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Thames Track Closed for the Summer.


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Races canned at Thames Racecourse this summer

Gallops will not be held at Thames Racecourse in January, (file photo).
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT

Gallops will not be held at Thames Racecourse in January, (file photo).

 

There will be no gallops at Thames Racecourse this summer.

Thames Jockey Club, which celebrated 150 years in January, will hold their annual race meeting in Te Aroha this season after facing challenges with the track and services.

President Kevin Hansen said having a track that wasn't irrigated was a factor.

Thames Jockey Club will not be holding its annual race meeting at Thames Racecourse this season.
TERESA RAMSEY/STUFF

Thames Jockey Club will not be holding its annual race meeting at Thames Racecourse this season.

 

Irrigation would improve the condition of the track, however, at more than $50,000, it wasn't cost effective for the club to install it for one race meeting a year.

"With the changing seasons over the last few years, the chance of any rain on a track without irrigation comes with a risk of having an unsafe racing surface for the jockeys and horses," he said.

Thames Jockey Club will hold its annual meeting at Te Aroha 
Racecourse this summer, (file photo).
Fiber Fresh

Thames Jockey Club will hold its annual meeting at Te Aroha Racecourse this summer, (file photo).

"Naturally, health and safety is paramount to the club and this scenario became a reality over the three consecutive years resulting in three abandoned race days."

The club also faced challenges with securing raceday services, such as caterers, liquor, video and sound, because many raceday partners carried serious losses after cancellations over the past three years due to bad weather.

Hansen said TRAC partner club Te Aroha offered their track, which was irrigated and well-supported by trainers and sponsors.

The track at Te Aroha Racecourse is irrigated and well-supported by trainers, (file photo).
Steve Edwards

The track at Te Aroha Racecourse is irrigated and well-supported by trainers, (file photo).

 

"This raceday is still a Thames raceday, with our club and committee running the day as before. All normal activities, such as the fashions in the field, mega giveaways, flounder packs to be won etc, will continue," he said.

All members have been informed of the change in venue and transport will be arranged to Te Aroha for raceday in January. A couple of members had made queries but there hadn't been any negative feedback about the decision, he said.

It was a committee decision to hold the race day in Te Aroha, he said.

"Although a few stated they would have preferred to remain racing at Thames, however, they understood the challenges that this would have presented.

"Sadly, one committee member resigned due to the outcome of this decision, which was disappointing for the club as he had been a valued part of the Thames racing family." 

Steve Bowen resigned from the committee in protest when the committee voted to move the race meeting to Te Aroha.

Bowen had been a member of the committee for 30 years and had served as both president and vice president.

He believed the decision to move should have been voted on by club members in a general meeting.

"Under the constitution, I believe that for something that monumental, they should have called a special general meeting with the members involved," he said.

"If it had gone to a special general meeting and the consensus of the members had been for the shift then I could have lived with that but I just felt that it wasn't a committee decision to make."

Bowen said until recent meetings were abandoned due to bad weather, Thames hadn't had a cancelled meeting in as long as he could remember.

"We always struck good weather. We might go another 20 or 30 years without another cancellation. I was pretty disappointed in the committee's decision."

He was also concerned races would not return to Thames.

"Once you show your hand that you're prepared to race at another course, I don't believe that the authority will allow it to come back." 

However Hansen said racing could return to Thames.

"We haven't written off the idea of future racing at Thames, if we can solve the logistical challenges and gain the support back of NZ Thoroughbred Racing, who issue the racing licences.

"We understand that this is a huge change for our club, but feel that it is the correct decision for the January, 2019, race day."

Hansen said no decisions had been made about the club's land and facilities at Parawai Rd and the club would continue to hire out the venue for functions and events. 

The venue is currently booked for two years in advance for weddings, corporate functions and large events, such as Wellington band Fat Freddy's Drop on January 7.

 - Stuff

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10 hours ago, curious said:

Sad day at the office really but why don't they consider racing at a more suitable time of year for a track with no irrigation?

image.thumb.png.f71078f0db9235ec9e81f6462d606918.png

They get a huge holiday crowd because it is a tradition for many people in the Coromandel over Xmas/New Year.

Another date would relegate it to just another country meeting, so rock and a hard place really

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This is pretty emotional for me...

Its where me roots were sewn into the superior Thoroughbred industry...

...just 4 yo and cute as a bean...so they tell me

I was told we were going back to the camping tent before the last race

...so I threw a fit and and rolled around on the ground like a Neymar...and got me way

Im sure it's where many roots have been sewn too

Mind you we won't have to put up with the pitiful sight of George Simon sucking the legs out of a Thames Cray...sans shirt...after the last...yus 

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