Entain New Zealand Managing Director Cameron Rodger“These increased and guaranteed payments mean the thoroughbred, harness and greyhound codes are able to confidently plan five years ahead – a rarity for any business, let alone during the current difficult economic environment.”
The arrival of the new racing season on August 1 is often a chance for new beginnings – but for the team here at Entain Australia and New Zealand, it’s the opportunity for us to continue our drive to boost New Zealand racing.
Since we became part of the New Zealand landscape on June 1 we’ve been passionate about giving New Zealand racing the best chance to flourish – not just in the next few years, but for the duration of our 25-year partnership and beyond.
That’s why a race series like the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series is so important for New Zealand, and also why we wanted to get behind it.
Entain and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have each committed $1m to the Series, resulting in a $2m boost across the next four years. This investment will see current stakes, and trainer and nominator bonuses double from this season.
In fact, the first enhanced Pearl Series race happens this coming Saturday at Ruakaka! Nominations for 2021 fillies have reopened till the end of August, so it's not too late to become involved.
Since its inception in 2012, the Pearl Series has become a proven nursery for our future stars. Champion mares like Levante, Melody Belle, Avantage and Probabeel have all made their mark in the series over the years.
We see sustained investment in thoroughbred fillies and mares as vital to ensuring the world-famous New Zealand breeding industry continues to thrive. Here at Entain we want to support this, by providing as many opportunities for the connections of these horses during their racing careers.
We’re thrilled to be working alongside NZB Insurance, NZTR and NZTBA in refreshing this great series, which follows on from other racing industry announcements we’ve made in recent months.
The most significant of these is undoubtedly the guaranteed distribution payments to be made to the racing codes over the next five years, which has been enabled by Entain’s partnership here in New Zealand.
These increased and guaranteed payments mean the thoroughbred, harness and greyhound codes are able to confidently plan five years ahead – a rarity for any business, let alone during the current difficult economic environment.
At Entain, we’ve been pleased to see the thoughtful and considered approach the racing codes have taken towards making use of these fund injections through stakes increases balanced with investment in infrastructure and strategic projects.
We know the importance of breeding to sustain and build strong horse populations in both equine codes, which is why we’re also supporting the harness racing code in this area.
Entain has made a major commitment to two-year-old racing for pacers and trotters, with a two-year-old bonus scheme worth $750,000 a year. From 1 January 2024, a bonus will be paid to the owner ($8,000) and the breeder ($4,000) on a horse's first win in a two-year-old totalisator race.
As well as this, the harness fillies and mares’ credit scheme means each filly or mare who finishes top three in a fillies and/or mares’ only race will receive a breeding credit of $1,000 for first, $300 for second and $200 for third. We’re also supporting New Zealand-bred standardbred stallions, by adding a 10% bonus on stakes for any horse born in New Zealand sired by a Kiwi stallion, up to $10,000 a year.
Entain is backing our breeders because we know New Zealand is world-class when it comes to producing great horses. So it’s particularly special for Trackside Media to have secured a slot in this year’s A$20m The Everest and even more exciting to team up with Waikato Stud to saddle up I Wish I Win in this year’s running of the world’s richest race on turf.
The winner of this year’s Stablehand of the Year at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse Of The Year awards will get to enjoy Everest Day too, as we’re sponsoring a return trip for two to Sydney for the recipient of the award.
The winner of the Entain Punter of The Year competition at Hastings will also have a $10,000 Bonus Bet to put on The Everest that evening, so it’s fair to say all eyes will be on Royal Randwick when the gates open at the 1200m mark on the biggest day of the Sydney racing calendar.
All of the above is hugely exciting, but stay tuned – we’re just getting started.
