Our Committee

A former pharmacist, I am currently the Mayor of Upper Hutt. I have been a Member of the WRC since 1981, a Member of the NZTBA and have represented the WRC on the RACE Inc board for a number of years. I am currently Chair of the NZTR mbers Council. I have raced horses successfully in Australia and am currently a small breeder with several horses in training. I am committed to ensuring Trentham becomes the top premier track in the country and is further integrated with the greater Wellington region enabling the region to benefit from having the number one track in the country.

Co-opted to the Committee during the 2018-2019 season and confirmed his postion being elected unopposed at the 2018 AGM

Managing Partner. Member of Wellington Racing Club since 1973. Lifetime involvement in Racing, active owner and Breeder for 30 years. Member of Masterton Racing committee for over 20 years. 2 periods as President, current vice president Wairarapa Harness Club and trustee Masterton Licensing Trust Trentham is the premier racecourse in New Zealand and we must continue with recent program and improvements, and be aware of the needs and concerns of all involved in the industry form members, owners, trainers, punters and the importance of sponsors.

Des has been involved in racing much of his life. He started as a statistician/form compiler for the Best Bets before joining the INL group to become a racing writer for NZ Truth and Friday Flash before becoming Editor of Friday Flash. Des is director of Des Coppins Racing & Marketing having worked in sales & marketing for the Radioworks hosting Tracktalk on Radio Pacific. Des runs the talkback racing show on Radio Trackside and is co-presenter of the First Call on Trackside. Des has been in syndicates and raced many horses, his most successful being the Group Two winner Soap Opera

My first involvement with racing came in the form of a syndicate of horses about 15 years ago. This along with the pure interest of the racing industry gave me an insight as to how much fun and excitement you can gain by being involved. Being a Committee Member is a great opportunity for me to share in the overall passion for this sport and I would like to see more younger people raising their hand and wanting to either become new members or taking an ownership of a horse. The excitement is just something that can be enjoyed immeasurably.

I have been a Member and Raceday Steward of the WRC since 2010 and was elected to the Committee in 2014. I am currently Head of Risk and Regulatory Affairs at the NZRB. I’m a practising lawyer and worked at Chapman Tripp, prior to the NZRB. I am a proud owner having raced many horses throughout the Country, however yet to have a single winner at Trentham! My aim is to restore the Champagne Turf to its glory days. I want to see the WRC become a successful commercial operation, that can provide quality racing on a frequent basis and an exceptional experience for participants.

I have been a member of WRC since 1985 and over the years I have been lucky enough to experience many aspects of the WRC as a race goer, member and owner. I am a Chartered Accountant and a partner in a Chartered Accounting firm. I am now in a position where I have the time and energy to put something back into the Club. I am fully aware of the challenges previously and currently the racing industry faces including the challenges of our sponsors and existing and future members of the WRC. We have something special at Trentham and I believe we can preserve and improve the Clubs future

Co-opted on to the Committee during the 2018-2019 season

Co-opted on to the Committee during the 2020-2021 season