Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Over 100 years of thoroughbred racing drifted away into history, without a whimper last Sunday.

While Paeroa is little more than a whistle stop on the Western Bay traveller's journey north - many local racing people have made the one-hour journey over the years to attend races at the Paeroa Racing Club course.

Racing commenced at the Paeroa course in 1892 and for many decades was a symbol of country racing at its best.

The local community got behind individual race days and the venues central location brought racing enthusiasts from Auckland to Taupo to the course. Fellow racing communities at Te Aroha and Thames also enjoyed much success with the meetings a focal point in the country communities.

In the 1950's and 60's, the Queen Elizabeth WFA at Paeroa and the Thames Valley Stakes at Te Aroha, were two of the build-up races to the annual Auckland Cup carnivals over Christmas and New Year.

The best gallopers in the North Island racing running at the two country venues would attract crowds in their thousands to the Paeroa and Te Aroha courses.

Over the intervening years, the Paeroa Racing Club has quietly been strangled into submission, with last Sunday's abandoned meeting the last day of racing in Paeroa.

In the 1980's, the powers that be in racing decided that there were too many racetracks in the country and proposed a reduction in numbers.

While the theory of rationalisation sounded fine, the reality was that courses such as Paeroa would be closed and consigned to history

While a legal challenge lead by the Thames Valley Club and a number of South Island clubs halted the process - a back door way of rationalisation was introduced, with the grading of course into strategic importance introduced.

With funding for facilities and other areas removed from the ungraded clubs, they were left to fend for themselves. Even as recently as the 1990's racing was alive and well in Paeroa, with the major feature being the L&P Cup for open handicappers in March or April.

However, the removal of Saturday race dates sounded the death knell of the country club.

The final nail in the coffin came after the club started the innovative National Jumps day around a decade ago, only to have the concept taken away, to be shared around at other clubs.

While Paeroa was a little short of facilities for punters, with a cup of tea and a pie the favoured cuisine in the public stand, the course possessed one of the best jumps courses in the country.

The rained out last meeting on Sunday was a sad day, with the club going out without a wake – RIP Paeroa thoroughbred racing.

On a more positive note the Baywide Rugby Finals this Saturday should attract a large crowd to the Tauranga Domain. With seven Western Bay teams amongst the ten contenders, the Western Bay has a real chance to sweep the board with all five titles.

Putting his head on the chopping block, Sideline Sid picks Te Puke Sports to beat Rotoiti in the Premier match-up, Rangiuru to prove too strong for Paroa in Division One, Katikati to defeat Arataki in Division Two with Te Puna and Tauranga Sports taking out the respective Colts and Senior Reserve titles.

Seeya at the Baywide Finals on Saturday.