Dannevirke: Fan pushes to keep rural race days

A small crowd attended the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club's annual rural race day recently. Photo / Christine McKay

With the majority of rural race clubs having their race days cut, Roly Ellis, of the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club, says he doesn't want to see more cuts.

Speaking to Jarrod True of the New Zealand Racing Board at a submissions hearing on council's draft Class 4 gambling and racing board venue policy in Dannevirke, Mr Ellis, a committee member on the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club, was adamant cuts to country racing have already been sharp enough.

"It's fairly disgusting the amount of money the racing board can raise from the TAB in Australia, with very, very little money coming back. Course managers would like this changed.

"I would hate to see Woodville, Waipukurau and Wairoa racing clubs go," Mr Ellis said.

"These clubs bring additional money into their districts."

Mr True said he would like a limit on off-shore betting options, but believes online gambling is here to stay.

"There is a generation growing up who will think it's foreign to go out for entertainment," he said. "The first place they go for entertainment is online and that's how this generation is going to be doing it."