A National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) qualifying contest will be held in New Zealand for the first time in 2017. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) – the founder, owner and operator of the NHC and NHC Tour – has entered into an agreement that grants the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, in conjunction with the New Zealand Racing Board, exclusive rights to host NHC qualifiers for Kiwis.
The contest will be held at Addington Raceway on November 17 as part of Show Day, a highlight of the Canterbury region’s social calendar, featuring the top trotters and pacers in the country on an afternoon of high style and sophisticated celebration. The winner will earn an automatic berth to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship Presented by Racetrack Television Network, STATS Race Lens™ and Treasure Island Las Vegas, to be held February 9-11, 2018, at Treasure Island. The winning prize package includes NHC entry, airfare, and four nights at Treasure Island.
New Zealand will become the third country outside the United States to host a NHC qualifier, after Canada and Peru.
For more information on the NHC qualifier contact Addington business and marketing manager Keryn McElroy at KerynM@addington.co.nz. Details on the format and how to register for the contest – part of the “Kiwi Punting Championship” (KPC) – will be posted online later this year at addington.co.nz.
For more information on the NHC and NHC Tour, visit www.ntra.com/nhc.
About the National Horseplayers Championship
In its 19th year, the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (formerly known as the NTRA National Handicapping Championship) is presented by Racetrack Television Network, STATS Race Lens and Treasure Island Las Vegas. Equibase is the official data provider of the NHC and NHC Tour. The NHC is world’s richest and most prestigious handicapping tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. The most recent NHC offered record prize money and awards totaling more than $2.9 million. NHC 19 will be held February 9-11, 2018, at Treasure Island Las Vegas.