Initially, the New Zealand Racing Board will import and offer betting on racing from two venues in France every Tuesday as a trial. The races will be broadcast live on Trackside Television. The racing would be a combination of thoroughbred flat and hurdles, as well as trotting.

The race commentary will be in English and the betting pools will be commingled with Australian partners, Tabcorp.

Australia has been offering betting on French racing for a number of months and it has proved to be popular. If it proves popular here then the Racing Board could look to add more French racing to its weekly schedule.

The addition of French racing late on Tuesday nights means the tote will be able to offer betting through to about 3 am the next morning. It will also be complemented by a combination of Australian, UK and South African racing.

The agreement with the PMU in France also means New Zealand will be able to offer betting on all the premier races from France such as the prestigious Group 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc D'Triomphe meeting on 3 and 4 October."