Hastings-trained Party Rocking recorded a gutsy fresh up win on the Awapuni synthetic track last Sunday, lumping 62.5kg to a half-length victory in a Rating 74 race over 1000 metres.

It was the six-year-old’s first start for five months but trainer John Bary had the gelding ready for a winning return after he had taken out an 800m jumpout at Hastings on August 10, recording the fastest time of the six heats run over that distance.

Party Rocking’s win last Sunday was also a successful reunion between Bary and senior jockey Johnathan Riddell.

The pair have been a formidable combination over many years, none more so than just over a decade ago when Bary trained star galloper Jimmy Choux and Riddell was the horse’s regular rider.

Jimmy Choux was the winner of 12 races from only 26 starts, including five at Group 1 level.

His Group 1 wins were in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas, New Zealand Derby, Rosehill Guineas, Windsor Park Plate and the NZ Insurance Spring Classic and he was also runner-up in the famous Cox Plate in Melbourne. Riddell was aboard the horse on each occasion.

Riddell rode Party Rocking to his first victory, in an 800m two-year-old race at Hastings in July 2023 but had been unplaced in five subsequent race-rides since then.

Party Rocking likes to race on the pace and Riddell got the horse to settle behind the leader Showbastion Coe in the early stages of last Sunday’s race. He then angled the gelding around the heels of that runner coming to the home turn and they hit the front soon after. Hasstobefast, ridden by Riddell’s daughter Amber, put it to Party Rocking in the final stages but the latter lifted, under a strong ride, to stave off the challenge.

It was Party Rocking’s sixth win from 28 starts and took his stake earnings to more than $150,000.

John Bary purchased the gelding for $42,000 at the 2022 Karaka yearling sales and has retained a share in the horse.

Another Hawke’s Bay man, Tim Gillespie, also shares in the ownership along with four of Bary’s Australian friends, two of whom were shareholders in the multiple Group 1 winner Calsign Mav from the Bary stable.

HB galloper best in four-horse race

It is not often that a horse has only three rivals to beat in a race but that was the case when Hawke’s Bay owned and trained Thelongerulook  took out a Rating 74 race at last Sunday’s Awapuni synthetic track meeting.

Five horses were originally entered for the 2140m event but, with the scratching of  pre-post favourite Subtle Image, it was reduced to four.

Rider Kelly Myers positioned Thelongerulook outside the leader in the early stages of the race before they were forced to go back to the rear going down the back straight.

Myers started to urge the horse forward again approaching the home turn and they ranged up outside the leaders rounding the home turn.

Thelongerulook and Sir Mikki then went stride for stride in the home straight with the former grinding out a half length victory.

Thelongerulook is owned and trained by Dannevirke’s Barry Beatson, who paid $14,000 to buy the Australian-bred gelding from the 2019 Karaka yearling sales.

The now nine-year-old has only had 12 starts for three wins, two seconds and two thirds. He recorded his first success in a 1400m maiden race at Otaki in January 2022 but was sidelined for more than six months when a virus swept through Beatson’s stable affecting most of his horses.

NZTR confirms stakes settings

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has confirmed its stakes settings for the 2026/27 season, with $104 million budgeted for stakes and bonuses following last week’s funding announcement.

Minimum stakes will remain unchanged from the 2025/26 season, providing continued certainty for participants across all non-black-type grades.

NZTR General Manager Racing Mitch Lamb said protecting minimum stakes had been a key priority when finalising the programme.

“To be able to protect minimum stakes across all our non-black-type races, given the funding circumstances, is a positive outcome,” Lamb said.

“This provides important certainty for owners, trainers and other participants as they plan for the season ahead.

“The changes have been concentrated across selected black-type, innovation and other additionally funded races. We have taken a targeted and selective approach, particularly across the Group 1 programme, taking into account the potential impacts of each change. We are comfortable that we have reached the right balance within the funding available.”

