Just when thoroughbred racing in New Zealand was booming again, it's only gone and been given another injection.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has announced the addition of a slot race, The Kiwi, to be raced over 1500 metres at Ellerslie from next season.
It'll be the richest three-year-old race in the Southern Hemisphere, with a total prize pool of $3.5 million, increasing to $4.5 million by 2027.
Slots can be bought at an auction, where anyone can register to bid.
"I'd love to see some people outside of the industry coming in wanting to buy a slot because it just adds to the intrigue of the whole thing," NZTR chief executive Bruce Sharrock told 1News at today's launch.
The concept is similar to that of The Everest, run annually in Sydney, with stakes that have risen to $20 million.
"We have seen from the Australian perspective that a race like The Everest has huge cut-through in terms of mainstream and I think why it's been able to do that is because you've got talk of the race for about a year," Entain Australia & New Zealand's chief financial officer Lachlan Fitt said.
"We're already talking about horses that might run in The Everest this October and that's what we hope The Kiwi will do as well. Any time now we'll be starting to talk about those three-year-olds in the race next year and that allows you to build a narrative."
It's a tasty option for numerous potential slot bidders — from established owners, breeders and businesses. Even group Boys Get Paid, which has gathered a cult following over the years through a number of punters' clubs at large race meetings — most notably the Karaka Million — are looking at their options around it.
"I haven't had time to dig into the finer details, but it's really exciting for the industry and the most the industry's ever raced for (in one race), so we'd be silly not to have a look and see if we can get involved in some way," BGP founder and frontman Luke Kemeys said.
And Kemeys is being challenged to jump in.
"I've already put the challenge out to Luke," Entain New Zealand's managing director Cameron Rodger joked.
"They've got to get a slot, get the BGP guys involved, maybe syndicate one out and get that community behind it — it'd be massive. I have no doubt he'll find a way because he's (Kemeys) a pretty sharp guy and it's a great community and I know they'll get behind it."
It's a move that's got the support of at least one leading local trainer in Roger James from the Kingsclere stable, who's seen the ups and downs the industry has been through in recent times.
"I go back probably 30 years to when I witnessed some of the best trainers in England bringing their horses down for our then million-dollar races and going home because Australia had nothing to offer that was as big as us," James explained.
"It's fair to say we've been lost in the wilderness since then, but since Entain came on board in conjunction with the TAB, NZTR and New Zealand Bloodstock, we haven't witnessed in the last 30 years what we've witnessed in the last six months.
"The positivity in the industry is palpable for all to feel and it couldn't come at a better time before the sales."
Today's announcement of The Kiwi wasn't the only significant change coming from next year.
NZTR has also announced the introduction of Champions Day to be run at Ellerslie on March 8 from next year. It will feature the New Zealand Derby and three other Group Ones races, as well as one Group Two race and two at Group Three level.
"As a sport, we need to have our test matches — we need to have our aspirational targets," Sharrock said.
"Yes, we have our Group Ones throughout the year, but a Champions Day over time will become the pinnacle of racing in this country and whether you own, breed, race, ride a horse it will be the day you want to be here and be part of the action. We will attract people from across the ditch; we will attract those audiences and it's exciting."
James, a self-described "purist", said while slot races are "wonderful" and "a new innovation", the Group and Listed races "are what breeding and racing around the world has been formed on".
"To be able to have that many Group races on one day on a great track, that is worldwide stuff."
It all comes on the week of the Karaka Millions meet at Ellerslie on Saturday, featuring two races for $1 million and one for $1.5 million.
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