NZ administrator Alderslade earns King’s Birthday gong

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chairman Doug Alderslade has been recognised in the King’s Birthday honours for his services to the racing industry and will become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

“It has been a bit overwhelming, but I am appreciative and humbled by it all,” Alderslade said.

“I was obviously delighted to accept, more on the part of the whole industry and the team at Ellerslie rather than seeing it as being a particular acknowledgement of my efforts because it has been a huge team effort by everybody concerned.”

A member of the Auckland Racing Club board since 2003, Alderslade became chairman of the club in 2017, and he played a key part in the amalgamation of the Auckland Racing Club and Counties Racing Club into Auckland Thoroughbred Racing in 2021 and was subsequently appointed chairman of the joint venture.

In his tenure as ATR chairman, Alderslade has overseen arguably the most transformative years in the club’s history, with Ellerslie becoming a world-class racecourse with the construction of its StrathAyr track and new stabling area, as well as securing the club’s financial future with the sale of the Ellerslie Hill.

Alderslade has been associated with the Auckland club for more than 50 years, and said he is proud of what his team has achieved in his time at the helm.

Alderslade has also experienced plenty of success as an owner in Australia of late, highlighted by Group 1 winner and now sire Exceedance.

“Latterly I have been racing a few in Australia through a link with Vinery Stud. It has been an accumulation and expansion,” Alderslade said.

“Through the Vinery connection, I am an owner and still have an investment in Exceedance, who won the Coolmore Stakes in 2019, and he is now standing at stud at Vinery.”