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By Chief Stipe · Posted
Project Stamina has made good progress through its 'discover' phase. Since late January, RCP has held around 50 meetings (a mix of in-person and online) right across the country and across both Thoroughbred and Harness codes. These sessions have included racing Clubs, Recognised Industry Organisations, and the Racing Integrity Board, and have been focused on listening to stakeholders and building a clearer picture of the current state. This feedback will now feed into the next phase of work (scenario modelling), where RCP will develop future state options. There will be further engagement as this next stage develops, and we’ll keep the industry updated as key milestones are reached. The final report is targeted for end of May 2026. -
By Chief Stipe · Posted
HASTINGS RACECOURSEhttps://bitofayarn.com A really positive step for Hawke’s Bay - the recamber work at Hastings is tracking well and ahead of schedule. After a recent walk of the track with our consultant Liam O’Keeffe and our Head of Tracks & Infrastructure Tim Lambert, we’re happy with what we’re seeing: strong grass cover, good “give” underfoot, and encouraging signs the surface is continuing to bed in and strengthen.https://bitofayarn.com We’re now moving into the return-to-racing process, with some key milestones ahead - a stakeholder track walk in March, jump-outs and trials in April, and (subject to each step ticking off well) an Industry Day meeting pencilled in for Thursday 21 May with a six-race card under the Hawke’s Bay Racing Inc. licence.https://bitofayarn.com Plenty of work still to do, but it’s heading in the right direction - and it’ll be great to see activity building back at Hastings Racecourse. https://bitofayarn.com -
By Chief Stipe · Posted
MESSAGE FROM NZTR's CEO Hello and welcome to ISSUE #3 of THE RUNDOWN, NZTR’s industry update. It’s a big week for our industry – Champions Day is here, with everything building towards Saturday at Ellerslie. There’s a lot to look forward to, and it’s a great showcase of the momentum our summer programme has built.https://bitofayarn.com But before we get to the main event, it’s worth quickly covering off what’s been happening across January and February – a busy stretch of racing, projects and progress right around the country. At the TAB Karaka Millions meeting, domestic turnover was up 5% on the 2025 edition, with the Aotearoa Classic the standout performer, up 33% on last year. Initial figures from Australian turnover on the meeting have also been extremely encouraging, reflecting the continued rise in interest in our racing product from Australian participants, media and punters. The HKJC World Pool was also up in key metrics, having hosted more New Zealand races than the previous year. This is really encouraging for us as we look to grow our international racing profile. On the subject of Karaka, a huge congratulations to Sir Peter Vela, the Vela family and the entire team at New Zealand Bloodstock on delivering an exceptional 100th National Yearling Sales Series. The refreshed sale format was well received, and the final results tell a great story: turnover up almost $10 million year-on-year, more than $96 million returned to consignors and breeders from 751 horses sold, and strength right through the market with an 83% clearance rate.https://bitofayarn.com We also had a great day out at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s Legends Day meeting on 7 February, with Legarto and First Five taking the Group 1 honours. It was an incredibly special day to be part of, where we brought nine retired superstars back to the track. The legends represented elite domestic and international success and included Catalyst (who also delighted the crowd with an exhibition gallop), Mufhasa, Royal Performer, Sir Slick, Start Wondering, Tallyho Twinkletoe, True Enough, Waisake and Xcellent. It was also a special moment for one of our great athletes, Opie Bosson, to bring up his 100th Group 1 win - becoming the third Kiwi jockey, and the first New Zealand-based rider, to reach the milestone. We’ve been working towards the 2026 NZB Kiwi for months, and now it’s game on. We held the Barrier Draw last night at the Karaka Sales Centre (more on that below), and it’s a real sign we’ve hit the final stretch ahead of the second running of the $4 million race this weekend. With the 2026 field now locked in, the trans-Tasman angle is shaping as a real talking point too. Kiwi-bred Asakura heads across the ditch under Ozzie Kheir’s slot to take on current favourite Well Written, who is quickly turning into a genuine star of the Summer. Attention now turns to Saturday, and you’ll have seen NZTR has confirmed our own slot runner – 'The People’s Horse', La Dorada. We’re rapt to have a filly of her talent representing the campaign, and we’ll share more