Peter V’landys might have saved rugby league last year but it’s time for him to start focusing on the job he’s paid most to do and run Racing NSW.
The best racing state in Australia has some serious problems and they centre around the quality of tracks, especially in regional areas.
Setting aside the devastating floods in the last week, NSW has a track problem.
To put it simply, when it rains, there are big problems.
By my count, more than 30 meetings in NSW have been impacted by tracks in the last six months. At least 25 have been transferred or abandoned meetings, while Newcastle has made half a dozen changes between its inner and outer track that were not programmed.
Please note that I haven’t included the last week in these figures, as the floods would have put paid to a race meeting on the best-draining tracks.
It’s time for Racing NSW to set aside a bigger budget for race track upgrades in key regional areas.
Outside of Sydney, the locations that need to have tracks capable of handling a decent downpour are Albury, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Gosford, Newcastle, Kembla Grange, Scone, Tamworth, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
These racing hubs service a large number of participants and it is crucial there is enough investment put into them so that races are largely unaffected by rain.
In the short term, some of the tracks on the NSW mid and north coast are going to need major redevelopments after this flooding.
It’s time to launch a track infrastructure fund and find a way to pay for it.
There’s going to be a major spotlight on NSW racing over the next four weeks as part of the Championships program and that would be a perfect time to leverage support.
I know that most Australians would at least be happy to make donations to the trainers impacted by the floods, some of whom had to swim their horses to safety.
But the tracks is a Racing NSW issue and V’landys needs to act now.
ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Regional racetracks keep the industry afloat from Sunday to Friday. Rosehill and Randwick do the heavy lifting on Saturdays, which is the way it should be, but the bush tracks are crucial to the industry.
Punters are more and more confident betting at places like Armidale, Moree, Wellington and Nowra, but they need to be sure they aren’t investing money on goat tracks that can reduce the fairness of racing.
Sometimes the rain will be too much and the industry can cop the odd cancelled meeting, but there have been far too many in the last six months for the issue to be ignored.
If he can save the NRL, Peter V’landys can surely fix this problem.
Affected NSW meetings
(prior to floods)
October 12 – Tamworth transferred to Gunnedah
October 27 – Hawkesbury abandoned
October 31 – Tumut abandoned
November 1 – Goulburn transferred to November 4
November 5 – Hawkesbury abandoned
December 14 – Kempsey abandoned
December 15 – Tamworth transferred to Gunnedah
December 18 – Lismore postponed to December 22
December 22 – Tamworth transferred to Armidale
December 22 – Armidale abandoned
December 31 – Gosford abandoned
January 1 – Port Macquarie abandoned
January 5 – Muswellbrook postponed to January 7
January 10 – Coffs Harbour abandoned
January 12 – Newcastle Beaumont transferred to Quirindi
January 20 – Newcastle Beaumont transferred to Wyong
January 23 – Deepwater abandoned
January 30 – Geurie picnic meeting transferred to Wellington
February 14 – Nowra abandoned
February 21 – Taree transferred to Scone
February 26 – Ballina abandoned
February 27 – Yass transferred to Goulburn
February 27 – Tuncurry transferred to Muswellbrook
February 28 – Armidale abandoned
March 6 – Bingara transferred to Glen Innes
Colin Penrose
Guest
Get him away from Rugby League please. Yes he saved it from Covid but his cure is now worse than the disease. NRL is well and truly rotted with his ridiculous rules.
Davico
Roar Pro
If you are going to troll at least have the minerals to actually open an account! @ The Roar The "guest" rubbish is getting old!!
Davico
Roar Pro
OK! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
max power
Guest
incorrect, randwick holds up quite well in the wet
peter dowdle
Guest
your on the ball country tracks need cash spent on them. wagga is the exception i walked it wed 24/3 after 85ml since sunday. track had no surface water and was firm underfoot track bordering on a 7 but showers forecast today 25/3 (raceday) wagga has had major drainage upgrade. nowra desperately needs that as they have lost last 2 country champ/qualifiers.throw in covid (no melb cup day) nowra has excellant surface (if dry).
Jim
Guest
"I know that most Australians would at least be happy to make donations to the trainers impacted by the floods, some of whom had to swim their horses to safety." This is hyperbole to the extreme I'd expect.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Friday night racing at Canterbury is such a great night out...
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Its about the soil underneath. A lot is clay based, which retain water. Other places in Australia are sand based, which allows water to drain No amount of redevelopment will change that
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
Is there any example to compare with? Say Victoria. Or is this an issue that affects all states?
Davico
Roar Pro
Was not able to get there last season, but try to get out there when possible, especially for the Friday night meetings. Great night out and they do a great job with all the activities for the kids etc. And with the food stalls and cheap beers makes for a great night out.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Taking a closer look at Canterbury fullstop is the best advice to give any punter. If nothing else, the prices in the betting ring compared to what you get with the corps was nothing short of amazing in the last Friday night season.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
This is a trickier issue than you would think, exhibit A is Eagle Farm, although an infrastructure fund is generally a good idea, with caveats. Track conditions and management can require a lot of local knowledge. Unfortunately, controlling bodies can be tempted to make bigger deals to take into account economies of scale. If you're lucky the bigger company shells out more money to hire the locals as consultants, and you spend more money but it works. If you're unlucky they pocket the money and make things worse. So, by all means get V'landy's to do something, but preferably make it at arms length.
Davico
Roar Pro
I still think that Randwick has way more issues but see your point. I will need to take a closer look next time it is a bit wet and they are running at Canterbury
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
At first glance that may seem like it's the case but I think it's just a different problem. Canterbury tends to favour the rail when it's wet so although you don't see the jockeys high five the crowd on the outside fence you have to be very forgiving if horses are back and/or wide at the wet. Not so much a criticism of Canterbury, my favourite track by a country mile, more an observation.
Davico
Roar Pro
I must admit I am not all that familiar with the state of the regional tracks so I will take the input of others. What I do know is that if Randwick gets the slightest bit of rain, the courses, and in particular the course proper is a joke! I don't know if they over water it or what but it does not handle any sort of wet weather at all. Rosehill is slightly better, but they should be looking at whatever they have done at Canterbury, because it is the one track in Sydney that seems to hold true even when there is heavy rain.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
St Peter can't be everywhere performing miracles!
Matt Nicholls
Expert
Hi Max, the call isn't to upgrade those tiny tracks, it's to ensure that major regional racetracks are of a high quality, such as Tamworth.
max power
Guest
a stack of money has gone into redeveloping tracks. its not an easy science - look at newcastle , state of the art and lauded everywhere in 2020, now it has problems. guess what - it rains a lot in nsw at times and some tracks cant handle it but yeah go ahead and put money into deepwater, tumut and geurie there are too many racetracks