Message From NZTR's CEO
Today we announce that Russell Warwick will step down as NZTR Chair on 31 July and retire from the Board following the Annual General Meeting in November.
On behalf of everyone at NZTR, I want to acknowledge Russell's outstanding contribution to New Zealand thoroughbred racing. As an owner, breeder and industry leader, he has played a pivotal role in shaping our industry, and his leadership of NZTR has been instrumental during one of the most significant periods of change and investment in recent years.
While Russell has made the decision to step back to focus on Westbury Stud, he remains committed to his responsibilities as Chair over the coming weeks. His priority is ensuring we provide certainty around funding for the new season and continue progressing discussions with TAB NZ and the TAB NZ Advisory Committee to secure the best long-term outcomes for the industry.
Russell and I recently met with Racing Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters during our visit to Woodville. It was a constructive discussion, and we appreciated the Minister's continued support for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and his encouragement for the industry to work collaboratively as we navigate this important period.
That collaborative approach remains central to NZTR's position as we navigate the Advisory Committee's recommendations. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to provide constructive feedback to NZTR by 13 July on the proposals. We want to hear directly from participants across the industry, and to make that as easy as possible we have established a dedicated email address feedback@nztr.co.nz for submissions and comments. This is an opportunity for our industry to unite behind a shared vision for the future, aligned on the outcomes we want to achieve rather than divided by the change required to get there. NZTR remains committed to delivering positive change and a sustainable future for thoroughbred racing in New Zealand.
Our immediate priority is providing certainty for clubs and participants as the new season approaches. To support planning, we have confirmed that stakes and club funding will remain at the same levels as last season for the first three months of the 2026/27 season while wider funding matters continue to be resolved.
We're also putting the finishing touches on NZTR's 2027–29 Statement of Intent and Business Plan. These documents set out our priorities for the years ahead and will shortly be released for industry consultation. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to read the documents and provide feedback once consultation opens.
Many participants have understandably been frustrated by the recent run of race meeting abandonments. While we've experienced comparatively few abandonments across most of the season, the past seven weeks have seen several meetings affected by severe weather, infrastructure issues and track-related challenges, including at Timaru, Te Aroha, Trentham and New Plymouth.
Every abandonment is disappointing for participants, clubs, owners, punters and our wagering partner, Entain. They also reinforce why continued investment in racing infrastructure remains so important. One of the key outcomes Project Stamina is designed to deliver is a long-term, strategic approach to infrastructure investment, ensuring industry funding is directed to the venues and facilities that will provide the greatest benefit for our racing product. NZTR remains committed to reducing these risks wherever possible and building a more resilient racing network for the future.
Finally, I want to acknowledge Sam Moncur, who is moving on from Entain after playing a key role in establishing and strengthening the partnership between Entain and TAB NZ. Sam has been a strong supporter of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, and I thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best for the future.
At the same time, I'd like to welcome Chris Haigh as Entain's new New Zealand Managing Director. Chris's appointment reflects Entain's continued focus on New Zealand, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to build a strong partnership that delivers for our industry.
Thank you for your continued support and contribution to our industry. I look forward to working with you all as we head into the new season.
Yours in racing,
Matt Ballesty
Chief Executive Officer
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
Russell Warwick Steps Down as NZTR Chair
NZTR Chair Russell Warwick has advised the Board he will step down as Chair at the beginning of August and retire as a director following the Annual General Meeting in November.
After a period of significant change across the racing industry, Russell said the increasing demands of the role, alongside his responsibilities as General Manager of Westbury Stud, meant it was the right time to step aside.
"The demands of the role over recent months, together with my need to focus on my primary role at Westbury Stud, mean I have reluctantly decided to step down as Chair.
"I would like to thank my fellow Board members, the NZTR executive team and all NZTR staff for their extraordinary support and the work they undertake on behalf of our industry.
"Their commitment and professionalism give me great confidence in the future of thoroughbred racing in New Zealand."
Russell joined the NZTR Board in 2024 with the intention of giving something back to an industry that has given him so much.
He said the important work underway across the industry, including Project Stamina and other strategic initiatives, would continue as planned.
NZTR Chief Executive Matt Ballesty thanked Russell for his leadership and contribution.
"On behalf of the NZTR Board, management and staff, I would like to sincerely thank Russell for his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to thoroughbred racing. During his time as Chair, Russell has led the organisation through one of the most significant periods of reform in our industry's history and has consistently acted in the best interests of racing and its participants."
A media statement will be released shortly and the NZTR Board will announce Russell's successor as Chair in the coming weeks.
Photo: Lesley Warwick
Help Shape the Future of Thoroughbred Welfare
Good decisions are built on good evidence, and every participant in our industry has an important role to play in shaping the future of thoroughbred welfare in New Zealand.
Earlier this year, we launched our 2026–2030 Welfare Strategy – Together for the Thoroughbred, setting the direction for how we will continue to improve the care, safety, and wellbeing of thoroughbreds throughout their career and beyond. To ensure we're measuring real progress, we're inviting everyone involved in the industry to complete our inaugural NZTR Horse Welfare Survey.
