Cover image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Members voted unanimously for the merger, which will see the birth of Auckland Racing Incorporated on August 1, 2021, and a mandate to sell valuable land holdings at both Pukekohe Park and Ellerslie.
Investment returns will then be injected back into stakes with a target of NZ$100,000 Saturday races and a Strathayr track to be laid at Ellerslie with work to begin in March, 2022.
Counties members gave the green light to the merger proposal at a meeting on Tuesday and Auckland members voted to seal the deal on Thursday at a meeting attended by about 130 members.
Auckland Racing Club Chief Executive, Paul Wilcox, was delighted with the outcomes and stressed it was for the betterment of all New Zealand racing and its stakeholders, and to hopefully turn heads further afield.
“We have to keep our owners and increase ownership in New Zealand and retain the talented horses. This is about other clubs in the country and keeping those horses that could potentially be sold because the owners will be getting a decent return,” Wilcox said.
“We have to keep our owners and increase ownership in New Zealand and retain the talented horses.” – Paul Wilcox
“Our trainers’ ranks are tight and we want to keep the likes of Jamie Richards, Andrew Forsman and Stephen Marsh. Then there are some of the new ones like Steve Cole, Cody Cole and Daniel Miller and we don’t want them to think about going overseas.
“We’re not just doing this for the Auckland region, it’s for the industry countrywide.”
Paul Wilcox | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Wilcox is also hoping that increased future purses on offer at Ellerslie may attract overseas interests.
“It’s extremely important to retain talent, both equine and human. If you look at New South Wales, there are a lot of jockeys over there that are not riding at the big Saturday meets and they are very, very good jockeys,” he said.
“We want to say hey, there’s a lifestyle over here and the ability to race for comparable money so how about increasing the jockey ranks by getting them over here.”
Welcome news
The new venture has now provided the light at the end of the tunnel that domestic participants have been craving for.
“I think it’s wonderful and we saw the performance of the TAB, which was reflected in an increase from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to the codes,” Wilcox said.
“Now we have got some good news which will give some positivity to people it’s fair to say have had a pretty shitty time for quite a few years. It’s neat to be involved in something that our members have supported.
“We can hopefully change the landscape and give people hope. At our vote on Thursday, we only had two of the crowd that were there voted against it.”
The birdcage at Ellerslie | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Among the land packages to be sold will be the famous Ellerslie hill area.
“The hill is probably the one we wanted to be very transparent with, it’s the biggest talking point and there’s other land assets both here and at Counties to be sold,” Wilcox said.
“We will work through a process to ensure we get the proper returns and build that investment portfolio. We believe NZ$250 million can be realised and that will include some land at Counties.
“We will work through a process to ensure we get the proper returns and build that investment portfolio.” – Paul Wilcox
“That is our goal, but it is our responsibility to try and make it much more than that. Having those different pockets of land play a different part in the market and we’re not reliant on residential or commercial, there’s many ways of selling or holding on to the land if the market’s not right."
With Ellerslie to shut its door from March next year to install the Strathayr track, a number of 2023 feature events will be relocated.
“We will work with all the different parties and, for example, with the Karaka Million we have talked freely with Andrew Seabrook at New Zealand Bloodstock,” Wilcox said.
“We think the Karaka Million would be a perfect fit to go to Counties. Then we will work through where the best venue is to pick up the Auckland Cup and the Vodafone Derby.
“Our goal at this stage is that at the back end of 2023 we will start to get back into racing at Ellerslie. From August 1, 2021 to 2026, there will be strategic increases in prizemoney as we go along with the target of NZ$100,000 Saturday races at Ellerslie."
The Karaka Million may be run at Counties in 2023 | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
New industry chapter
Counties Racing Club Chairman Mark Chitty, of Haunui Farm, said the merger is a game-changer for thoroughbred racing.
“This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our industry. ATR will be aiming to double the average stakes money per race to NZ$100,000 to retain industry participants and attract young people into the industry.
“We have an opportunity now to ensure that the next generation of trainers, owners, breeders, jockeys and racegoers have a reason to stay involved in our sport locally, and in the long-term.
Mark Chitty | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“We were very pleased with the result. A lot of time and effort had gone into it and a lot of consideration, and the result gives you the confidence to go forward.
“We have been given a clear mandate and we believe 100 per cent in what we are doing, so it’s up to us now to implement it and there will be a number of people involved in that implementation.
“I think it is a wonderful thing for the industry and great for northern racing. The development of the Strathayr surface at Ellerslie is going to be very important and then at Pukekohe Park it will be the development of the training facility.
“Alongside that it will be the realisation of the surplus land to the benefit of the industry, how that is reinvested, and those returns will benefit the industry by the way of stakes and improved facilities.”
