In a week when some industry trade deals with China have been questioned, New Zealand Horse Racing thinks it's on to a winner.
In the past three years more than a thousand New Zealand thoroughbreds have been sold to China, worth tens of millions in export dollars.
Nearly all of them have been sold to a group based in Korchin, Inner Mongolia, who this month showcased their Kiwi talent with an all-New Zealand race day.
Chalked on the doors was the Kiwi breeding of the horses inside - which could be any stable, at any racecourse, on any race day in New Zealand.
Except it is Inner Mongolia, and the carnival is as much about honouring the 50 New Zealand breeders, trainers and industry officials who have travelled here, as it is to show the deep-seated history the grasslands and it's people have with horses.
Chinese self-made billionaire Lin Lang - or Mr Wolf as he's affectionately known - has been the driving force behind bringing racing to China.
He says the free trade agreement with New Zealand and the quality of our horses is why he's bought so many.
But that's only part of Lin Lang's investment. In a scene straight out the movie Field of Dreams, he built this race course, and today the people have come, in their thousands - extraordinary considering there is no gambling on horse racing in China.
"Who knows - if gambling is legalised one day, it could be anything," said Andrew Seabrook of NZ Bloodstock.
"The market here could be huge - and don't forget that Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore started off like this back in the 70s."
It seems China is a big fan of the horses, with a huge media contingent covering the day's racing.
Of the 84 horses racing, all of them were Kiwi bred - and one race alone had 10 Chinese television channels broadcasting it, to an estimate audience of 100 million.
The New Zealand horse racing industry is now hoping gambling in the country will gain approval.
Newshub.
