The weekly turnover reports continue to bring good news when it comes to our Year To Date comparisons.

While we have seen a small increase in the number domestic thoroughbred races (+3.4% on YTD last year), the number of starts has increased by 20.7% and this has been reflected in turnover being up 15.8%.  It confirms the long-held belief that customers find competitive fields an attractive betting prospect.

The downstream effect of increases in turnover can have a positive impact on NZTR’s returns to the industry which is good news.   We acknowledge though that there might be a level of frustration for trainers when they are not presented with the perfect race; perfect draw and perfect track conditions but need to get a run into their horse. 

Trainers do vote with their feet though, and this was clear with the cancellation of Sunday’s Wanganui meeting.  This meeting, which was to be the culmination of a truncated jumping season, attracted just 14 nominations across the four jumping races programmed, of those 14, five were entered in other races or meetings.

We were able to ensure the amateur riders’ event, the historic Duke of Gloucester Cup, was transferred to the Otaki programme on Thursday, 5 November.  Next season, hopefully without a disruption akin to Covid-19 and our enforced lockdown, our jumping races will return to a more traditional place in the calendar.

Our focus over the next week tends to drift across the Tasman as Flemington takes centre stage, firstly with this weekend’s racing.   VRC Derby day has long been considered “purist’s day” with every race on the calendar holding Group status.  It is a fitting curtain-raiser to next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup day, when even those with no knowledge of racing are lured into office sweepstakes or head to the TAB to back a horse selected based on a favourite colour, name or any random combination of reasons.

New Zealand racing will continue to provide good support cards across both days, and we look to our turnovers to remain strong.

*This column has also appeared in RACEFORM