King’s Birthday Honours 2026: Racing industry trio honoured come from vastly different backgrounds
David Ellis' love of horses has grown into one of the world's biggest racing businesses. Photo/ Nicole Troost
The New Zealand racing industry has plenty of reasons to celebrate today’s King’s Birthday Honours, with three of its own recognised.
The trio may share a love of horse racing but their pathway to their honours could hardly be more diverse.
DAVID CHARLES ELLIS, Knight Companion of the Order of Merit
David Ellis may have syndicated over 1000 racehorses, but he says it is the energy of young people in the industry who keep him going in racing.
The 72-year-old was humbled to become horse racing’s latest knight, bestowed for his incredible career as founder and boss of racing industry giant Te Akau as well as for his philanthropy benefiting numerous organisations.
Auckland-born Ellis set up Te Akau as a way of making horse-racing ownership accessible for thousands of owners.
The company buys, breeds and syndicates horses, including champions such as Imperatriz, Melody Belle and Avantage.
By dividing the horses into often small shares he has been able to bring an army of new owners in the racing industry and has stables in Matamata, Victoria and Christchurch as well as heavily supporting Singapore racing before it ceased two years ago.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you how many horses we have syndicated but we would have easily averaged 40 horses a year for the last 20 years and plenty more before that,” Ellis says.
“We have had 107 Group winners [racing’s highest level] which we are extremely proud of I have personally bought around 90 of those at the sales.”
Te Akau is a huge business, which his wife Karyn Fenton-Ellis has helped grow, employing hundreds of staff. And the money Ellis spends at yearling sales across Australasia goes into the pockets of everyday racing industry participants.
But while he has an outstanding eye for buying bloodstock, Ellis says it is the younger people in the racing industry that keep him craving more success.
“Karyn has done so much for the business and so too has Mark Walker, our lead trainer and a partner in the business, who has been with me since the day he left school.
“But we have so many wonderful young staff, headed by our Matamata trainer Sam Bergerson and I love being around young people.
“They have so much energy and keep me going and make you want to get out of bed and buy horses so they can succeed in the business too.”
Ellis, who had been previously honoured as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, says being a knight will take some getting used to.
“It is not something you ever think will happen to you and I can only thank the people around me.”
Ellis was last year inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame while this Thursday he will be celebrated as King’s School Old Boy of the Year for 2026.
DOUGLAS SEYMOUR ALDERSLADE, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
When Doug Alderslade was told he was getting a King’s Birthday honour he had to make a phone call.
“I actually rang the Department of Internal Affairs and asked if it was true because I thought somebody was having me on,” Alderslade says.
His ONZM is a fitting reward for helping navigate thoroughbred racing in Auckland through one of the most important eras in its history as chair of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing.
Alderslade, his board and executive team oversaw the merger with the Counties Racing Club to form Auckland Thoroughbred Racing; the building of the StrathAyr racing surface at Ellerslie; and have secured ATR’s financial future with smart business deals and establishment of a significant investment fund.
While there have been some tough times in his nine years in charge, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and Ellerslie are now seen as the shining light of the New Zealand racing industry and by far its most important player.
“Once I got over the shock I was very humbled but I realise I am in the very fortunate position of being chair of a great board and with some very talented and dedicated people running the club every day,” the 73-year-old says.
Alderslade has also had a distinguished legal career as a partner as Chapman Tripp.
DR LUK SUN CHIN, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
One of horse racing’s most enduring and loved characters says he “is a bit embarrassed” about being honoured.
“It is a lovely honour but I have so many other people’s help in all facets of my love,” Chin says.
And what a life that is.
Chin has worked as an anaesthetist, pain and intensive care specialist for more than 50 years.
The 83-year-old helped establish Waikato Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and Pain Service in 1975, at the time only the second in the country.
In 1991 he co-led the development of the Anglesea Medical Centre in Hamilton, Waikato’s first same day surgical unit, now operating as an elective surgical hospital.
He has since contributed significantly to the establishment of further private healthcare facilities in the region, including in Tauranga, Cambridge, and the Franklin Day Hospital in Pukekohe.
He has created a fund to provide financial assistance for future registrars wanting to advance their studies of anaesthetics.
All that while Chin trains harness horses every day before work that he has bred and owned for over 40 years and still driving them in races at tracks like Alexandra Park against professional horse people 60 years his junior.
“The horses help keep me young. That and moving and staying active, you have got to keep moving in life.
“And this is nice for harness racing, which doesn’t get recognised as much as the galloping code. So I’m proud of that.”
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.