KEY POINTS:
Million-dollar races, a new darling of the turf and the recovery of top jockey Michael Walker highlighted a successful year for racing, though one clouded by a credit crunch at year's end.
Princess Coup, Nom Du Jeu, Seachange and Tell A Tale were the stars, though many in
the industry would also nominate former racing minister Winston Peters.
The reduction in gaming duty, breeding tax breaks and a government boost to major racing stakes revived the industry under his term as minister, with the effects shining through this year.
Peters was stood down before the election because of probes by the Serious Fraud Office, Electoral Office and police which eventually cleared him, but he failed to make back into Parliament in November, despite a push by many in the racing industry to vote for his New Zealand First party.
As a result of Peters' endeavours, the New Zealand Derby will have a $2.2 million stake at the end of February, while the Two Thousand Guineas, Auckland Cup and Telegraph are the other gallops races to join the $2m Kelt Capital Stakes and $1m Karaka Million in the million-dollar club.
The huge stakes were not without controversy, especially as the industry has to match the government's contribution and betting turnovers drooped by around 10 per cent as the economic downturn took effect, foreshadowing a tough year in 2009.
But if the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton was any indication, the million-dollar races have added a buzz to racing. Tens of thousands flocked to Riccarton in November and partied - many of them pausing from their drinks to admire the upcoming star Tell A Tale unleash a brilliant finish to just edge out Il Quello Veloce, last season's champion juvenile.
Tell A Tale's trainer Mark Walker had a bumper year, with Princess Coup performing well in Australia (with a group two win and seconds in the Australian Cup, Ranvet Stakes and BMW) in the autumn and then landing two group one victories at home in the spring - one of them the Kelt Stakes, for the second year running.
She replaced the retired Seachange as the darling of the New Zealand turf.
While Princess Coup won the Kelt in a thriller in 2007, just getting the victory on the line, she was dominant this year, easily beating Red Ruler, Nom Du Jeu and Boundless.
That trio had been impressive in the late 3-year-old season. In the autumn, Nom Du Jeu became the first New Zealand-trained horse to win the AJC Derby at Randwick since the mighty Bonecrusher in 1986. Red Ruler finished second to give New Zealand the quinella.
And Boundless, winner of the New Zealand Oaks in February, nearly made it a notable Sydney double, running second in the AJC Oaks.
Much was expected after the Kelt of the top four at the rich Melbourne carnival, but Princess Coup had no chance, caught back in the field and trapped on the rail in a muddling run Cox Plate and was then listless in the Mackinnon Stakes. She had had enough for the year.
But Nom Du Jeu lived up to his billing, finishing strongly for second in the Caulfield Cup, to give the new father and son training combination of Murray and Bjorn Baker a great start. Red Ruler was sixth. Nom Du Jeu was then eighth in the Melbourne Cup.
C'Est La Guerre was the other 3-year-old staying star, winning the New Zealand Derby on a wet Ellerslie track in March by four lengths. The horse was subsequently sold for $1.3m to Melbourne billionaire Lloyd Williams and ran a great third in the Melbourne Cup, won by Viewed who gave Bart Cummings an amazing 12 Cup wins.
Michael Walker was a runaway winner of the jockeys' premiership.
His was the amazing story of the year. He looked on track to becoming the first jockey to get 200 wins for a season, when he suffered serious injuries in May - falling down a bluff while pig hunting.
His injuries were so serious he had to be airlifted to hospital for treatment. But by October he was riding trackwork. By November, he had been cleared to ride and celebrated with a win at his second ride back.
- NZPA