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NZ racehorse auction stalled by cyber attack

A cyber attack has postponed a NZ potential race horse auction, after the auction website led to bidders being disrupted and issues with lots and listings.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026
NZ racehorse auction stalled by cyber attack

The New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale, which is held on the Gavelhouse Plus platform, was delayed 24 hours after New Zealand Bloodstock confirmed the site suffered a cyber attack.

“Due to an unforeseen cyber attack on the website, the National Online Yearling Sale held on Gavelhouse Plus that got underway on Tuesday night, will be postponed and will restart tomorrow, Wednesday 15 April from 6pm (NZT),” the company said.

“The website received ongoing interference which affected several lots causing major disruption to bidders.

 
 

“We apologise for the significant inconvenience caused and are working to ensure the issue is resolved quickly for a smoother bidding service tomorrow night.”

At this stage, the nature of the cyber incident is unknown, nor has Cyber Daily observed any threat actors taking responsibility for the incident.

According to New Zealand Bloodstock, the auction’s operations have returned to normal, with the only warnings being to ensure bids are placed early.

“A reminder there is no benefit in letting the clock run down to the final seconds before bidding. The auction will keep auto-extending, and you risk missing out if your internet connection drops out.

“Setting an auto-bid is the best way to ensure your bids are accepted as gavelhouse.com cannot identify loss of online connection or browser issues at the user’s end. Google Chrome is the recommended internet browser.

“All yearlings catalogued have been inspected by NZB agents, who will be able to provide inspection notes and evaluations for buyers. Get in touch with the team for assistance.

“NZB apologises for the inconvenience caused in last night’s attack and thank vendors and bidders for their understanding and co-operation.”

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Daniel Croft

Born in the heart of Western Sydney, Daniel Croft is a passionate journalist with an understanding for and experience writing in the technology space. Having studied at Macquarie University, he joined Momentum Media in 2022, writing across a number of publications including Australian Aviation, Cyber Security Connect and Defence Connect. Outside of writing, Daniel has a keen interest in music, and spends his time playing in bands around Sydney.
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