Sad

[Doomed]

I do find it sad that virtually no clubs are interested in racing on public holidays these days, certainly no major clubs. Wgtn Anniversary day and now Auckland anniversary day with no galloping meetings. Sad really. Labour weekend the same from memory. Sad that only minor clubs are interested. Riverton and Tauherenikau mostly. I can remember when Wgtn, Auck and Riccarton were all keen on public holidays. Now none can be bothered.

Is it the clubs that have given up because of wage costs or has the TAB told them not to bother, or is it a NZTR policy? They really do appear to have no interest in on course attendance these days, which seems very short sighted, but who am I to know, incredibly well paid people have obviously figured all this out.

[Special Agent]

Sad and dumb.  Anniversary Day at Trentham, Labour Day at Rangiora etc makes so much sense when the public is on holiday.

[Freda]

Yes..and, although better brains than mine have worked out that attendance isn't necessary for overall betting,  I can't for the life of me see how interest in racing - and the horse itself - can be served by not having people on course.

Labour Day down here used to have not just Rangiora, but Gore too, with the Gore Guineas.  

All gone, the results of decisions made for 'the greater good' ...or not.

Going back more than a few years, I can remember Timaru [ for one ] opting for a Friday - I think - rather than the more traditional Saturday,  because the funding policy at the time meant that off course turnovers were of more benefit to a club than on course.  But the knock-on effect of that, and other decisions, have, over time, not done the industry any favours.

[Special Agent]

And they wonder why we are dubious about any decisions made.  We have seen so many made that we go along with because we think those making said decisions are somehow superior.  In retrospect the ideas were as hair brained as first thought.

I don't think you can beat an oncourse experience, plus the percentage of turnover going to the club is much more beneficial.

[aquaman]

Look at Aussie crowds and note the difference. Their racing is going north, ours is going south.

Edited January 26, 2023 by aquaman
spelling error

[Joe Bloggs]

A simple solution to this,.....if you've got a headache, you get rid of it......... I don't know how you get rid of your headache , but rid it you have to do....for your very existence.

Don't let apathy stand in the way, just do it.

[Doomed]

And there isn't a race meeting anywhere near Auckland for several days around their holiday Weekend. Taupo must have been about as far away as they could possibly get.

[nomates]

56 minutes ago, Doomed said:

And there isn't a race meeting anywhere near Auckland for several days around their holiday Weekend. Taupo must have been about as far away as they could possibly get.

Sales mate , overrides everything else . I could understand it more if NZ trainers were buying in large multiples but most struggle to afford a couple of the big buys . I think it's more a boys break .

Saying all that it is a brilliant week , would do it every year if the boss would let me .

Of course after having my arms nailed to my sides to stop all possibly of me lifting them to make a purchase .

[Michael]

1 hour ago, Special Agent said:

 

I don't think you can beat an oncourse experience, plus the percentage of turnover going to the club is much more beneficial.

Hi Agent, I'm not sure that this is correct. My last advice was that On-course T/O was not more beneficial to Clubs (which would explain a Club's reluctance to invest in On-course attendance promotions

[Special Agent]

Someone on here might have more information than me.  Club officials racing last month seemed to think they had x amount of funding coming from their oncourse turnover.

[Reefton]

7 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Someone on here might have more information than me.  Club officials racing last month seemed to think they had x amount of funding coming from their oncourse turnover.

8% of on course.

Provided of course the Chief Stipendiary Steward of NZ decided he would let you race.

But that is another story...........

Edited January 27, 2023 by Reefton

[mikeynz]

6 hours ago, Reefton said:

8% of on course.

Provided of course the Chief Stipendiary Steward of NZ decided he would let you race.

But that is another story...........

That would be on the tote only perhaps or is fixed odds  as well, im no expert but taking out 8 percent on fixed would seem a big chunk out of the margins.

If you bet on the phone on course is that a on course bet or not, can the TAB trace the location where the bet was taken ?

