Locals fight to save Te Teko course

By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE

TE TEKO - Eastern Bay of Plenty horseracing fans are fighting to save the region's only course, at Te Teko, from closure.

The Racing Industry Board has dropped the Whakatane Racing Club's annual one-day August meeting from its draft list of dates in the wake of a poor turnout last year.

With its once-popular summer picnic race event lost to a bigger centre several years ago, the club will be left with no race fixtures at the Te Teko track.

It continues to hold a permit for the Whakatane Gold Cup meeting held at Tauranga in September.

However, former club president Neville Delahunty said that with a $20,000 course rental fee, the Tauranga meeting was less profitable than holding races at Te Teko.

More than 6000 people have signed a petition to reinstate racing at Te Teko and more than 100 owner-trainers have lent support.

With its ash base, the Te Teko course is considered to have one of the best racing surfaces in the North Island.

The debt-free club built a $97,000 pavilion nearly four years ago.

"It's a marvellous training track," said Mr Delahunty, who is also a district councillor.

The property has been freehold since the early 1950s, thanks to the efforts of pioneering members of the Whakatane Racing Club.

They had their first totalisator meeting there at Auckland Anniversary Weekend in 1979, realising a turnover of $180,000.

Two years later, that figure had grown by $40,000 as more than 5000 locals and holidaymakers flocked to the relaxed event.

The winter race day attracted about 1500 people.

When the Karaka horse sales started, the authorities wanted a meeting closer to Auckland at Anniversary Weekend, with off-course as well as on-course betting.

Since then, the summer event - which the Whakatane club would dearly like to reclaim - has swung between Auckland and Rotorua.

Mr Delahunty said it now appeared there were too many race meetings in August and not enough horses to sustain Te Teko's 10-race programme, which in the past had attracted more than 100 mounts.

Last year, only 88 horses took part in nine races.

It did not help when the club missed producing a budget and annual report for the industry board during a change of secretary.

Locals have not given up trying to retain at least one race meeting at Te Teko. Club officials are talking to Gary Chiddick, chairman of the board, and may take their case to Racing Minister Annette King.