Troubling times in jumps racing
‘‘I’ll do whatever I have to for the survival of racing in Riverton.’’ Barry Leith Riverton Racing Club president
The thought of no jumps racing south of Christchurch beyond 2021 saddens Riverton Racing Club president Barry Leith.
Alarm bells are ringing louder than ever in South Island jumps circles and a recently formed steering committee has until 2021 to revitalise the sport.
Otherwise, the only South Island jumps racing will be held at the Grand National meeting in Christchurch in August.
Jumping races at the three-day meeting are mostly filled with North Island horses.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has given the committee sole charge of programming races for the next two jumps seasons and to create ways of breathing new life into the code in the South Island. If there’s no growth, the axe will fall.
Shortages in the South Island of jumpers, jumps jockeys and riders for training horses over jumps have been concerning trainers and administrators for many years.
North Island jumps jockeys are brought south on race days, as the South Island only has one regular jumps jockey.
‘‘It would be sad to see it go . . . there’s a lot of jumps history here at Riverton,’’ Leith said.
One of the country’s most famous jumps races, the Great Western Steeplechase, is run at Riverton in autumn.
‘‘We’ll support any initiatives to keep jumps racing going.’’
Designated days to enable horses to gain jumping qualifications and to train over jumps are planned in Southland in February and March before the New Zealand jumps season starts at Riverton on April 29.
The steering committee is working on better programming of races. Committeeman Alan Browne, of North Canterbury, said fortnightly jumps racing was being looked at.
NZTR’s jumps co-ordinator, Paul Claridge, of Palmerston North, is the committee chairman.
He said there were early signs of optimism, with an English rider arriving soon to be based at the Otago stable of Brian and Shane Anderton. Discussions were under way to have another one or two United Kingdom jockeys riding in the South Island next year.
Talk of improving jumps racing has led a couple of ex-jockeys think about returning to the saddle, while in Christchurch a syndicate is advertising for members to race one or more jumpers.
The committee plans to network more with North Island trainers to secure jumpers for South Island racing.
Committee member Jo Gordon, of Invercargill, said she knew of two Southland trainers wanting jumpers but they had been unable to find any.
Several North Island jumps trainers have told Claridge that they are thinking about setting up satellite stables in the South Island to bolster race fields next year.
Claridge said the committee’s key goals were to recruit jockeys and riders for training horses over jumps and to get a better dates structure for the code.
‘‘The feedback we’re getting suggests we can turn this [serious problem] around [in two years]. Jumps racing is a passion of everybody on the committee.’’
Meanwhile, the uncertain future of jumps racing is not the only concern for Barry Leith.
The Riverton track is under threat of closing in 2025 in NZTR’s Venue Plan to reduce galloping track numbers in New Zealand.
‘‘I’ll do whatever I have to for the survival of racing in Riverton,’’ Leith said.