After weeks of speculation, the immediate future of Gallop South has been assured.
All but one of its member clubs have confirmed their commitment to stay at a board meeting in Dunedin this week, chairman Peter Grant said.
The Gore, Winton, Wairio, Wyndham, Riverton, Tapanui, Kurow, Waikouaiti, Central Otago, Beaumont and Southland thoroughbred racing clubs are all administered by Gallop South.
However, the Southland Racing Club has signalled its intention to leave at the end of this month.
If it does, Southland Racing Club will take away one of Gallop South's biggest sources of income.
Member clubs pay a race-day fee and the Southland club has been Gallop South's largest contributor through its five race days each season
That means the medium to long-term future of Gallop South will depend on structural changes.
''All of the clubs are committed to working together. It all depends on getting a model up and running that can be sustained,'' Grant said.
Gallop South is coming is off a deficit of more than $35,000 from its last full financial year, and the remodel was a work in progress, Grant said.
Staffing costs - its biggest outlay - could be the first expense to be cut.
Board members previously told the Otago Daily Times that staff restructuring could be possible at the organisation.
Gallop South spent $189,008 of its total operating expenses of $255,457 on wages and salaries during its last full financial year.
What could further complicate the remodelling is the signalling by Southland Racing Club president Sean Bellew that his club might stay in the fold.
Bellew described his club as having separated, rather than being divorced, from Gallop South.
Grant said the Southland club would need to decide soon what it was doing as its withdrawal letter said it would be effective from the end of this month.
However, the process may not be a wasted one should Southland remain.
Gallop South board members told The Otago Daily Times in June that the organisation was in need of structural changes, before the Southland Racing Club notified its intention to withdraw its membership.
