NZTR's new chief executive Matt Ballesty hopes we're on the home stretch to economic recovery, and outlines the challenges horse racing faces. Video / Michael Craig
The new thoroughbred racing chief hopes Champions Day can become New Zealand’s answer to the Melbourne Cup — and remind people why the sport is about more than gambling.
The industry has faced many challenges in recent years, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) chief executive Matt Ballesty said atEllerslie.
He starts his new job today, and took the Herald past the parade ring where jockeys and horses will appear before the races this Saturday.
“The whole idea of the day is to have the very, very best compete against each other,” Ballesty said of the inaugural $9 million Champions Day.
After the parade ring, jockeys will go off to the birdcage, where horses are stabled and adrenaline likely starts pumping before the race.
Race day should also be a fun event for families, Ballesty said, and give punters an experience better than sitting in a room at home, gambling on some offshore website.
“What we’re hoping for is in time that this is a race day in the calendar that people actually stop for, perhaps akin to Australia with the Melbourne Cup, where the nation stops to watch a race,” Ballesty said.
He was keen to make Ellerslie an enjoyable environment for mums and dads who might not previously have considered visiting.
Clearly excited about Champions Day, Ballesty was also mindful of challenges confronting the sector.
Matt Ballesty starts his new job at New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing just three days ahead of the country's richest-ever race day. Photo / Michael Craig
“I guess what’s happened in recent times is there’s just more options for people. And horse racing hasn’t had the big prize money that you would expect to have with the sort of horses and establishments we have.”
But racing faced pressures from online competitors and a sluggish economy where many businesses struggled to get consumers parting with disposable income.
Ballesty said NZTR, as an institution, governed and regulated the NZ horse racing industry, the sport’s integrity, and animal welfare. It had an important relationship with the TAB and had oversight of clubs, jockeys, trainers and breeders.
He has worked in Macau and Australia, and previous employers included SkyCity and Crown Resorts.
Ballesty has owned horses before, had some family ties to breeders and racers, but apart from that, had been a member at Ellerslie for the best part of 10 years.
He was pleased lawmakers had made moves to tackle online gambling sites.
In November, the Government said a new Online Gambling Bill would aim to regulate online casino gambling, minimise online gambling harm and limit opportunities for crime and dishonesty.
“This is one of the only grey markets left in the world, so it’s great to see the Government’s finally looking at how we regulate it, put legislation around it, and make sure that the money that is being bet in New Zealand stays in New Zealand, and the benefit is given to New Zealanders.”
But he also said people should have choices in how to gamble.
“This is a society of convenience, so if I want to gamble, you know, I should be able to do it on my tablet.”
The Group 2 Westbury Classic at Ellerslie on January 25. Photo / Kenton Wright
“We’re hoping that by putting on this event, with the prize money and the type of horses that we’ve got racing, that we really do get international interest and that grows over the coming years,” Ballesty added.
“We believe this is something that signifies that New Zealand really is coming of age, and that New Zealand horse racing is serious about the future, the investment’s there, and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Champions Day will also feature the Ned Prix de Fashion — the national racewear final with more than $15,000 in prizes.
Ballesty said he was seeing some positive signs across the broader economy, so maybe some of the pressures NZTR and others have faced could be easing.
“I’m a ratepayer and a mortgage payer [and] like everybody else, going to the grocery shop at the moment’s pretty expensive, as is the petrol.
“And I think that’s still putting an ongoing strain on people, on that disposable dollar, but what I have noticed, even just on a recent trip back to Sydney, is people are saying it’s back to pre-Covid times ... people getting out and using restaurants and facilities, and I’m starting to see that here in New Zealand.”
After one of the deepest recessions in decades, Ballesty said Auckland was showing promise with the City Rail Link set to open in 2026 after years of orange cones and construction downtown.
“Hopefully we see that vibrant, exciting Kiwi city come back .. I think it’s on its way.”
