Fourteen race days are scheduled to be run on the Hastings racetrack in the next racing season, with the first of them set down for Saturday, August 22.
Racing successfully resumed on the newly reconstructed and re-cambered racing surface on Thursday with a six-race meeting and now it is all systems go again for the 2026/2027 racing season, which begins on August 1.
No Hastings race meetings are planned for June and July this year but there will be at least one race day on the course in nine of the 12 months between August this year and July next year.
Eight of the Hastings race dates will be Saturdays, with three Sundays, two twilight Wednesdays and one Thursday.
One of the Sundays, February 14, will be a designated Wairoa Racing Club meeting while the Waipukurau Jockey Club will also stage two race days on their home track, on Sunday November 15 and March 17.
The popular three-day Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival will return to the Hastings track this year after only one of the days was able to be held there in 2024 and all three days were transferred to northern tracks last year.
The first day of this year’s spring carnival will be on September 12, with the second day on September 26 and the final day of October 10.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has confirmed the official Racing Calendar for the next season, with 310 thoroughbred race meetings scheduled across the country.
The calendar has been set by the TAB NZ Dates Committee, following consultation with the racing codes and consultation by each code with its clubs and recognised industry organisations.
NZTR General Manager Racing, Mitch Lamb, said the release of the calendar marked an important milestone as the industry prepares for the new season.
“The racing calendar is the backbone of our season and there has been a huge amount of work across the industry to get us to this point,” Lamb said.
“The calendar process is a great example of the constructive working relationship between the racing codes, Entain and TAB NZ, as well as the valuable input received from our clubs and industry organisations,” Lamb said.
The 2026/2027 season includes two more race meetings than were initially scheduled for the current season, making 310 in total across the country.
The final calendar also reflects that Awapuni will not be available for racing during the 2026/2027 season, as well as the return to racing at Hastings.
“Seeing racing return to Hastings is a real positive for the industry and the local racing community,” Lamb said.
The full list of Hastings race meetings for the 2026/2027 racing season is. -
Saturday, August 22
Saturday, September 12
Saturday, September 26
Saturday, October 10
Wednesday, December 9 (twilight)
Thursday, December 31
Wednesday, January 27 (twilight)
Sunday, February 14 (Wairoa)
Sunday, February 28
Saturday, April 10
Saturday, April 17
Sunday, May 2
Saturday, July 3
Saturday, July 17
Maiden win could be start of better things
Mercy, a horse trainer Kevin Myers rated so highly that he had her nominated for this year’s Group 1 New Zealand Oaks, went some way towards showing that potential when winning a $20,000 maiden race over 1400m at Otaki last Saturday.
Myers, one of the most astute trainers in the country, owns Mercy in partnership with Havelock North’s Graham Duffy and Taupo-based Paul Robinson.
The trio bred the Darci Brahma three-year-old filly out of the Elusive City mare Onefortheditch, another horse they raced together.
Mercy was having her fifth race start last Saturday, with her previous best placing being a second over 1200m at Otaki in December last year.
Aided by a patient ride from apprentice Floor Moerman, she managed to get in the deciding stride in a close four-horse finish.
Moerman restrained the filly to the back of the field from the start, to try and get cover from the wide draw.
They were still second last approaching the home turn but Moerman then picked a path between horses in the straight and Mercy dashed through a tight gap in the final stages to snatch a neck victory from Shadow Ruler. There was a nose back to third placed No Love Lost, with the race favourite Brutiful Lass only a neck away in fourth.
Graham Duffy said this week he and his fellow owners were rapt with the filly’s winning performance and were also pleasantly surprised by her $15.50 win dividend.
“It was quite a thrill to get the win and we also got bit of the dividend,” a happy Duffy said.
“Kevin has always thought a lot of her and nominated her for the New Zealand Oaks before she had a start.
“She was a late foal and has just needed time but is quite a big filly now.
“I asked Kevin after she won whether she would get 1600 metres and he said she’ll get further than that.
“He said he will space her races in the next six months and expects her to get better and better.”
Mercy is the third generation of successful horses that Myers, Duffy and Robinson have bred together.
They raced her dam Onefortheditch, who recorded six wins, four seconds and five thirds from 47 starts and won more than $91,000 in stakemoney.
Onefortheditrch was a tough mare who lined up in all three days of the 2016 Grand National meeting at Christchurch, finishing second over 1600m on the first day before recording back-to-back wins over 1800m and 1400m on the last two days. She was also placed over hurdles.
Her dam was the O’Reilly mare Molly O’Reilly, who won three races and was also part-owned by Hastings owner-trainer Tim Symes.
Ka Ying Rising still king of the world
Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising has hit a career ratings peak of 130 to establish himself as the undisputed superior racehorse so far throughout the world in 2026.
Ka Ying Rising was alone at the top of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities released in Europe last weekend with a four-point margin over three rivals on 126 which include fellow Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior.
Ka Ying Rising leapt from a 128 mark set earlier this year to his current 130 on the back of his course record runs at Sha Tin in the Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) and then the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
Romantic Warrior moved up two points to his 126 on the back of his victory in the Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m).
Ka Ying Rising’s impressive score of 130 sits well with recent IFHA final rankings. In 2025, the French star Calandagan recorded a 130 while the winner in 2024, Laurel River, came up with a 128. In 2023, Equinox won with a 129 rating.
Australia’s unbeaten sprint champion Black Caviar recorded a best of 130 in 2013 when she finished on top of the IFHA ratings along with Treve.
Winx made it to 130 in 2016 and 2018 while recording her career peak in 2017 with a 132.
Ka Ying Rising’s mark of 130 could be challenged over the next few months as the European flat season hits full stride.
Current IFHA rankings leaderboard is. -
1st – 130 - Ka Ying Rising (HK)
Equal 2nd – 126 – Romantic Warrior (HK)
Equal 2nd – 126 - Bow Echo (GB)
Equal 2nd – 126 – Daryz (Fr)
Equal 5th – 124 – Opera Bailo (GB)
Equal 5th – 124 – White Abario (US)
Racing codes join forces in future project
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing New Zealand, with the support of TAB New Zealand, have provided an update on the timing of the next phase of Project Stamina.
As the industry is aware, there are currently a number of wider strategic discussions underway relating to the long-term sustainability and future direction of racing in New Zealand.
NZTR and HRNZ continue to engage constructively with TAB NZ, as well as the TAB NZ Advisory Committee, and other industry stakeholders as part of this process.
Given the importance of ensuring alignment across these discussions and the significant role infrastructure planning will play in the future of both codes, additional time is being taken as work on Project Stamina progresses.
The Boards of NZTR and HRNZ have now received a draft report from consultants RCP and are working through the draft recommendations and next stages of long-term infrastructure planning, with the project expected to be finalised and communicated to the industry by the end of July 2026.
NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty said it was important the industry took a coordinated and considered approach to long-term planning.
“Project Stamina is about building a sustainable future for racing infrastructure across New Zealand. Given the wider strategic work currently underway across the industry, it is important we take the time to ensure this work is properly aligned and informed by those discussions,” Ballesty said.
HRNZ Chair Grant Jarrold said the work undertaken through Project Stamina would help inform how racing infrastructure supports the future needs of both codes.
“This is significant work that will help shape the future footprint of racing in New Zealand. It is important we take the time to get this right and ensure the industry has a clear and practical long-term plan for infrastructure and venue utilisation,” Jarrold said.