New Zealand’s Champions Day, March 8, 2025, will feature a brand-new slot race. The Kiwi. The race, over 1500 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse, is restricted to 3-year-olds only and is designed to showcase New Zealand’s breeding industry.
“I was at The Everest to get a taste of it and do some learnings for The Kiwi. What a phenomenal day,” said The Kiwi program leader Emma Thompson. “We had a slot auction earlier in the year and that was a catalyst to create a dedicated team led by me for The Kiwi. As part of organising The Kiwi, I was sent over for The Everest.
“From the moment you walked into Randwick, it was a lively atmosphere with live music and brand activation. It felt like a mini festival, and we definitely want to replicate that energy at Ellerslie, especially the way it engaged people from the outset as they walked in the gates.
“From the moment you walked into Randwick (on Everest Day), it was a lively atmosphere with live music and brand activation... we definitely want to replicate that energy at Ellerslie (for The Kiwi).” - Emma Thompson
“I was lucky to experience the race with the Waikato Stud team, who own I Wish I Win, and this helped me learn about how the premier stakeholders for the race were treated. The level of hospitality was second to none, the wait staff were outstanding. It was a really great day.
“My favourite part was how the anticipation for the race peaked. There was a designated meeting point for slot holders (in the parade ring) and we got to mingle with other slot holders. I felt like I was in the Colosseum, it was very theatrical with great hype, and then there was the Sweet Caroline moment. Walking through the tunnel to the course with everyone singing. Simply goosebumps. Racing NSW and the ATC (Australian Turf Club) have done an exceptional job in raising the profile of the race. They’ve built something special.”
Emma Thompson
Race Conditions for The Kiwi
Each of the 14 slot holders must select a 3-year-old to run for them who meets the conditions of entry, which are that horses must fit one of three conditions:
One: New Zealand-born according to the New Zealand Stud Book. There were 2907 foals born in New Zealand in 2021 who are all eligible for The Kiwi.
Two: Sold through any sale conducted by New Zealand Bloodstock, or its subsidiary Gavelhouse (or is passed in at one of these sales and sold within 30 days of the sale at the reserve price or higher)
Three: Conceived in New Zealand.
With 14 available slots for The Kiwi 2025, these were ‘sold’ in three different ways. Firstly, race clubs who held bonus races in the lead up to The Kiwi were eligible to ‘buy’ a slot for the reserve price. These were taken up by Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, Waikato Thoroughbred Racing, RACE, and the Canterbury Jockey Club, with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing holding the final slot for promotional purposes.
Nine of the slots were sold at auction on February 27, 2024, with each winning bidder gaining a three-year ownership of their slot. Prices ranged from NZ$750,000 to the reserve of NZ$450,000.
| Slot 1 | Waikato Stud | Private | Sold at Auction to John Chew, then sold privately to Waikato Stud |
| Slot 2 | Kerri Spence Bloodstock & Clotworthy Racing | $675,000 | Auction |
| Slot 3 | Wexford Stables | $700,000 | Auction |
| Slot 4 | Barnswood, Brady & Nakhle | $675,000 | Auction |
| Slot 5 | Te Akau Racing | $675,000 | Auction |
| Slot 6 | Ozzie Kheir | $700,000 | Auction |
| Slot 7 | Entain New Zealand | $700,000 | Auction |
| Slot 8 | Forsman Racing & Jomara Bloodstock | $675,000 | Auction |
| Slot 9 | Cambridge Stud | $700,000 | Auction |
| Slot 10 | Auckland Thoroughbred Racing | $450,000 | Race Club eligible |
| Slot 11 | Canterbury Jockey Club | $450,000 | Race Club eligible |
| Slot 12 | Race Inc. | $450,000 | Race Club eligible |
| Slot 13 | Waikato Thoroughbred Racing | $450,000 | Race Club eligible |
| Slot 14 | New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing | $450,000 | Charity auction NZB Ready To Run |
Table: The Kiwi slot holders
Charity to benefit from NZTR slot auction
The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing slot will be auctioned at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2024 Ready to Run Sale of 2-year-olds next week, with 50 per cent of the Above Reserve Fee (NZ$125,000) being donated to charity by NZTR.
