Out and About – What I’m Hearing

There are a few recurring themes as I travel around the country talking to as many people in our sport as possible. Some are not fit for publication but two questions I do get asked regularly are:

Does Entain decide stakes for particular races? And why persist with the Look North Strategy?

To answer the first question – generally speaking Entain has nothing to do with programming or stakes setting.

But there are exceptions. It did provide $250k for additional contributions to a set of 2YO races and is a strong supporter of the ATC Metro series at Alexandra Park. In the main these are held monthly with a series of heats for the trotters and pacers leading to $35,000 Finals.

They are a key part of the Look North strategy, which brings us to the second question.

This is the first year of The Future Starts Now(TFSN). Eight months in individual aspects of it are being reviewed all the time but the overall strategy will remain intact and is working. For example, wagering on northern racing and active punters has increased significantly:

• Turnover is up 6.5%

• 17% growth in weekly active harness punters

• Total harness actives (punters) up 13%

• North Island punting growth on harness is over three times greater than overall wagering growth in the north.

• 49% of harness turnover comes from North Island customers.

• South Islanders wagering on North Island harness racing increased their business by 20+%.

The TFSN has secured funding for three years from all sources including TAB NZ, Entain (2YOs) and HRNZ. The code-funding discussions for 25/26 are ongoing.

People are also interested in turnover. We are holding our own in a very uncertain economy and while not hitting the really big highs we are tracking ok.

Interestingly fixed odds wagering is now trending at 70+% of total turnover.

WDC2025

The World Driving Championship is a proud moment for New Zealand harness racing and it speaks to how far we’ve come, and where we’re headed.

For the first time in history, New Zealand will be the sole host of the World Driving Championship and not sharing it with Australia.

New Zealand has a proud history in this event. We’ve won it six times, thanks to names like Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Dexter Dunn, Mark Jones, Robert Cameron, and Kevin Holmes.

And now, we have the chance to create new memories and new heroes right here in Aotearoa.

We had the launch of the drivers for the World Driving Championship at Addington on Easter Saturday and we wish Blair Orange all the best on home tracks he knows better than anyone.

There is now a WDC website as well so everyone can keep up to date with the latest news. It is wdc2025.com

EASTER WEEKEND WEATHER

A big shout out should go to all the clubs involved in what was a very challenging Easter weekend weather wise. For a while it looked like some meetings were in jeopardy and it was outstanding how everyone – Auckland, Banks Peninsula and Addington – came together so the meetings could be run with minimal disruption.

A BIG WEEK AHEAD

And we look forward to another huge week.

The first joint venture between HRNZ and the Warriors gets underway on Friday night at Addington. We are hopeful this will be the start of a very successful collaboration as they take on the Newcastle Knights. We know there are plenty of people going to enjoy what’s on offer at the raceway before heading “across the road”.

Auckland also has their huge night on Friday with five Group 1s and there are some brilliant horses and fields assembled for one of the biggest nights of the year at Alexandra Park.

Then there’s Southland’s biggest meeting Diamonds Day at Invercargill on Sunday April 27.

We wish both the ATC and the Invercargill Harness Racing Club all the best with their big days.

Speaking of big meetings Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness Inc Board and management have to be congratulated on their Night of Champions on a very trying night weather-wise. To see Leap To Fame do what he did against the cream of Australasia’s pacing talent was truly awesome. I had seen him in the flesh before but that performance would be as good if not better, than any I’d seen.

I only hope that that owners Kevin and Kay Seymour and Grant Dixon return for the New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday, November 11. He would certainly be a huge draw card.

I would like to extend my appreciation to the entire Cambridge track team, and supported by John Denton, for their exceptional dedication and professionalism in managing the track conditions to ensure the Night of Champions race meeting went ahead as planned.

Despite the challenges presented by the poor weather, your hard work, proactive planning, and relentless commitment ensured the safety and success of the event.

It was incredible, and a new New Zealand record.

A job truly well done – thank you!

