Radical changes for SI programmes

THE programming of South Island thoroughbred races could be radically transformed this month.

The rating bands used to card races will go under the microscope when New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing meets with programming committees in the next three weeks.

The review of South Island programmes has been prompted by comments from trainers at a recent public meeting of the two horse racing codes at Wingatui last month.

The meeting, branded an Industry Conversation, was attended by New Zealand Racing Board boss John Allen and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Bernard Saundry.

Leading Wingatui trainer Terry Kennedy spoke at the meeting and labelled southern

race programmes ridiculous and detrimental to the health of the thoroughbred industry.

Stale and static race programming and unsuitably scheduled racing dates both defied logic, he said.

The programming of races, continually spaced 10 rating points apart, was creating a logjam that does not allow horses to flow freely through the grades, Kennedy said.

Using the same rating 65, 75 and 85 grades on industry race days as on feature race days was a key problem Kennedy identified.

Splitting the grades between industry and feature meetings would better service the horse population, he said.

‘‘Our industry days should be rating 60, 70 and 80.’’

‘‘I think when when you get to 65, 75 and 85 you deserve to run on the feature days.’’

Kennedy also told the meeting that scheduling eight thoroughbred meetings in June in the South Island was crazy.

‘‘They only had to look at the number of horses that went around last year. We were lucky to hold our meetings.’’

‘‘Different horses come into work in June — the spring and summertype horses.

‘‘The winter horses have been in right through and they have had their fair share of racing up until July.’’

The situation was made worse by there being just four thoroughbred meetings scheduled in July and it is likely that four will be confirmed for August, if the same programme is followed from last season.

Bernard Saundry told the meeting he would investigate avenues to address the problems Kennedy raised and has delivered on that promise.

He told the Otago Daily Times he was committed to finding ways to better structure race programmes to best service the horse population.

‘‘We agree that the issues raised at the Industry Conversation need to be addressed as improving field sizes remains a core objective.

‘‘We have agreed to discuss the treatment of maiden winners and the structure of the rating bands of 657585.’’