If that is the case, those involved with Otago racing at every level can only hope the 2015-16 season will bathe the region in metaphorical sunshine for the next 12 months.
Because this season has been a shocker.
The community has had to deal with tragedy - trainer Steven Anderton's death in February and, just this week, the death of jockey Ross Doherty, who had many friends in the region.
Add that to the Otago Racing Club losing two former presidents in Drew Stevenson and Diana-Marie Strang and you can understand why many in the thoroughbred community will be happy to see the back of this season come Saturday.
However, among the grief, racing again reminded us of its ability to produce the best moments of the sport out of what can only be described as heartfelt pain.
I rewatched the White Robe Lodge Handicap recently. To this day, I can only describe Rory Hutchings' ride on The Diamond One as remarkable. She got posted wide for almost the length of the back straight, before he was able to eventually slot back in near the fence. When the straight loomed, he angled out the mare into a gap and the rest ... well, that will go down in racing history, not only for the unbridled joy from the grandstands as she shot four lengths clear, but also the flood of emotions through the crowd that soon followed.
Compared to life and death, the battles with the Wingatui track this season might pale into insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
But it was a challenge that brought the usual mocking comments from the North Island - few of them useful, of course - and in the end, only minor remedial work was required to ensure racing returned to Wingatui by late May.
The big losers in the abandonments and deferrals were the trainers, who got nothing in return for their long days on the road unless they happened to have a share in their horse.
By comparison, the club's main harness racing venue, Forbury Park, got off relatively lightly - aside from the June floods.
But, as so often happens, the weather gods can smile down upon you and it was a credit to the track staff and contractors (and the fine weather) that the track was back in perfect nick just a couple of weeks later.
The club's winter festival appears to be gaining in momentum and it seems a common-sense approach has been taken by the club to swap dates around so the track gets more meetings during that period and further solidify the festival's spot in the racing calendar.
The Otago Greyhound Racing Club was not immune from track problems this year, although only because of extreme weather at times, and numbers throughout the fortnightly Tuesday meetings remain strong.
While times were tough at stages through the season, there was one clear highlight and that was the Christmas holiday racing, where the sun shone and club officials were left with smiles on their faces after good attendances and good turnovers.
Let's hope for more of that on and off the track next season. We certainly need it.
