Racing heavyweights to have greater role in its direction: Michael Guerin
Michael Guerin • May 31st, 2025 12:00 PM • 4 min read
Some of New Zealand racing’s biggest players and a very special ex-pat have joined together to help steer the future of the industry.
New Zealand Bloodstock owner and internationally-renowned breeder/owner Sir Peter Vela will chair a new Advisory Committee to TAB NZ, the regulatory arm of national betting agency who work alongside Entain, the company charged with running the day to day operations of the TAB and its associate brand Betcha.
With the enormous firepower assembled on the Advisory Committee their influence looks set to be felt throughout the industry at a crucial stage in its history.
The committee was the idea of Racing Minister Winston Peters and TAB NZ chairman Bill Birnie so seem certain to have the Minister’s ear as it includes many of the most powerful people in the industry.
Vela is joined by Cambridge Stud owner Brendan Lindsay, Waikato Stud boss Mark Chittick, big-time investor and breeder Greg Tomlinson, Ken Breckon who owns giant harness racing operation Breckon Farms and in a huge coup champion ex-pat trainer Chris Waller. Waller lives in Sydney but took time out from a hectic week of sales and racing in Queensland to fly to New Zealand for the Advisory Committee’s first meeting in Auckland on Wednesday night.
The committee is set to have at least one member added with both business expertise and detailed knowledge of the harness racing industry to ensure that code is further represented.
The group would be one of the most high-powered assembled in New Zealand racing history, with all having hugely successful business careers, many away from horse racing before all being enormous investors in the racing industry.
The coming together of the big six, soon to become big seven, comes at a time when New Zealand racing has made enormous advancements in the two years since Entain took over the running of the TAB, injecting expertise and much needed investment into the struggling industry.
Stakes have risen significantly and Entain has been able to grow turnover but big questions remain around infrastructure and key drivers to ensure the growth continues.
Among the most important issues will be tracks, particularly in thoroughbred racing, which continues to be plagued by abandonments, cancellations or unsatisfactory results after track renovations.
They are proving enormously costly and are undercutting TAB/Entain’s forecasts as they can’t make money on race meetings that are cancelled.
Another crucial factor in maximising turnover is the racing calendar, ensuring the most attractive product ends up in front of punters on the days they want to bet most.
While both TAB NZ and Entain have input into that calendar it is the codes who control and maintain the tracks and other infrastructure.
Other key issues the committee will advise on include the breeding industry and how to stimulate the number of foals being bred in both codes as more horses means bigger fields, which has a direct correlation to future turnover.
Vela says while the industry has made enormous improvement since the TAB/Entain deal started the advisory committee wants to ensure the best pathway forward setting up the industry for long-term sustainability.
That includes crucially when the five years of guaranteed returns under the TAB/Entain deal ends and the codes have to be judged on their results and ability to implement key turnover drivers.
“We have all been tremendously heartened by what has been achieved in the last two years and want to provide advice on the best way forward for the industry,” says Vela.
“There are so many factors that go into making the racing industry sustainable, maximising its turnover and ensuring the momentum keeps going.
“It was very encouraging having so much knowledge and expertise in that meeting on Wednesday and we hope we can help the Minister, TAB NZ, Entain and the codes.”
There will be no fees paid to the seven members of the advisory committee, all working pro bono for the future good of the industry.
Birnie and TAB NZ chief executive Nick Roberts say the Advisory Committee will report back to their organisation in the first instance and recommendations can be passed on to the Racing Minister, Entain or the codes, or in some cases all three.
“It is amazing to see so many of the industry’s genuine leaders wanting to give back their knowledge,” says Birnie.
“To see Chris Waller fly in for 18 hours on Wednesday night to lend his knowledge is quite humbling when you think how busy he would be this week.” The formation of the Advisory Committee will also calm some of those who, while thrilled by racing’s renaissance, worry about its future sustainability as racing faces many of the same changes worldwide.