“There’s been a slight date change for the auction of NZTR’s slot,” said Thompson. “The auction will now be held on the eve of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, on Tuesday, November 19. New Zealand Bloodstock are hosting a welcome party for key vendors and buyers, and the slot will be auctioned at around 5pm NZDT.
“The auction (for the NZTR slot) will now be held on the eve of the NZB Ready to Run Sale, on Tuesday, November 19... the slot will be auctioned at around 5pm NZDT.” - Emma Thompson
“NZTR retained a slot for promotional purposes, and then the original slot holder auction showed that demand was strong. We decided to put a one-year-slot up for auction to give people an option to purchase without the three-year commitment of the other slot holders.
"We’ve had some good interest, including from non-racing people, and obviously from industry people including some of the underbidders from the main slot holder auction. I’ve also been ringing around the Australian trainers who have high quality eligible New Zealand-bred 3-year-olds. I’m looking forward to selling it.”
NZTR have a fair way of determining how to award the charitable donation. Each of the 14 slot holders have chosen a New Zealand-based charity and have donated NZ$1000 to their charity. Monday, October 28, is a public holiday in New Zealand and Waikato Thoroughbred Racing will be hosting the G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial race day at Te Rapa.
“All the 14 charities will attend the races at Te Rapa on Monday, and they will draw a runner in a race on Sarten day. The charity who selects the winner of the race will get the proceeds of the NZTR slot auction at the Ready to Run sale. The reserve price for the slot is NZ$125,000, and if it sells for more than that, 50 per cent of amount over the reserve will go to the winning charity.”
With less than 14 horses nominated for the G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial S., NZTR will select a race on the same day to use as the charity draw.
| Waikato Stud | Starship Foundation |
| Kerri Spence Bloodstock & Clotworthy Racing | OnTrack |
| Wexford Stables | New Zealand Riding for the Disabled - Cambridge |
| Barneswood Brady Nakhle | I Am Hope Foundation |
| Te Akau Racing | EquiPotential NZ Ltd |
| Ozzie Kheir | Heart Kids NZ |
| Entain New Zealand | CatWalk Trust |
| The King's Men | Tremain's Community Trust |
| Cambridge Stud | Rodney Animal Rescue |
| Auckland Thoroughbred Racing | Ronald McDonald House |
| Canterbury Jockey Club | Cure Kids NZ |
| RACE Inc. | New Zealand Riding for the Disabled - Manawatū and Wellington |
| Waikato Thoroughbred Racing | New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust |
| New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing | St John's Ambulance Trust |
Table: The 15 The Kiwi slot holders and their chosen charities
Champions Day
The Kiwi will run on Champions Day at Ellerslie racecourse, run by Auckland Thoroughbred Racing who have a slot for the race.
“We used to have Auckland Cup week (in March) which was two Saturdays with the G1 NZ Derby on the first week and the Auckland Cup on the second day. We’ve combined both days into one Super Saturday called Champions Day with the Derby, the Auckland Cup, The Kiwi slot race and in total eight black type races on the card,” said Craig Baker, Executive General Manager – Racing & Operations, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing.
“It’s super exciting to be the host venue for the richest 3-year-old race in the Southern Hemisphere, and as hosts we were able to take up one of the slots to have a horse represent our club in the race.”
“It’s super exciting to be the host venue for the richest 3-year-old race in the Southern Hemisphere, and as hosts we were able to take up one of the slots to have a horse represent our club in the race.” - Craig Baker
All the New Zealand-based clubs who are hosting the bonus race series leading into The Kiwi were eligible to become a slot holder, and four clubs took up the offer, being Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, Waikato Thoroughbred Racing, RACE, and the Canterbury Jockey Club.
“The bonus races are not ‘win and you’re in’ style, they are simply races with bonus prizemoney. A horse still has to be sourced by a slot holder to run in The Kiwi. As for our slot, we’ve engaged form analyst Daniel O’Sullivan to help provide ratings on potential horses from a slot perspective, and we are in process of working through a list.”
Craig Baker | Image courtesy of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing
Bonus prizemoney for the trifecta of The Kiwi
An additional NZ$1 million in bonuses will be available each year to the winners of a number of iconic New Zealand and Australian races in the lead up to the March meeting. “To be eligible for a share in the NZ$1 million bonus pool, a horse must win one of the various Bonus Eligible iconic New Zealand and/or Australian races, and also run a top three placing in The NZB Kiwi held on Champions Day.”
