The Livamol Classic Raceday in October. Last year's event was badly hit by Covid restrictions. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hawke’s Bay Racing Incorporated made a cash profit of $52,344, after depreciation, for the 2021-22 racing season, which was seen as a pleasing result in what was a difficult and trying year for the club.
The then chief executive officer Darin Balcombe said in his report, tabled at Tuesday’s annual meeting, that Hawke’s Bay Racing headed into the season with the hope of putting Covid regulations behind them and launching into the Bostock NZ Spring Racing Carnival on a positive note, with a sell-out of all hospitality options.
“Thus it was devastating for everyone at Hawke’s Bay Racing when news came through that the Covid restrictions were not going to be lifted prior to the spring carnival,” Balcombe said.
“With each of the three days needing to be run under a different set of restrictions, the administration burden was heavy. Returns to the club were negatively impacted as the restrictions meant a vast majority of our members were unable to attend.”
Hawke’s Bay Racing had to refund more than $500,000 of hospitality revenue for Livamol Classic raceday, which proved a massive exercise, but was still able to provide a professional product and a relatively successful carnival.
“Despite a season full of uncertainty, and with restrictions prevailing throughout the season, it is pleasing to be able to report a cash profit of $52,344 after depreciation,” Balcombe added.
On-course totalisator income for the year totalled $418,778, which was down considerably on the previous year’s figure of $543,153.
Bar and private function sales from the race days were also down significantly - from $610,516 to $287,104 - while race meeting sponsorship dropped from $262,683 to $202,480.
Other race meeting income amounted to only $636 compared with $121,659 in the year ending 2021.
New chief executive Aaron Hamilton told the members at Tuesday’s annual meeting that a cash profit of more than $52,000 was a very good result considering the difficult year.
He said a return of $15,000 from farming the centre of the racetrack was a significant revenue boost, compared to $3957 the previous year, and he is keen to promote the racecourse as a venue for Hawke’s Bay community events in the future.
Club president Eliot Cooper told members that, during the year under review, Hawke’s Bay Racing had been able to purchase a 14 hectare parcel of land on Railway Rd, Hastings, to ensure the club had options going forward.
It is common knowledge that, due to the range of ages of the buildings on the Hastings racecourse, few will be up to the new building standard of earthquake resistance and some may present hazards in an earthquake of sufficient size.
It is likely that some, or all, of the buildings will need remedial work in due course in the interests of safety.
Cooper said the Hastings District Council was keen to purchase the present Hastings racecourse property but that the Hawke’s Bay Racing Board remained committed to ensuring that it could create a plan that will deliver on a long-term strategy.
“This includes providing a venue that is fit for purpose and enhances the experience of all stakeholders on racedays plus other events that benefit the Hawke’s Bay community,” he said in his report.
Cooper told the members that a minimum of 40ha was needed to build a new racecourse and the club has been trying to negotiate with the owners of neighbouring properties to the Railway Rd block in regard of prospective future sales.
He said that a costing of a new racecourse on a greenfield site has been done, based on the most recent one done at the Murray Bridge racecourse in South Australia, and the figure was around $40 million.
“The location of the club is not a decision to rush into or make lightly, therefore the land acquisition on Railway Road is one of many avenues we are exploring,” Cooper added.
“As other options are explored during the 2023 financial year, we look forward to progressing to a point where we can provide clarity to our stakeholders regarding the Club’s future direction. This will involve consultation with our members and engagement with the Poverty Bay, Wairoa and Waipukurau racing clubs to ensure that we cement a strong future for racing on the East Coast.”
Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers is no stranger to success on Australia’s Warrnambool track and he will be looking to extend that record on Sunday with Botti in the A$288,000 Jericho Cup (4600m).
The well-travelled galloper booked his ticket across the Tasman with victory in the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton last month and Myers said Botti has thrived since arriving at his good friend Patrick Payne’s Plumpton Park barn in Victoria.
