the harness club taking it over?

Will Harness have to buy CJC out?

Will CJC give them the option considering they own 58%?

Will Harness allow the Thoroughbred trainers to continue there?

Will they charge them fees?

If they do Will they be less than CJC?

[nomates]

If the CJC sell it , which they will , shouldn't the money go into the NZTR bank ? , for the betterment of the industry , after all , all tracks are "owned " by the industry aren't they .

If it doesn't go into the industry fund wouldn't that be setting a precedent for other clubs to say " fine we will sell it but we are keeping the money as well " .

[Chief Stipe]

12 minutes ago, nomates said:

If the CJC sell it , which they will , shouldn't the money go into the NZTR bank ? , for the betterment of the industry , after all , all tracks are "owned " by the industry aren't they .

If it doesn't go into the industry fund wouldn't that be setting a precedent for other clubs to say " fine we will sell it but we are keeping the money as well " .

Who knows but you can bet that whatever happens it won't be what the thoroughbred trainers that currently train at Rangiora want nor in the interests of Harness Racing.

Perhaps they will announce that the sale will free up funds to fix the turf track at Riccarton which according to the South Island's leading trainer is the "best surface in New Zealand when not irrigated"!

[Freda]

2 hours ago, nomates said:

If the CJC sell it , which they will , shouldn't the money go into the NZTR bank ? , for the betterment of the industry , after all , all tracks are "owned " by the industry aren't they .

If it doesn't go into the industry fund wouldn't that be setting a precedent for other clubs to say " fine we will sell it but we are keeping the money as well " .

Now that's an interesting thought.

[nomates]

25 minutes ago, Freda said:

Now that's an interesting thought.

Perhaps you could ask some pertinent questions around the local traps if you get a chance .

[Gospel of Judas]

3 hours ago, nomates said:

If the CJC sell it , which they will , shouldn't the money go into the NZTR bank ? , for the betterment of the industry , after all , all tracks are "owned " by the industry aren't they .

If it doesn't go into the industry fund wouldn't that be setting a precedent for other clubs to say " fine we will sell it but we are keeping the money as well " .

NZTR pocket it and blow it on more high level staff! that or get more clowns like Cameron George on the board!

[Huey]

44 minutes ago, Gospel of Judas said:

NZTR pocket it and blow it on more high level staff! that or get more clowns like Cameron George on the board!

yes either way it will probably be wasted.

[Gospel of Judas]

6 hours ago, Huey said:

yes either way it will probably be wasted.

Bet bottom dollar get waste.

[curious]

6 hours ago, Gospel of Judas said:

Bet bottom dollar get waste.

Probably easier to just get wasted yourself and not worry about it.

 

[Reefton]

On 25/07/2021 at 5:54 PM, billy connolly said:

A prime example of how stupid NZTR (Foskett et al) are/were. They permit racing at bullrings like Reefton (1000m) and Greymouth (1100m) yet deregister the banked and cambered 1600m Rangiora track.

Not going to go into the reasons behind Rangiora's demise here, except to say Rangiora were hugely unlucky with the weather and timing of a couple of their racedays after a track refurbishment and were dealt a major blow with a couple of serious race falls.

Whilst talking NZTR I counted approx 50 paid employees - https://loveracing.nz/nztr/info-and-comms/staff-contacts

Don't talk shit.  Rangiora was (and is) unsafe which Reefton is not and neither is Greymouth.  Judy Lawson(who is a mate of mine) has a permanent brain injury due to the state of Rangiora and the way it was neglected.  There have been other Rangiora casualties as well.  The South Island's premier trainer for the last thirty years will not trial a horse at Rangiora and that makes a VERY relevant point.

As to the to and fro of how Riccarton got ownership of Rangiora that is another story but they(the North Canterbury Racing Club) will not be the only club to have their assets stolen before this is finished if Saundry and those others have their way.

 

 

[curious]

14 minutes ago, Reefton said:

Don't talk shit.  Rangiora was (and is) unsafe which Reefton is not and neither is Greymouth.  Judy Lawson(who is a mate of mine) has a permanent brain injury due to the state of Rangiora and the way it was neglected.  There have been other Rangiora casualties as well.  The South Island's premier trainer for the last thirty years will not trial a horse at Rangiora and that makes a VERY relevant point.

As to the to and fro of how Riccarton got ownership of Rangiora that is another story but they(the North Canterbury Racing Club) will not be the only club to have their assets stolen before this is finished if Saundry and those others have their way.

 

 

Amberley RC lost their assets as well in that treachery as well as the Riccarton Turf Club. As far as I know, the Amberley and North Canterbury ownership interests in that track remain the property of those clubs and are on loan to the CJC.

