With the NZTR Annual General Meeting due next month, today saw the release of our Annual Report for 2018-19.

The report was sent to clubs, recognised industry organisations and other stakeholders earlier today and is also able to be viewed here.

The 2019 Club Conference and Annual General Meeting will be held at the Miramar Golf Club in Wellington from 10am on Monday, 18 November.

Last week NZTR attended a CRIG (Combined Racing Industry Group) meeting with the RITA Chair and Chief Executive which was constructive and productive.  We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with RITA on a range of issues, including the progression of the second Racing Bill.

Another exciting development is the use of the Going Stick which is currently being trialled across eight tracks – Ellerslie, Counties, Matamata, Te Rapa, Awapuni, Hawke’s Bay, Riccarton and Wingatui.

During this trial period the course managers will be familiarising themselves with the technology and also building up data. 

Readers of the LOVERACING.NZ website may have noticed yesterday’s story about the Dunstan Stayers Series and how the 21st anniversary of this wonderful series will be marked.

Dunstan Feeds director David Smith is rightly proud of his company’s long-running commitment to racing, through sponsorship of a series which has launched the careers of some of our best stayers.

“It’s been a terrific partnership,” he said.  “We are proud of the way the stayers’ championship has developed over the past 20 years as a way of nurturing our young staying talent and providing a platform to develop the next class of Cup champions.”

 In a joint promotion with New Zealand Bloodstock and the Auckland Racing Club, NZTR is proud to add its backing to that of the NZTBA and the NZTA, to see Dunstan Feeds offer $21,000 credit towards a purchase at the NZB Yearling Sales next year to the winning trainer.

It has been a topsy-turvy week of racing domestically.  I am sure you will all join me in wishing Donavan Mansour a speedy recovery following surgery for a broken pelvis which he suffered in an incident at Te Aroha on Wednesday. 

Our thoughts are with Donavan and his wife Roxy, and NZTR will continue to provide support to the young couple as required.

At Gore on Thursday, in biting cold conditions, New Zealand racing saw something which could possibly have been a world first with all seven races being taken out by female trainers.  A huge congratulations to Lisa Vaughan, who trained a double, Jo-Ann Gordon, Amanda Schwarz, Leda Beck, Jackie Burrows and Aimee Tyler for this achievement.  Aimee’s father Kelvin, who trains in partnership with his daughter, was the only bloke to get his name next to winner on the day.