There must be many days when clubs dont cover their staffing cost with piddly sized turnover,  race on a holiday you get more people but wages go up,  must be some very fine margins clubs are running, throw in the normal factors like weather or poor fields, just one big gamble.

 

[Freda]

7 hours ago, Reefton said:

8% of on course.

Provided of course the Chief Stipendiary Steward of NZ decided he would let you race.

But that is another story...........

How much of off course?  or does the bulk funding scenario remove any percentage-based payout?

[Special Agent]

9 hours ago, Reefton said:

8% of on course.

My heart bleeds for Reefton.  A knee jerk reaction.

The on course figures of the Marton and Kumara meetings on the same day tell the story.  I think 8% is worth putting some effort in, like many small clubs do.

[Reefton]

3 hours ago, mikeynz said:

That would be on the tote only perhaps or is fixed odds  as well, im no expert but taking out 8 percent on fixed would seem a big chunk out of the margins.

If you bet on the phone on course is that a on course bet or not, can the TAB trace the location where the bet was taken ?

There must be many days when clubs dont cover their staffing cost with piddly sized turnover,  race on a holiday you get more people but wages go up,  must be some very fine margins clubs are running, throw in the normal factors like weather or poor fields, just one big gamble.

 

Fixed odds and ordinary tote Mike plus now they track phone betting on-course and we get a percentage of that too.  I guess 8% might be a chunk out of the betting but it would be a deduction anyway and one way or another the industry would receive it

I don't think Harness racing get a percentage of on course TO

 

[Reefton]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

How much of off course?  or does the bulk funding scenario remove any percentage-based payout?

Zero of off course.  Just the bulk funding that NZTR provides

[Reefton]

49 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

My heart bleeds for Reefton.  A knee jerk reaction.

The on course figures of the Marton and Kumara meetings on the same day tell the story.  I think 8% is worth putting some effort in, like many small clubs do.

The Club has taken up the battle with the RIB I tell you.  If they thought I/the Club was going to lie down and take it they thought wrong.

At the moment they have gone awfully quiet but until they give some sort of (final) reaction I will not release the letters and reports.

For all that we will survive.  I really worry about the future support from Trainers - I would love to give every owner an extra $100 or $200 in extra compensation to try to shore up our support for next year and following.  It is not our fault and nor is it the stakeholders fault.

And yes the Marton turnover was a tad embarrassing all right.  But they do not seem to grasp the significance of getting people actually to the races

 

 

 

 

[Mikie]

20 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Someone on here might have more information than me.  Club officials racing last month seemed to think they had x amount of funding coming from their oncourse turnover.

My apologies Agent

Reefton has advised me that my information was correct, but only in respect of Harness (not gallops)

Thickos

[Ludwig]

What I find sad, is that the two feature races at Riccarton today

were the Marlborough Cup and the Timaru stakes.

Any predictions as to what other provincial features will soon become a Riccarton feature?

The Timaru cup? The Kumara Nuggets? The Reefton cup? All very sad.

[Doomed]

9 hours ago, Ludwig said:

What I find sad, is that the two feature races at Riccarton today

were the Marlborough Cup and the Timaru stakes.

Any predictions as to what other provincial features will soon become a Riccarton feature?

The Timaru cup? The Kumara Nuggets? The Reefton cup? All very sad.

The saddest thing was that there appeared to be hardly anyone there. They kept showing shots of the cars parked in front of the old public grandstand, which is obviously still there fully intact. There appeared to be literally 2 people over that side, and no one watching the horses in the bird cage from that side. So different to shots from that same perspective from Blenheim last week. I know a lot of people would have been in the remaining grandstand, but good to see people outside on a sunny day.

I wonder if they kept a tally of how many Marlborough people attended. And I wonder if the Marlborough club thought it was good value to boost the Cup stake by $20,000. Just think, the Cup stake alone would have funded more than 4 races back in Blenheim.

And the commentator was gleefully announcing they would be racing at Riccarton every two weeks for the next few months. I hope they can attract some people along, otherwise it does look a bit sad.