[Reefton]

7 minutes ago, curious said:

Amberley RC lost their assets as well in that treachery as well as the Riccarton Turf Club. As far as I know, the Amberley and North Canterbury ownership interests in that track remain the property of those clubs and are on loan to the CJC.

I think the ownership has been transferred now - didn't we have another string discussing what went on there a year or two back?  I agree there is something that reeks in the way the CJC acquired those assets but I guess if a club committee wants to lay down and let itself be ripped off that is their prerogative.  In the case of(say) the Reefton Jockey Club we have stood and fought and we will stand and bloody fight again if we have to.  Those assets were owned freehold by the Club in the 1880's long before NZTR or the TAB were ever thought of.  Those assets belong to the people of Reefton not to the NZ Racing industry.

Incidentally the weekend before last was the classic example of the disaster awaiting NZTR if they do shut us down.  Omoto would have been under three metres of water, Kumara has no boxes and  Hokitika is gone.  The roads out of the Coast were all closed and if there had been a lot of horses at Omoto  Bernie boy would have been in crappers creek.  We are the only alternative.

 

[Huey]

43 minutes ago, Reefton said:

I think the ownership has been transferred now - didn't we have another string discussing what went on there a year or two back?  I agree there is something that reeks in the way the CJC acquired those assets but I guess if a club committee wants to lay down and let itself be ripped off that is their prerogative.  In the case of(say) the Reefton Jockey Club we have stood and fought and we will stand and bloody fight again if we have to.  Those assets were owned freehold by the Club in the 1880's long before NZTR or the TAB were ever thought of.  Those assets belong to the people of Reefton not to the NZ Racing industry.

Incidentally the weekend before last was the classic example of the disaster awaiting NZTR if they do shut us down.  Omoto would have been under three metres of water, Kumara has no boxes and  Hokitika is gone.  The roads out of the Coast were all closed and if there had been a lot of horses at Omoto  Bernie boy would have been in crappers creek.  We are the only alternative.

 

Dont worry their solution will be to get rid of all racing in the area in the future. BS is clueless to its value & believes itll all get replicated somewhere else.

 

[Reefton]

6 minutes ago, Huey said:

Dont worry their solution will be to get rid of all racing in the area in the future. BS is clueless to its value & believes itll all get replicated somewhere else.

 

So long as they were consistent I wouldn't object so much.  All the Coast tracks are too small and Greymouth and Kumara are prone to track problems.  We have the best track surface - by a street - and arguably the best facilities  AND we are not flood prone.  We also regularly do better turnover that Grey with a midweek day versus their holiday/weekend meeting.  We have invariably better weather at that time of year.   Why should we be the one sacrificed?  They can go and get rooted as far as I am concerned but if they shut the whole of the Coast well I would be happy to walk away.  It is like everything else in this country(the green movement principally) - give the Coast a boot in the guts to make it look like you are doing something

[nomates]

6 minutes ago, Reefton said:

So long as they were consistent I wouldn't object so much.  All the Coast tracks are too small and Greymouth and Kumara are prone to track problems.  We have the best track surface - by a street - and arguably the best facilities  AND we are not flood prone.  We also regularly do better turnover that Grey with a midweek day versus their holiday/weekend meeting.  We have invariably better weather at that time of year.   Why should we be the one sacrificed?  They can go and get rooted as far as I am concerned but if they shut the whole of the Coast well I would be happy to walk away.  It is like everything else in this country(the green movement principally) - give the Coast a boot in the guts to make it look like you are doing something

It is inevitable that the coast will go , trainers wont travel there unless there is a proper circuit , as Huey says , it is their end game .

The way it's going numbers wise we will be lucky if there is racing in 25 years , look at the nom's for Saturday , simply the worst field i have seen for the Rotorua cup with a top weight rated at 84 , plus the nom's for the open races at both meetings small as well as the Ryder stakes .

And with all the positivity in the world i can't see that they have a solution to stem the decline far less improve the numbers . And studs have to take their share of the blame here , the costs associated with breeding a foal are just getting ridiculous , when put alongside the stakes the figures just don't add up , something has to give .

Everybody is clipping the ticket .

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, Reefton said:

The South Island's premier trainer for the last thirty years will not trial a horse at Rangiora and that makes a VERY relevant point.

Yet New Zealand's leading stable bases itself there for the Riccarton spring racing?

[Gospel of Judas]

8 hours ago, curious said:

Probably easier to just get wasted yourself and not worry about it.

 

My, my, what a weak call we have from Brent. Thing is Brent, you never have guts to say that to my face, because you are nothing keyboard warrior. What makes you perfect fool for LJM.