Diamond Geezer
Gone But Not Forgotten
- Joined
- May 2, 2003
- Messages
- 13,884
Reported on front page of Racing Post today that Ffos Las, Britain's newest racecourse, will be closed and one of the biggest individual jumping strings dispersed if the track is denied nearly half its fixtures in 2012, as is envisaged under current negotiations on nextyear's calendar.
The dire consequences emerged on Sunday in a serious warning from Ffos Las founder, inspiration and chairman Dai Walters, whose business plan for the course faces being torn to shreds.
Ffos Las, which opened in June 2009 as Wales's first new racecourse for 80 years, is scheduled to stage 29 fixtures this year - 16 granted under the BHA's ‘new racecourse' policy, 12 BHA-owned leasehold fixtures that were acquired through a prize-money bidding process, and one that is self-funded.
However, for next year the BHA has refused to put up the majority of its own fixtures for auction and has decided on applying a cap of 1,400 meetings, which means a cut of at least 80.
The result is that Ffos Las would retain 16 ‘new racecourse' fixtures but lose 12 that were obtained through a competitive bidding process.
Walters said: "It's a very disturbing situation. I'm passionate about Ffos Las, but I'm a businessman and can't run it at a loss. If they leave us with 16 fixtures it would ruin our business plan and we'll lose the racecourse.
"I don't make money out of the business, but I'mcertainly not going to lose money on it. I'll be very annoyed if we do lose these fixtures."
Walters added: "I realise that fixtures may have to be cut because levy income has been halved since we did our original business plan, but we've delivered everything everyone asked of us - an excellent track and facilities, way above many others in health and safety terms, and prize-money that's never been below the Horsemen's Group tariff.
"I'm not asking for money. I just want the fixtures. I can accept a drop of one or two, but not a dozen. It would be very unfair. The answer is common sense."
Walters said he believed that losing the racecourse, as well as hitting the racing industry, would be "one of the biggest blows to tourism in Wales".
He added: "We had a crowd of 7,500 last Friday, with nearly 1,000 in the hospitality areas. The recession inIreland has meant we haven’t had as much traffic from there as we had hoped, but we still get Irish visitors and the support locally has been very big.
“I know we’ve been good for business in the area because people keep coming up to me and saying so.”
Walters, who has 50 horses in training, spread among a dozen stables, had a further warning.
“I will definitely close the track if they cut me back to 16 fixtures,” he said, “but I will also never own another horse in my life, so there’ll be a big knock-on effect.”
End of report
Don't know if this is toys out of pram syndrome or whether the guy is bluffing, no too sure what he can do about it. Went to the opening meeting there a couple of years ago ( somewhere on here there may be the photos I took that evening). I seem to remember I was fairly impressed even though I could see one or two teething problems needing sorting which I'm sure they have been. Will be a real shame if it comes to pass.
The dire consequences emerged on Sunday in a serious warning from Ffos Las founder, inspiration and chairman Dai Walters, whose business plan for the course faces being torn to shreds.
Ffos Las, which opened in June 2009 as Wales's first new racecourse for 80 years, is scheduled to stage 29 fixtures this year - 16 granted under the BHA's ‘new racecourse' policy, 12 BHA-owned leasehold fixtures that were acquired through a prize-money bidding process, and one that is self-funded.
However, for next year the BHA has refused to put up the majority of its own fixtures for auction and has decided on applying a cap of 1,400 meetings, which means a cut of at least 80.
The result is that Ffos Las would retain 16 ‘new racecourse' fixtures but lose 12 that were obtained through a competitive bidding process.
Walters said: "It's a very disturbing situation. I'm passionate about Ffos Las, but I'm a businessman and can't run it at a loss. If they leave us with 16 fixtures it would ruin our business plan and we'll lose the racecourse.
"I don't make money out of the business, but I'mcertainly not going to lose money on it. I'll be very annoyed if we do lose these fixtures."
Walters added: "I realise that fixtures may have to be cut because levy income has been halved since we did our original business plan, but we've delivered everything everyone asked of us - an excellent track and facilities, way above many others in health and safety terms, and prize-money that's never been below the Horsemen's Group tariff.
"I'm not asking for money. I just want the fixtures. I can accept a drop of one or two, but not a dozen. It would be very unfair. The answer is common sense."
Walters said he believed that losing the racecourse, as well as hitting the racing industry, would be "one of the biggest blows to tourism in Wales".
He added: "We had a crowd of 7,500 last Friday, with nearly 1,000 in the hospitality areas. The recession inIreland has meant we haven’t had as much traffic from there as we had hoped, but we still get Irish visitors and the support locally has been very big.
“I know we’ve been good for business in the area because people keep coming up to me and saying so.”
Walters, who has 50 horses in training, spread among a dozen stables, had a further warning.
“I will definitely close the track if they cut me back to 16 fixtures,” he said, “but I will also never own another horse in my life, so there’ll be a big knock-on effect.”
End of report
Don't know if this is toys out of pram syndrome or whether the guy is bluffing, no too sure what he can do about it. Went to the opening meeting there a couple of years ago ( somewhere on here there may be the photos I took that evening). I seem to remember I was fairly impressed even though I could see one or two teething problems needing sorting which I'm sure they have been. Will be a real shame if it comes to pass.
