Forums

I'll give you $100 if you can get a photo of Opie & @Chief Stipe wearing his Tangerine Onesie together. 

You mean to say all those expensive Aus bred 2yos are doing the trick in NZ? ...Who'd a thought!   How many of those wins in Aus @Chief Stipe?

I agree. The Act says that the money must be spent in the same region. It seems to be taking a very wide definition of that saying that includes Waikato. Region usually has a legal meaning of something more like by District Council of which there are 16 through the country and if an Avondale sale is made by agreement with the club, the club would have to agree to that as a purpose for the proceeds to be used.

Francis Graffard unveiled another exciting prospect on Wednesday when Lord Clover (Siyouni) made light work of the mile maiden on Chantilly's Polytrack. Sent off the 3-5 favourite, the son of the Group 1-placed Lady Frankel (Frankel) did everything right following a tardy break to cruise by outclassed rivals a furlong out under Christophe Soumillon and on to a 6 1/2-length success from Magnus (Footstepsinthesand). The result was a landmark for Soumillon, with the Belgian recording a 4000th victory on the flat in France. The post Siyouni Blueblood Lord Clover Dominates, 4000th Winner For Soumillon appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I was under the impression working together was a balanced regional exercise.

I believe no New Zealand racecourses have been sold since Hokitika. The racecourse selling process under the Act is lengthy and we may have a new Racing Minister to rubber stamp any facility transaction by the time Avondale or Levin is sold, notwithstanding the fact that there is an additional step with RCP's involvement. If the sale of three Waikato racecourses is not enough to fund the new venture, I can't see it happening in my lifetime.  As Warren Buffett would say, don't buy anything until you have the cash to do so.

New Zealand authorities have declared that prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi are operating illegally under the country’s gambling laws. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), which oversees gambling regulation, has determined that these services fall within the legal definition of gambling because they allow users to place money on the outcome of real-world events. Since neither company holds approval to offer wagering services in New Zealand, their operations are considered unauthorised. Under current New Zealand legislation, TAB New Zealand remains the only provider legally permitted to offer online sports and racing wagering. Any other offshore platforms offering similar services are prohibited unless specifically licensed. While Polymarket and Kalshi have argued that their products are more similar to financial trading or investment markets, regulators have rejected that distinction, saying the activity still involves staking money on uncertain outcomes — a key feature of gambling. Although the DIA has reportedly made its position clear, the platforms have not yet been formally served with enforcement notices. At this stage, the websites are still accessible from New Zealand, meaning users can continue to visit them until further regulatory action is taken. The decision comes as New Zealand continues broader discussions around online gambling regulation, including proposed legislation that could introduce a licensing system for online casino operators. New Zealand’s Online Casino Gambling Bill has recently cleared a key parliamentary committee stage and is now headed to debate and a vote in the full Parliament. If passed, the bill would create New Zealand’s first regulated licensing regime for online casino operators, replacing today’s largely unregulated offshore market. The legislation is designed to allow up to 15 licensed online casinos to operate legally in New Zealand and would include a range of consumer protections, harm minimisation rules, and enforcement measures against unlicensed operators. The committee’s recommendations also reflect strong public input on protecting community funding streams, leading to proposals that a portion of revenue from licensed online casinos be ring-fenced and returned to local community groups and organisations through existing structures such as the Lottery Grants Board. Under the current timeline, the bill could complete its remaining legislative stages by the middle of the year, with licensing and regulatory frameworks rolled out in phases and a full regulated online casino market expected by December, with licences to be awarded. From 1 June 2027, only operators which hold a licence will be allowed to operate in the New Zealand online casino market. Among those expected to apply for multiple licences are Entain Australian & New Zealand with CEO Andrew Vouris suggesting buying up several licences would be valuable to the company’s long-term strategy. “We’re going to be the only operator in the market that’s able to offer sports, racing, and potentially casino. That is massive,” Vouris told the Australian Financial Review. Entain operates 15 brands in other parts of the world, including BetMGM, PartyCasino and Gala Casino. SkyCity Entertainment Group has also expressed its interest in bidding for a licence, with the company recently celebrating 30 years of operation in New Zealand. “Gaming is evolving in exciting ways, bringing together the best of in‑person and digital experiences,” commented SkyCity CEO Jason Walbridge. “While we aim to lead this change, our priority is ensuring our customers and communities are protected. Any move into a regulated online market would be built on strong consumer safeguards and SkyCity’s enduring commitment to responsible gambling, so the experience remains safe and enjoyable for everyone.” SkyCity and Christchurch Casino have both already entered the online gambling market by operating offshore through Malta-licensed online casino platforms, allowing them to offer services to New Zealand players despite online casinos not yet being formally regulated under New Zealand law. SkyCity runs its online casino through the domain skycitycasino.com, while Christchurch Casino operates via christchurchcasino.com, both relying on the Malta Gaming Authority framework rather than domestic oversight. These arrangements have enabled the brands to capture local online demand, but they also sit in a grey area where New Zealand consumer protections, harm-minimisation rules, and tax benefits are limited compared with what a fully regulated NZ licensing regime would provide. View the full article

The catalogue for Highview’s Unreserved Deplenishing Sale, set to take place on Sunday 15 March, is now available to view online. Consisting of 43 lots, NZB will conduct the auction on-farm which will offer yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock, broodmares, and mares with a foal at foot. Yearlings by sires Armory, Divine Phophet, Embellish, Xtravagant, Hello Youmzain, Santos, Sweynesse, Wrote and more will be up for sale, while two-year-olds and unraced stock by Shocking, Sword of State to name a few will further enhance the catalogue. Appealing to breeders and investors, a range of broodmares will be on offer including mares with a foal at foot, and in foal to the likes of Santos, Wrote and freshman sire Mr Mozart. Set to take the reins from his father’s establishment, Kurtis Gillovic is looking forward to the afternoon at their Hamilton based farm. “This is a genuine sale, numbers have accumulated quite quickly over the last couple of years, and we are just tidying up the operation to make it a little more boutique,” Gillovic said. “Nothing is going to change here in the future, it’s business as usual. “There are 17 yearlings by commercial sires, colts and fillies, some nice trade horses. Theres’s money to be made. “We’ve got eight mares with foals at foot and all broodmares in foal will be tested a week out from selling to confirm the pregnancy. “With something for everyone, the interest in the Sale so far has been fantastic so we are hoping for a good result, and that these horses will find some nice homes.” View the full catalogue here. Printed catalogues will be available at Highview on sale day. Selling will be conducted from 1pm on Sunday 15 March at Highview, 1544 Kakaramea Road, Hamilton, with gates open at 10am. While online bidding is unavailable, all prospective buyers are welcome to attend. Alternatively NZB and BAFNZ agents will be able to inspect and bid on your behalf should you be unable to attend. For more information, contact the NZB team https://www.nzb.co.nz/agents or Brent Gillovic on +64 21 921 467 or by emailing brent@highview.co.nz. To register, existing NZB account holders can see the NZB team prior to the Sale starting on-farm at Highview Stud. While new buyers can create an account online https://www.nzb.co.nz/registration . The Sale will be conducted by NZB under special terms and conditions available to view online. View the full article

What's going on? I thought it was pretty obvious, clubs working together to try and build new self-sustaining infrastructure for racing.