NZTR News

Much of the industry’s focus this week has been on parliament as the Racing Reform Bill went through the legislative process. The Bill, which will see the Racing Industry Transitional

Following the abandonment of Sunday’s meeting at Te Awamutu NZTR advises that the Waipa RC will bring forward planned remedial work on the track.   NZTR

Safety improvement projects at seven thoroughbred racing clubs were among those which benefited from an announcement made by Minister for Racing Winston Peters yesterday.  

Where would racing be without the volunteers?  It is a refrain I often hear and, as I move around the country meeting with the enthusiastic and dedicated people who give freely of their time t

This week James Dunne and I represented our industry arguing our case in front of the select committee as the Racing Reform Bill moved through the parliamentary process. As we stressed to t

Barbara Blackie receives her award alongside  jockey Terry Moseley.  Barbara Blackie is still thinking about the fut

Photo: Peter Rubery, Racing images One area where NZTR has been active lately, which has possibly flown under the radar, is around education.

This week you may have noticed the appearance of videos on our website and social channels from track managers leading up to their race days. This is something which had its origins from th

Hawke’s Bay Racing has announced that the winner and runner-up in the 2019 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2) 1200m at Te Rapa will be provided ballot free exemptions into the 2019 Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1) 1400m at Hastings two weeks later. Now in its third year, the $200,000 Tarzino Trophy will be run on Saturday, 31 August. Last year’s Foxbridge Plate runner up Julius was withdrawn the week of the race after looking unlikely to get a start in the Tarzino. The previous year Foxbridge Plate runner up Close Up came in off the ballot on race day morning before scoring a memorable Group One win in the Tarzino Trophy. “While we are comfortable with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) ballot conditions for Group 1 races, the fact that the Tarzino is so early in the season makes it very hard for horses to improve their order of entry,” Hawke’s Bay Racing CEO Andrew (Butch) Castles said. “By allowing the winner (who would get into the Tarzino anyway) and runner-up a ballot exemption, we believe we are fixing an anomaly that saw Close Up and Julius struggle to get runs in the first of our three Group 1’s,” Castles said. Nominations for the three Group 1 races that make up the Bostock New Zealand Spring Carnival triple crown - Tarzino Trophy 1400m, Windsor Park Plate 1600m and Livamol Classic 2040m - will be taken on Tuesday, 16 July with the National Racing Bureau.

Today’s trial meeting at Rangiora marks a milestone in New Zealand racing. The meeting will be serviced by a new set of transportable, 14-gate Simtrack starting stalls, replacing the