Daniel Nakhle: Business, Racing and Equine Education in New Zealand

Introduction

Daniel Nakhle is a New Zealand businessman, former solicitor, thoroughbred breeder-owner, and education leader based in Auckland. He is widely connected with Byerley Park, the New Zealand Equine Academy, and the successful racehorse Crocetti.

His professional life covers several fields. He studied commerce and law, began his career as a solicitor, moved into business, and later became deeply involved in horse racing and breeding.

Nakhle has also served in governance roles connected with education, dispute resolution, community funding, and racing. As of August 2026, official professional profiles list him as a director on Whitecliffe’s Board of Governors and as a director of Fair Way Resolution.

His public profile is especially connected with New Zealand racing, where he has become known as a breeder, owner, and supporter of equine education.

Who Is Daniel Nakhle?

Daniel Nakhle is an Auckland-based entrepreneur with experience in law, property, education, hospitality, and thoroughbred racing.

He first trained for a professional career in business and law. After graduating from the University of Auckland, he worked as a solicitor before moving into wider commercial activities.

Over time, horses became an important part of his public career.

Together with his father, Elias Nakhle, he helped establish Byerley Park in South Auckland. The property became associated with thoroughbred training and breeding.

He later founded the New Zealand Equine Academy, an organisation designed to help people gain practical skills for jobs in racing and the wider horse industry.

Daniel Nakhle Quick Facts

Quick Fact	Details
Full Name	Daniel Nakhle
Based In	Auckland, New Zealand
Profession	Businessman, director, former solicitor, thoroughbred breeder-owner
Education	Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws, University of Auckland
Known For	Byerley Park, New Zealand Equine Academy, and thoroughbred racing
Current Roles	Director at Whitecliffe and Fair Way Resolution
Equine Role	Founder of the New Zealand Equine Academy
Racing Achievement	Breeder-owner of Group 1 winner Crocetti
Former Racing Role	Former Auckland Racing Club director
Former Community Role	Former Foundation North trustee
Major Horse	Crocetti
Career Background	Began his professional career as a solicitor before moving into business

Education and Early Career

Nakhle studied at the University of Auckland, where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws.

His education gave him experience in both business and legal studies.

After university, he began working as a solicitor. This was his first documented professional career before he moved into entrepreneurship and investment.

His later work expanded across several industries, including property, education, hospitality, accommodation, and racing.

Professional profiles describe him as having more than 25 years of entrepreneurial experience.

Business Career

Daniel Nakhle has been associated with a wide range of commercial activities.

His business interests have included commercial, industrial, and residential property, education, hospitality, accommodation, quarrying, farming, and thoroughbred breeding.

The Nakhle Group has publicly described activities across property development, construction, property management, hospitality, water supply, education, farming, and horse racing.

Rather than building his public identity around one industry, Nakhle has worked across several areas while maintaining a strong connection with racing.

Education and horse breeding eventually became two of the most visible parts of his career.

Byerley Park

One of the most important names connected with Nakhle is Byerley Park.

Daniel and his father, Elias Nakhle, established Byerley Park at Kingseat in South Auckland.

Their shared interest in thoroughbred racing played an important part in the development of the property.

Byerley Park became connected with the training and breeding of racehorses and later with equine education.

However, its corporate situation changed significantly in 2026.

As of August 2026, official New Zealand records show that Byerley Park Limited and Karaka Estate Limited are in liquidation.

For this reason, Daniel is more accurately described today as a co-founder of Byerley Park rather than simply being called its current owner or principal.

The liquidation relates to the companies involved and should not automatically be described as personal bankruptcy or personal insolvency.

New Zealand Equine Academy

Another major part of Nakhle’s work is the New Zealand Equine Academy.

The academy was established in 2021 to provide education and practical training for people interested in working in the equine industry.

Students can develop skills connected with horses, stable work, riding, racing, and other areas of the sector.

The organisation has also supported pathways for apprentice jockeys and young people hoping to build careers in racing.

Nakhle’s experience as a racehorse owner and breeder played an important role in the creation of the academy.

The project connects two important parts of his professional life: education and racing.

Industry organisations have also supported the academy’s training programmes.

Racing Career and Horse Breeding

Thoroughbred racing has become one of the strongest parts of Daniel Nakhle’s public profile.

His involvement goes beyond simply owning racehorses.

He has also worked as a breeder and has been involved with racing organisations and equine training.

An important early decision came in 2005 when he purchased a Shinko King weanling named Irish Colleen for NZ$8,500.

Irish Colleen later won seven races, including the Group 2 Concorde Handicap.

More importantly for Nakhle’s breeding operation, she became part of a successful family that eventually produced high-level racehorses.

One of the most important was Crocetti.

Crocetti and Group 1 Success

Crocetti is one of the horses most closely linked with Daniel Nakhle.

The homebred racehorse became a major success in New Zealand racing.

In 2023, Crocetti won the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

The victory was reported as Nakhle’s first Group 1 success as an owner-breeder.

Crocetti later added another major victory by winning the Group 1 Sistema Railway in January 2025.

These results helped establish the horse as one of the strongest examples of Nakhle’s breeding work.

The success was especially meaningful because Crocetti came from a family connected with Irish Colleen, the relatively inexpensive horse purchased many years earlier.

Other Racing Achievements

Nakhle has received wider recognition within New Zealand racing.

In 2024, he was a finalist for New Zealand’s Owner of the Year award.

He has also been involved with the Auckland Racing Club.

Records show that he became a club member in 2004 and was elected to its board in 2009.

He is now described as a former director of the organisation.

Nakhle has also played a role in bringing international racing talent to New Zealand.

He was involved in helping former South African champion jockey Warren Kennedy move to the country.

Kennedy later achieved major success, including winning the 2023-24 New Zealand jockey premiership.

Continuing Work in Racing

Nakhle’s involvement in breeding did not end with Crocetti.

In August 2026, racing reporting continued to identify him as an active breeder and owner.

A promising filly named Shalabiya, connected with the same successful family, won impressively on debut at Ruakaka.

He was also reported to have retained another filly from Crocetti’s immediate family for racing.

These developments show that his breeding operation has continued to focus on bloodlines that have already produced major results.

Whitecliffe Board Role

Daniel Nakhle is also involved in education governance outside the equine sector.

As of August 2026, Whitecliffe lists him as a director on its Board of Governors.

Whitecliffe is a New Zealand education institution offering programmes across areas including technology, design, fashion, fine arts, and creative industries.

His board role reflects the education side of his wider professional work.

Fair Way Resolution

Another verified current position is with Fair Way Resolution.

As of August 2026, Fair Way lists Nakhle as a director based in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau.

Fair Way provides dispute resolution and conflict management services.

This role also connects with Nakhle’s earlier legal education and professional background.

Foundation North Service

Nakhle has previously served in community governance.

He completed a four-year term as a trustee of Foundation North, ending in August 2021.

Foundation North provides funding to communities across Auckland and Northland.

His trustee position represented another area of public service beyond his business and racing interests.

Family Connection to Racing

Daniel’s father, Elias Nakhle, is an important part of his racing story.

Elias moved to New Zealand from Lebanon in the late 1960s and later developed an interest in horse racing.

That interest was passed to Daniel.

Father and son eventually established Byerley Park together.

Their shared involvement in thoroughbreds became the foundation for Daniel’s later work in breeding, racing, and equine education.

Is Daniel Nakhle Still Involved With Byerley Park?

Daniel Nakhle remains historically and publicly connected with Byerley Park because he co-founded it with his father.

However, readers should be careful with descriptions of his current position.

Byerley Park Limited and Karaka Estate Limited entered liquidation in August 2026 following court proceedings involving the companies.

Therefore, older profiles describing Nakhle as the current principal of Byerley Park may no longer reflect the complete corporate situation.

His continuing involvement in thoroughbred breeding and the New Zealand Equine Academy is separately documented.

What Is Daniel Nakhle Known For?

For most readers, Daniel Nakhle is known for four main areas.

First, he has built a long business career after beginning professional life as a solicitor.

Second, he co-founded Byerley Park with his father.

Third, he established the New Zealand Equine Academy to help people develop skills for careers involving horses.

Fourth, he became a recognised thoroughbred breeder-owner through horses such as Crocetti.

Crocetti’s two Group 1 victories remain among the clearest sporting achievements connected with his name.

Daniel Nakhle Today

As of August 2026, Daniel Nakhle remains active across business, education governance, dispute resolution, and thoroughbred racing.

He is listed as a director of Whitecliffe and Fair Way Resolution.

His horse breeding interests also remain active, with younger horses from the successful Irish Colleen and Crocetti family continuing to race.

At the same time, the liquidation of companies associated with Byerley Park marks an important change in one part of his business history.

His wider public career therefore continues across several different fields rather than being defined by a single organisation.

Final Summary

Daniel Nakhle is a New Zealand businessman, former solicitor, education director, and thoroughbred breeder-owner.

After earning commerce and law degrees from the University of Auckland, he began his career in law before moving into business.

His strongest public connection is with New Zealand horse racing.

He co-founded Byerley Park with his father Elias, established the New Zealand Equine Academy, served as a director of the Auckland Racing Club, and became a Group 1-winning breeder-owner through Crocetti.

As of August 2026, he is also listed as a director at Whitecliffe and Fair Way Resolution.

His career brings together business, education, law, and racing, while his work with horses continues to be the part of his public profile that receives the greatest attention.