John Wheeler has been in the thoroughbred racing industry for decades but he has finally has had enough of what he describes as out-of-control spending by the New Zealand Racing Board.
And by speaking out about frivolous spending, Wheeler hopes the industry leaders listen up.
Wheeler - who has prepared racing cult heroes such as Rough Habit, Veandercross, Poetic Prince and St Steven - is part of the New Zealand Trainers Association executive. He originally aired his frustrations in the Sunday Star Times earlier this month, and reiterated those sentiments on Tuesday night.
''I've always had concerns about the New Zealand Racing Board,'' Wheeler told the Otago Daily Times.
''It's a government body but other than Winston Peters, we've never had a racing minister that gives a toss about racing. Yet racing is one of the most vital industries in New Zealand, equivalent to the wine industry and fishing industry in terms of GDP [gross domestic product].
''But no-one seems to care - the Government doesn't care, the politicians don't care, the average Joe Blow on the street doesn't care.
''What the difference is in Australia is that the politicians support racing.''
Wheeler felt moved to speak after the board was forced to readjust its forecasts of returns to the racing codes - part of which he said could be put down to spending.
Of particular concern to Wheeler is the number of New Zealand Racing Board staff on six-figure salaries.
Annual reports available online reveal the number of employees earning a total remuneration package of more than $100,000 at the end of July 2007 was 33, but by the end of July 2013, that number had risen to 72.
''It tells you how wrong the whole thing is,'' Wheeler said.
''Trainers like Lisa Latta and Michael Pitman - our last two premiership leaders - they couldn't take $100,000 off their balance sheet. They'd have nothing left.''
The trickle-down effect of rising costs within the racing board inevitably led to less money for stakes to be paid out at code level.
''The funding system is all wrong,'' he said.
''They [the NZRB] spend what they want to spend and what's left is given to the codes to keep racing going.
''But it's the wrong way round - they should determine what the codes need, whether it been galloping or trotting or greyhounds - and cut their cloth to suit.
''Since the departure of chief executive Graeme Hansen in May 2009, the NZRB has employed Andrew Brown and Chris Bayliss in the top role, with several other employees filling the role while the board searched for a new chief executive.
''It would be the only major company in New Zealand that has had anything like six CEOs in the last six years and four different chairmen in the last four years,'' Wheeler said.
''That in itself is testament to how dysfunctional the whole outfit is.''
Wheeler said the comparison between the New Zealand Racing Board - with running costs at 41% of revenue - and Australia's Tabcorp's figure of 23% of revenue for running costs may not be like for like, but the discrepancy was considerable.
New Zealand Racing Board chair Glenda Hughes admitted costs were too high when she was interviewed on TAB Trackside Radio yesterday shortly after Wheeler was interviewed by Peter Earley.
Hughes, who became chairwoman of the board last August, said costs needed to be reined in.
''He is right that some of the costs are too high,'' she said.
''I have already said quite publicly I intend to unwind a lot of those costs. I couldn't disagree that massive hotel expenses et cetera for staff travelling around the country is not acceptable, especially when our stakeholders are currently having to tighten everything. I can't argue with John Wheeler on that, and I have to say it's up the top end of the board to do that.''
Hughes said the board would assess expenses across the business and look to ''unwind'' where possible.
Wheeler said he, along with several other trainers' representatives including trainers' association head Tony Pike, had been invited to meet Hughes on September 8.
''We will wait and see what that brings, but hopefully she just doesn't put her own spin on things.''
