by Brian de Lore
Published 25 March 2022
Well-known publisher and multiple racehorse owner and breeder, Dame Wendy Edith Pye DNZM MBE, has lashed out at NZTR for failing to give racehorse owners the deserved consideration in light of this week’s government announcement to relax some COVID protocols.
Dame Wendy contacted The Optimist yesterday to highlight another unnecessary hurdle for ownership in New Zealand created by a belligerent and bureaucratic NZTR that seemingly discourages owners from attending race meetings.
Dame Wendy said: “As an owner of many horses in New Zealand, I felt very disappointed to receive the NZTR DIRECTIVE FOR THE COVID PROTECTION FRAMEWORKupdate and an invitation from the club to go racing to see Appellant race at Tauranga this Saturday.
“They have not applied the new rules. No consideration is given to the fact that we are still behind a wire fence, have no access to our horse, and more importantly, no picture at the end with the trainer, jockey, and horse, if the horse wins. Owners are special, and NZTR need to recognise that fact”
Govt says: no limits for outdoors. NZTR says: Strictly no admittance to birdcage
The changes to the traffic light system from 11.59 pm Friday 25 March that Dame Wendy refers to says: ‘There will be no limits for outdoor activities, such as gatherings and events. You do not need to wear a face mask outdoors.’
After assessing those changes, NZTR sent a letter to owners the next day with a directive stating: ‘There is strictly NO admittance to the birdcage or any other official area.’ Why? The letter ended with the signature of Bernard Saundry.
When Dame Wendy talks about a wire fence, she only speaks euphemistically, but one may as well exist. The hypocrisy of this continued race day restriction is clear when you consider the owner is allowed to pick up the jockey and drive him/her to the races, drive them home and take them out to dinner. Additionally, no restriction applies to trial days where owners, trainers, and jockeys traditionally engage in close-up chats to evaluate performance.
Dame Wendy is incensed about it because she is passionate about racing and her horses. As an owner of numerous thoroughbreds, she is fully involved and delights in getting to the races whenever possible.
“Maybe they don’t need owners to continue racing,” lamented Dame Wendy. “We have put up with standing behind wire fences under Red. We are still under Red, but after Friday at midnight, we are allowed to be out in the open in large numbers without masks.
…to protect jockeys from getting COVID
“Also, when I queried this policy, on the phone, of no owners allowed in these places like the birdcage, I was told it was to protect jockeys from getting COVID. Sadly COVID will be with us for a long time. Does this mean the jockeys are not allowed to socialise with owners after the races?
“This ruling seems strange as health authorities tell us the best place is out in the open air. In fact, they say there is very little chance of contracting COVID outdoors. I don’t think owners often hug jockeys, but maybe that could be a rule. Sadly, as a committed owner who loves the industry, I see ownership dying.”
Dame Wendy concluded by saying: “I believe COVID will be with us for a long time. Why owners cannot at least be offered some joy from winning or even getting a placing is a mystery to me. It’s time for big and small owners to stand up against these subversive rulings and get racing in line with other jurisdictions, just as we’ve seen in Sydney and Melbourne on trackside.”
Owners today are subjected to decisions made by many people who have never owned anything larger than a cat or dog. Lack of empathy and increased government control is placing the racehorse owner closer to induction to the list of endangered species, with no serious planning underway to arrest the decline.
Australia keeps forging ahead
Several blogs ago, I identified total stakes offered in New Zealand had risen 2.5 percent over a 12-year period, compared to 73.3 percent in Australia for the same time.
Both TAB NZ and NZTR have retained money on deposit instead of increasing funding for increased stakes. Observers on the inside say some directors don’t believe growing stakes at the maiden and R65 level races will improve the industry enough to make a difference – what planet are they from?
High inflation is expected to go over seven percent this year, and sharply rising fuel costs to transport horses will go straight onto the owner’s bill and exacerbate the problem of sustainable racing as stakes money remains static.
Owners pay every single dollar to put racing on, and punters bet enough at present to provide the meagre stakes money for which owners race. Before the allocation of stakes, the administrative cost of running racing, the directors’ fees, and salaried executives are extracted. The latter figure is disproportionate to what’s left for stakes.
The entire problem can be fixed by partnering the TAB with a corporate such as Sportsbet, Entain, or Tabcorp. As a racing nation, we need to start thinking of ourselves as another state of Australia and join them. Partnering is a double-edged sword – increased income while cutting overheads.
What is the future in remaining independent and falling further and further behind Australia?
Tauranga has only 79 runners for eight races before Saturday morning scratchings
Look at the Tauranga meeting tomorrow. Only 79 runners for eight races before Saturday morning scratchings. Stake money is depleting the ranks of owners. Lately, the field sizes have fallen away. Two meetings ago at Trentham, only two of the eight races had fields of double-digit runners.
If we don’t partner the TAB, scale will beat us into obscurity. Sportsbet, for example, spent over $100 million on IT development last financial year. We spent about $5 million. How much ground will we lose annually? The platform is already out-of-date, and the product they offer is not competitive and hasn’t been for quite some time.
How many of the TAB board would fully understand that? They won’t be in favour of partnering, just as turkeys have never voted for Christmas.
Footnote
Apologies to those readers who complained about the extended time lapse between this blog and the previous one. I was looking for something positive to write about, and I’m still looking. Let me know if you hear of something.