NZTROF PRESIDENT'S UPDATE RE TRACK ABANDONMENTS

Greetings Owners,

The Owners’ Federation is deeply concerned about the number of Track Abandonments that have occurred over a number of months, the last abandonment being the Taupo Trials last Tuesday which saw a numbers of Trainers and Owners affected.

Though abandonments have become more prominent of late, I must stress that the safety of the thoroughbred and jockey is paramount in our industry. Below is a statement I share with you from the President
of the Taupo Club:

The Taupo Racing Club would like to apologise to the racing Industry regarding the cancellation of Tuesday's trial date. 
This is to all the participants including Owners, Trainers and Jockeys. 
We have identified the problems and will rectify those for any  future dates. Our Track Renovation programme will commence immediately.
Terry Campbell, President

Firstly, I thank Terry for taking ownership of this matter and sharing this statement, but now let's address the root of the problem: Track Preparation and Funding.

We will continue to have abandonments, but we need to mitigate these as much as possible through good guidelines and management. Extreme weather conditions which are out of our control cannot be mitigated, but poor preparation can. To say the abandonments have become a common event is true but it is a long-term problem that has been with us for a decade, mainly due to a lack of investment or funding from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to help Clubs manage their infrastructure and track maintenance programmes.

Effective management of long-term issues requires a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, intervention, and ongoing support. Collaboration among various stakeholders and communities is essential to address these challenges. It is not a time to constantly pass blame onto people who are attempting to do their best with the resources at hand, and our governing body must take ownership and be more accountable going forth.  

Long-term issues are complex and multifaceted, requiring persistent effort and collaboration to manage effectively. Whether they pertain to the environment or economic disparities, these challenges demand a comprehensive approach by working together to create a more resilient and equitable solution to addressing and overcoming this long-term issue.

So please, less criticism and attacking of people, which is bordering on bullying and contempt, and let's work on more collaboration within our great industry.

Bernard Hickey
President
New Zealand Racehorse Owners Federation