By MIKE DILLON
The Auckland Racing Club's new training complex bordering Auckland Airport would have been running now if there had not been pockets of opposition at the original launch in 1999.
That was worth noting during the almost unanimously supportive re-launch at Ellerslie yesterday.
The cry from Takanini owner-trainer Bruce Fowler that there had not been sufficient consultation had a hollow ring.
Consultation is what the last four years have been about and particularly since the first public release of the plan two years ago.
Support and resignation from the remainder of the players was evident and the ARC board went to its monthly board meeting late yesterday happy it could proceed with a state-of-the-art 156 acre complex which is hoped will be in operation by October next year.
This is all about protecting the viability of producing a racehorse product to race at Ellerslie and Avondale 20 years from now as it is about economics of the ARC going to Counties or anywhere else and possibly having a little money to spend on stakemoney.
"Counties is not a suitable venue for what we are proposing," said ARC chief executive David Lloyd.
Some of the major players had originally been sceptical about the Price Rd property at Puhinui, among them the powerful McKee stable, which favoured one of the two sites the ARC looked at at Karaka and eliminated as possibility.
The asking price on one was double what the ARC could afford and the owners of the second refused to sell.
The McKees, like all the major stables at Takanini, have committed in writing.
"We had to have 250 horses signed up by March 28 or Hawkins Construction were going to pull out of the deal," said ARC chairman Geoff Clatworthy yesterday.
A month before the deadline 300 horses were committed.
There was surprise at the likely cost of horsebox rental, certainly from the inquirer, trainer Bob Vance.
"We have not finally arrived at a price, but it will not be more than $20 per horse per week," said Lloyd.
Track fees are on top of that - currently $100 plus GST a month at Takanini and unlikely to change - but as Lloyd pointed out to the meeting, the ARC pays an incentive bonus of $60 each time a horse currently trained at Takanini races at Ellerslie.
"If it races twice in a month at Ellerslie the track fees are covered."
The opening of the complex late next year is dependant on the consolidation of the track, which will be put down in October this year.
There does not appear to be any lingering frustration at the ARC over the delay, but there is certainly delight.
"I'm the third chairman who has dealt with this," said Geoff Clatworthy with a smile.
THE COMPLEX
Requirements
* A semi rural outlook.
* Acess to town water and sewerage.
Be relatively close to Auckland City.
* Easy and quick access to the motorway system.
Important factors
* The Airport Authority has stated the areas around the airport will remain green belt.
* That allows trainers to lease adjacent land as day paddocks.
Specifics
* Ten barns, each providing accommodation for 40-42 horses.
* Boxes 3.8 square metres of pre-cast concrete.
* Each barn fully secured by a 2 metre fence.
* Each barn to have 18 yards.
* Trainers required to lease a minimum of 10 boxes.
* Each holding of 10 boxes can be sub-let.
Racing: Full ahead on training shift
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