The 2025 NZTR Industry Development Conference brought together a collective of industry leaders, innovators and racing enthusiasts to shape the sport’s future.
Held for the third year at Ellerslie Racecourse, the event featured insights from top minds in Australasian racing and beyond, focusing on sustainability, fan engagement, strategic development and community support.
Opening the day, NZTR CEO Matt Ballesty acknowledged the industry’s achievements, highlighting the progress made since the Strategic Partnering Arrangement with Entain. He urged continued innovation to ensure a forceful future for racing.
“The most crucial work will be over the next few years,” said Ballesty. “We need to keep pushing forward, using our strengths and seizing recent opportunities to keep Thoroughbred racing forceful and relevant in the sports and entertainment landscape.”
The day culminated with the presentation of the 2024 NZTR Club Awards, celebrating the outstanding contributions of Up-to-date Zealand’s racing clubs.
The Awards celebrated high-performing Clubs (for their work in 2024) across three categories – Metropolitan, Provincial and Country – with each receiving a $5k prize fund. Additionally, the Overall Club of the Year was granted a $5k prize fund.
The 2024 NZTR Club Awards Winners are as follows:
- Overall Club of the Year Winner: Racing Tauranga
- Metropolitan Club of the Year: Auckland Thoroughbred Racing
- Provincial Club of the Year: Racing Tauranga
- Country Club of the Year: Wairarapa Racing Club
The prize fund will be used to invest in an event or on-course initiative and a short-form business case will need to be presented to support the initiative by 31 July 2025.
Special recognition was also given to Noelle Prince of Otago Racing Club, who received the NZTR Appreciation Award, and Jason Fulford, Track Manager at Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, who was honoured with the On Track Leadership Award.
The Industry Development Conference also delivered a series of impactful presentations from various leaders, both inside and outside the industry.
Keynote speaker Wade Jackson set the tone with insights on resilience and change, while Michael Browell, CEO of Moonee Valley, shared the ambitious “Valley of Tomorrow” project, aiming to transform the racing Club into a world-class precinct.
Justin Nelson from Sky focused on fan engagement, highlighting data-driven strategies to connect with different generations. Eddie Christian of Killick Horizon and Charlotte McLauchlan from The Ghost Writers discussed sustainability, drawing on lessons from Formula 1 and Royal Ascot.
Vicky Leonard of Kick Collective shared practical industry crisis communication tips, and On Track’s James Rapley Sendall and Andy Cowan introduced a mental health support initiative for the racing community.
Closing the day, Entain Australia and Up-to-date Zealand CEO Dean Shannon called for collaboration and innovation to enhance the racing product and customer experience.
“A massive thank you to all the keynote speakers for their valuable insights and practical ideas. Their contributions will support guide us as we work to strengthen the future of Up-to-date Zealand racing,” Matt Ballesty said.
