Guy Sargent. Photo / Sarah Gully Expand

Guy Sargent. Photo / Sarah Gully

Massive changes to the way New Zealand racing is run could see an extra $11 million paid out in stakes each year.

But now the men behind that idea face the tough task of selling it to the three racing codes.

The One Racing Task Force, commissioned in May to identify the most cost-efficient way to run New Zealand racing, has suggested all three codes come under the control of a new national body - Racing And Wagering New Zealand - at a press conference at the Ellerslie racecourse yesterday.

That would mean no more New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Harness Racing New Zealand or Greyhound Racing New Zealand, which, at present, run their respective codes separately, while the New Zealand Racing Board runs predominantly the gaming side of racing.

The task force's key recommendation is that the three codes and the Racing Board adopt a shared services' model to make more efficient use of people and capital.

The task force estimates this alone could save the racing industry $7 million annually.

They also believe the formation of RAWNZ would save, once the transition period is over, an extra $4.6 million a year.

That, according to the task force, could inject an extra $11.6 million into racing, much of it tagged for stakes.

They want the transition from separate administrations overseen by a Racing Council, which would have three appointees from thoroughbred racing, two from harness and one from greyhound racing as well as the chairman of the NZ Racing Board.

The new controlling body would be based in Wellington and task force members were quick to point out it would be totally unbiased toward any one racing code.

"The way we look at it there would no longer be separate codes at that level, all issues would be racing issues, rather than separate code issues," says task force member Guy Sargent.

Even if the $11.6 million figure proves inflated, a bottom-line saving anywhere near that amount has to be attractive to those running the three racing codes.

But getting their approval, and that of the separate code stake holders, may not be quite so simple.

Sargent is chairman of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and says his organisation is already behind the idea but still has to convince some within the code.