below on how The NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket story has been tracking.https://bitofayarn.com Finally, looking ahead, New Zealand has formally received the Asian Racing Federation flag following the close of the 41st Asian Racing Conference in Riyadh - marking the official handover of hosting responsibilities to New Zealand for ARC 2028 in Auckland. Hosting ARC 2028 is a major opportunity to showcase the strength of New Zealand Thoroughbred racing and breeding, and to deepen relationships with key racing jurisdictions across Asia and beyond. https://bitofayarn.com Yours in racing, Matt Ballesty Chief Executive Officer New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing GOLDEN TICKET CAMPAIGN NZTR’s NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket campaign has extended the excitement well beyond the traditional racing audience. This year we’ve united three major sporting codes - the One New Zealand Warriors, the Blues and Auckland FC - as official partners behind NZTR’s slot runner, ‘The People’s Horse’. Fans have the chance to win thousands in cash and go in the draw for a Golden Ticket, securing a VIP stake in the horse contesting this year’s $4 million NZB Kiwi on Champions Day at Ellerslie. We’ve also recently announced the horse as La Dorada - a seriously exciting filly heading into the race, and one we’re proud to promote to the nation. A big thanks to the sporting franchises and Te Akau Racing for their support of this campaign.https://bitofayarn.com Just as importantly, this is a new audience and partnership strategy for our sport. The lead-gen competition is helping us build a new segment that we can keep engaging across major racedays over the next 12 months - connecting them with racing through simple touchpoints like ticketing, wagering, ownership and viewership. It’s a big step towards putting The NZB Kiwi, Champions Day and our wider industry on the same platform as other major sports and entertainment moments in New Zealand. The timing couldn’t be better. The launch aligns with “Footy, Fillies & Fans” from 6–8 March - a supercharged Auckland sporting weekend spanning the Warriors’ NRL season opener, Champions Day at Ellerslie, a Blues v Crusaders blockbuster at Eden Park, and Auckland FC in A-League action. It’s a genuine city-wide sporting moment, and a real opportunity to place The NZB Kiwi front and centre alongside the biggest fixtures on the calendar. View a snapshot of our NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket winners and more information by clicking the button below. NZB KIWI GOLDEN TICKET CAMPAIGN https://bitofayarn.com 2026 BARRIER DRAW - FIELD SET The 2026 NZB Kiwi took another step closer on Tuesday night at NZB's Karaka Sales Centre, with slot representatives drawing barriers in a simple (and slightly nerve-wracking) format – each rep picked a rope, which revealed their barrier banner. With the draw done, the final field is now confirmed and we’re locked in for Saturday. Barriers (1–14): Zivou (NZ) Well Written Affirmative Action Panther (NZ) To Bravery Born (NZ) La Dorada (NZ) L’Aigle Noir (NZ) Convinced (NZ) War Princess (NZ) Romanoff (NZ) Belle Cheval (NZ) Lollapalooza (NZ) He Who Dares (NZ) Asakura FULL STORY HERE https://bitofayarn.com HASTINGS RACECOURSE A really positive step for Hawke’s Bay - the recamber work at Hastings is tracking well and ahead of schedule. After a recent walk of the track with our consultant Liam O’Keeffe and our Head of Tracks & Infrastructure Tim Lambert, we’re happy with what we’re seeing: strong grass cover, good “give” underfoot, and encouraging signs the surface is continuing to bed in and strengthen. We’re now moving into the return-to-racing process, with some key milestones ahead - a stakeholder track walk in March, jump-outs and trials in April, and (subject to each step ticking off well) an Industry Day meeting pencilled in for Thursday 21 May with a six-race card under the Hawke’s Bay Racing Inc. licence. Plenty of work still to do, but it’s heading in the right direction - and it’ll be great to see activity building back at Hastings Racecourse. https://bitofayarn.com Project Stamina has made good progress through its 'discover' phase. Since late January, RCP has held around 50 meetings (a mix of in-person and online) right across the country and across both Thoroughbred and Harness codes. These sessions have included racing Clubs, Recognised Industry Organisations, and the Racing Integrity Board, and have been focused on listening to stakeholders and building a clearer picture of the current state. This feedback will now feed into the next phase of work (scenario modelling), where RCP will develop future state options. There will be further engagement as this next stage develops, and we’ll keep the industry updated as key milestones are reached. The final report is targeted for end of May 