Latest news with #NZTR
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Central Districts get vote of confidence from racing bosses
Things got worse on Anzac Day when the Awapuni relaunch lasted one race before that meeting was called off for the usual reason: a slippery surface making racing unsafe. Add to that long-term doubts about the sustainability of the remaining Trentham grandstand and Ōtaki losing its only Group 1 to Ellerslie and good news has been hard to come by in the lower half of the North Island. But help, or at least the promise of help, is on the way. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have backed the new Awapuni track by scheduling two Group 1s to be run there in the spring, if the track can come up to scratch by then. That IF has to be in capital letters as NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty has made it clear the track must prove itself first and any sign of trouble that threatens the Group 1s will see an alternate venue found. The two races are the Arrowfield Stud Plate and the Livamol, traditionally the second and third legs of the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown. With Hastings out of play for the spring (more on that soon) the three Group 1s it usually holds will be split between Ellerslie for the first, the Tarzino Trophy, with the next two legs tentatively at Awapuni. 'Subject to a visit from track expert Liam O'Keefe in early June we intend to run the two Group 1s in that region,' Ballesty told the Herald. 'However, if the track isn't exactly where it needs to be and more time is needed we won't rush and we will look at other options. 'NZTR understands all participants, especially trainers, need to know in advance where the races are to be held.' While the move is hardly the most boisterous vote of confidence in Awapuni being up and running by spring, NZTR are bringing in the big guns in Flemington track man O'Keefe, who helped Ellerslie smooth out their problems when they launched their StrathAyr track last year. Like Ellerslie, one of the key Awapuni issues has been compaction of the top layer, making it prone to becoming slippery, so it will need constant verti-draining to break up that level and create more organic matter, ultimately providing a more natural surface. But one of Awapuni's issues is rocks underneath the surface which limits the use of certain verti-draining machines. There will be weekly management meetings between the local administration body RACE, NZTR, O'Keefe and fellow track expert Callum Brown. If that all goes well racing is scheduled to return to the turf track in August with Ballesty saying, 'a safe return to racing is our number one priority'. So while nothing is certain in the increasingly weird world of race track management, NZTR are at least giving Awapuni and those who run it the chance to prove themselves. The second piece of good news for the region came in Hastings last night when Ballesty announced racing will remain at the current track with recambering work to start soon. The Hastings track has been dogged by problems in recent years, admittedly not helped by erratic spring weather, but one of its biggest issues has been the camber on the bend out of the straight. There has been debate about whether it is better to fix the current track or look to build a new track in the Hastings region, but Ballesty answered that question when addressing club members last night. 'We will start work on correcting the camber on the track and all going well hope to have it ready for racing in spring 2026,' he said. That is a far quicker, and cheaper, option than moving the track in what is a famous racing region and all going well Awapuni and Hastings could be racing, on safer surfaces, in the New Year. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
Racing in Hawke's Bay: Waipukurau racing returning in November, Hastings by spring 2026
Major races from that day were run at Matamata a few days later, and major races scheduled for the last day were run at Te Rapa, Hamilton. Other days scheduled for the 2024-25 season in Hastings were also run at other courses, including the Hawke's Bay Cup at Trentham last month, and no dates have been allocated to Hastings for the 2025-26 season starting on August 1 and ending on July 31 next year. The statement said: 'Pending approval by the NZTR board, we can confirm that work will progress on a partial recambering of the bends leaving the home straight (1600m and 1400m) of the Hastings racetrack. 'Notwithstanding any unforeseen circumstances, this significant, expert-led investment will allow for a safe and confident return to racing in Hawke's Bay for spring 2026.' The work is necessary to make racing sustainable in Hawke's Bay well into the future, Ballesty and Riddell said. Further planning is under way to determine the long-term vision for racing in the wider Hawke's Bay area, which has also in recent years lost racing at Wairoa. It also includes facilities such as grandstands and other off-track facilities. The two organisations expect to share more detailed updates with members and the public in July, the statement said. 'We would like to thank our East Coast racing clubs who continue to work together to shape a strong and sustainable future for the industry and the community. We look forward to racing returning to the Hawke's Bay region.'
NZ Herald
09-05-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Winter woes may bite racing early with Rotorua meeting under threat
'But there is a lot of rain expected tonight so we will come back first thing in the morning to ensure there is no surface water and it is safe.' If the meeting has to be postponed it would have to be rescheduled for Monday or Tuesday because there are already two thoroughbred meetings on Sunday. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing officials would prefer to hold a postponed meeting rather than abandon it, not just because of the lost revenue for the industry and participants but because of the black type races. While plenty of those in today's $100,000 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup are just getting warmed up for some winter wars, many of the mares in the Rotorua ITM Stakes are using today's meeting as their last shot at black type for the season and will want today's meeting over and done with. One of those is Marotiri Molly, whose trainer Matt Dixon said this is her last major goal of a superb season. 'We have targeted this race and I don't want her ploughing around in the mud through winter,' says Dixon. 'I think it is an ideal race for her. She needed her run last start and has come in much better off in the weights against a horse like Tomodachi, who she conceded 6kg to last time. 'She handles heavy tracks okay so that doesn't worry me. But if it gets really heavy down on the inside later in the day, I am a bit concerned about her ace draw. 'Initially, it sounded good but it won't be if the track gets cut up on the inside. 'One thing that might help her is she has natural speed early so she might be able to get in front of plenty of them and dictate what line she takes around the home turn.' The race becomes harder to work out with every hour of rain but the best-backed mare yesterday was Lux Libertas, who was $7.50 into $6 after the track was downgraded to heavy, a surface she is unbeaten on in four starts. Trentham race on a heavy 10 today, while Ascot Park tomorrow will also be in that range. The only track not starting the weekend rated heavy is Whanganui, where the jumps racing season kicks off on Sunday. Tomorrow's meeting will host two hurdle races and one steeplechase, with the jumps racing community buoyed by the three-year lifeline it has been given after a NZTR review. There have been good numbers of newcomers trialling over jumps and at least three or four overseas jockeys are expected to come to New Zealand for the winter to ride, helping ease the critical shortage of jumps jockeys. The good news for the struggling discipline continued yesterday when the Canterbury Jockey Club announced the stake for this year's Grand National Steeplechase will rise to $200,000, double last year's stake when West Coast won the race for the third straight season. West Coast starts his path towards securing a fourth Grand National title when he contests a maiden flat race at Whanganui tomorrow. West Coast back, heavy 10 tracks and jumps racing. Yes, winter is here.