Whether you're an owner, trainer, breeder, jockey, stable employee, veterinarian, retrainer or racing enthusiast, your feedback will help us better understand awareness of the welfare strategy, perceptions of equine welfare across New Zealand, and where we should focus our efforts over the next five years.
The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and will establish an important benchmark so we can track how attitudes and knowledge of welfare outcomes evolve over time.
As a thank you for your time, you'll have the opportunity to go in the draw to win a $500 Prezzy® Card.
Survey closes: 5.00 pm, Friday 17 July 2026.
Complete the Thoroughbred Racing Welfare Survey
Photo: Nicole Troost Photography
Building the Next Generation of Riders
Eighteen months after its launch, NZTR's Elite Jockey Programme (EJP) is already making a real impact. Designed to support apprentice jockeys both on and off the track, the programme combines race experience with high-performance athlete development to help riders build safer, longer and more successful careers.
Programme Snapshot (30 June 2026)
👨🎓 8 apprentice jockeys enrolled (4 Year 1, 4 Year 2)
🏇 1,878 race rides
🏆 200 wins (10.65% winning strike rate)
🎓 8 high-performance development workshops delivered
💪 124 strength & conditioning sessions delivered
✅ 89% programme completion/retention rate (benchmark: 80%)¹
🛡️ 3 falls (1.60 falls per 1,000 race rides)²
¹ Includes withdrawals due to injury or health reasons.
² All three falls occurred in a single raceday incident involving three apprentice riders not at fault.
The programme is built on evidence and research by Dr Kylie Legg (Massey University), who analysed 14 years of New Zealand racing data to better understand jockey performance, safety and career longevity. The research found that:
- First-year apprentices face more than twice the fall risk of experienced riders.
- Jockeys who ride 30–35 races or more each season are significantly less likely to fall and more likely to establish successful careers.
- Strength, stability, balance, movement control and fatigue management are just as important as time in the saddle when developing safe, successful riders.
These findings have shaped the Elite Jockey Programme, ensuring apprentices receive structured race opportunities alongside the support needed to perform as high-performance athletes.
A Modern Development Pathway
The Elite Jockey Programme is available to every apprentice jockey in New Zealand and combines practical industry experience with specialist athlete support.
Working alongside their Approved Employer (Class A Trainer), apprentices receive NZTR-funded access to strength and conditioning coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists and experienced racing professionals. They also complete the NZQA Level 4 Jockey Qualification as part of their apprenticeship.
The current pathway is:
Class C Probationary Licence (trial riding) → Class B Apprentice Licence (Elite Jockey Programme + race riding) → Class A Senior Jockey Licence
The apprenticeship has also been streamlined from four years to three years, creating a more focused pathway while maintaining the experience and standards required to progress to a senior licence.
Meet the Current Cohort
The 2026 Elite Jockey Programme participants are:
Second-Year Apprentices
These riders were the inaugural intake into the Elite Jockey Programme and are now in their second year of development.
- Hayley Hassman (Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson) – 2kg claim
- Sam McNab (Tony Pike) – 2kg claim
- Jack Taplin (Stephen Marsh) – 2kg claim
- Ashlee Strawbridge (Debbie Sweeney) – 3kg claim
First-Year Apprentices
The second intake joined the programme this season and are building the foundations for their riding careers.
- Hyeontaek Oh (Chad Ormsby) – 4kg claim
- Tom Wigram (Donna Logan) – 4kg claim
- Abinith Simon (Roger James & Robert Wellwood) – 4kg claim
- Cooper Stumbles (Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson) – 4kg claim
Delivering the Elite Jockey Programme across New Zealand is a collaborative effort. NZTR acknowledges the trainers, Approved Employers and industry participants whose ongoing support is helping develop the next generation of jockeys through quality race opportunities, mentoring and high-performance development.
Like any high-performance programme, the Elite Jockey Programme will continue to evolve as it matures. We'll keep measuring outcomes, listening to feedback from apprentices, trainers and industry participants, and making evidence-based improvements to ensure the programme continues to meet the needs of riders and the wider racing industry.
Hayley Hassman Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Owners Service Centre bringing online transactions closer
Last month we shared an update on the work underway to launch a new self-service platform for our Owner and Racing Manager stakeholders. Given the interest in this project, we thought it timely to provide a further update.
The new Owners Service Centre will, for the first time, allow Owners and Racing Managers to see the horses under their ownership or management and perform transactions online.
The initial processes enabled on this platform will be for horse name registration, change of ownership, and welfare reporting. This will replace the current SR19, SR20 and SR24 forms.
The new platform will enable smoother processing of these transactions: once securely logged in, users will be able to see horses within their ownership or management, initiate transactions on the platform and pay fees online. If you are buying or selling horses, you will be notified and prompted to log in to complete transactions.
For new industry participants, we have designed a new onboarding process which includes automated identity checks and bank account verification for stakes payments.
Our plan is to soft launch this platform in August and then undertake an exercise to onboard stakeholders onto the platform.
