More projects loom for the Otago Racing Club committee as the club strives to become a centre of excellence in the thoroughbred industry.
That was the message from Otago Racing Club president Dean Lawrence when presenting a net profit of $214,393 to the annual general meeting at Wingatui yesterday.
Lawrence, who was re-elected unopposed for his third and final term as president, was pleased with the return, which was helped by a bump in race-day income.
''Our race income is up and that's up against a pretty tough financial year as far as our race meetings go, with a couple of not-so-good weather days and an abandonment,'' Lawrence said after the meeting last night.
''We're happy with the support we've been given through our public.
A surplus of $407,345 from race meetings was transferred to the club's general statement.
The growth areas had been in bar and function income and admission fees.
The club's general expenses were about $63,000 more than last year. Much of that came through the club's application to subdivide an area on the Gladstone Rd North boundary of the racecourse, although the sale of the caretakers' house halfway through the year did assist the bottom line.
While improvements to the function centre to attract more business are in the pipeline, the most important racing-related project will be the installation of a plastic running rail around the course.
The cost has been estimated at $120,000 to $140,000 but the club was told this week that $40,000 will be contributed by the Racing Safety Development Fund and Lawrence expects some assistance will come from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.
''Really it's securing the future of racing at Wingatui,'' he said.
''Where I'm trying to come from is that we, as a venue, will have a compelling case for having more race meetings here and supporting the region to have more race meetings as well.''
The club has appealed the Dunedin City Council's refusal to grant it subdivision and land-use consent, the outcome of which could decide its next big-picture moves.`It's obviously one of those things where we have to go through the process,'' Lawrence said.
''If the subdivision goes through, Wingatui will move towards being a centre of excellence. If not, we just need to prioritise and look at the one or two things that will make Wingatui an attractive place to train a horse.
''One of the first projects will be a horse swimming pool, which will make Wingatui a little bit different.''
Paul and Leanne Richards resigned from the committee before moving to the North Island, and the long-serving former president Marion Stevenson has stepped down, along with Lachie McLachlan.
New or returning faces on the committee are former jockey Andrew Taggart and trainers Anna Swainson, Terry Kennedy, Steven Prince and Shane Anderton.
The members at the annual meeting voted to keep membership at $60 for at least the 10th straight year.
Lawrence, meanwhile, will be simply hoping to shed the wet-weather president tag which he thinks has dogged him in his time in the position.
''It's always a nervous time. On Melbourne Cup day we were busy poring over the MetService forecast and it never looks very good - Cromwell was exactly the same and we got through that.
''I'm really hopeful we get a great day for Boxing Day. That's our family day for the Dunedin community. We've got so much planned as far as kid's entertainment - and there will be good horse racing as well - that it could be a bumper day this year.''