A net reduction of $3,172,375 will be made across selected black-type, innovation and other additionally funded races. This includes a $500,000 increase in slot-race funding, offset by reductions across the other categories.

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s stakes contributions have helped offset some of the effect of the reductions particularly across major Group 1 races.

The Wairere Falls Classic and Karapiro Classic will not continue in 2026/27, with NZTR determining the two innovation races had not achieved their intended impact.

The three remaining innovation races will continue with reduced stakes. NZTR believes each has shown positive signs and remains committed to establishing them as permanent fixtures on the racing calendar.

The NZB Kiwi will run for $4.5 million, alongside its $1 million bonus pool. The NZTR Board was unanimous in supporting the commitment previously made to the race and its slot holders.

“The investment made by slot holders was based on the structure already agreed for the NZB Kiwi, and the Board considered it important that NZTR honour that commitment,” Lamb said.

“The race has delivered significant commercial and promotional value for New Zealand racing. However, beyond this season, NZTR will undertake a full review of its future structure and investment.”

Ka Ying Rising primed for return

Jockey Zac Purton and trainer David Hayes are confident Ka Ying Rising is poised to extend his remarkable 20-race winning streak after the champion sprinter breezed through a barrier trial at Sha Tin last Sunday in preparation for his return to racing this Sunday.

Jumping from barrier one against 10 rivals, Ka Ying Rising built momentum up the middle of the course before forging clear, clocking 56.73s to score by two lengths from Public Attention and Magic Control as he prepares to chase a third consecutive victory in the HK$4.2million Group 3 Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m).

Rated joint number one in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse rankings, Ka Ying Rising was never pressured at any stage in the trial by Purton and his time was only marginally outside the 56.45s he clocked when winning the corresponding trial last season.

Predicting the world’s premier sprinter could still improve, Hayes said: “I feel pretty good. Zac said he didn’t change legs, but he was probably three or four seconds below course time, so he was doing it very easy, and I just like the way he acted before the trial.

“I think he’s in the right head space and ready to run a race next Sunday. You spell the horses trying to make them bigger and stronger, especially if they are a sprinter, and he’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been. So, I still think we have another season of him improving.”

Ka Ying Rising will enter quarantine in Hong Kong for two weeks immediately after his first-up run before flying to Sydney, Australia, where he will bid for successive wins in the A$20million Group 1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 17.

 

Thoroughbred racing wagering growth

Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand has completed the 2025/26 season with growth in participation, domestic wagering and customer numbers, alongside nearly $102 million in funded prizemoney distributed.

Across the season, 306 race meetings were held, and 2508 races were run, eight more meetings and 40 more races than in 2024/25.

A total of 4,481 individual thoroughbreds competed during the season, an increase of 91 on the previous year. Together, they generated 26,031 starts.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chief Executive Matt Ballesty said the results reflected the contribution of participants, clubs and industry partners across the country.

“More horses participated, more races were run and domestic wagering performance strengthened during the season,” Ballesty said.

“These results give thoroughbred racing in New Zealand a solid platform to build from. They also reflect the considerable commitment of owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders, stable staff, volunteers and clubs throughout the country.”

Funded prizemoney reached $101.93million, up $2.10million on the 2024/25 season. A further $2.86m was paid in bonuses to stakeholders across the season.

Domestic wagering on New Zealand thoroughbred racing delivered strong growth during the season. New Zealand customers wagered $510.76 million, an increase of $35.47 million, or 7.5 percent, on 2024/25.

Gross betting revenue generated from that wagering increased by $7.92 million, or 9.4 percent, to $91.93 million. The stronger growth in gross betting revenue compared with turnover shows an improved margin against last season and resulted in the value generated from domestic wagering increasing faster than the total amount wagered.

“These are strong results for thoroughbred racing. More customers were wagering on our racing, the total amount wagered increased and thoroughbred racing grew its share of the domestic racing market,” Ballesty said.

“The growth in gross betting revenue is particularly important because it supports the funding available to the wider racing industry and, ultimately, the returns delivered to participants.”