These races are:
| Saturday 6 April 2024 | G1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires Produce S. (1400m) | Manawatu Racing Club at RACE Trentham | Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) | No |
| Saturday 26 October 2024 | G2 Callander Presnell S. (1600m) | Australian Turf Club at Royal Randwick | - | - |
| Monday 28 October 2024 | G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) | Waikato Thoroughbred Racing at Te Rapa Racecourse | - | - |
| Saturday 2 November 2024 | G3 Carbine Club S. (1600m) | Victoria Racing Club at Flemington Racecourse | - | - |
| Saturday 9 November 2024 | G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (1600m) | Canterbury Jockey Club at Riccarton Park | - | - |
| Saturday 16 November 2024 | G1 Barneswood Farm One Thousand Guineas (1600m) | Canterbury Jockey Club at Riccarton Park | - | - |
| Saturday 11 January 2025 | G2 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1400m) | Wellington Racing Club at RACE Trentham | - | - |
| Saturday 25 January 2025 | Listed TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) | Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie Racecourse | - | - |
| Saturday 25 January 2025 | G2 Cambridge Stud Alamanzor Trophy (1200m) | Auckland Thoroughbred Racing at Ellerslie Racecourse | - | - |
| Saturday 8 February 2025 | G1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) | Waikato Thoroughbred Racing at Te Rapa Racecourse | - | - |
“The Sarten is the first of the New Zealand based bonus races this season,” said Thompson.
“It’s part of The Kiwi initiative. The base prizemoney for The Kiwi is NZ$3.5 million but we also have a NZ$1 million bonus pool. If a horse can win one of the bonus races, they qualify for the NZ$1 million, which they can get if they finish in the top three of The Kiwi.
“The next key race is Two Thousand Guineas on November 9 because the winner gets the first right of refusal for Canterbury Racing’s slot.”
Impact on NZ's breeding industry
“The Kiwi will have a massive impact on the sires’ championship, along with the Aotearoa Classic and the Karaka Million too. The changes (to prizemoney) over the last 12 months have changed the game with boosting prizemoney. It’s been a roller coaster for the industry, but the Entain partnership has amped up the future. It’s great for the country,” said Thompson.
“The changes (to prizemoney) over the last 12 months have changed the game with boosting prizemoney. It’s been a roller coaster for the industry, but the Entain partnership has amped up the future. It’s great for the country.” - Emma Thompson
In 2022/23, the NZ Sires Premiership was won by Savabeel with prizemoney earnings over NZ$4.8 million. Champions Day, alone, will have prizemoney over NZ$9 million and the winner of The Kiwi will shoot their sire into Stallion Premiership contention.
Slot Holder: Cambridge Stud
“The concept (for 3-year-olds) is good and it’s an exciting injection of prizemoney for the New Zealand racing scene,” said Cambridge Stud’s Henry Plumptre.
“Of our 90 horses in work, we’ve got around 25 3-year-olds, and we would hope one of them is good enough to run in our slot. We have our eye on a couple of fillies who are with (private trainer) Lance Noble and there’s a Pierata filly who is with Andrew Forsman, but really, it’s a bit early to make a decision.
“Of our 90 horses in work, we’ve got around 25 3-year-olds, and we would hope one of them is good enough to run in our slot.” - Henry Plumptre
“More than half the potential field probably haven’t even run yet, which is typical for New Zealand racing. As we get into January or February, we’ll have more idea. It’s the same as any slot race, the final field won’t be until the week of the race, but there will be some juggling nearer to the date. If we don’t have an obvious horse by mid-February, we’ll do a deal with the owners of a class horse but that’s a last resort for us.
“We bought the slot to showcase our own horses. In the first round of the slot auctions, we were the only farm to buy one at auction. Waikato Stud bought theirs later, I think.”
Henry Plumptre | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The initial slot auction was held on February 27, 2024, with nine slots offered for auction. Waikato Stud was not in the initial purchaser list at that auction, but did buy 'slot one' privately later.
“You have to applaud any incentive to push the New Zealand industry,” said Plumptre. “We don’t have to compete with Australia (on prizemoney), but the injection of prizemoney here that The Kiwi brings is a good thing. If you look holistically about what Entain are doing, they are doing generally the right thing, and focusing on improving prizemoney helps a great deal.”
