Three Tier Racing WTF

[scooby3051]

Three-tier racing shake-up looms as NZTR awaits funding clarity for next season

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s proposed three-tier racing structure and delayed funding model have intensified concerns over prize money, infrastructure and the possible divide between metropolitan and regional racing in New Zealand. 

BY TIM ROWE 

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RACING INDUSTRY 

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MAY 15, 2026

 

 

Three tiers of racing are likely to be classified under a New Zealand Thoroughbred restructure, with Ellerslie a focal point of the plan. (Photo by Dean Purcell/New Zealand Herald via Getty Images)

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing is expected to implement three tiers of racing in a strategy which is likely to reprioritise the distribution of prize money across a widened classification of the horse population.

The potentially polarising move threatens to heighten tensions and further fracture the industry as the governing body awaits confirmation from TAB NZ of its funding for next season. 

NZTR intends to classify the country’s racecourses in three categories, metropolitan provincial and community, in a similar manner to Australia’s larger racing states’ three-tiered system.

Further details of which clubs fall into which categories is set to be confirmed next week.

A circular was sent by NZTR to recognised industry organisations this week indicating that an outline of next season’s race dates, stakes and club funding had been pushed back due to the uncertainty surrounding distributions from TAB NZ.

It also comes as NZTR informed participants it would delay the release of an important infrastructure strategy, Project Stamina, which promises to shape the future management of assets owned by the New Zealand industry.

NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty said the governing body had “made no secret to the fact that we do want to review the racing” structure by “considering a recategorisation of some of our racing”.

“We’ve loosely got it at the moment but what it does do is provide future planning where we can provide certainty and a runway for people in the industry,” Ballesty told The Straight while in the South Island, meeting with industry stakeholders. 

“The current circular that we have talked about our inability at this point in time to provide clubs with their funding and what the stakes look like.

“The simple reason for that is that we haven’t yet received any guidance from the TAB on what funding might look like so It’s typically a case of we can’t present what we don’t know.

“So, we’re hoping that we work through that with the TAB and our board to understand what it’s going to be like for next year. There’s nothing more to it (than that).”

The delay and lack of information has caused friction with the race clubs who are concerned about the likely significant changes to their own funding models.

But Ballesty defended the correspondence provided to the industry.

“We just felt that instead of not saying anything at all. It’s important to let them know that information will be coming,” he said.

It’s understood the Members’ Council met earlier this week to discuss some of the issues pertaining to NZTR and plans are being made to meet with its board, chaired by Russell Warwick.

An attempt was made to contact Warwick on Friday.

 

There’s also been change at the helm of the Members’ Council with former chair Geoff Vazey stepping down in April after six years, with his former deputy Bernard Hickey stepping into the role.

As NZTR liaises with TAB NZ to ensure a distribution of funding for next season, concerns will be raised by participants about whether prize money levels will be maintained in 2026/27.

Ballesty acknowledged the uncertainty overshadowing the New Zealand industry.

“Our preference has always been to maintain or grow (stake money) and that’s where we’ve really focused and think that’s shared by the TAB and Entain, of course,” he said. 

“It’d be a welcome outcome for all participants and I don’t have any reason to believe it won’t be, but we just don’t know until we’ve got a clearer idea of what funding we’ve got to work with.

“Our focus is making sure we’re running NZTR in the best way possible, working on our costs and our outputs. 

“The funding is something we’re the beneficiaries of from our product but I don’t have that (final) answer right now.”

NZ infrastructure report delayed amid a strategic rethink

Under the three-tier system, it is likely that the redeveloped Ellerslie is the linchpin of the plan, with the Auckland track consolidated as New Zealand’s premier wagering-generating racecourse.

There is an undercurrent of discontent in some circles that, although turnover points to Ellerslie’s importance to financing the industry, it can’t be wholly and solely relied upon.

“We have one metro track with a huge population around it (in Ellerslie) and you could argue that Riccarton’s probably not too far from that either,” Ballesty said. 

“We’re focused on Ellerslie and these decisions are always going to be backed by data, and working closely with other stakeholders because we are underpinned by wagering returns, so that’s important. 

“But our future can’t just be on one venue or two (tier one) venues across the country.”

Ballesty’s statement on infrastructure and how NZTR intends to develop those much-needed projects, including greenfield sites in the Waikato and Hawke’s Bay, may become clearer when Project Stamina is made public.

[scooby3051]

I said Ellerslie want more, just wait and see exactly what that is.

[nomates]

9 minutes ago, scooby3051 said:

I said Ellerslie want more, just wait and see.

