Alexandra Park, Auckland

Under the leadership of former chief executive Dominique Dowding (who resigned in February 2019) and the board of the Auckland Trotting Club, considerable work has been done to ensure Alexandra Park's continued success as well as a long-term financially viable future for harness racing in the northern region.

The club's strategic refocusing was recognised at the 2015 Westpac Auckland Business Awards where Alexandra Park took out the supreme title for ‘Excellence in Strategy & Planning’.

Other tenants include Cirque du Soleil; Grand Park Chinese restaurant, Sport Auckland, Lollypops day-care, and Caltex and Burger King on Manukau Road.

On course, The Alex Eatery is owned and operated by the club while the park's TAB has the biggest turnover of any in the country, boasting an annual take of over $11m.

On Alexandra Park's conference centre, considerable investment has been made to upgrade the functions facilities with ongoing improvements to in-house catering.

At the same time Alexandra Park is promoting more race-night and hospitality events, with a focus to attract a higher spend audience.

With the formal support of Auckland Trotting Club members, the board launched the 223 Green Lane West lifestyle village in early 2015, with construction due to be completed from late 2017 when the first of the 750 residents was supposed to start moving in.

This led to the club calling a special meeting of members in June 2019 to approve the sale of land to cover half of the estimated shortfall.

Alexandra and Cornwall Parks, National Women's Hospital and Green Lane Hospital from the air in 1973