IRT extends partnership with NZ Trotting Cup

One of the giants of the New Zealand racing industry has extended their connection to this country’s greatest race, the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Set to be run at Addington this Tuesday, the race will carry the IRT brand of International Racehorse Transport for a further three years.

IRT have been the sponsors of the iconic group 1 race for the last two editions and are again for this Tuesday’s much-anticipated race. After the success of that association during the most testing of times, the Cup will remain the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup through 2025 at least.

“IRT have forged a strong relationship with the team at Addington over the past three years, and continuing this partnership, was certainly an easy decision to make” says Richard Cole, the managing director of IRT NZ.

“The racing industry is very important to us, as is the New Zealand Trotting Cup, a flagship event and one of the pillars of Australasian harness racing. Racing participants have provided IRT with tremendous support throughout our 50 years of business, and sponsorship is one way that we can give back to an industry that has been so good to us.”

“We look forward to continuing our work with Brian and his team at Addington, to ensure that IRT NZ Trotting Cup Day, remains the pinnacle event on the racing calendar.”

Not only will IRT be the name that precedes New Zealand’s greatest race but it will be the name the sport’s elite race to reach first all year round now at the home of harness racing, with IRT to adorn the Addington winning post.

Addington chief executive Brain Thompson said “the partnership we have formed with IRT over the past two years has been wonderful. They always make it easy and we love working with Richard and the IRT team”

IRT NZ Trotting Cup Day is a major event on the Canterbury and New Zealand social calendar. It is a significant contributor to the local economy through the retail, hospitality and accommodation sectors.

Thompson said “The extension of this agreement allows us to future plan with confidence to ensure that IRT NZ Trotting Cup Day remains at the forefront of harness racing and a must-do event on people’s social calendar”

This year’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup runs at 5.36pm on Tuesday.