Makaraka: Saved By Old Age

In an ironic twist the aging but character rich racecourse at Makaraka on the outskirts of Gisborne, has been saved by a retirement village.

My inaugural road trip to the Gisborne races was in the late 1990's and since then it's always been one of my most looked forward to racing experiences each season. You don't miss the racecourse; on the flat alluvial plains that stretch from the towns limits to the Urewera's, it's tall main grandstand stands out like an NBA player on the streets of Tokyo.

While it's as far removed from the hospitality suites at Flemington as the Topp Twins are from Heff's mansion, the Poverty Bay Turf Club's home has a charm all of it s own. The exteriors of the two stands and brick totalisator building seem untouched from when they were built some 100 years ago, and the setting is complemented by a copse of old willow trees behind these buildings.

Over the years I recall seeing the debuts of Chieron, Marook and one-time Melbourne Cup favourite Native Jazz at Makaraka. It's easy sometimes to underrate the value of provincial racing carnivals in developing our horses. Gisborne for one is a long way from anywhere and a road trip plus a 3-4 day stay in unfamiliar surroundings can do wonders for the minds of young thoroughbreds.

Hopefully it's still a few years away but I think I might just have to put my name down for this village and in particular the unit at the 400m mark. And who knows, if I take my medication, maybe I'll see Kindergarten come out of the fog on the plough one morning.