Message From NZTR's CEO
Before we begin, I want to acknowledge the passing of highly respected Group One-winning trainer Bev Kelso. On behalf of NZTR and the wider racing community, I extend our sincere condolences to Ken, their family and all those fortunate enough to know Bev and experience her remarkable contribution to our industry.
As we close out the 2025/26 season, it is pleasing to reflect on a good set of results and the positive momentum evident across many areas of thoroughbred racing.
Our recently released Year in Numbers provides a clear picture of that progress. Nearly $102 million in prizemoney was funded during the season, an increase of $2.1 million, alongside $2.86 million paid in bonuses. We held 306 race meetings and ran 2,508 races, with both figures ahead of the previous season.
Participation remained strong. A total of 4,481 individual horses raced during the year, up by 91, while total starts increased to 26,031. Our average field size of 10.38 was ahead of budget and remained consistent with the previous season. These are important indicators of the strength and depth of our racing.
The wagering and customer results were also encouraging. Domestic turnover increased by 7.5 percent to $510.76 million, while domestic gross betting revenue rose by 9.4 percent to $91.93 million. Thoroughbred racing’s share of domestic turnover grew to 60.9 percent, and the number of active customers increased by almost 30,000 to 218,656.
While there is always more work to do and challenges to navigate, these results give us a strong foundation to build from. They reflect the collective contribution of people throughout our industry, from owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders and stable staff to clubs, volunteers, administrators, partners and supporters. Thank you to everyone who played a part in delivering the season.
This Sunday, our attention turns to celebrating the horses and people behind many of those achievements at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards.
The Awards are one of the highlights of our racing calendar and provide an important opportunity to recognise excellence across the 2025/26 season. From our leading horses and their connections to our premiership winners and those whose work often takes place away from the spotlight, the evening acknowledges the talent, commitment and passion that underpin our sport.
I am looking forward to joining many of you on Sunday and celebrating the people and performances that have made the past season so memorable. Whether you are attending in person or following the announcements from home, I hope you will join us in recognising the very best of New Zealand Thoroughbred racing.
Yours in racing,
Matt Ballesty
Chief Executive Officer
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
Establishment Board Confirmed
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chair Paul Humphries and Director Dean Lawrence have been appointed as NZTR’s representatives on the newly formed racing industry Establishment Board.
The time-bound Board will assess options for a more sustainable and efficient industry governance and operating model. It brings together representatives from NZTR, Harness Racing New Zealand and TAB New Zealand, alongside independent members.
The eight members are independent Chair Dean McKenzie, independent member Greg Tomlinson, TAB NZ representatives Wendie Harvey and Jason Fleming, NZTR representatives Paul Humphries and Dean Lawrence, and Harness Racing New Zealand representatives Grant Jarrold and Hannah Doney.
Paul and Dean bring extensive governance, commercial, public-sector and racing administration experience. They will ensure the thoroughbred perspective is strongly represented, informed by the needs of our participants, clubs, owners, breeders, punters and communities, while contributing constructively to a stronger future for the wider racing industry.
The Board is expected to begin its work shortly. Any recommendations will remain subject to the approval of the relevant organisations and applicable governance, consultation and statutory requirements. We will keep industry participants informed as the programme progresses.
Venue Meetings Underway
Meetings are now underway with clubs directly impacted by the recommendations outlined in the Project Stamina Masterplan and One Equine View.
We appreciate the time and constructive approach of everyone who has met with us so far. These conversations provide an important opportunity to discuss the recommendations in more detail, explain the rationale behind them and, most importantly, hear directly from clubs about their circumstances, priorities and concerns. We recognise the significance of the recommendations for clubs, participants and their communities, and remain committed to a genuine, respectful and constructive process.
These are initial discussions. No immediate changes are being made, and the feedback and local knowledge shared by clubs will help inform the detailed work required to assess the recommendations and determine the appropriate next steps.
We encourage anyone who has not yet watched the introductory video or read the reports to do so. They provide important context on the challenges facing the industry, the work undertaken and the long-term direction proposed through Project Stamina. The video, One Equine View and the full Project Stamina National Masterplan are available at www.nztr.co.nz/projectstamina or by clicking the button below.
If you have any feedback, please send it to stamina@nztr.co.nz
2026/27 Stakes Settings Confirmed
NZTR has confirmed a $104 million budget for stakes and bonuses for the 2026/27 season. Minimum stakes will remain unchanged across all non-black-type grades, providing certainty for owners, trainers and participants as they plan for the season ahead.
A targeted reduction of $3.17 million will be made across selected black-type, innovation and other additionally funded races. The NZB Kiwi will run for $4.5 million alongside its $1 million bonus pool, while the Wairere Falls Classic and Karapiro Classic will not continue this season.
Read the update on the NZTR website. Details of the full stakes schedule will be released later today.
Photo credit: Nicole Troost Photography
The Superstar is Back!
Unbeaten NZB Kiwi winner Well Written returns to the races in Saturday’s $400,000 Group One Proisir Plate at Ellerslie, giving us a valuable opportunity to build excitement around one of New Zealand racing’s brightest stars and showcase the race to audiences on both sides of the Tasman.
Introducing Well Written to Australia
In the leadup to the Proisir Plate this weekend, NZTR has created a targeted promotional and awareness campaign for Australian racing audiences, centered around Kiwi superstar Well Written in her pursuit to stay unbeaten. This includes opportunities with SEN, Australia's premier racing and sports audio network, wagering-focused digital site Betsy and a suite of promotional activity with key wagering operators, the ambition being to increase awareness and drive turnover from Australian punters on the first Kiwi group one of the season.
