The Colliers Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival commences the Group One racing season in New Zealand, and behind the scenes at Hawke’s Bay Racing, Sam Alexander is busy ensuring the three days of exciting action run as seamlessly as possible.

Alexander combined a lifetime of racing involvement with her education to find the perfect place for herself in the industry, which initially began as Events Manager at Hawke’s Bay Racing in 2019.

“I grew up in racing, my parents Simon and Katrina Alexander train racehorses out of Te Awamutu now, and I’ve been going to the races and riding horses since I was very young,” she said.

“I went off to Auckland for university and after six years up there, I came back and helped my parents when they started back up training in Matamata. I worked for them for a few months doing ground work in the mornings, but I quickly realised that part of the industry wasn’t really for me.

“I wasn’t too keen on the fast work riding and things like that, so when a job came up at Hawke’s Bay Racing for an Events Manager, and I had met my partner prior who lived here, it all just fell into place.

“I studied Sport and Recreation, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do at the time, but I majored in management, so it covered the event management aspect of my initial role. When that position came up, it was just perfect for me because I wanted to get back into the racing industry while utilising what I’d learned at university.

“I came on board as Events Manager about five years ago and worked for a couple of years in that position, which was quite a big role.

“About a year and a half ago, I had a baby, so I went on maternity leave for a year before returning to Hawke’s Bay Racing in March in a slightly different role that focusses more on the racing administration side of the business.”

As Racing and Events Lead, Alexander handles a wide range of operations from sponsorships to coordination with the bureau, managing totes, communicating with local trainers and organising jumpouts.

“In my new role, I deal with all of the racing administration operations leading up to a raceday,” she said.

“The sponsorship side includes getting raceday sponsors, race name sponsors and negotiating those contracts, which highlight the peak benefits of being involved in a race-day, such as having branding on saddle cloths or racebooks.

“I also oversee the hospitality for the sponsors, making sure they’re happy and having a good time at the races.

“In the racing administration side, I do race order and names with the bureau, making sure officials are booked and ready, and organising all of the presentations and trophies.

“On raceday, I deal with any issues that may pop up in relation to these operations, just ensuring the background of the races themselves are running smoothly.

“A raceday is an event essentially and although it may not seem so on the face of it, there are always little challenges that we deal with behind the scenes when you’re dealing with so many different stakeholders.

“It’s just about making sure everyone is well looked after in the best way possible, and all problems can be resolved somehow.

“It’s quite a vast sort of role, but it’s something I’m very passionate about.”

Hawke’s Bay Racing’s pinnacle of the season is the spring carnival, with the Tarzino Trophy kicking off the busiest period of the year for Alexander.

“For us, we kick off the big Group One racing season, and leading into September, the hype is just building. It comes across through the racing media and we certainly feel that in the office leading into the Tarzino, turning the TV on and seeing the coverage start,” she said.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of where that all kicks off in New Zealand each season, and we’re really looking forward to the Arrowfield Stud Plate on Saturday.

“It’s great to have some really good horses stepping out at our venue and being here to witness that in the flesh.

“We finish it all with the Livamol Classic in a couple of weeks’ time, which is the pinnacle for us. We have 7,000-8,000 people on course in hospitality, it’s a very cool buzz. The weather has been fantastic this year compared to last season, our track is in great condition and is a lot firmer than last year, so we’re looking forward to having those good horses step out which I love to see.

“From September right through to the new year, when we have a couple of busy Christmas days and the New Year’s Eve races, the work gets a lot busier.

“On those days, sponsors are very interested in getting coverage across, while on the racing side, the demand for trainers and owners are much greater with bigger fields meaning things like horse accommodation and stall allocation come into play a lot more.”

The spring carnival has staged some of New Zealand’s brightest talents, including the glamour mare Melody Belle, and her performance to win each of the three Group Ones was lasting memory for Alexander.

“When I first started at Hawke’s Bay Racing, literally in my first week, I saw Melody Belle complete the final leg of the triple crown here,” she said.

“I was very new to being in this job, but to witness the atmosphere of the crowd and her owners on that day is something I look back on and recognise how special it was to be here.

“She’s a very special horse to Hawke’s Bay Racing, so it was awesome to be a part of.

“I love the industry and the people involved, some of the stories around horses and the emotion behind a big success is pretty amazing to see.

“It’s such a cool sport where the highs are so high, but on the other side the lows can be very low too, so you see all aspects of racing.”