The Forbury Park Trotting Membership has been given simply two conferences within the 2026-27 calendar.
One can be at Wyndham, two hours away from Dunedin, and one at a venue to be confirmed.
The membership, which has been with out its personal floor since Forbury Park closed in 2021, has had three race dates in 2025-26, together with a gathering at Gore final Sunday and the pre-Christmas dual-code assembly with the Beaumont Racing Membership at Wingatui.
It’s the lack of the dual-code assembly, specifically, that has riled Williams and led him to foretell a grim future for the 134-year-old membership.
‘‘Issues aren’t wanting that flash,’’ he informed the Otago Day by day Occasions.
‘‘New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing are saying they don’t need us at Wingatui any extra.
‘‘I’ve written to ask if it’s a one-off or whether it is everlasting, and I haven’t had the decency of a reply.
‘‘It’s a catastrophe for us. There’s nowhere else for us to go. We’re two hours from nearly wherever.
‘‘It’s in all probability a dying knell.’’
Williams acknowledged there was a component of futility a few membership attempting to maintain going regardless of not having an everyday venue and at a time when the broader New Zealand racing trade was dealing with a litany of challenges.
However he maintained Forbury Park might retain its standing if it was allowed to race at Wingatui.
‘‘Wingatui is there for use, and there may be stress for the 2 racing codes to get nearer, so I don’t perceive it.
‘‘We might provide one other two race days at Wingatui and pay to rent their monitor, and it retains the racing native.’’
The membership had provided free buses for members to go to conferences at different tracks however the actuality was most didn’t wish to must journey to this point, Williams stated.
He additionally fired a broadside at Forbury Park’s father or mother organisation.
Harness Racing New Zealand had ‘‘put the screws in’’ over the scheduling of race conferences.
‘‘They’ve allow us to down by not sticking up for us and never combating for us.’’
HRNZ had thumbed its nostril at Forbury Park by allocating the Dunedin membership’s December 6 race day to Ashburton, Williams stated.
Forbury Park and HRNZ needed to spend time across the arbitration desk after the membership’s venue was offered to the Dunedin Metropolis Council for $13.2 million in 2024.
Williams stated Forbury Park’s share was $1.5 million, which was ring-fenced by HRNZ with the curiosity coming again to the membership, and he was anxious to see the majority of the funds have been poured again into southern harness racing if Forbury Park was finally wound up.
HRNZ stated in an announcement the venue for Forbury Park’s second assembly in 2026-27 was on the membership’s discretion.
Dropping the dual-code assembly at Wingatui was ‘‘disappointing’’. The organisation was eager to take care of Forbury Park’s presence on the monitor however ‘‘thoroughbred necessities of that venue didn’t cater for harness racing because it did the earlier yr’’.
The very fact Forbury Park had retained two dates indicated there was nonetheless a future for the membership, HRNZ stated.
Normal supervisor of racing Mitch Lamb stated the choice to take away the dual-code assembly at Wingatui from the racing calendar was not made “unilaterally” by NZTR.
“NZTR’s function is to work with golf equipment, Harness Racing New Zealand and the TAB NZ Dates Committee to facilitate the event of the racing calendar,” Lamb stated.
“In relation to the December assembly, NZTR took the view that retaining the date would influence the monitor renovation and upkeep interval required forward of Wingatui’s key summer time race days.
“That strategy was supported by the calendar growth course of, and NZTR is at the moment working with Harness Racing New Zealand on various scheduling choices.”
hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz
