TAB cost-cutting sees newspaper fields axed

Live horse racing returns today after the Covid-19 shutdown but punters who aren’t tech-savvy can expect a tough first-up run.

Due to the significant costcutting measures from Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA), the TAB is no longer supplying its tried and tested form guide to New Zealand newspapers for the first time in several decades.

The TAB’s phonebet betting service is also gone, with phone bets only able to be placed via touchtone.

Trackside Radio is gone from the AM frequency with punters having to go stream race audio via the TAB app or website.

But Stuff understands the NZ Racing Desk, which is funded separately from RITA, will continue its editorial racing service.

That service is also distributed to the mainstream media.

Stuff editorial director Mark Stevens said the TAB’s decision was unfortunate for the racing fans among newspaper readers, as it means Stuff’s mastheads would no longer carry race form.

‘‘Those with an interest in form, fields and results will hopefully know the alternatives for finding those, and we will continue to carry editorial coverage of key race meetings and industry issues in our mastheads,’’ Stevens said.

The cuts come despite the TAB, which operates under the banner of RITA, being granted $50 million of the $72m taxpayer-funded Government bailout to the racing industry.

RITA has been in crisis mode due to Covid-19 taking a massive chunk out of its lucrative sports betting market and the shutdown of domestic racing for the better part of two months.

RITA has laid off 230 staff in a desperate bid to save costs, including the face of sports betting in New Zealand Mark Stafford.

But all is not lost with the TAB confirming it is: ‘‘Working with the team at the Raceform publication about their resumption to align with domestic racing getting up and running.’’

Stuff understands that may not come until closer to the time of July 3 when New Zealand’s domestic thoroughbred racing restarts at Riccarton.

The sport’s resumption comes at Addington today, with the second leg of a doubleheader tomorrow due to an abundance of horses being nominated.

Due to the Covid-19 shutdown, Addington will be the first harness racing meeting since March 23.

Addington’s meeting and those for the foreseeable future will be closed to the public, including owners as clubs adhere to strict

Covid-19 protocols.

But when crowds are allowed back on course there will be another inconvenience for punters with the TAB looking to phase out manual betting facilities – aka talking to an operator behind the counter – in favour of an increased number of self-service terminals and improving customer education of its online platforms.

Racebooks will be available, at individual clubs’ discretion, when punters are permitted back on course.

Harness is not the first live racing to return since the Covid-19 shutdown.

Greyhound racing kicked back into action on May 5.