Racing club misses out on winter dates

Nelson Harness Racing Club enthusiasts are despairing of their mid-winter meetings ever returning to Richmond. The NHRC was a victim of Covid-19, losing its two-day winter meeting in June 2020 and now has again missed out on the dates being restored to next year’s calendar.

Harness Racing New Zealand’s head of racing and wagering, Matthew Peden, attended the club’s annual summer meeting in January and the feedback seemed positive.

“We were quite hopeful this time, but HRNZ then comes up with new excuses every year,” laments NHRC vice president Kevin Musso. “We pushed hard and put a lot of effort into it, but just couldn’t find room for suitable Friday and Sunday dates in June or mid-week racing in May next year. Preserving our Friday Night Lights coverage from Addington is a priority,” says Matthew.

Nelson’s location also meant a long haul to provide television broadcast services.
“But a possible return is still on the table for 2027,” insists the Australian administrator. That was little consolation for Nelson harness officials, who are very disappointed and increasingly sceptical of getting another crack on their track.

“It is one of the best racing surfaces in the country and Canterbury horsemen loved the winter getaways to Nelson. It was great for their mental health and safety and far more social up here,” declares Kevin, who is the Richmond Park racecourse manager.

He had a recent reminder of just how unappealing winter night racing can be to harness fans in Christchurch when his pacer Buddy Reign won on a miserable, wet mid-week night there.

“My wife Deb and I went to the grandstand out the front at Addington and we were the only ones there. So winter time, I know where I would rather be.”
He is adamant betting turnover from the smaller grassroots clubs is propping up some of the bigger ones.

“We had fabulous figures in January. Probably more than $2.5 million dollars over the two days racing,” says Kevin. That’s despite horse numbers being down because of a meeting being carded at Timaru just two days earlier.

“We tried to get that removed but were unsuccessful there too. We just feel it is a blatant disrespect to our committee.”

Horse racing in Nelson dates back to 1843, just a year after Auckland and Wellington held galloping meetings, but it seems history doesn’t count for much in modern day times.