Of course they do , they lost 10mil the last 2 years , god forbid .

Tiered racing , Jesus you need 3 tiers of horses for that to work , we have very few above average .

Going to be interesting to see how they make this work .

Might just be 3 tiers of stakes and you just pick which one you want to race for .

[scooby3051]

1 minute ago, nomates said:

Of course they do , they lost 10mil the last 2 years , god forbid .

Tiered racing , Jesus you need 3 tiers of horses for that to work , we have very few above average .

Going to be interesting to see how they make this work .

Might just be 3 tiers of stakes and you just pick which one you want to race for .

So how is that good for the industry??? Am I missing something is it not meant to be an industry for everyone not just a few lucky enough to have one above average??? Slow owners can sometimes very often end up fast owners too, but end up as nothing if they are gone from the industry.

[nomates]

3 tiered racing ,

Tier 1 , big stakes for the big names 

Tier 2 , take what your given and be grateful 

Tier 3 , Fuck off if your not happy .

[TurnyTom]

Pretty much sums it up, laughable. 

[Ranger]

This is what is pretty much happening now. Look at the difference to the two racedays on today. Ellerslie has higher stakes. Yes they have the Champagne Stakes but with 5x horses.

Under this proposed 3 tier plan, Auckland/Waikato get first dibs, CD get the crumbs and  you can kiss goodbye to South Island racing.

Who votes for these self serving people?  We are New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing - not just those in Northern regions.

 

[nomates]

3 minutes ago, Ranger said:

This is what is pretty much happening now. Look at the difference to the two racedays on today. Ellerslie has higher stakes. Yes they have the Champagne Stakes but with 5x horses.

Under this proposed 3 tier plan, Auckland/Waikato get first dibs, CD get the crumbs and  you can kiss goodbye to South Island racing.

Who votes for these self serving people?  We are New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing - not just those in Northern regions.

 

TBF , I think SI racing is going better than the CD for numbers , so maybe should be reversing that .

[Pam Robson]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we already had 'tiered' racedays.    Except, there aren't genuine tiers at all, only tiered stakes.  No difference in the horses going around one week for 17k, in another week, 50k.   An absolute dog's breakfast.

I don't actually have a problem with tiered racing, as it is done in Australia.  Thing is, it is done properly.    

[scooby3051]

But is it fair that one club potentially gets much more funding than others??? I thought the industry was a New Zealand wide industry, is it not supposed to work for ALL PARTICIPANTS not just some because of where they are located???

And is the same person who has so many conflicts in many aspects not also going to be calling the shots on this???

[Muzzaman]

1 minute ago, scooby3051 said:

But is it fair that one club potentially gets much more funding than others??? I thought the industry was a New Zealand wide industry, is it not supposed to work for ALL PARTICIPANTS not just some because of where they are located???

And is the same person who has so many conflicts in many aspects not also going to be calling the shots on this???

Correct on both counts

 

[Sobeit]

Looking at the pic in the Tim Rowe article. Is there a message for us at the bottom of the shot? The jockey with head in hand?

I think my feelings might mirror how he looks

[BUCKY]

So if your horse is racing in the ' 3rd brigade ' for piss poor money, will the NZTR fees to start reduce? will the jockeys be paid less per ride ? ( unlikely!), I don't think these people understand why breeding and owning racehorses in NZ is on such a big decline. Tell ya what...if people like Gerry Harvey and a few others pull the pin on racing horses in NZ the industry will be in even more trouble. And there is an ' odour ' about racing, the fact that the greyhounds are being stopped and the smell around the Cody Cole and S Weatherley issues won't go away. There is so much suspicion about the way things are done, the same 'old boys club 'seem to be pulling the strings as they have done for decades.

[nomates]

20 minutes ago, BUCKY said:

So if your horse is racing in the ' 3rd brigade ' for piss poor money, will the NZTR fees to start reduce? will the jockeys be paid less per ride ? ( unlikely!), I don't think these people understand why breeding and owning racehorses in NZ is on such a big decline. Tell ya what...if people like Gerry Harvey and a few others pull the pin on racing horses in NZ the industry will be in even more trouble. And there is an ' odour ' about racing, the fact that the greyhounds are being stopped and the smell around the Cody Cole and S Weatherley issues won't go away. There is so much suspicion about the way things are done, the same 'old boys club 'seem to be pulling the strings as they have done for decades.

The bigger question is will trainers reduce their daily fees if you only have a Tier 3 horse ??

Stuuupppiidd question .

