Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) will adopt all 12 recommendations from the independent review into the 2YO Young Guns Trot Series Final, held at Alexandra Park on 10 May 2025.
The review was conducted by an independent panel of experienced professionals with regulatory and industry expertise, following concerns raised about the eligibility criteria for the Series.
These concerns were prompted after a horse that had not competed in a heat was permitted to start in the Final and went on to win the Final.
HRNZ CEO Brad Steele says implementing the review’s recommendations will benefit harness racing.
“The panel made 12 recommendations and HRNZ is committed to implementing all of them. They make sense and will strengthen our industry.
“The review found no evidence of improper conduct, however it identified distinct areas for improvement, especially making our regulations easier to understand and improving how we communicate,” says Brad Steele.
Steele says the decision to allow non-heat runners to contest the Final highlights the need to update regulations and improve how decisions are communicated.
“The regulations we’re operating under need to be much clearer so they provide better guidance. It’s also clear that we need to improve how we communicate with the industry, so changes to race programming are clearly understood.
“In this case, if our communication had been better, trainers would have been able to make an informed decision about whether to bypass a heat and go straight to the final or choose to compete in the heats.
“Trainers deserve to have all the facts when making decisions for their horses. We acknowledge the shortcomings and are committed to doing better.”
“Fairness isn’t just a principle; it’s the foundation of our racing culture. Every decision we make must demonstrate this commitment.
“While the review confirms the integrity behind the process, perception matters. We are 100 per cent committed to transparency, fairness and maintaining trust at every level our sport,” Steele said.
A full regulatory framework review will be undertaken by HRNZ in consultation with our industry. Its goal is to ensure racing regulations are clear, accessible, and consistently applied. It is expected that this will be completed by 31 July 2026.
To read the full report and all 12 recommendations, please click here.
A visual summary of HRNZ’s response actions and timelines is included below, or click here to download.