On a positive note the track seemed to race ok and I thought Light Up went a great race, fought well.

[Freda]

2 hours ago, Doomed said:

The saddest thing was that there appeared to be hardly anyone there. They kept showing shots of the cars parked in front of the old public grandstand, which is obviously still there fully intact. There appeared to be literally 2 people over that side, and no one watching the horses in the bird cage from that side. So different to shots from that same perspective from Blenheim last week. I know a lot of people would have been in the remaining grandstand, but good to see people outside on a sunny day.

I wonder if they kept a tally of how many Marlborough people attended. And I wonder if the Marlborough club thought it was good value to boost the Cup stake by $20,000. Just think, the Cup stake alone would have funded more than 4 races back in Blenheim.

And the commentator was gleefully announcing they would be racing at Riccarton every two weeks for the next few months. I hope they can attract some people along, otherwise it does look a bit sad.

On a positive note the track seemed to race ok and I thought Light Up went a great race, fought well.

Thanks, D.  

He certainly left his 'A' game at home last time, but yesterday showed more of what we have come to expect of him, and the track was very good.

But there were few attendees;  Granny Clampett's double barrelled shotgun could have been discharged, quite safely.

As for 'every two weeks' for the next few months, bloody hell, they needed three months to get the blasted thing right after November.

 

[mikeynz]

Last week I had trackside on, I don't watch that often, I think it was a screenshot of the Gore course, hardly a soul there, looked like the sort of crowd that probably you would see at the trotting trials which strangely they don't have anymore.

And that was the big day of the year, one thing I did notice is the track was a soft  5 or 6 and they are having a very dry spell.

Edited January 28, 2023 by mikeynz

[Huey]

5 hours ago, Doomed said:

The saddest thing was that there appeared to be hardly anyone there.

They have ruined it , they are now dependent on the fickle "look at me" crowd , as evidenced by the utterly stupdfying Grand Tour , beans bags , jenka , an elaborate entrance way and of course some trendy booze. I may be silly but I cannot see how that is supposed to grow actual racegoers/interest or sustain numbers into the future.

I've said it a million times before - racing in this country sold its soul when it kicked the country clubs in the short and curlies ... it'll never recover.

[Doomed]

12 minutes ago, Huey said:

They have ruined it , they are now dependent on the fickle "look at me" crowd , as evidenced by the utterly stupdfying Grand Tour , beans bags , jenka , an elaborate entrance way and of course some trendy booze. I may be silly but I cannot see how that is supposed to grow actual racegoers/interest or sustain numbers into the future.

I've said it a million times before - racing in this country sold its soul when it kicked the country clubs in the short and curlies ... it'll never recover.

It will be interesting to hear how many attended Trentham and what the turnover was. There didn't seem to be many in front of the public grandstand even when it didn't seem to be raining. 

The $50 entrance fee might be enough to put some off on a slightly inclement day.

And to be totally honest, that was pretty ugly racing coming right down the outside fence. Never a good look having one "fast" strip like that.

[Reefton]

10 hours ago, Doomed said:

The saddest thing was that there appeared to be hardly anyone there. They kept showing shots of the cars parked in front of the old public grandstand, which is obviously still there fully intact. There appeared to be literally 2 people over that side, and no one watching the horses in the bird cage from that side. So different to shots from that same perspective from Blenheim last week. I know a lot of people would have been in the remaining grandstand, but good to see people outside on a sunny day.

I wonder if they kept a tally of how many Marlborough people attended. And I wonder if the Marlborough club thought it was good value to boost the Cup stake by $20,000. Just think, the Cup stake alone would have funded more than 4 races back in Blenheim.

And the commentator was gleefully announcing they would be racing at Riccarton every two weeks for the next few months. I hope they can attract some people along, otherwise it does look a bit sad.

On a positive note the track seemed to race ok and I thought Light Up went a great race, fought well.

I was there!!!!!