One of NZ’s greatest-ever jockeys is on the show this week!

Lance O’Sullivan is New Zealand thoroughbred racing royalty - he is a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

Lance was born into racing, and from his first race in 1980 wins and records fell to him, eventually finishing his career as a jockey with a record tally of 12 New Zealand premierships and major wins in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. In 2004 Lance swapped his silks for binoculars and took on a new challenge as a trainer and success immediately followed.

Now, on the eve of New Zealand’s biggest ever racing event – Champions Day – highlighted by the jaw-dropping $3.5 million stakes at the NZB Kiwi, Lance attempts to teach us the ins and outs of the racing world.

We also had the opportunity to talk through his iconic career including all the big wins, how good James McDonald is as a jockey, the state of the racing industry in NZ, animal welfare, the O’Sullivan family, and how his wife Bridgette turned the Red Barn into one of NZ’s best wedding venues.

This was a ripper of a chat – and Lance was the perfect guest to take us behind the scenes of thoroughbred racing.

Best Laugh: The undertones while discussing the delicate topic of the use of whips in horse racing.

Best Insight: Lance took a lot of time and effort to answer questions around the welfare of horses in thoroughbred racing.

Biggest Surprise: The Japan Cup he won in 1989 on Horlicks was held in front of 140,000 spectators in Tokyo!

We’ve teamed up with guests from the pod to speak at your next event. Head to B2Bspeakers.co.nz to find out more.

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