Frustration grows in New Zealand racing industry as track issues persist

• The thoroughbred racing industry is facing growing frustration over infrastructure, with multiple race and trial cancellations.
• NZ Trainers’ Association’s president highlighted the crisis, emphasising the high costs and disruption for owners and trainers.
• NZ Thoroughbred Racing’s chief operating officer acknowledged the pressure on tracks and the need for renovations to prevent future issues.

There’s growing frustration within the thoroughbred racing industry surrounding the sport’s infrastructure, with the abandonment of Taupō’s trials on Tuesday the latest in a long series of race-day and trial cancellations.

It comes just two days after the abandonment of Tauherenīkau’s Sunday race meeting following a slip in the opening race of the card, adding to the growing track woes in the central districts, with both Hastings and Awapuni currently out of commission due to track renovations.

“I think we are starting to get to a point where we have got a bit of a crisis with our infrastructure,” New Zealand Trainers’ Association president Shaun Clotworthy said.

“The central districts have been under pressure for quite a while now, so we feel for them. In the northern area, with Ellerslie and Te Aroha coming back on board, it has been a big relief to trainers up this way, but we still need to address these problems properly.

“We probably need to look at a complete review of our processes and get someone in to have a different look at it from a different angle, because it’s not working at the moment.

“The cost is huge to the industry and especially to the owners, who are getting really sick of it, and trainers, who have to reorganise staff and pay different people and juggle things around, so it comes at a personal cost to them as well.

“Owners are frustrated. It is not cheap to race horses and they aren’t looking to have any extra costs added on.

“On the bright side, I think Ellerslie are going to take two trial dates next week on Tuesday and Thursday, so that is some relief, but that doesn’t alter the fact that horses have been carted to Taupō today for no result.”

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New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief operating officer Darin Balcombe said the latest string of abandonments is frustrating for the industry, with a number of provincial tracks feeling the pressure of extra race days, with a number of metropolitan tracks currently out of commission while renovations are taking place.

“We completely feel for the industry stakeholders that have been to these meetings that have been called off,” Balcombe said. “It is a terrible situation, and it is a big drain on the industry.”

“The tracks are struggling with the weight of racing on them at the moment and that is causing issues.

“It is putting pressure on a number of our provincial tracks that generally are set up to run three to four race days a season and are being asked now to run seven or eight, and the stress is showing on those tracks.

“We need to ensure that we are getting these tracks up to speed as early as possible to make sure it doesn’t carry on.

“It makes it very difficult to be an owner when these things are happening, so we have got to get it right and we are working hard to get it right.”

Photo / Peter Rubery / Race Images Palmerston North

Awapuni Racecourse in Palmerston North is currently one of those metropolitan tracks undergoing renovations but is set to resume racing on their turf track next month.

“It is very important that we get Awapuni back on speed, which is scheduled for April 25, so I am looking forward to that,” Balcombe said. “We won’t be pushing Awapuni, so it will probably only run two or three meetings before we put it aside for winter and get it back because it is going to be an important venue next spring.”

With Hastings racecourse also out of commission and Trentham set to undergo renovations in the near future, Balcombe said New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have partnered with several provincial clubs to ensure they have the means to handle additional race meetings year-round.

“We are making sure every track undergoes a full renovation period,” Balcombe said. “Knowing that Hastings and Trentham were going to be out in the short-term, we did put irrigation in at Waverley and Hāwera to ensure those tracks can be used because previously, without the irrigation, they were only available through the winter months.”

“We are also looking at the possibility of having an irrigation system at Woodville, just to allow that track to cover off as well, because we are going to have Hastings out for a little period and, on the back of that, a decision has got to be made on Trentham and what needs to be done there with the track and facilities.”

Balcombe said meeting abandonments will always be a part of racing due to severe weather, particularly over the winter months, but acknowledged the number of abandonments of late is unacceptable.

“We are always going to have weather abandonments, there is no way you can get around the extreme weather, but we need to stop these track abandonments when the weather has been like it has been. The tracks need to be in a fit state,” he said.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk