Several Kiwis took to the streets in Auckland's CBD on Tuesday to protest against restaurants promoting the Melbourne Cup.
The group of protesters were seen parading along the Viaduct, holding signs and yelling through megaphones.
Animal Justice Party campaigner Nicholas Hancock told Newshub he was taking action against "the restaurants in the area promoting the Melbourne Cup".
"They are normalising animal cruelty, and problem gambling," Hancock stressed.
"We know that 169 horses have died in Australia on track," he said. "That means that they are killed on the track, they are either shot with a bullet when they are injured, or they are taken away and killed out the back."
He said he wants people in New Zealand to "realise this glam is a sham".
"There is a price to pay, why bet on animal cruelty?" he asked.
Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) Auckland spokesperson Aya Oba told Newshub the restuarants may be providing an "extravagant and memorable" race day, but they'll also be "forcing animals to perform for human entertainment".
Oba acknowledged the Australian horses who have died on track over the last racing year.
She described it as "the worst year on record since CPR commenced tracking deaths from racing-related injuries in 2014".
In this year's race, Victoria Racing vets reported all starters survived.
