Emma Thompson was stepping into the unknown when taking on the role as Programme Lead for the NZB Kiwi, and after executing an outstanding inaugural running in March, she was recognised at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards.
For the duration of 2024 through to Champions Day, Thompson was immersed in promoting the $3.5 million slot race, the first of its kind in thoroughbred racing on Kiwi soil. She brought a modern, innovative approach to the event, whilst maintaining the history and culture of New Zealand and our racing industry.
Thompson’s effort and dedication to the concept were rewarded on Sunday night, where she was humbled to be announced the winner of the Administration and Innovation Excellence category.
“I was a bit shocked honestly, I was stoked to even be nominated among an elite calibre of young people,” she said. “To win, it was quite surreal.
“Thank you very much to the team at Entain for putting on the awards, what they are doing for our industry is incredible. They were instrumental in establishing the NZB Kiwi, which I’m very grateful for.
“It was very special to be recognised for organising something that, in my opinion, has a really special place in the industry and hopefully will have a lasting impact for many years to come.
“I couldn’t have done it without an incredible team, and I’d like to thank my steering committee, Cameron George and Petrea Vela. They really helped me professionally and gave me confidence to make smart decisions around the race.
“I’m very grateful to them, and the entire team at NZTR.”
As a daughter of Rich Hill Stud proprietors John and Colleen Thompson, thoroughbreds were the centre of Thompson’s upbringing, and after university, an opportunity at New Zealand Bloodstock sparked her love for marketing and administration.
“I graduated with a marketing and communications degree, then landed a marketing internship at NZB,” she said. “I started a week before the Ready to Run Sale in 2018, and within a week, I realised how much I loved being a part of the industry.
“I’ve watched my parents build their business from the ground-up, and what they’ve achieved in the past few years with their own stallions has been amazing to watch. I’m very proud of them, and that has a flow-on to how I want to be in my life, and the impact I want to make on the industry.
“Starting at NZB gave me great knowledge at the grassroots level, the people were amazing, and I loved the marketing and advertising side of things. That really sparked my interest and then I moved to NZTR about two-and-a-half years ago, which was a bit of a career jump for me.”
Thompson took on a new position as New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s Communication and Public Relations Lead, which led to her role in promoting the NZB Kiwi.
“I really found my passion for writing and communicating and I’ve been very lucky to be given opportunities along the way, as well as some amazing role models,” she said.
“I knew very early on that the new race was going to be something special, so I took the bull by the horns and tried to do my part in getting that off the ground. We contracted Andrew Gourdie, who was our Head of Content and Media, and the Kiwi would not have got anywhere near the cut-through that it did without him.
“It was very cool to be able to set something up from scratch, but that did make it challenging at times because there was no blueprint to follow. That presented an opportunity for us to be really bold and innovative, and something I really leaned into was the New Zealand industry, which was really well-received internationally.”
In the lead-up to March 8, Thompson targeted mainstream media coverage with her own unique flare.
“One of my favourite memories was the barrier draw, where I came up with the idea of smashing Kiwi eggs,” she said. “I really wanted to incorporate something that had never been done before, that would get mainstream cut-through.
“I’m a Gen Z, so if someone’s talking about it, whether it’s bad or good, it’s all publicity for the race. I worked with an amazing event manager who helped us pull that off, and I think that was definitely a special moment, bringing an idea to reality.”
Over 12 months of work finally came together in a two-minute display of elite three-year-old racing, when Thompson admitted she felt a sense of relief.
“It was a very hectic day, but it was quite a relief when the race was run,” she said. “I think the narrative that we were able to build throughout the racing season, to create a moment that people wanted to be a part of, was really special to see.
“One of my priorities was to ensure the slot holders had an experience unlike any other day they’ve attended before, and it was amazing to see every piece of the puzzle come together.
“We worked with the iwi to have a haka powhiri, and we were able to show our beautiful culture on the world stage, with the World Pool meeting involved.
“In a race that is so highly publicised, people tend to look for negative attention, but all of the horses got home safely, in such an elite calibre of field too. It was the highest-rated three-year-old race of the season, so to get that in its inaugural year and get the buy-in from stakeholders, we’re really only scratching the surface.”
Having started her career at New Zealand Bloodstock, their sponsorship of such a new concept was particularly special for Thompson.
“I’d like to acknowledge and thank NZB as well, for coming on board and sponsoring the inaugural running of the race,” she said. “To have Sir Peter Vela, the Vela family and the team at NZB support the concept was amazing, and it was a nice fit considering they had nine graduates from all three of their sales in the race.
“It had a special part in my heart, because that is where I started my career, so I was very proud to work with their team, who I’m very close with.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