Chris Trigg
GM Digital
Regional Roundup, celebrating standout moments and stories from across the country since our last edition. From milestone achievements to breakthrough wins, these highlights reflect the depth of talent and the strength of our racing community nationwide. If you have a story or highlight to share, feel free to send it through to the editor for a future edition.
Northern
- South Auckland apprentice Tom Wigram made the perfect start to his riding career, recording his first win in just his third race ride aboard Bridie at New Plymouth earlier in June. The 16-year-old progressed through the LOVERACING.NZ Pony Scurry Series before beginning his apprenticeship with Donna Logan and joining NZTR's Elite Jockey Programme.
Tom Wigram Photo: Jane Davidson (Race Images)
Central
- Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta continues to showcase the quality of New Zealand racing on the international stage, with promising three-year-old Platinum Pantheon producing back-to-back runner-up performances during the Queensland Winter Carnival. The gelding is flying the flag for Kiwi-trained thoroughbreds, continuing another strong season of New Zealand success across the Tasman.
Southern
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Tina Comignaghi continued her outstanding season with a four-win haul at Oamaru on 14 June, including victories in the opening three races. Now on 73 wins for the season, she sits fourth on the national jockeys' premiership and remains the leading South Island-based rider.
A memorable milestone for Winton horseman Shane Phillips, who celebrated his first training win alongside father John Phillips at Wingatui recently. Their family-owned galloper Woodlands produced a determined finish to take out the 1200m feature, delivering a special result for the father-and-son training partnership. With just a small team in work, Phillips is now looking to build his stable and attract more owners as he continues his training career.
Shane (left) and John Phillips pictured after Woodlands' win at Wingatui Photo: Tayler Strong
Awapuni Reconstruction Progress
A significant milestone has been reached in the Awapuni reconstruction project, with Evergreen Turf Ltd appointed to deliver Stage 1 following a comprehensive tender process. Initial work will focus on establishing an off-site turf farm and completing detailed design and investigations, ensuring the project is ready to move quickly should the remaining funding be secured. Subject to that funding, racing is expected to return to Awapuni in early 2028.
Project Stamina
Work is continuing on Project Stamina, the joint infrastructure planning project being led by NZTR and Harness Racing New Zealand with support from TAB NZ. The project is nearing completion, with the final recommendations expected to be released by the end of this month, setting out a long-term plan to ensure racing infrastructure investment delivers the greatest benefit for the future of New Zealand racing.
Jumping Legends returning to Woodville on Sunday, 12 July
Jumping Legends returns to Woodville on Sunday, 12 July as part of the LOVE Jumps campaign, celebrating some of New Zealand's retired jumping champions and showcasing their lives beyond racing. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet these much-loved horses, hear their stories and learn more about life after racing.
Find out more at https://jumps.loveracing.nz/legends
Cure Kids’ Red Nose Raceday at Riccarton Park, 23 July
NZTR is proud to support Cure Kids' Red Nose Raceday at Riccarton Park, helping raise awareness and funds for an important cause. One horse in each race will carry the Red Nose silks, with a donation made for every Red Nose silk wearing winning runner.
Now in its fourth year, this special event is part of Cure Kids’ iconic Red Nose Day appeal, raising funds to support innovative research into health conditions affecting children across Aotearoa.
Win a VIP Trip to the Grand National Festival of Racing
Entries are now open for your chance to win a trip for two to the 151st Grand National Steeplechase Raceday at Riccarton Park on Saturday 8 August 2026.
One lucky winner will receive:
- Return domestic flights to Christchurch
- One night's luxury accommodation
- Dinner and breakfast for two
- Return transport to the races
- Hospitality tickets on raceday
- An exclusive VIP on-course experience
Don't miss your chance to experience New Zealand's premier jumps racing event in style. Enter now for your opportunity to be part of one of the biggest weekends on the racing calendar!
National Thoroughbred Week
Planning continues for the second National Thoroughbred Week, which will take place from 20-30 November across New Zealand and Australia. Following the success of the inaugural event, National Thoroughbred Week will once again provide an opportunity for the industry to open its gates and showcase the care, dedication and life of the Thoroughbred both during and after racing. We are seeking expressions of interest from Clubs, trainers, breeders, re-trainers, equestrian organisations and industry participants who would like to be involved in the 2026 event. Participation can include open days, stable and stud tours, community events, school visits, owner experiences, retraining showcases, or other initiatives that help connect the public with the Thoroughbred industry. Participants interested in being involved are encouraged to register their interest with the NZTR National Thoroughbred Week team at NTW@nztr.co.nz.
Careers in Racing
A number of new roles are currently listed on the Careers Site from Chief Executive to ground staff and trackwork riders (and everything in between). Check out all the available roles and plan your next move here:
If you have roles you would like to advertise, please email marketing@nztr.co.nz.
Key Industry Dates and Deadlines
Upcoming dates, deadlines and reminders relevant to Clubs, trainers, licence holders and industry participants.
- Sunday 12 July, Jumping Legends at Woodville
- Saturday 25 July, Property Brokers National Breeding Awards, Don Rowlands Centre, Cambridge
- Save the Date: New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, Sunday 6 September, Auckland
- National Thoroughbred Week 20 - 30 November
