Avondale Jockey Club seeks racing future as it details court battle

Avondale Jockey Club has detailed its High Court challenge to New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s (NZTR) decision to declare the Auckland racecourse a surplus venue, saying it wants to retain racing at the racetrack alongside community use and staged development.

The High Court proceedings, which also involve TAB New Zealand (TAB NZ), were confirmed earlier this week and also seek a review of the decision not to formalise race dates allocated to the club for the 2026/27 season.

The club issued a statement on Wednesday saying it is seeking to have the challenged decisions set aside, including lawful reconsideration of race dates.  

The club is also seeking a High Court determination of how far NZTR’s rights and interests extend over the club’s land.

Standing president Andrew Skinner said the committee is proposing a direction that keeps racing and/or trialling at Avondale alongside other uses and development, with the aim of assessing a financially sustainable model.

“That ambition needs to be tested through sound evidence and engagement. We are not announcing a completed development plan or promising a particular outcome,” he said.

“These decisions have far-reaching consequences for the Club and for a site that has a longstanding role in Avondale’s community.

“We believe it is legitimate and necessary to ask the court to determine the legal questions involved both for us, but also for the wider industry that is facing considerable change without proper engagement or due consideration.”

He added that the club remained open to discussions about its future and that going to court did not rule out a negotiated outcome.

When the proceedings first surfaced, NZTR confirmed the action to The Straight.

“We are disappointed the club has chosen to take this approach, having been in discussions with them over a number of years about its future and that of the venue. As this is now a matter before the court, we will not be commenting further, including to the media, while the proceedings are underway,” it said.

Avondale’s exit has been on the cards since NZTR’s 2019 Venue Plan proposed no race licences for the track from 2024/25.

The club’s allocation had already fallen from 15 meetings in 2014/15 to nine in 2018/19. In September 2024, the parties signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding outlining a process to agree the racecourse’s future after racing ends following 2025/26.

Avondale hosted its last scheduled meeting on July 15. It has no race meetings for 2026/27, though five trial dates remain on the calendar through November 24.

The club owns the 35-hectare site and leases its infield sports grounds to Auckland Council. The Avondale Sunday Markets it hosts attract about 20,000 visitors each week.

The case lands as NZTR moves into club engagement on Project Stamina, the national venue review built on a TAB NZ-funded masterplan.

In that review, Avondale was considered to have exited before the assessment, rather than among the seven venues proposed to cease hosting meetings.