The season concluded at Te Aroha on Sunday 20 September with the Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great New Zealand Steeplechase, bringing down the curtain on a jumps programme that featured 35 hurdle races and 26 steeplechases across 18 racedays.
A total of 139 individual horses competed during the season, with 44 winning at least one race and 14 recording multiple victories. Average field sizes were 8.74 starters for hurdle races and 8.42 for steeplechases.
NZTR General Manager Racing Mitch Lamb said the season had produced competitive racing across the jumps programme.
“We had 139 individual horses compete across 61 races, with average fields of more than eight starters across both hurdles and steeplechases,” Lamb said.
“There were some solid metrics across the season, particularly through the feature jumps meetings at Riccarton, Woodville and Te Aroha.”
One of the season’s standout performers was Lord Spencer, who won four of his seven jumping starts, including the Farmlands Pahiatua Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase, and both the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge sponsored Koral Steeplechase and the Grand National Steeplechase.
His Grand National victory also formed part of a memorable piece of New Zealand racing history for jockey Lemmy Douglas, who became the first rider in 20 years to complete the Grand National double, winning the 151st Grand National Steeplechase aboard Lord Spencer and the Hospitality NZ Canterbury 136th Grand National Hurdles aboard Little Thief.
Kylan Wiles headed the jockey ranks with 10 wins from 47 rides, ahead of Hamish McNeill and Douglas with six wins apiece.
Wiles also secured the Knottingly Farms Jumps Jockey Bonus Series with 92 points, ahead of McNeill on 69, Jay Kozaczek on 48 and Billy Marshall on 43.
Among the trainers, Kevin Myers again enjoyed an outstanding season. His stable produced 13 jumping wins and a further 28 placings from 75 starts, including three Prestige Jumps victories.
Myers’ team was particularly dominant during the Grand National Festival of Racing at Riccarton Park, where they won two jumps races and recorded six placings, including the trifecta in the Grand National Hurdles. At Woodville in September, the stable won four races on the eight-race programme, including three jumps events.
Lamb said feature meetings and initiatives throughout the season also provided opportunities to celebrate the history and personalities of jumps racing.
“The Grand National Festival of Racing is steeped in history, while initiatives like LOVERACING.NZ’s Jumping Legends Day at Woodville give fans the chance to reconnect with horses they remember and celebrate the stories that have shaped jumps racing in New Zealand,” he said.
“Having former champions The Cossack, Suliman, Kipkeino, Zed Em and Volkswagin back at the racecourse was a great example of bringing that history to life for racegoers.”
Lamb acknowledged the collective effort required to deliver the season.
“A successful jumps season relies on a lot of people doing their bit. We thank the owners who race these horses, the trainers and stable staff who prepare them, our jockeys, and the clubs, sponsors, officials and volunteers who put on the racedays.
The 2026 season was staged across Te Aroha, Woodville, Trentham, Te Rapa, Riccarton, Hawera and Whanganui. Three meetings were rescheduled during the season due to precautionary weather and track considerations, with all 18 programmed jumps racedays ultimately proceeding.
Following the 2024 Jumps Racing Recommendation Report, NZTR committed to reviewing the performance of jumps racing at the end of each season, using participation, field sizes, programming, wagering and other key metrics to assess progress and inform future decisions. The 2026 season will now be reviewed through that process to identify and assess opportunities to continue strengthening jumps racing in New Zealand.