Horse racing betting is arguably New Zealand’s most popular wagering activity. Thoroughbred championships across Australasia and the globe allow for a calendar year of horse racing betting action.
With Kiwis confronted by a rich spread of horse racing betting options, punters have an assortment of platforms to make use of.
Land based establishments spread across the territory and managed under the New Zealand Racing Board provide fixed and pari-mutuel odds, while online horse racing betting platforms are highly competitive and open to all New Zealand residents.
Popular Races in New Zealand
Kiwis love a good show on the back of ponies. With a host of world-class races held around New Zealand annually, punters have the opportunity for potential big winning pots with top class horse racing betting action.
The Wellington Cup
The Wellington Cup is one of New Zealand’s Premier horse racing events. A flashing 2400 meter run contested by group two thoroughbreds, three years old and up, in a flat race event with a whopping $350 000 prize.
Run annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand, Kiwis have a host of horse racing betting opportunities to stake during the event.
Within the Wellington Cup punters can opt for a more specific horse racing betting option, the Thorndon Mile. The Thorndon Mile is a group one thoroughbred championship contested over 1600 meters, with a whopping prize of $200 000.
The Auckland Cup
The Auckland Cup is a popular Aussie sports betting sites in New Zealand. The Cup championship event is run over two miles or 3200 meters on Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland.
With a criteria of an open handicap for all thoroughbreds three years old and up, the Auckland Cup attracts world class runners to a lucrative $500 000 purse. This allows for high stakes action on a thoroughbred open championship that is held annually.
The New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby forms part of the Auckland Cup. Held on the first Saturday in March, marking the opening of the Auckland Cup week.
The New Zealand Derby provides Kiwis with a high-octane kick start to horse racing betting action.
With the prize pool fluctuating and increasing year on year, the 2015 instalment of the event saw a whopping $750 000 at stake.
The New Zealand Derby remains one of the most popular horse racing betting events due to its criteria. The derby is a set weights thoroughbred championship. This allows for more consistent pickings when staking horse racing betting action.
Gaining Experience
New punters from New Zealand opting for horse racing betting options should consider gaining experience in the field, before attempting to lay wagers on the sport.
All forms of horse racing betting can be intimidating at first glance. Punters who practice on pseudo bets and attempt to build a strategy before hand have proven more successful in the horse racing betting domain.
Staying committed to a schedule and keeping track of horse racing betting outcomes will greatly improve your performance over the various calendar events.