Bringing Golden Ticket entrants back into the story
Closer to home, we will reconnect with the approximately 20,000 people who entered the NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket competition earlier this year. A dedicated email will remind entrants of Well Written’s NZB Kiwi triumph and invite them to follow her 2026 spring campaign.
This is the initial phase of a retargeting campaign that will run through the 2026/27 racing calendar. Well Written’s return gives us a compelling story to take beyond our traditional racing audience. It provides a strong platform to promote the Proisir Plate, re-engage thousands of people introduced to racing through the Golden Ticket competition and build anticipation around a potential Australian campaign.
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
- Congratulations to jockey Sam Collett, who celebrated her 1,000th New Zealand win aboard Rippanall at Hāwera last month. Sam joins her parents, Jim Collett and Trudy Thornton, in reaching the milestone, an achievement believed to be a world first for one family.
Sam Collett winning her 1,000th race in New Zealand aboard Rippanall at Hawera. Photo credit: Jane Davidson (Race Images)
Central
- Congratulations to apprentice jockey Abinith Simon, who recorded his first win aboard Amira D’Argento at New Plymouth. Originally from Bangalore, India, Abinith was delighted to reach the milestone and thanked trainer Taui Johnson for the opportunity.
- Congratulations to Chrissy Bambry who celebrated her 100th career win at Wanganui Jockey Club last weekend, with The Finnster getting the job done in the final race of the day under apprentice jockey Crystal Lindsay.
- We wish jumps jockey Emily Farr all the best following her retirement after a distinguished 15-year career featuring 108 New Zealand wins and further success in Australia. Emily has been a trailblazer for female jumps jockeys on both sides of the Tasman, and we hope she makes a full recovery from the fall that brought her final meeting to an early close.
Southern
- Kylie Williams brought her outstanding riding career to a fairytale close, winning her final raceday ride aboard What She Wants at Riccarton for career victory number 1,020. We wish Kylie every success as she begins her new role as NZTR’s South Island Riding Mentor, generously sharing her considerable experience with the next generation. Check out the video below celebrating Kylie's career:
2026 NZTR McKenzie Future Leaders Scholarship
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZTR McKenzie Future Leaders Scholarship, offering up to $10,000 to support a young person connected to thoroughbred racing as they begin university study.
Jointly funded by NZTR and Dean McKenzie, the scholarship is open to recent school leavers entering their first year of a Commerce, Business or Law degree at a New Zealand university. Applicants must be New Zealand residents and have a meaningful connection to the New Zealand thoroughbred industry.
The scholarship aims to support promising young people in their education while helping build the governance, administration and leadership capability racing will need in the future.
The most recent recipient, Maria Scott, is studying toward a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Marketing at the University of Auckland. Maria hopes to build a career in racing media, marketing and leadership.
Applications require a completed application form, cover letter and CV, and close on Friday 30 October 2026.
For more information, contact Ashleigh Curran at Ashleigh.Curran@nztr.co.nz or read Applications open for the NZTR McKenzie Future Leaders Scholarship.
2026 NZTR McKenzie Future Leaders Scholarship recipient Maria Scott. Photo supplied.
General Trust Fund Continues to Support Participants
The General Trust Fund provided more than $112,000 in financial assistance to registered licence holders during the 2025/26 season, supporting those injured while carrying out racing duties or experiencing serious illness.
Support included grants, hardship assistance and helmet and vest replacement subsidies. Ten new concussion-related grants were also approved, while the helmet replacement subsidy increased from $500 to $900.
Read the full General Trust Fund update on the NZTR website.
Owners’ Service Centre Update
As outlined in previous updates, NZTR is developing a new online Owners’ Service Centre to make it simpler, faster and more secure for owners and Racing Managers to manage racing interests and complete key transactions.
The first phase will cover horse naming applications, ownership changes, and notifications of the retirement or death of a horse. Every registered owner will have access to a personalised dashboard showing the horses in which they have an ownership interest, providing a clear snapshot of their racing interests in one place.
Owners will be able to initiate selected transactions through the portal, which can then be directed to their Racing Manager or another authorised representative to review and progress. Racing Managers will also be able to manage transactions for the owners they represent, with relevant owners notified and able to confirm their interest and approve requests online. This will reduce the need for multiple paper forms and manual signatures while keeping owners informed and involved.
The system is operational and undergoing final testing, and we are busy ironing out a few final issues to ensure our users have a simple, intuitive experience.
Identity verification, bank account validation and user permissions are built into the platform to protect personal and financial information and ensure users can access only information relevant to their role.
Protecting personal information has been a key consideration throughout the development of the platform. Access to information will be controlled through user permissions and verification processes, ensuring individuals can only view and act on information relevant to their role and ownership interests.
By moving transactions into a secure online environment, the system will provide greater transparency, improved audit trails, and enhanced protection of personal information compared with traditional paper-based processes. Owners, Racing Managers, and authorised representatives will have confidence that ownership records, transaction details, and personal information are being managed through a controlled and secure platform.
How-to guides and other support will be provided, and paper-based options will remain available for a period while users become familiar with the system. Further details about access and timing will be shared as work progresses.
A second phase is planned to include lease registrations, syndicate applications, membership changes and other ownership-related activities. The longer-term objective is to create a secure, easy-to-use one-stop shop for owners, Racing Managers, syndicate managers and syndicate members.
Key Industry Dates and Deadlines
Upcoming dates, deadlines and reminders relevant to Clubs, trainers, license holders and industry participants.
- New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, Sunday 6 September, Auckland
- Apprentice Awards: Southern, 11 September
- Apprentice Awards: Northern, 21 September
- National Thoroughbred Week, Host Expressions of Interest Close, 30 September
- 2026 NZTR McKenzie Future Leaders Scholarship close Friday 30 October
National Thoroughbred Week, 20 – 30 November
