Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) on Thursday announced the sponsorship of two large prizemoney races in Malaysia, with graduates of NZB’s sales set to be able to compete for stakes of RM100,000 (NZ$36,000/AU$33,300).
Commencing next year, the first of two RM100,000 races will be open to graduates of NZB’s 2023 Ready to Run Sale, while the second will be open to all NZB sales graduates.
These two new races are the first of their kind in Malaysia, and offer a significant prizemoney boost to the Asian racing jurisdiction, which offers an average stake of between RM14,500 (NZ$5200/AU$4800) to RM39,000 (NZ$14,000/AU$13,300).
Selangor Turf Club | Image courtesy of Selangor Turf Club
The initiative is further enhanced by sponsorship of more open-class races on November 4, and comes as part of a wider partnership between NZB and the premier Malaysian racing club, who have been regular attendees and purchasers at NZB’s sales.
Michael Fong, CEO of Selangor Turf Club, said NZB’s sponsorship is invaluable to the local industry.
“The collaboration between the Selangor Turf Club and New Zealand Bloodstock is indeed one of the key factors contributing to the success of our horse industry here in Malaysia,” he said.
“The collaboration between the Selangor Turf Club and New Zealand Bloodstock is indeed one of the key factors contributing to the success of our horse industry here in Malaysia.” - Michael Fong
NZB has been an active sponsor of Selangor Turf Club for more than 15 years.
“Selangor Turf Club is known for their forward thinking and innovative ideas to keep racing popular and entertaining for the owners,” said NZB’s Director of Business and Development Mike Kneebone.
“The racetrack in Selangor is as good as any track surface you will find, plus the trainers have their horses in excellent condition.
“We are pleased to continue the partnership (and make it) bigger and better and understand the importance Malaysian buyers and their racing industry is to the success of our sales.”
“We are pleased to continue the partnership (and make it) bigger and better and understand the importance Malaysian buyers and their racing industry is to the success of our sales.” - Mike Kneebone
One of the new sponsored races will take place two weeks prior to the Ready to Run Sale of 2-year-olds, where Malaysia has been a key purchaser. Last year, Malaysian buyers accounted for a spend of over NZ$1.1 million when purchasing eighteen lots.
New Zealand-bred and sourced horses continue to feature prominently in Malaysia, and just last month, Pasir Pinji (NZ) (Nadeem), a graduate of the 2018 NZB Ready to Run Sale, won the Selangor Gold Cup (1600 metres).
NZB’s subsidiary business NZB Airfreight has also been key to ensuring the transport of these purchases into Malaysia each year, which has historically been a logistical challenge.
And as a further incentive to Malaysian buyers, Selangor Turf Club is able to offer airfreight subsidies through the partnership and NZB Airfreight to ensure their buyers have access to the NZB Ready to Run Sale, which will be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on November 22-23.
