Poverty Bay racing era officially over

HALCYON DAYS: Happy Gisborne punters at Makaraka Racecourse in January 1962. The New Zealand Racing Board has confirmed 150 years of racing in Gisborne is over, however. The Makaraka racecourse was sold to LeaderBrand at a time when it was thought racing would continue. The company has no plans as of yet for the grandstands on the property. File picture

POVERTY Bay Turf Club has organised races at Hastings and Taupo next year after receiving written confirmation from the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) that race meetings will no longer be held in Gisborne.

The confirmation was no surprise for the club which staged its annual feature race, The Poverty Bay Cup, in Hastings last year.

Club president Rod Young said the club would stage a race at Taupo Racing Club's Taupo Cup meeting on December 30.

The 2022 Poverty Bay Cup will be held at the Hawke's Bay Racing meeting on April 16 in Hastings.

“We encourage our members and the Gisborne public to support these days,” he said.

“Taupo and Hawke's Bay are very grateful of the support from Poverty Bay Turf Club, with funding going towards increased stakes for their meetings, together with funding to assist with some of their required improvements.”

Racing has been staged in Gisborne since 1870 but the meeting on February 16, 2020 was the last-ever Gisborne-based race meeting.

“Over many years we were able to provide race meetings for the community to enjoy a day out at the races,” said Mr Young.

“We pass on our grateful thanks to the many local businesses who provided much-needed sponsorship and logistical support for our race days.

“It is with great regret that the committee has been forced to terminate the lease of the racecourse at Makaraka. It is now the private property of the owners, LeaderBrand.

“The committee also want to thank all past and present people who have worked tirelessly over the years to make the race days at Poverty Bay Turf Club a success, and a special thanks to all past committee members and club presidents.”

LeaderBrand chief executive Richard Burke said the company, as yet, did not have any plans for the grandstands on the property.

The company bought the property at a time when it was thought racing would continue.

NZRB said that although “remote tracks” around New Zealand, including Gisborne, were closing, they still considered all clubs were important and had a role to play in the racing industry.

NZRB could no longer support racing in Gisborne because of the significant costs of TAB servicing and broadcasting costs and the transport costs of horse owners, it said.

Other key factors announced previously when planning the closure of about 30 racecourses around the country included poor returns to the industry and owners, and the low horse population trained in those areas.