Fuel package to provide welcome relief for horse racing industry

A fuel subsidy will help owners, drivers, jockeys and clubs with the rising costs associated with racing. Photo / NZME

New Zealand racing bosses have announced a temporary fuel relief package of up to $1 million to support participants, providing short-term relief in response to recent sharp increases in fuel costs.

The package, developed in collaboration with horse racing’s governing bodies New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ), will retrospectively apply from April 1, 2026, with parties continuing to monitor conditions and reviewing, as necessary.

TAB New Zealand chief commercial and industry officer Jason Fleming said the initiative reflects the company’s role in supporting the racing industry through a period of external disruption.

“Rising fuel prices, particularly diesel, which is up 69% in the past 28 days, are placing real pressure on owners, trainers, drivers, jockeys and clubs, and ultimately on the sustainability of race meetings,” Fleming said.

“This is a targeted, time-limited package designed to help participants through an exceptional period of volatility, while ensuring the continuity and resilience of the racing calendar.”

Under the relief structure, money will be delivered through the existing participant payment systems of the two racing codes. It will include support for trainers and drivers/jockeys, owners of horses finishing outside the top four and clubs to offset increased operational costs.

The support structure is simple, equitable and efficient to administer to ensure assistance flows to those directly affected by fuel costs, particularly those essential to delivering race meetings week‑to‑week.

“This is targeted short‑term support in response to an external cost shock, whereby the code bodies have sought financial assistance from TAB NZ over and above their core distributions,” said Fleming.

NZTR general manager racing Mitch Lamb said similar fuel relief initiatives have recently been implemented by Racing NSW and Racing Victoria, reflecting a broader industry response across Australasia to rising fuel costs.

“We have looked closely at how our Australian counterparts are responding to the same pressures. This package is well aligned with those approaches, while being tailored to New Zealand’s industry structure.”

HRNZ chief executive Brad Steele said: “Our focus via the additional funding has been to maintain continuity and participation during what is hopefully a finite period of disruption.”

TAB NZ chairman Bill Birnie acknowledged and thanked the Racing Minister Winston Peters for his support of the initiative.

The subsidy will be subject to review, reflective of how the fuel crisis develops, with a maximum of $250,000 paid for each month from April 1 to July 31.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.