[Pam Robson]

41 minutes ago, nomates said:

The bigger question is will trainers reduce their daily fees if you only have a Tier 3 horse ??

Stuuupppiidd question .

Will the feed companies make cheaper rations for tier 3 horses,  ya think?

[elo]

1 hour ago, BUCKY said:

 the same 'old boys club 'seem to be pulling the strings as they have done for decades.

Is the Chairman of the Board NZ Thoroughbred Racing ( R Warwick) still involved with Auckland TB Racing?

 

 

[BUCKY]

27 minutes ago, elo said:

Is the Chairman of the Board NZ Thoroughbred Racing ( R Warwick) still involved with Auckland TB Racing?

 

 

He does not appear on the 'Executive Team and/or Directors ' of ATR at present.

[PKR]

1 hour ago, nomates said:

The bigger question is will trainers reduce their daily fees if you only have a Tier 3 horse ??

Stuuupppiidd question .

It must be hard enough now having a horse only up to industry days. Tier 3? What would that look like?   

[nomates]

12 minutes ago, PKR said:

It must be hard enough now having a horse only up to industry days. Tier 3? What would that look like?   

You'll be lucky if winning a race covers a months training fees .

TBH tier 2 and some tier 1 races will not be a lot different to some tier 3 races .

 

[BUCKY]

Point to point racing....Kihikihi golf course racing, beach races , on course only betting...ring a bell with you guys ?

This is a scheme to avoid costing NZTR anything and eventually make some clubs say ' you know what? fuck it, we'll close up'.

Have a look at NZTR's staff list..and they advertise constantly for more?

[PKR]

5 hours ago, nomates said:

3 tiered racing ,

Tier 1 , big stakes for the big names 

Tier 2 , take what your given and be grateful 

Tier 3 , Fuck off if your not happy .

The devil's in the detail as always. Not much of that at present.

But isn't there already a 3 tier system of sorts in place - at least in regard to actual racedays?

Tier 1: Group Racing , iconic black-type with competitive supporting races 
Tier 3: Industry days (but with the poly meeting the cherry of the 100k finals)
Tier 3. racedays that don't fit into either, like Ellerslie today which had ordinary stakes but a single iconic black-type race with a 100K pot).

Surely horses themselves (in addition to their rating) won't be restricted to Tier 1, 2, or 3 but if good enough can race where-ever connections choose to place them. Nothing new there. That happens at the moment. And a few savvy trainers have spotted an opportunity or two. 

The concern seems to be that the lion's share of Tier 1 racedays will end up you know where - but that's already happening -  and that Tier 3 stakes in particular will fall even lower than those currently supporting industry days. And that IS a worry for the industry. Owners come in all hues but it'll all become even more unstainable for the small guys than it is now. Who then can afford to race a horse that struggles to pay its way even if it wins a couple of 15K or less - let alone only places.  Although to be frank, ownership has always been risky and its only the dream of a good un' that keeps many owners in the game.

But when the small-time but forever hopeful leave the game who's left and what does racing look like? The well-healed and the syndicates? Cast offs galore. Few prepared to wait. Who'll survive? Not many trainers.  The big studs and top end breeders connected to NZB? On sellers and pinhookers? But without the foundation even their days will be numbered.

Who was it said it'll all become a cottage industry before too long, Brian Lahore if I recall.        

[gubellini]

PKR his name is Brian de Lore. If the heads of NZTR decide to race a horse I suggest they name it Dilbertesque- a word meaning clueless and absurd micromanaging of an organisation.

[We're Doomed]

3 hours ago, BUCKY said:

 There is so much suspicion about the way things are done, the same 'old boys club 'seem to be pulling the strings as they have done for decades.

There actually used to be an element of fairness about the way racing was run. Auckland always used to try and push others around, but more often than not they were put in their place through the 80s and 90s and told to pull their head in.

The current governance structure does not work.

[Insider]

7 hours ago, nomates said:

Of course they do , they lost 10mil the last 2 years , god forbid .

Tiered racing , Jesus you need 3 tiers of horses for that to work , we have very few above average .

Going to be interesting to see how they make this work .

Might just be 3 tiers of stakes and you just pick which one you want to race for .

Nomates, it wont work, as nearly everyone heavily involved in the Industry will tell you, other than the 750 pax who patronize Ellerslie on 90% of their days.

[Insider]

3 hours ago, elo said:

Is the Chairman of the Board NZ Thoroughbred Racing ( R Warwick) still involved with Auckland TB Racing?

 

 

In the back ground for sure.

Come on Russell, tell me that I am wrong!