National Bureau

The new National Bureau has been going for three weeks now. It’s a very important change in the way we administer meetings and from my perspective it appears to have been a relatively seamless transition. We have programming workshops in early June which will finalise spring programmes.  The feature race calendar for 2025/26 is also in progress and we are hoping to have a draft out by late May.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the clubs and individuals who played a role in the successful launch of the National Bureau. In particular, I acknowledge the efforts and leadership of John Mooney, whose commitment and vision were instrumental in bringing this initiative to life. NZTR have had a National Bureau in place for around 20years and they have shared many insights and I also appreciate their support and assistance.

There is a significant and timely opportunity for New Zealand’s two equine racing codes Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) to work in far greater collaboration than ever before. Preliminary meetings have already been held, setting a positive tone for future joint engagement. These early conversations have focused on identifying shared challenges and, importantly, areas where we can jointly unlock value and efficiency across the industry.

We are currently working toward formally connecting both Boards and Senior Management Teams of HRNZ and NZTR. This will foster a unified leadership approach and create a platform for more strategic long-term alignment.

By building trust and commitment at the governance and executive levels, HRNZ and NZTR have the chance to usher in a new era of cohesion for equine sport in New Zealand. This collaboration can serve as a model for how racing codes worldwide can work together for the broader benefit of the sport, participants, and fans.

BREEDING

I would also like to congratulate Darryl Brown and his team at Wai Eyre Farm in Canterbury for what they are doing to encourage people to breed more foals as well. He recently announced changes to his pricing structures that will make breeding more affordable. Any measures in this direction should be applauded. Breeding and foal numbers, as we are all know, are critical to the future of our sport.

STAKES PAYMENT CHANGES

Another positive that the Board endorsed recently was the change to stakes payments.

The Board has endorsed changing the rules to permit the payment of stakes for races programmed for $35,000 or less without waiting for the swab return from the racing laboratory and RIB.

The change is all about responding to feedback that we have had within the sport. This change speeds up payments for 94.3 percent of all races, so its impact will be significant.

Paying stakes promptly to participants (weekly)is critically important during uncertain economic times. From my experience, most owners, trainers, and drivers rely on stakes earnings to cover day-to-day expenses feed, transport, staff wages, vet bills, and more. Delayed payments can strain cash flow, especially for smaller operations who may already be operating on tight margins.

Harness racing supports many rural and regional businesses. Prompt stakes payments help maintain this economic ecosystem, ensuring money flows into local economies through farriers, feed suppliers, transporters, and hospitality providers.

On a related matter, I have had some asking about stakes payments when horses are late scratched after being denied a fair start. To be clear HRNZ will pay the minimum stake(1.75%) to horses declared as a late scratching. HRNZ pays the driver their fee with the balance to the owner. That equates to $300 for a $17500 race, or $140 for an $8,000 race.

FEEDBACK WANTED ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

We’re always looking for better ways to connect with our harness racing whānau — and that means hearing directly from you. As a valued member of the HRNZ community, we’d love your feedback on how you follow the sport, what kind of content you enjoy most, and which platforms you use to stay updated. Your answers will help shape the way we share stories, news, and racing action in 2025 and beyond.

It only takes 5minutes to complete our quick survey, and everyone who takes part will go in the draw to win a $100 Prezzy Card.

Take the Survey Now

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HRNZ has a lot of long serving staff and we are farewelling Liz Hunter after nearly 30 years in our finance department. Liz has been a dedicated employee at HRNZ and we wish her all the best for her retirement.

And lastly I like to congratulate one of our own Georgie Bolton for her win at the National Three Day Eventing Championships at McLeans Island.

Georgie, who is the head of the HERO re-homing programme among other tasks,  won her first national title on Tanzi WSH, a horse who is owned by Natalie Gameson, HRNZ’s head of Education and Animal Welfare.

It was a real team effort and one we are all proud of.

All the best
Brad

Brad Steele
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Email brad.steele@hrnz.co.nz