Racing boss fears Christmas at the Races could get Saturday boot
“We are just minnows in the fishing scheme of things and being one of the minnows I worry.”
A Southland racing boss believes it is “highly probable” Invercargill’s popular Christmas at the Races event will be booted from its Saturday date in future years.
Southland Racing Club president Sean Bellew fears it will be shuffled to a Friday or Sunday, which could be a blow for the city given the financial spinoff the event provides.
In response to Bellew’s comments, Entain - which is involved in sorting the schedule - said the dates committee process for 2025/26 is underway and “is still quite early in the process”.
“Because of this, Entain can’t comment on any discussions relating to the 2025/26 calendar whilst that process is underway,” an Entain Australia and New Zealand spokesperson said in a statement.
The Southland Racing Club has not been advised of any looming shift for its Christmas at the Races meeting at Ascot Park.
Bellew said he is simply “reading the climate” which is why he has made such a prediction.
He believes the Christmas at the Races meeting will be held on a Saturday in 2025, but his concerns centre on 2026 and beyond.
The thoroughbred Christmas race meeting is one of Southland’s most-attended single-day annual events.
Bellew said there will be a sell-out crowd of 6000 at the 2024 Christmas at the Races at Ascot Park this coming Saturday.
He believes there will be an attempt to move Invercargill’s Christmas meeting from a Saturday to provide an opening for a higher-profile meeting in a bigger centre.
Many view Saturday as the marquee day for race meetings in the thoroughbred code.
“We are like a third-grade cricket team, and they will say we shouldn’t be on the main oval,” Bellew said.
“We are just minnows in the fishing scheme of things and being one of the minnows I worry.”
“Trentham [Wellington] wanted to push in this year and have a race day on our day, so they applied for a race day.
“We cited the case that we weren’t the worst performing club on the day, so it’s imperative that people bet,” Bellew said.
While the Christmas meeting in Invercargill attracts good numbers on course, the key revenue driver for TAB NZ and Entain is betting turnover - both on and off course.
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Last year it was announced that global gambling giant Entain had signed a 25-year strategic partnership with the TAB NZ and committed to invest $900 million in the racing industry over five years.
TAB NZ had faced increasing competition, rising costs, capital constraints, and other challenges, which have impacted its ability to deliver adequate funding to racing.
Entain is making significant moves to try to improve the financial outlook for racing in New Zealand.
Bellew urged Entain to continue to think about regional New Zealand and the impact an event like the Christmas at the Races on a Saturday can have on a place like Invercargill, both socially and economically.
“It worries me that an internationally-owned organisation won’t see the social and economic benefits to the region. That’s my concern.”
An Entain Australia and New Zealand spokesperson said Entain is just one member of the Dates Committee, which also includes Tab New Zealand and the three racing codes.
If the Southland Racing Club’s December race meeting is eventually shifted from a Saturday, Bellew said the club would likely push for a Friday twilight Christmas at the Races meeting.
“It’s not a discussion I’d like to have, but if I had to have it then I’d prefer a Friday to Sunday.”
Many of the racegoers at Christmas at the Races in Invercargill are there for end-of-year work functions and Bellew didn’t think Sunday would be all that appealing given it was “a school night”.
He said the last race would be required to run one hour before sunset which meant they could easily hold that last race at 8pm in Invercargill on a Friday night.
Although we are talking hypotheticals, given there has not actually been any official pointer that the Christmas at the Races meeting will be shifted from a Saturday.