The Corner with Garry Chittick

Mary and I had a great weekend. As usual, Taupo Race Club put on a couple of days that encourage you to go to the races. The lead-in to the day was an hour or so at the iconic Yacht Club Bar – an easy place to be, perched above the lake: wine, beer and pizzas provided. A chance to meet and greet, bearing in mind the visitors that make the effort to attend. Central it may be, but Taupo is not the home of many horses, so what is it that attracts its supporters. The track was rated a heavy 8, that, when you consider it is not yet spring is a good reason, it wasn’t the climate with a blast of ground-level snow on the Desert Road and a southerly skimming across the short distance to Taupo, track conditions and that most intangible of all, hospitality. The Club, under the stewardship of its Chairman, has succeeded where so many fail – it is a place to be, a destination.

Now this is not just a one-day wonder; an effort is made to create a need to be part of it for all their licence days. On top of that, the use of their track for the early trials is the Club accepting their responsibility to get the show on the road. Ironically, that is why they have escaped the scalpel of Project Stamina; geographically, they would have been knifed. Think of the clubs nearer to the horse population, nearer to the people, who are up for the chop. Is it their fault, if they performed as Taupo do then would they too have survived – I doubt it.

I think we need to be wary of Entain’s finger in the pie; of course they are right when suggesting we might all have more to share if our wagering was focussed on bigger venues. You know, take Breeders’ Stakes from the venue that created the race and so on, but that ignores the people that attended Taupo, where there was a remarkable number of owners and breeders, never mind you have heard it all before.

Then Taupo attracted a smorgasbord of our leaders: the new Chairman, Members’ Council, Board Member (not more than one, as the rest have rarely been racing), one of the new six General Managers – this was great, surprising, but great.

But a chance far too good for Garry to miss: Members’ Council first, after all it is their wisdom that has provided our Racing Board. The new General Manager was not convinced he had five equally ordained General Managers, but with the use of his fingers he was surprised to confirm I was right. Our new Chairman, I have known a long time – he was patient, but he will need to be with a Board of non-racing support. I have a new reader who occasionally offers me a little biblical advice; well, by the end of my couple of days, I was reminded of the maths of Jesus and his disciples: seven board members, six General managers – twelve, and him. I wonder which will be crucified.

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