The finalists for the 2024–25 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards – sponsored by Sport Nation have produced some fascinating matchups, with voters facing the challenge of comparing standout performers across a variety of form lines, particularly in the two-year-old, three-year-old and sprinter-miler categories.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is proud to unveil this year’s finalists, including a lineup that reflects the depth, quality and diversity of talent across the industry. 

NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty commented on the exciting lineup of finalists. 

“This year’s finalists represent the very best of New Zealand racing, not only in terms of performance, but also in the professionalism and passion that drive our sport,” he said. 

“It’s been a significant season for New Zealand racing. We delivered our first edition of summer calendar enhancements and progressed several strategic priorities that put racing alongside other major national sporting events in terms of profile and public engagement. 

“These Awards give us the chance to recognise the standout performances that have defined the season and acknowledge the people and horses who continue to lift the standard of our sport,” Ballesty said. 

In the juvenile division, stablemates La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) and Return To Conquer (AUS) (Snitzel) headline the Champion Two-Year-Old – sponsored by Entain Australia & New Zealand category. Both were Group 1 winners, with a combined record of eight wins and one second from nine starts between them. 

The Champion Three-Year-Old – sponsored by TAB New Zealand is equally compelling, featuring six high-performing contenders. This season alone, Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) earned over $2 million in prizemoney, Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) and Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) each earned over $1 million, while Alabama Lass (AUS) (Alabama Express) and Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) weren’t far behind, surpassing the $800,000 mark. Captured by Love (AUS) (Written Tycoon), a standout in the Spring, earned just shy of $400,000.

In the Champion Sprinter-Miler – sponsored by Taylor Perry Insurance Consultants, five of the six finalists were Group 1 winners, including Australian sprinter Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking), who delivered a headline-making win in the $500,000 Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). 

Four horses recorded multiple Group 1 victories during the season: El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) (three), and Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj), Provence (NZ) (Savabeel) and Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock) (two each). Snazzytavi was nearly perfect with four wins from five starts. In a rare occurrence, no New Zealand-trained horse won a Group 1 race in Australia during the 2024–25 season. 

The four finalists for Champion Jumper – sponsored by New Zealand Jumps Racing were all trained in the Central Districts. Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry), Billy Boy (AUS) (So You Think), Jesko (NZ) (Atlante) and West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) had a combined tally of 13 wins over fences for the season. 

Three horses, Alabama Lass, Willydoit and El Vencedor, feature as finalists in multiple categories. All finalists across equine categories are eligible to be crowned the 2024-25 Sport Nation Horse of the Year.

In addition to racing honours, the Awards celebrate the skill and professionalism of the Trainers, Jockeys, Jumps Riders, Owners, Stable staff and Media who power our sport forward.

The finalists for Jockey of the Year – sponsored by BcgCrave highlight both dominance and distinction in the saddle over the 2024–25 season. Craig Grylls delivered a commanding performance to take out the Jockeys’ Premiership with 141 wins - a remarkable 55 wins clear of his nearest rival. His season featured 15 Group and Listed victories, combining volume with quality in a standout year. Sam Spratt, one of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected senior riders, continued to shine on racing’s biggest stages. Her 15 black-type wins included high-profile successes aboard crowd favourites Provence and Savaglee. 

The finalists for this year’s Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Dunstan Horsefeeds present a high-calibre line-up, with a combined haul of 45 Group and Listed victories and more than $20.6 million in prizemoney across the season. Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson led the way with 18 stakes wins, edging out Stephen Marsh, who produced 17 stakes victories. The formidable Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott partnership, operating under the Wexford Stables banner, earned their place among the finalists with 10 black-type victories and arguably one of the most dominant three-year-old teams seen in recent years.

A panel of 60 voters will determine the winners across all categories, with voting independently administered by Deloitte. The results will be revealed at the black-tie 2024-25 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards – sponsored by Sport Nation, set to be held on Sunday 7 September at the GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton.

For more information, or to purchase tickets to this year’s Awards click here.

2024–25 Finalists

Champion Two-Year-Old – sponsored by Entain Australia & New Zealand
La Dorada, Return To Conquer

Champion Three-Year-Old – sponsored by TAB New Zealand
Alabama Lass, Captured By Love, Damask Rose, Leica Lucy, Savaglee, Willydoit

Champion Sprinter-Miler (up to 1600m) – sponsored by Taylor Perry Insurance Consultants
Alabama Lass, Crocetti, El Vencedor, Grail Seeker, Here To Shock, Provence

Champion Middle-Distance Horse (1601–2200m) – sponsored by Happy Hire
El Vencedor, La Crique, Snazzytavi

Champion Stayer (2201m and further) – sponsored by Sandfield
Blue Sky At Night, Mehzebeen, Trav, Willydoit, Wolfgang

Champion Jumper – sponsored by New Zealand Jumps Racing
Berry The Cash, Billy Boy, Jesko, West Coast

Jockey of the Year – sponsored by BcgCrave
Craig Grylls, Sam Spratt

Jumps Jockey of the Year – sponsored by Rothley Recruitment
Shaun Fannin, Portia Matthews, Joshua Parker, Kylan Wiles

Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Dunstan Horsefeeds
Stephen Marsh, Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson

Owner of the Year – sponsored by TAB Racing Club
Denise Bassett and John Elstob, Cambridge Stud, Gerry Harvey, JML Bloodstock, Kim and Peter McKay, The Oaks Stud, Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, Tony Rider, Kelvin and Vanessa Tyler, Waikato Stud