Trainer Kenny Rae along with his daughter and training partner Krystal Williams-Tuhoro regularly campaign horses throughout the South Island. Photo / John Stone
Trainer Kenny Rae is a long-time supporter of the West Coast racing circuit and he believes that John Messara's recommendation of racecourse consolidation in the area is misguided.
Last year Rae was one of many participants affected by the abandonment of two of the four New Year's circuit meetings, due
to track conditions.
"I wasn't going to go this year," he said. "It cost too much last year with the meetings getting called off but then you listen to the Messara Report trying to close these clubs down and if we don't support them they will.
"They're talking about shutting down Reefton, Greymouth and Hokitika and keeping Kumara, but Kumara is a swamp and there's no community there, no motels or anything so people have to travel there.
"It's a great circuit and it's mostly voluntary, we were there nine years ago after the Pike River mining disaster and everybody just got behind it and kicked on. Without those races, everybody misses out."
