Harness racing set to use only four venues after we come out of coronavirus lockdown

Harness racing is set to be conducted on only four of the country’s tracks as the needs of the TAB and the industry take priority over individual clubs in a new COVID-19 landscape.

Harness Racing New Zealand had been keen to restart racing post lockdown at five racetracks but the cash-strapped Racing Industry Transition Agency is understood to be firm on initially using only four, citing the need to be more cost-effective by not moving personnel around the country.

The four venues earmarked are Auckland, Cambridge, Addington and Ascot Park in Invercargill, with Auckland and Cambridge to run in alternate weeks until the number of horses fit to race increases.

Industry leaders are more confident after canvassing trainers in the last week that there will be enough horses to run meetings in June or July, with racing likely to start first in the south.

While public tracks are closed during the level 4 lockdown, many horses are still being worked up to half pace on trainers’ private tracks, many more in Canterbury than Auckland and the Waikato.

With track fees paid by 170 to 180 horses a month at Pukekohe, which remains closed, Auckland officials are reluctant to programme race meetings too soon, some time in July the best guess for a resumption.

One thing is certain, stake levels will drop, especially at Auckland, the club no longer able to supplement basic prizemoney while it is haemorrhaging money on its building development, losses already topping $70 million with expensive legal battles still to be fought.

* In other disturbing news today it has been revealed that for the first time the number of mares bred in a season has dropped below 2300.

Just 2171 individual mares were served, down from 2333 the previous year. That means the foal crop is likely to be not much more than 1500.

In the last 10 years the number of mares served has declined 35%. In 2011, 3365 mares were bred. Three years earlier the number was 4074.