Auckland Racing Club

What Auckland Racing Club does

Auckland Racing Club, legally Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Inc., is a private, member-based thoroughbred racing organisation that governs and operates horse racing in the Auckland region of New Zealand. It runs two complementary venues — Ellerslie Racecourse in Remuera (the metropolitan, hospitality-led premium venue) and Pukekohe Park, located approximately 40 minutes south of Auckland City (the country-racing venue) — and self-describes as "the premier home of racing in New Zealand."

The business monetises across four streams: (1) ticketed raceday admissions and event fees, with Melbourne Cup Day serving as the flagship annual event; (2) recurring memberships providing access, owner's privileges, and hospitality benefits; (3) corporate and private venue hire operated through the Ellerslie Events sub-brand, which markets the venues for non-racing functions; and (4) sponsorship and partnership revenue from a small group of principal and major partners including TAB (wagering), NZB (bloodstock), SkyCity (hospitality/entertainment), Cambridge Stud (breeding), and Sistema Plastics. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, targeting race enthusiasts, fashion-focused attendees, horse owners, and corporate clients.

ARC distributes through direct-to-consumer channels — its own website for tickets and memberships, email newsletter, in-venue raceday attendance, and a dedicated private events sales channel — and operates with an 11–50 employee base. The organisation is privately held, member-governed, and serves the Auckland regional market only.

Name

Auckland Racing Club

Legal name

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Inc.

Website

https://ellerslie.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auckland Racing Club operates two thoroughbred racecourses — Ellerslie in Remuera and Pukekohe Park south of Auckland — running racedays (flagship: Melbourne Cup Day), memberships, corporate venue hire, and sponsorship programmes for racegoers, fashion attendees, horse owners, and corporate event clients in New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thoroughbred Racing & Hospitality

NAICS

Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAEADAA

Racetrack & Race Meeting Operations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Gambling, Betting & Casinos/Horse Racing & Pari-Mutuel Betting

Keywords

• Thoroughbred horse racing
• Racecourse venue hire
• Racing club membership
• Hospitality event hosting
• Corporate event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Admissions and Ticketing: Revenue generated from selling tickets to racedays including Melbourne Cup Day and regular raceday events at Ellerslie and Pukekohe Park venues.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and seasonal membership programs providing access to exclusive racedays, owner's privileges, and hospitality benefits.
3. Private Event Hire: Corporate and private event bookings at Ellerslie Racecourse and Pukekohe Park venues for functions, celebrations, and business events.
4. Sponsorship and Partnership: Partnership arrangements with major brands including SkyCity, TAB, NZB, Cambridge Stud, and Sistema Plastics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Auckland Racing Club (Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Inc.) operates two thoroughbred horse racing venues—Ellerslie Racecourse in Remuera, Auckland and Pukekohe Park, 40 minutes south of Auckland City—hosting regular racedays, the annual Melbourne Cup Day, fashion events, and private/corporate functions. It sells raceday tickets, annual and seasonal memberships, private event hire, owners' privileges for horse owners, and racing information services such as results, sectional times, feature race winners, track records, and leaderboards.

Product overview

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Inc. operates as a racing club managing two racecourse venues—Ellerslie (the premier venue in Remuera, Auckland) and Pukekohe Park (located 40 minutes south of Auckland). The organization offers thoroughbred horse racing entertainment combining racing events, hospitality, food, fashion, and private event services. Key products include racedays and events (such as Melbourne Cup Day), fashion events, private event hire, membership programs, owners' privileges, and racing information services including results, sectional times, track records, and leaderboards. The venue Ellerslie Events also manages non-racing events at the Ellerslie facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Racedays & Events (including Melbourne Cup Day) Thoroughbred horse racing events held at Ellerslie Racecourse and Pukekohe Park, combining live racing with hospitality, food, and entertainment experiences for racegoers.
• Fashion Events Fashion-focused raceday events featuring fashion competitions and stylish raceday experiences for fashion-conscious attendees.
• Private Events Venue hire for corporate functions, weddings, and special occasions at Ellerslie Racecourse and Pukekohe Park, supported by a dedicated private events team.
• Club Membership Annual and seasonal club membership providing members with exclusive access to racedays, owner's privileges, and hospitality benefits at Ellerslie and Pukekohe Park.
• Owners' Privileges Special privileges and dedicated services for horse owners attending racedays at Ellerslie and Pukekohe Park.
• Racing Information Services Information services including racing results, sectional times, feature race winners, track records, and leaderboards for racing participants and enthusiasts.
• Ellerslie Events Event venue management service that operates non-racing events at the Ellerslie racecourse facility under a dedicated brand.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• SkyCitymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor partner of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing. SkyCity is a prominent entertainment and hospitality company in New Zealand, providing cross-promotional opportunities for racing events and hospitality experiences.
• TAB (Totalisator Agency Board)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal partner providing wagering and betting services for thoroughbred racing. TAB is New Zealand's official totalisator agency supporting racing industry.
• NZB (New Zealand Bloodstock)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner and New Zealand's leading bloodstock company, supporting thoroughbred breeding and racing industry development.
• Cambridge StudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner and prominent thoroughbred breeding operation in New Zealand, supporting the racing ecosystem.
• Sistema PlasticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing plastic product solutions, appearing as a supporting sponsor for racing events.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Waikato Racing Club: Operates Te Rapa racecourse in Hamilton, New Zealand, hosting feature racedays. Closest North Island NZ peer with overlapping customer base and similar single-venue racing club economics.
• Australian Turf Club: Operates multiple Sydney racecourses (Royal Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury, Warwick Farm) with a similar multi-venue membership, raceday, and hospitality model. Directly comparable on venue portfolio and diversified revenue approach.
• Moonee Valley Racing Club: Single-venue Australian racing club running Cox Plate and other feature racedays alongside hospitality, fashion and private events. Strong analogue for Auckland Racing Club's single-metro, premier-venue positioning.
• Victoria Racing Club: Operates Flemington Racecourse and hosts the Melbourne Cup, the flagship event Auckland Racing Club mirrors with its Melbourne Cup Day. Closest direct comparable in business model, product mix (racing + hospitality + fashion + private events), and event-driven go-to-market.
• Canterbury Jockey Club: New Zealand thoroughbred racing club operating Addington Raceway in Christchurch. Direct domestic peer with similar club/membership structure and raceday-led business model.

Regional players

• Racing Victoria: Industry governing body for Victorian thoroughbred racing that also operates and supports racing venues. Comparable in its racing-club adjacency and Australian thoroughbred ecosystem role, though not a direct commercial competitor in Auckland.

Others

• TAB NZ: New Zealand's national wagering body and a major partner of Auckland Racing Club. Included as an ecosystem participant whose commercial terms and regulatory environment materially shape the club's revenue.

Broad incumbents

• The Hong Kong Jockey Club: One of the world's largest thoroughbred racing operators, combining racing, membership, hospitality, and wagering. Comparable as a club/membership-driven racing organization with diversified revenue, though far larger and broader in scope.
• Arena Racing Company: UK's largest horse racing operator running 16 racecourses with a focus on raceday entertainment and venue utilization. Comparable multi-venue racing venue operator with similar hospitality/events monetization.
• The Jockey Club (UK): Largest commercial horse racing group in the UK operating 15 racecourses plus events, hospitality and venue hire. Highly comparable operating model (membership, racedays, venue hire, hospitality) though at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auckland-racing-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auckland Racing Club