Rangiora Open Letter
The following is an open letter from the Rangiora Harness Racing Cub:
The following is an extract from the Rangiora Harness Racing Clubs annual report to its members. The Club seeks the support of the Canterbury Harness Racing Industry to see the Racecourse retained as a racing, trialling and training venue into the future. If you support the retention of the Rangiora Racecourse please send an email HRNZ stating your views (and copy the Club) or if you prefer, please write to HRNZ. The Club really appreciates your support
The Future of the Racecourse
The Club, in respect of its location at the Rangiora Racecourse, is at a very important crossroad.
Racing New Zealand, an organisation created by the 2020 Racing Act to manage racing and made up of representatives of the three racing codes plus two independents, commissioned reports on racing venues firstly in Otago/Southland and then in the wider Canterbury region. We met with representatives of the economics firm Sapere commissioned to undertake the review and were challenged to justify our continued existence, particularly in the face of advice they had received that the Canterbury Jockey Club wanted to exit and see the Racecourse sold. A copy of the Report is available on our website.
The report, when released called for a reduction in racecourses “to reduce costs” and recommended that the Rangiora Racecourse be closed after the 22/23 season and sold to resolve the ownership by CJC and your Club. The recommendations were based on what your Committee considered very faulty reasoning and influenced by a suggested sale price for the property of $15million + gst. The Rangiora Harness Racing Club expects to continue to race at the Rangiora Racecourse into the future and any rumours or suggestions that the property is on the market for sale or has been sold are incorrect.
Representatives of the Committee together with CJC representatives met with Racing New Zealand in September and had the opportunity of challenging the report and its recommendations.
The stated basis of the report was” to reduce costs” but if Rangiora Racecourse was closed our local trainers would need to travel to Ashburton or (less likely) Addington for trials, workouts or training which would very significantly increase travel times, costs and pressure on horses and staff. The course hosts up to 47 trials and organised workouts each season and the majority of harness horses trained in Canterbury are estimated to be within a 40 km radius of the course.
The report ignored the excellence of the all-weather track and extensive work completed on the stands since the earthquakes with both stands over 50% NBS for seismic strength (almost unique in provincial NZ racecourses) and fully compliant for fire and egress standards.The Rangiora Harness Racing Club is a net provider to the harness industry with a positive return on funding on its race days with a turnover/industry funding return of 115% (above the regional average) and a gross betting revenue on turnover of 18.5% matching the regional average.
The most glaring error was the assertion that the racecourse as currently zoned –principally
General Rural – is worth $15 million. We commissioned an independent valuation from a very experienced Registered Valuer who values the property at $5.9 million+ gst.The CJC reps confirmed to Racing New Zealand that they see the Rangiora Racecourse as surplus to their requirements
Your Club has pre-emptive purchase rights for the CJC’s 7/12th share and has received expressions of interest from several local parties keen to partner with the Club in the ownership of the property.
Your Committee’s view is that the Sapere Report and recommendations overall, and particularly in respect of the Rangiora Racecourse to be very thoroughbred centric. We have been asked to present our case to the HRNZ Board meeting on the 7th November where we will ask the HRNZ Board to support the retention of the Rangiora Racecourse for our Harness code.
The Club has received a very supportive letter from the Waimakariri District Council and we welcome the support of our members, trainers and harness enthusiasts through emails of support to HRNZ (Gary.Woodham@hrnz.co.nz). Please copy the Club into your email (rangioraharness@gmail.com).
Greg Wright
President
Rangiora Harness Racing Club