Horse racing prize money per second in New Zealand
The 37 races we hold in New Zealand pay £7.5m across 1 hours 39 minutes of running. Karaka Million pays the most for its time, at £6,123 a second.
The median race here pays £6,278,639 an hour of running, above the £4,549,800 median across all 611 races we rank, which puts New Zealand 7th of 14 countries. 1 of its races sit in the world's hundred best paid seconds.
The best paid seconds in New Zealand
Prize money per hour of running
Every race in New Zealand, ranked per second
37 races, with each one's place in the world order
| # | Race | Time | Purse | Per second | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karaka Million NZ$1,000,000 | 1:12.012026 | £440,900 | £6,123 | 92 |
| 2 | Aotearoa Classic NZ$1,040,000 | 1:36.062026 | £458,536 | £4,773 | 111 |
| 3 | Railway Stakes NZ$700,000 | 1:09.552026 | £308,630 | £4,438 | 125 |
| 4 | New Zealand Derby NZ$1,250,000 | 2:31.252026 | £551,125 | £3,644 | 150 |
| 5 | Telegraph Handicap NZ$550,000 | 1:07.232026 | £242,495 | £3,607 | 152 |
| 6 | New Zealand 2000 Guineas NZ$700,000 | 1:40.382025 | £308,630 | £3,075 | 180 |
| 7 | New Zealand Oaks NZ$1,000,000 | 2:31.172026 | £440,900 | £2,917 | 185 |
| 8 | Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes NZ$550,000 | 1:24.092026 | £242,495 | £2,884 | 189 |
| 9 | The Race by Sport Nation mobile pace NZ$1,000,000 | 2:34.502026 | £440,900 | £2,854 | 191 |
| 10 | New Zealand 1000 Guineas NZ$600,000 | 1:35.092025 | £264,540 | £2,782 | 195 |
| 11 | New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes NZ$600,000 | 1:36.002026 | £264,540 | £2,756 | 197 |
| 12 | Thorndon Mile NZ$500,000 | 1:36.502026 | £220,450 | £2,284 | 218 |
| 13 | Proisir Plate NZ$400,000 | 1:23.162026 | £176,360 | £2,121 | 224 |
| 14 | Levin Classic NZ$400,000 | 1:24.402026 | £176,360 | £2,090 | 228 |
| 15 | Livamol Classic NZ$550,000 | 2:06.592025 | £242,495 | £1,916 | 238 |
| 16 | New Zealand Trotting Cup NZ$1,000,000 | 3:54.802025 | £440,900 | £1,878 | 239 |
| 17 | Mufhasa Classic NZ$400,000 | 1:36.092025 | £176,360 | £1,835 | 244 |
| 18 | Howden Insurance Mile NZ$400,000 | 1:39.252025 | £176,360 | £1,777 | 251 |
| 19 | Zabeel Classic NZ$500,000 | 2:06.402025 | £220,450 | £1,744 | 254 |
| 20 | New Zealand Cup NZ$450,000 | 3:33.052025 | £198,405 | £931 | 360 |
| 21 | Hawke's Bay Guineas NZ$175,000 | 1:26.532025 | £77,158 | £892 | 365 |
| 22 | Wellington Cup NZ$400,000 | 3:19.912026 | £176,360 | £882 | 371 |
| 23 | Dominion (harness race) NZ$400,000 | 4:04.102025 | £176,360 | £722 | 416 |
| 24 | New Zealand Trotting Derby NZ$300,000 | 3:08.902025 | £132,270 | £700 | 428 |
| 25 | Awapuni Gold Cup NZ$200,000 | 2:09.262026 | £88,180 | £682 | 438 |
| 26 | Easter Handicap NZ$150,000 | 1:36.982026 | £66,135 | £682 | 440 |
| 27 | New Zealand Free For All NZ$200,000 | 2:20.002025 | £88,180 | £630 | 453 |
| 28 | New Zealand Sires Stakes 3yo Final NZ$200,000 | 2:21.202025 | £88,180 | £625 | 457 |
| 29 | Auckland Pacing Cup NZ$250,000 | 4:05.602025 | £110,225 | £449 | 524 |
| 30 | Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile NZ$110,000 | 1:54.702026 | £48,499 | £423 | 538 |
| 31 | Championship Stakes NZ$120,000 | 2:14.032026 | £52,908 | £395 | 552 |
| 32 | Rowe Cup NZ$200,000 | 4:07.302026 | £88,180 | £357 | 569 |
| 33 | New Zealand Messenger Championship NZ$100,000 | 3:13.802026 | £44,090 | £228 | 600 |
| 34 | Great New Zealand Hurdle NZ$150,000 | 5:07.702025 | £66,135 | £215 | 602 |
| 35 | Grand National Steeplechase NZ$200,000 | 7:09.502026 | £88,180 | £205 | 603 |
| 36 | Great New Zealand Steeplechase NZ$200,000 | 7:54.622025 | £88,180 | £186 | 604 |
| 37 | Grand National Hurdles NZ$100,000 | 5:02.692026 | £44,090 | £146 | 608 |
New Zealand against the other 13
Median prize money per hour of running
| # | Country | Races | Median per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 11 | £59,338,377£59.3m |
| 2 | Hong Kong | 15 | £55,272,727£55.3m |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 5 | £18,175,311£18.2m |
| 4 | Singapore | 3 | £17,376,837£17.4m |
| 5 | the United States | 197 | £10,478,145£10.5m |
| 6 | Japan | 24 | £7,907,679£7.9m |
| 7 | New Zealand | 37 | £6,278,639£6.3m |
| 8 | Great Britain | 42 | £3,475,821£3.5m |
| 9 | Italy | 32 | £3,274,638£3.3m |
| 10 | France | 127 | £2,952,683£3.0m |
| 11 | the United Arab Emirates | 31 | £2,622,995£2.6m |
| 12 | Canada | 24 | £2,621,159£2.6m |
| 13 | Germany | 50 | £1,653,197£1.7m |
| 14 | Ireland | 10 | £1,365,201£1.4m |
Frequently asked questions
Which race in New Zealand pays the most per second?
Karaka Million, at £6,123 a second. Its £440,900 purse was run in 1:12.01 in 2026, and it is 92nd of the 611 races we rank worldwide.
How does New Zealand compare with the rest of the world?
The median race in New Zealand pays £6,278,639 an hour of running, above the £4,549,800 median across all 611 races. That makes it 7th of the 14 countries with a page here.
How long do the races in New Zealand take to hand over their prize money?
The 37 races here pay out £7,515,141 across 1 hours 39 minutes of running, an average of £1,258 a second.
Is the richest race in New Zealand the best paid per second?
No. the New Zealand Derby has the biggest purse here at £551,125, but takes 2:31.25 to run and ranks 4th in New Zealand per second.
Where to next
The rest of the racing money