Tauranga’s race meeting in New Zealand on July 6 marked the beginning of an exciting new venture for Nick Kneebone.
The Cambridge-based horseman saddled his first race day runner, the appropriately named Nick Time, who finished sixth in the Container Co Maiden.
Kneebone, son of long-time auctioneer and New Zealand Bloodstock’s director of business development Mike Kneebone, has spent a large part of his 20s gaining international experience to set him up for his move into training.
“It’s something that’s been a fair few years in the making,” he said.
“I started off over in Sydney with John Sargent, who obviously trained very successfully in New Zealand before making the move to Australia. I learned so much during my time with him, and now it’s great to be back home and putting that knowledge into practice with my own career.
“I want to give it a crack at a time when it looks like New Zealand racing is on the up. The prize money increases have been great news for the industry here in recent times and I’m very keen to be a part of it.”
Kneebone has purchased the Cambridge stable that was formerly owned by the now Cranbourne-based Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