“He has done everything right,” Myers said.
“Patrick Payne took him down and gave him a run around the course yesterday [Tuesday] and everything seems okay.”
The son of Jakkalberry has won three of his last four starts, finishing runner-up in his other outing, and Myers said he has appreciated the return to flat racing after a stint over hurdles.
“He has come right,” Myers said. “He is going well on the flat, but he is not a good jumper and loses too much ground at the jumps.
“His form is good, but he is one of those horses where, if the jump doesn’t come up right then he loses a length at every fence.”
While most of Myers’ success has come in the form of jumpers in Australia, he said he would love to add the Jericho Cup to his mantle.
Inaugurated in 2018, the Jericho Cup is open to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses only to mark the Anzac origins of the race, commemorating the light horse involvement in World War I and run on the fourth Sunday after the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The original Jericho Cup was run in 1918, over three miles, through desert sands and its 100th anniversary was marked with the introduction of the modern Jericho Cup.
The New Zealand influence on the Jericho Cup has quickly taken hold, with the first three winners all bred in New Zealand - High Mode, Ablaze and Count Zero - before Australian-bred Wil John landed the prize last year.
But there has not yet been a New Zealand-trained winner, and the Covid pandemic prevented any Kiwi involvement in both 2020 and 2021, so Myers is keen to make his mark with Botti, who will be ridden by Hastings-born jockey Shaun Fannin and carry topweight with 70kg.
“It would be a great race to win, they are doing a great job over there with the race. It is getting stronger and stronger every year,” Myers said.
No plans have been made for Botti following Sunday’s race, although Myers said there is a possibility he could remain in Australia.
Hastings trainer Guy Lowry had good reason to smile following the impressive win by Ethereal Star in last Saturday’s Listed $90,000 Barfoot & Thompson Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe.
Ethereal Star is a 2-year-old filly by Snitzel out of the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) placegetter Eleonora and Lowry has a promising older half-sister to the filly in his stable.
Named Belcamina, the Lowry-trained daughter of Savabeel has had one start for a fourth over 1200m at Wanganui back in May and that followed a third in a 1050m Taupo barrier trial.
The now 4-year-old was turned out for a lengthy spell but has come back in good order and finished a good third in a 1000m Hastings jumpout last month.
Both horses were bred by prominent Wellington owner-breeder Lib Patenga, who still owns Belcamina but sold Ethereal Star for $600,000 at this year’s Karaka yearling sales.
The latter had caught the eye when finishing second on debut over 1000m at Te Rapa on November 5, making up good ground in the home straight.
The extra 100m of last Saturday’s contest suited her and she balanced up nicely in the heavy-9 track conditions, after making the home turn three-wide, and charged clear in the final stages to win by 1-3/4 lengths.
Winning trainer Andrew Forsman was delighted with the way the filly coped with the heavy track, with the win comfortably qualifying her for the $1m Karaka Million (1200m) on the same track on January 21.
“You are always nervous when the track is the way it was and you don’t know whether they are going to handle it, but there were only seven runners and black type was up for grabs,” Forsman said.
“She was going to go out for a spell whatever happened, so it was great to see her win like that.
“She won’t need another run before the Karaka Million.”
Her win takes her to the top of the qualifying table for the Karaka Million, ahead of a trio of Mark Walker-trained runners in Rhetorical, Balance Of Power and Viva Vienna.
Winning rider Wiremu Pinn, who picked up the mount after Ryan Elliot withdrew from his rides on the day, was critical of his own performance but taken by the way Ethereal Star found the line in the run home.
“She is a really nice horse as I didn’t do her any favours being out three-wide, with no cover,” he said.
“She travelled well all the way and I think she will be even better on top of the ground, as she won with a bit of authority today.”
Both Ethereal Star and Belcamina are great-granddaughters of the four-time Australian Group 1 winner Ethereal, whose victories included the 2001 Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.
Eli Carroll saw the water filling with blood and knew he was in trouble.