The Corner with Garry Chittick

Are there any benefits in growing older. Well, so long as your memory has not yet failed, then there is the knowledge accumulated from past experience. Like me, many as we age develop a strong sense of cynicism; you know, we’ve seen it all before. 

So I know my views on Project Stamina are of little consequence. After all, my two readers have had the patience to sift through my many observations for some time. However, it would be cowardly, having previously had plenty to say, not to add to the many opinions of the Project which will undoubtedly be shared.

I have found in life the ability to sort the wood from the trees is a talent few share. This document is a repeat of many past attempts to make sense of our industry. When Chairman of the Racing Board, we were subjected to statutory audits; these cost around $400,000, which of course we paid. Peter Neilson, on retiring from Parliament, was commissioned to produce a future plan at exorbitant cost; John Messara did it for nothing, so you can see by now we should have found the way forward. Then again, rather than spend another large fee, aren’t we now blessed with a rockstar Board, let alone the executive lineup of six new general managers to support the Chief Executive.

Now, I happily put my hand up in defence of the earlier administrators (of which I was one, so I would defend them). I have recently read a well-penned critique of our time; no problem, there were of course many. But to return to my many Corners in which I reminded you two of why we exist, we continue to race because we enjoy the sport, we love our horse – just as importantly, we enjoy the unique racing fraternity.

Does this master plan address the spread of community involvement? To do so, it cannot be all bottom line; to retain horse ownership there has to be a spread of opportunity. Hence there are going to be venues that are marginal. Those venues and participants contribute to the cost so they can share their love of the sport. The Messara Report promoted rationalisation, yet under the chairmanship of Racing NSW none occurred. Queensland has recently commissioned yet another paper; the result is significant investment in rural racing. 

However, I am not suggesting we do not need to address the issues to future-proof the sport. I am not going to address club by club as in the report, but one does need to address the so-called benefits. The suggestion of the Advisory Group that there is $700 million locked up I haven’t seen verified, another that has me interested is $19 million in administrative savings if the two Codes raced under One Racing, show us the numbers. To load on the Government our Integrity costs of $20 million would be great, except to say involve any Government department if it’s their money they will want to run it.

Another that confuses me is how is the capital from any sale addressed; does 100% return to the code? I hear all sorts of stories about Avondale, too many to write about. There will of course be many fights; Otaki is part of the local Māori community. The case for Wellington is mixed, but to take the sport from a population of 400,000 and retain Woodville makes sense?

Of the venues for the chop, there are three still racing; the rest probably have a number of horses in work. The combined value of those would be enough to keep me so long as I stop racing; the couple of value ones racing and one not will, of course, because their location will continue to grow in value.

By the way, the purchase of more land to enable more horses to be trained in Matamata but not race there really makes sense.

Best of luck to our leaders from the outside looking in. Having been there, I know it’s a difficult balance; let’s hope they get it right.

Perhaps they should start at home – the combined cost of running NZTR and Racing Integrity of around $10,000 per race would be a start.

Finally, will someone inform us what the plus is in the proposed One Racing. Based on available information, it would just be doubling our problems.

G

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