One of Australia’s leading racecourse managers will now support NZTR and racing clubs across New Zealand in a new partnership for the 2025-26 season.

Victoria Racing Club (VRC) head of racecourse Liam O’Keeffe (pictured right) will work closely alongside New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) after announcing significant enhancements to its Regional Track Adviser (RTA) programme for the upcoming racing season.

O’Keeffe, who has spent almost 12 years at Flemington, including the past eight months as head of racecourse at the famous site after starting out his turf management career at the Warrnambool Racing Club in south-west Victoria, will provide turf consultancy services for an average of five days per month, with the partnership to deliver knowledge sharing across maintenance and renovation planning, construction and turf management, track inspections, audits, and raceday surface preparation. 

The exciting partnership is expected to share international best practices and lift the standards of race course track management across New Zealand.

“The VRC is thrilled to provide turf expertise to NZTR Track Managers, sharing our insights into the world-class standard of Flemington Racecourse,” said Leigh Jordon, chief racing officer at the VRC.

O’Keeffe will consult with the regional track advisers as part of a partnership that reflects NZTR’s commitment to strengthening track infrastructure and improving surface consistency across all racing venues.

NZTR CEO Matt Ballesty said they were thrilled with the appointment of O’Keeffe.

“Bringing in the expertise of the VRC and Liam is a major step forward for our track programme, and the partnership is about strengthening local talent and addressing the areas where we know improvement is needed,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have experienced and highly skilled track managers across the country, and Liam will work alongside them to provide additional support, share international insights, and help us continue lifting standards nationally for the long-term benefit of the industry. 

The RTA Programme continues to serve as a critical support network for club track managers across New Zealand. While track managers remain responsible for delivering a safe racing surface, RTAs provide mentoring and advisory support and meet regularly with NZTR to plan and review upcoming racing activity.

Story by Nick Creely/Pictures supplied