2026. https://bitofayarn.com 2026 NZB KIWI CONDITIONS AND WEIGHTS With the NZB Kiwi now just a couple of days away, and as a key part of the Champions Raceday programme, a quick refresher on the race conditions and where weights are currently tracking. The NZB Kiwi is run under 3YO set weights and penalties - 57.0kg for colts/geldings and 55.0kg for fillies. Penalties apply for winners (and they’re not cumulative): +3.0kg for a Group 1 winner +2.0kg for a Group 2 winner +1.5kg for a Group 3 winner (or a winner of three or more races) +1.0kg for a Listed winner (or a winner of two races) -1.0kg maiden allowance Weights have Romanoff as top weight on 60.0kg, with Well Written and La Dorada both on 58.0kg, and Belle Cheval on 56.5kg - with the Southern Hemisphere's richest 3YO race shaping as a quality contest. It’s also been great to see Well Written’s TAB Karaka Millions 3YO performance recognised internationally, with an assigned international rating of 115! As part of our commitment to life after racing, our Welfare Team was proud to partner with the Milford NZ Polo Open - highlighting the important role Thoroughbreds play beyond the racetrack. Around 30% of retired racehorses go on to polo careers, which is a great reflection of the breed’s versatility, athleticism and temperament. Supporting this event is another way we’re shining a light on meaningful second careers and backing the welfare of our horses long after they leave the starting gates. On the day, retrained Thoroughbreds were easy to spot through the green #NZOTTB stickers as they competed for the Best Playing Thoroughbred prize - supported by funding from the 1% Welfare Levy.https://bitofayarn.com To bring it to life, we’ve also captured a short feature with international polo great JP Clarkin, sharing the impact Thoroughbreds have had on the sport - and the strong links between racing and polo. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The Jockey Club of Canada's Graded Stakes Committee held its annual review of the graded and listed races in Canada, choosing to downgrade the British Columbia Derby from grade 3 to listed status and elevating the Algonquin Stakes to a grade 3. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Adam Hamilton Pinseeker’s hopes of making one of the strongest Miracle Mile fields for 20 years could rest on how the first 150 metres plays out at Menangle on Saturday night. If Jonny Cox can get across from gate two to head-off pole-marker The Janitor and find the pegs, it will be a huge boost to Pinseeker’s prospects. Only a top two finish in a star-studded $75,000 Bioworma Sprint (11.10pm) will guarantee Pinseeker a spot in the elite eight-horse Miracle Mile a week later. He still has a chance of sneaking into the Mile through one of the two “discretionary” spots with a top three finish. To finish top two or three, realistically Pinseeker will need to find the markers pegs when you consider his rivals include The Janitor, Kingman, Rakero Rocket, Swayzee, Eye Keep Smiling and even old marvel Max Delight. “At first I thought I could drop straight in behind The Janitor, but now I’ve gone back and looked, he doesn’t seem to have all that much early speed,” Cox said. “I think we’ve got to see if we can get across him at the start, find the pegs and go from there.” Cox would then almost certainly take a trail on Rakero Rocket, who looks like being first of the big guns to get alongside whoever leads early and press for the front. “It’s hard to go in with too much of a set plan, but obviously the pegs is the place to be if we can get there, especially in a field like this,” he said. “There are four or five of the very best horses in Australasia across the two qualifiers this week and we’ve got a couple in our race, but we always knew how hard it was going to be.” Cox arrived back at Luke McCarthy’s Cobbitty stables on Tuesday morning and was pleased with how Pinseeker looked. “He’s put on a bit of weight, so he’s come through that last run well,” he said. “Luke’s been happy with his work and if Luke’s happy, then I’m happy. “He looks good, we’ve got a good draw and we’ll give it our best.” NZ and Victoria Cup winner Kingman (gate eight) is $3 favourite from Rakero Rocket (five, $3.20), The Janitor ($3.40) and Swayzee (12, $5). Pinseeker is a $12 chance. In the first qualifier, Leap To Fame (gate four) has been crunched from $2.40 into $1.95, from Don Hugo (one, $2.70), Hi Manameisjeff (five, $4.80). The Mark Purdon-owned Chase A Dream, now with Jason Grimson, is $19 from a wide draw (gate nine). Former brilliant Kiwi mare Captains Mistress continues to shorten to become just the fourth mare to win the $250,000 Group 1 Chariots Of Fire on Saturday night. Unbeaten in five runs for Grimson, she has firmed from $1.10 to $1.04 since drawing to lead from gate three. View the full article
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