Is New Zealand’s Next Gen program a model that U.S. horse racing should follow?
by Bob Duff
In New Zealand harness racing circles, they are describing the Next Gen program as a ground-breaking initiative. From our perspective, the real question for North American harness racing leadership is whether this is a program that they should consider breaking ground on and launching on this side of the racing world.
Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) introduced Next Gen to empower trainers, owners, and syndicate managers with the power to shape the future of harness racing in the country. The program is designed to spur growth and innovation in harness racing ownership. Next Gen was created to provide owners and trainers who are new to the sport with the tools and incentives to build their business, expand their network, and achieve success stories both on and off the track.
As the name would suggest, the program was created to help the next generation of harness racing gain a foothold in the sport. The program is a commitment to building the future of harness racing and, in fact, ensuring the sport has a future.
A WAY TO INJECT FRESH BLOOD INTO HARNESS RACING
It’s all about bringing fresh blood into the sport, especially the younger generation. And hasn’t North American harness racing been seeking to find similar avenues to attract newcomers and young people to the sport since forever?
New Zealand’s Next Gen program factors in several elements that incentivize aspiring owners to get involved in the sport. Financial incentives offered by HRNZ encourage owners to get involved with trainers who are newer to the sport.
To qualify for Next Gen bonuses and rewards, horses must be 2-year-olds and meet the following criteria: • They must have been purchased at the NZB Standardbred National Sales. Next Gen horses must be housed in the stable of a Next Gen trainer. That is a trainer who has never won a Group 1 stakes race.
• The ownership group of the horse needs to feature at least 30 per cent of membership who are either first-time horse owners or people under the age of 40.
• The horse also needs to have been sired by a stallion in its first three New Zealand or Australian crops.
The program seeks to enable trainers to attract new owners through financial incentives. They’re also able to elevate their profile, highlighting their skills and dedication to the sport by training horses eligible for exclusive bonuses.
There’s more than $600,000 in bonus funds up for grabs, including a $50,000 harness million bonus. These special bonuses are awarded in each of the three harness million 2-year-old races. The $50,000 bonus is awarded to the first Next Gen horse across the finish line in each race. The funds are broken down as follows: $35,000 goes to the owner or owners of the horse. The trainer gets $10,000, and the breeder pockets $5,000.
Every Next Gen horse also gets a 2-year-old starting bonus. These funds are split among the owners ($4,000) and the trainer ($1,000).
Through the Next Gen program, owners can gain access to affordable ownership pathways and experience the thrill of competing for substantial rewards. Meanwhile, syndicate managers can market affordable and exciting ownership shares to expand their syndicates and attract new members.
WOULD NEXT GEN WORK IN NORTH AMERICAN HARNESS RACING?
Of course, the million-dollar question about New Zealand’s Next Gen program is, can it work in the North American game?
In any program of this nature, where the money will come from is always the first order of business.
Harness Racing New Zealand is working on the Next Gen program with partners Tab New Zealand (TAB NZ) and NZB Standardbred. TAB NZ is a government agency designed to promote and maximize profits for the country’s horse racing industry. They also hold a monopoly on New Zealand sports betting in partnership with American company Entain, the owners of the sportsbook BetMGM. NZB Standardbred handles all the major sales in the country.
Could the USTA find similar partners to make such a grassroots program a success in this country? Would one of the major online sports betting sites see this as an opportunity to grow a sport that owes its popularity to wagering? FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM all operate advance deposit wagering sites catering to the U.S. market. Racetracks have given retail sportsbooks a home and offered online sports betting sites a required operating partnership in many states. This could be a way of forming a different sort of partnership package.
Finding major corporate sponsorship would also prove challenging in the current economy. Still, even with all the usual obstacles to overcome situated in front of the American industry, New Zealand’s Next Gen plan certainly offers a blueprint worth exploring.
There’s no question that it presents an intriguing concept. It addresses issues that the industry has been facing and seeking solutions to on this side of the world for many years now.
