It is more of the same for the main horse racing clubs in Otago next season, although extra stakes in the coffers is long overdue.
That is the view of Otago Racing Club chief executive Andre Klein as the club prepares for 13 meetings - the same number as last year.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has managed to hold steady with meeting numbers, despite a declining horse population, although Klein is frustrated by the lack of support for the lower South Island.
''There are no real changes at all,'' Klein said.
''We're not anticipating any changes in meeting classifications despite our requests to see a few changes.
Klein was disappointed on two fronts about the meeting on September 26 remaining a tier-2 feature meeting, with top stakes of $15,000 on the day.
''We're disappointed that's not a feature meeting - running for that sort of stakes on at Saturday doesn't do anyone any favours,'' he said.
''We've had four to five years of no promotion of meeting classifications. We need something down here to make people feel like we have a future.''
The club's meeting in early March is the last feature meeting until Melbourne Cup day in early November.
''As we have the second-most strategic racing venue in the South Island, I find that disappointing.''
Despite Harness Racing New Zealand dropping four meetings (59 races in all) from its calendar, Forbury Park has largely remained steady other than some shuffling of dates to move towards its strength - winter racing.
It has lost its late January date due to the way the statutory days fell around the New Year but the club and Harness Racing New Zealand are looking for a solution to regain that meeting at another point.
If that is successful, the club will have 23 meetings again this season.
''We've moved some around so we're racing weekly more in June and July rather than having fortnight gaps,'' Forbury Park Trotting Club general manager John Ayoub said.
''We're finding that in that fortnight gap, some trainers are putting horses out because the weather gets a colder and they haven't got the motivation.
''From May through to July, we're just about racing every week.''
One notable winner is the Waikouaiti Trotting Club, whose March meeting, run on behalf of the Eastern Districts Racing Club, has been moved from a low-key Tuesday to an afternoon meeting on the Thursday of the same week.
The youth versus experience drivers' series held at the meeting has been well received, with the inclusion of Australian driversan added attraction to punters in Australia.
