Peters needs to stay on ‘track’
OPINION: Talk about timing. No sooner had Winston Peters been named in his old job of Racing Minister, than a race meeting was abandoned.
The Wingatui track could not cope with some light rain, with a horse slipping in the first race. The track was deemed too dangerous for horses and jockeys, so yet expensive loss was inflicted on the industry.
It’s familiar tale of woe but far far worse than when Peters was last racing minister, again in a Labour-led government, from 2005 to 2008. The winter and now the spring have been heavily disrupted by abandoned meetings, because of unusually heavy rainfall and in many cases tracks that can’t cope with rain because they are not up to standard.
It’s one of the big ailments of the racing industry – for years the calls for synthetic tracks have been rebuffed because the industry bodies said they couldn’t afford them. They are back on the agenda, but no decisions have been announced by industry leaders.
The other big bugbear of horse owners is that stakemoney is too miserable to allow them to stay in the game, though minimum stakes were recently raised in the three codes - thoroughbred, harness and greyhound.
In this environment that Peters re-enters the game.
He’s worshipped by many in the industry after being far more hands-on than previous racing ministers during his three-year term. And that goes for those who have succeeded him. He got a reduced tax deal for the industry and persuaded Labour to match industry funds to introduce $1 million-plus races, including the $2.2 million New Zealand Derby. When National came to power and had to deal with the global financial crisis, the appetite for subsidising racing stakes soon disappeared - and the big race stakes mostly plummeted. In 2008 Peters announced six million-dollar races; this year there are two.
NZ First’s racing policy, released before the election, is supported by Labour in their coalition agreement.
It’s a policy lacking in detail, so industry leaders and punters alike will been keen to get a better idea of what is being offered.
It promises a return to the marquee racing plans and prizemoney initiatives Peters introduced when he was last minister.
Indeed, the policy indicates a winding back of the clock to those years, with statements such as ‘‘Return New Zealand racing to what it was good at.’’
The document also makes the quizzical statement: ‘‘Defend the historic, modest share of the racing industry, to lawful gambling proceeds, against unreasonable attacks.’’
Peters will have many on-side by pushing for an urgent review of the operations and costs of the New Zealand Racing Board, but that might also lay cause for question marks over the big money races that NZ First promotes.
In these straitened times for the sport, the racing board has borrowed some $24 million to prop up minimum stakes on the gamble that the returns it will get - from a new fixed odds platform and levies imposed on overseas bookmakers will clear the loan and finance the stakes. But the levies are part of legislation that is yet to be passed by Parliament, so the returns, if they are good as the board estimates, are some way away.
It’s going to be a fascinating ride.
❚ Lucy Tanner’s faith in Heavens Keep was rewarded at Hawke’s Bay last time out with an effort that has fuelled a longer-term Group One dream, writes NZ Racing.
The Awapuni horsewoman produced the son of Savabeel for his seventh career success last Sunday when he trumped a competitive Rating 85 field, with stakes performer Camino Rocoso finishing runner-up.
Tanner also has high hopes the stable role can continue today at New Plymouth where To Sir With Love steps up to a middle distance in the Methven Tapware Supporting Life Trust Maiden (2000m).
“He’s still a bit fragile and you have to kid him to keep him happy,” she said. “He’s taken a long time to mature.”
By Tavistock, To Sir With Love has run in the money three times from five starts.
His dam Imbudo is by Danehill out of the Group Three-winning Zabeel mare Sybeel.
“I bought the mother at a dispersal sale,” Tanner said. “I picked her up for $4500 and she was in foal, this horse is the result.”