March’s Bayleys International Raceday is always a highlight on our racing calendar, and this year’s edition was no exception. Steeped in international flair thanks to our longstanding relationship with the Japan Racing Association (JRA), 2025 marked the 54th year of this special partnership.
New for 2025, the Club introduced an exciting incentive whereby the winning trainer of the Group 2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy would be invited to Japan to attend the reciprocal New Zealand Trophy Race in Tokyo. When Waitak, trained by the Wexford Stables duo Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, stormed home for a brilliant win under jockey Ryan Elliot, the ticket to Tokyo was sealed.
Given Lance had previously visited Japan during his days as a jockey and again since, it was co-trainer Andrew Scott and his wife Sara who packed their bags and headed to Tokyo to join Racing Tauranga representatives for this incredible trip.
Hosted by the JRA, the Scotts’ trip was filled with a raft of great moments from a warm welcome dinner to a fascinating guided tour of the Miho Training Centre, and finally, a raceday experience at Nakayama Racecourse, where they watched the 43rd New Zealand Trophy Exchange Race alongside delegates from the New Zealand Embassy, Air New Zealand, the JRA, and Racing Tauranga.
On his return, we sat down with Andrew to hear all about the trip, their Group 2 win, and what the experience meant to him.
Q: Firstly, congratulations on your Group 2 win at Tauranga with Waitak. Did you know about the Japan incentive when you set him for the race?
A: We actually didn’t know about the incentive until raceday. There was quite a bit of talk about it throughout the day, and it came as a total surprise. The reason we ran him was simply because he’d had a few tough Group 1 runs, and we wanted to give him a bit of a step back in class to build confidence. The mile was what we thought he needed, and the Group 2 looked like a really good fit. So yeah, winning was fantastic—but the trip to Japan was an amazing bonus.
Q: Tell us a bit more about Waitak. He’s had quite the campaign.
A: He’s been an absolute battler. After his big Group 1 win at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day in 2024, he just kept fronting up. He’s been in all the top sprint races all summer. We took him to Perth last autumn for the Quokka, and he ran the quickest last 600m in that race, despite getting a long way back. Once we stretched him back out to the mile, he really found his rhythm again. And then to go on and win another Group 2 after Tauranga in the Awapuni Gold Cup, it’s opened up a lot of options for next season.
Q: What’s he like around the stable?
A: He’s a total gentleman. Top athletes, whether horse or human, usually have that calm, sensible temperament, and he’s no different. He’s got a great constitution, soundness, a good wind, and a lovely mind. A real professional. He gets excited when he goes out on the track, but he always puts in 100%. Just a dream horse to work with.
Q: So how did you end up being the lucky one to go to Japan rather than Lance?
A: Lance was incredibly generous. He’s been to Japan a few times during his riding days and through other opportunities. He just said, “You’ve never been—this one’s for you.” I feel so lucky. It really was the trip of a lifetime.
Q: What were you most looking forward to seeing once you arrived in Japan?
A: The whole journey, really. I’d never been to Japan, so just being in Tokyo was exciting. But I’m a bit of a racing nerd, so I was especially keen to see how the JRA operates. I always try to take something away from these kinds of experiences—something I can learn from—and there’s no better place to do that than Japan. They’re absolute world leaders.
Q: You got to visit the Miho Training Centre. What was that like?
A: Just mind-blowing. To see 2,000 horses training on one site—it’s incredible. Everything runs like clockwork. The facilities are next level. There’s a 1400m uphill gallop on woodchip that they recently opened, and it cost around NZD $16 billion to build. That level of investment shows how committed they are to producing elite racehorses. It was just surreal to witness firsthand.
Q: What was your biggest learning or takeaway from the trip?
A: Just how strong Japanese racing really is. I don’t think we fully appreciate it from this side of the world. Their breeding systems, their training infrastructure—it’s all geared toward finding the very best. It gave me a new appreciation for the depth and professionalism of their entire industry.
Q: How important do you think this kind of international exposure is for trainers and others in the industry?
A: Massively important. The relationship between Racing Tauranga and the JRA is so valuable. We’re lucky to have a foot in the door there. It allows Kiwi trainers to get a look behind the curtain at one of the most successful racing jurisdictions in the world - an experience I would say very few get to have. Opportunities like this are rare, and the learnings you can bring home are priceless. I can’t stress that enough.
Q: So now that you know about the incentive and the experience it can afford other trainers, would you encourage others to target the Japan Trophy?
A: Absolutely. If the race suits your horse, then go for it. We weren’t aiming for the incentive but now that I’ve been, I can honestly say it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. To be taken behind the scenes, through the jockeys' rooms, the stables, onto the track on raceday, it’s incredible. Anyone with the passion to learn should definitely have a crack.
The partnership between Racing Tauranga and the JRA is such a special one and we’re thrilled to have been able to offer a local trainer this incredible experience in one of the world’s leading racing jurisdictions. Congrats again to Andrew, Lance and the entire Wexford team and our thanks to the JRA for their support. Until next year!