A look inside the Trackside studio with the refreshed branding and imagery.As we near the one-year anniversary of the beginning of our strategic partnership, I’m reminded that a lot can happen in a year.
We’ve worked with the industry to create series bonuses, support the launch of more slot races, rework feature racing calendars and boost stakes – and there’s still more to come.
Closer to home at Entain, this week was a big one in this first year of the partnership, with the relaunch of Trackside by our outstanding broadcasting team, led by Chief Media Officer Christopher Haigh.
As part of this refreshed offering, Trackside has returned to free-to-air television which will no doubt be welcome news for many racing fans.
Trackside 1 and Trackside 2 are now available on Freeview 23 and 24 respectively, expanding the reach of the channels alongside continuing the service through Sky Channels 62 & 63 and TAB’s own streaming services, through its betting channels.
As part of these changes, you can expect enhanced coverage of all three racing codes, as well as a brand-new look and feel for the channels – the first major revamp since 2014.
We’ve made these changes with racing fans in mind. You’ll see all the information you need on screen through statistics-driven graphics, while our presenters will be sourcing the information that you won’t find elsewhere.
I’ve said in several forums that racing is back, and Trackside being visible to many more New Zealanders just confirms that.
One of the slot races referenced above that has appeared in the past few months is the TAB Trot.
The ground-breaking race, which was pulled together by Cambridge Raceway CEO David Branch and his team, looked like a great addition to the Night Of Champions as soon as it was announced.
It’s perfect timing for the inaugural trotting slot race, considering the number of brilliant square-gaiters we have in Australasia at the moment.
With the announcement of each confirmed horse, the excitement has continued to build. Not only do we have three classy New Zealand representatives in Muscle Mountain, Oscar Bonavena and Midnight Dash, but the arrival of the Australian raiders, including Just Believe, Callmethebreeze, and the runner in our own TAB slot, Queen Elida, makes this one of the best trotting fields in Australasia in many years – some are saying potentially 25 years!
This is a massive vote of confidence in the innovation from David and the team, as well as the mood within the industry. Alongside the $1m The Race By Grins, which has attracted an excellent field including Don’t Stop Dreaming, Merlin, Speak The Truth and our slot runner Better Eclipse, 12 April has all the makings of an unforgettable night in New Zealand’s harness racing history.
The month of April seems very much like the time for slot races too, with Kiwi sprinting star Waitak set to take his spot in The Quokka at Ascot Racecourse in Perth on 20 April. Our boy had a nice trial last week to continue to build his preparation and we can’t wait to see how he performs in our Trackside Media slot that we hold alongside our partners, Perth Racing.
We can expect talk amongst slot-holders in The NZB Kiwi to heat up soon too, with the running of the Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes for two-year-olds this weekend. This is the first of the bonus races for next year’s inaugural The NZB Kiwi, so it’ll be fascinating to see how the final Group One one of our domestic gallops season plays out.
