Racing: Resentment at payment to thoroughbred racing board

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) board directors are to be paid.

A resolution to include directors' fees in NZTR's budget was passed at the annual meeting of NZTR in Palmerston North yesterday. The meeting was attended by delegates from around the country.

The NZTR board chairman will receive $40,000 a year while the other eight directors will each receive and annual $15,000, making for a total of $160,000.

The resolution was not, however, passed without much debate.

John Symes, of the South Waikato Racing Club, opposed the change. He said for more than 150 years people had voluntarily taken up positions in their passion for racing.

"It's a sad, sad day for racing when your blokes up there want to be paid," Symes said.

"We have gone 150-160 years in racing when the directors haven't been paid."

Speaking to the board that faced the meeting, Symes said NZTR chairman Guy Sargent was perhaps the only one who put in more hours than most other racing administrators.

"With the exception of you, Guy, I challenge anyone of you to prove to me that you put in more hours for NZTR than I put in for my little club," Symes said.

"What's more, my work doesn't consist of sitting down and getting blisters on my bottom. It consists of getting out and doing physical work and getting calluses on my hands.

"I am in no way unique. I think there are heaps and heaps of people within racing who do vast amounts of work without payment."

Sargent said the job had become much more involved than in years gone by.

"On a personal basis, I would do a minimum of three days, plus phone calls and race meetings at the weekends."

He believed payments might also attract better candidates for the board.


Auckland Racing Club chief executive Chris Weaver backed payment for board directors. He said the racing industry was finally making changes for the better.

"I don't think I came across a more dysfunctional business in my working career than what I experienced when I got into the racing industry."

Another well-discussed topic at the meeting also involved money - a 17 per cent increase in the levies clubs pay to NZTR for its services. Annual levies are to increase from $2.3 million to $2.6 million.

Tim Mills, of the racing club managers, described the increase as hypocritical at a time when NZTR was asking clubs to work within their means.

Mills said a number of clubs had had costs increased by having to meet a new warrant of fitness scheme that was introduced this year.

He said it was also a "bit naughty" of NZTR to suddenly align levies to the consumer price index. Levies had previously been increased when it could be shown how much costs had risen.

The levy increase is, however, the first in five years and Bittar said the actual cost of services was higher than the levies.

- NZPA