142 | LEISURE Waikato Thoroughbred Racing T T Bernadette Cooney WTR gears up for exciting summer WTR membership enables access to the well-appointed members lounge at Te Rapa. Just over a year after the historic merger of three prominent New Zealand racing clubs—Waikato Racing Club, Cambridge Jockey Club, and Waipa Racing Club—into Waikato Thoroughbred Racing (WTR), the new entity has made significant progress and is gearing up for an exciting summer racing season. WTR now oversees three courses: Te Rapa, an all-year grass track; Cambridge, a synthetic track used mainly from May to September; and Waipa at Te Awamutu, a designated training and trials track. Andrew Castles, CEO of WTR, explains that the merger was crucial for ensuring the future of thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. It allows for long-term strategic planning, especially regarding the maintenance and upgrading of aging facilities. “Bringing the three clubs together puts us in a position where we can plan for the future, which would not have been possible without joining forces,” says Andrew. With the need for long-term planning, the combined strength of the three clubs allows for a more strategic approach to planning for maintenance and venue upgrades. A key focus for the new board, which consists of two representatives from each of the legacy clubs along with an independent director, is to devise a venue plan that addresses the long-term needs of racing in the region. Andrew confirmed that the board is in the process of evaluating all options, and a detailed report with recommendations will be presented to members in September-October 2025 as required by the merger agreement. In November, Waikato Thoroughbred Racing will present its inaugural combined annual report at its AGM, which will provide an overview of the financial health and operational achievements of the merged entity. WTR membership enables access to the well-appointed members lounge at Te Rapa where they can enjoy the excitement of 19 race days a year, says Andrew. “Labour Day the 28th of October is a feature race meeting here at Te Rapa. It sees the country’s best three-year-olds compete in the James & Annie Sarten Memorial, which is a lead-up race to the Group 1 races a few weeks later.” Among the most anticipated feature events on the Waikato Thoroughbred Racing calendar are the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup and Legends Day. The Waikato Cup, scheduled for December 14, is a highlight of the region’s racing year and is followed by the Lodge Christmas Race Day on Saturday, 21st of December at Te Rapa racecourse. The other feature race day is Legends Day, set for Saturday February 8th , particularly notable for featuring two of New Zealand’s prestigious Group 1 races: the BCD Group Sprint and the Herbie Dyke Stakes. Te Rapa Events Centre at Te Rapa Racecourse is gearing up for the festive function season also, offering six unique function spaces over three levels with on-site catering and free on site carparking for 750 vehicles. From 10 people to 500 people, the events centre is a fantastic place for corporate end of year functions and is available to host events and celebrations of any kind, all year round. Dedicated to providing our clients with reliable and stress-free audio visual hire solutions to ensure the smooth running of their events. 07 957 1846 | 029 251 8846 info@anyav.co.nz anyav.co.nz Hamilton Projectors,LED Screens, Conference Systems Sound Systems, Zoom meetings, Video Cameras Live Streaming, Lighting and more Horse Arena Arena Sand Landscaping Earthmoving Track, Stable & Driveway Maintenance Available for all your earthworks & haulage requirements! Proud Associate of Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Diggers Trucks Bobcats 027 410 7770 info@waipaearthworks.co.nz www.tclearthworks.co.nz Contact us for all your arena and stable requirements Horse Arena Arena Sand Landscaping Earthmoving Track, Stable & Driveway Maintenance Available for all your earthworks & haulage requirements! roud Associate of Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Diggers Trucks Bobcats 027 410 7770 info@waipaearthworks.co.nz www.tclearthworks.co.nz Contact us for all your arena and stable requirements
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