KEY POINTS:
Three New Zealand races have been added to the Australian Stayers' Challenge, starting with this month's group one Wellington Cup.
Australian Racing Board chief executive Andrew Harding said he hoped New Zealand trainers would be encouraged to target Australian races in the series after their horses competed at home.
"The Australian Stayers' Challenge is an important tool in promoting staying horses and the inclusion of New Zealand will stimulate the Challenge races throughout Australia," Harding said.
The other two New Zealand races included in the Stayers' Challenge are the New Zealand Cup and the group one Auckland Cup in March.
West Australian Cats Fun currently heads the leaderboard with 180 points after victories in the C. B Cox Stakes and Perth Cup, ahead of Zipping and New Zealand Cup winner Everswindell, who are both equal second with 90 points.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Bittar said he was pleased the series had been extended across the Tasman.
"NZTR are pleased to be a part of the Australian Stayers' Challenge, a series that can only assist the promotion of staying races throughout Australasia," Bittar said.
"Our stayers have regularly performed well in Australia, and we're excited to have three of our iconic races included in the series.
"We're grateful to the ARB for their assistance in broadening this race series to include New Zealand."
The winner of the Stayers' Challenge is exempt from a ballot on the Melbourne Cup.
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Horses purchased at the upcoming New Zealand yearling sales will not be able to be transported directly to Sydney under regulations imposed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries this week.
Effective immediately, no horses are permitted to fly into Sydney airport, which is in a purple zone, unless they have been fully vaccinated with the Protec flu vaccine.
As a genetically modified vaccine, the use of Protec flu vaccine is not permitted in New Zealand.
However, all horses from New Zealand may fly directly into Melbourne unvaccinated, for the same cost as flying into Sydney.
They can then be transported into NSW to a property designated as green, amber or red where they can then be vaccinated.
New Zealand Bloodstock, which will conduct the Premier Sale at Karaka on January 28 and 29, will act for buyers to obtain travel permits.
There is no quarantine period and the only additional cost to owners will be the float trip to the property of their choice and the vaccination shots.
If buyers do not want to transport their horses to Australia immediately, they can remain in New Zealand until travel restrictions are lifted by the DPI, with many New Zealand vendors willing to assist purchasers in this regard.
The Premier sale at Karaka is expected to attract a huge contingent from Australia, with the Magic Millions sale transferred from its usual January date to March and the Inglis Easter Sale also delayed.
Champion New Zealand sire Zabeel's entire Cambridge Stud draft will be sold at Karaka, while his Cox Plate winning son Savabeel, who stands at Waikato Stud, will be represented by 57 yearlings, the highest of any freshman sire at the sale.
- AAP
