New Zealand Cup

The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch.

New Zealand Cup week

The New Zealand Cup is raced on the final Saturday of Christchurch "Cup week" held each year in the second week of November.

For thoroughbred horses the week also features:

the New Zealand 1000 Guineas for 3 year old fillies,
the New Zealand 2000 Guineas for 3 year olds,
the Stewards Handicap sprint, and
the Coupland's Bakeries Mile.

Christchurch Cup week includes premier standardbred meetings at Addington raceway including:

the New Zealand Trotting Cup for pacers on the Tuesday.
the New Zealand Free For All for pacers on the Friday.
the Dominion Handicap for trotters on the Friday.

There is also greyhound racing on the Thursday, including the following Group 1 races:

the New Zealand Galaxy - C5f 295m.
the New Zealand Greyhound Cup - C5f 520m.
the New Zealand Stayers Cup - C2df 732m.

History of the New Zealand Cup

The New Zealand Cup is one of the oldest races in New Zealand having been run each year since 1865. It is a race for stayers, over 3200 metres, which is also the distance of the Auckland Cup, Wellington Cup as well as some major Australian races such as the Melbourne Cup.

Despite it dropping over time from a Group 1 race down to Group 3 status, it remains one of the most popular racing events in New Zealand with the 150th running in 2013.

Maree Lyndon was the first female jockey to win a Group I race in New Zealand when winning the 1982 Cup on Sirtain.

Notable winners include:

2011 and 2012 — Blood Brotha, the 2013 Wellington Cup winner.
1995 and 1998 — Sapio, the winner of the 1997 Tattersall's Cup (Eagle Farm) and Doomben Cup.
1987 — Empire Rose, the 1988 Melbourne Cup winner.
1985 — Samasaan, the 1986 Wellington Cup winner.
1974 — Fury's Order, the 1975 Cox Plate winner.
1973 — Watallan winning the Cup as a 10 year old, for his 21st victory from 111 starts, and paying a $98 dividend.^[1]
1935 — Cuddle, 2× winner of the Auckland Cup and the Doncaster Handicap.
1930 — Nightmarch, winner of the 1929 Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
1918 — Sasanof, two years after becoming the first New Zealand owned, trained, and bred Melbourne Cup winner.^[2]

Group Status

1865–1977 (Principal Race)
1978–1990 (Group 1)
1991–2008 (Group 2)
2009–present (Group 3)

Race results

Previous winners

1969 – Middy
1968 – Noir Filou
1967 – Laramie
1966 – Royal Bid
1965 – Fieldmaster
1964 – Alaska
1963 – Beauzami
1962 – Stipulate
1961 – Quite Able
1960 – Oreka
1959 – Foglia d'Oro
1958 – Balfast
1957 – Great Scot
1956 – Jimmy Flash
1955 – Poetical
1954 – Dormant
1953 – Gold Scheme
1952 – Conclusion
1951 – Jamell
1950 – Calibrate
1949 – Excellency
1948 – Sir Garnish
1947 – Beau Le Havre
1946 – Catterick Bridge
1945 – Golden Souvenir
1944 – Kevin
1943 – Classform ^[89]
1942 – Royal Lancer
1941 – Happy Ending
1940 – Serenata
1939 – Yours Truly
1938 – Arctic King
1937 – Cerne Abbas
1936 – Ferson (AUS)
1935 – Cuddle
1934 – Steeton
1933 – Palantua
1932 – Fast Passage
1931 – Spearful
1930 – Nightmarch
1929 – Chide
1928 – Oratrix
1927 – Rapier
1926 – Count Cavour
1925 – The Banker
1924 – Sunart
1923 – Rouen
1922 – Scion
1921 – Royal Star
1920 – Oratress
1919 – Vagabond
1918 – Sasanof
1917 – Menelaus
1916 – Ardenvhor
1915 – Tangihau
1914 – Inigo
1914 – Warstep
1913 – Sinapis
1912 – Midnight Sun
1911 – Vice Admiral
1910 – Bridge
1909 – Lady Lucy
1908 – Downfall
1907 – Frisco
1906 – Star Rose
1905 – Noctuiform
1904 – Grand Rapids
1903 – Canteen
1902 – Halberdier
1901 – Tortulla
1900 – Fulmen
1900 – Ideal
1899 – Seahorse
1898 – Tirant d'Eau
1897 – Waiuku
1896 – Lady Zetland
1895 – Euroclydon
1894 – Impulse
1893 – Rosefeldt
1892 – St. Hippo
1891 – British Lion
1890 – Wolverine
1889 – Tirailleur
1888 – Manton
1887 – Lochiel
1886 – Spade Guinea
1885 – Fusilade
1884 – Vanguard
1883 – Tasman (AUS)
1882 – Welcome Jack
1881 – Grip
1880 – Le Loup
1879 – Chancellor
1878 – Maritana
1877 – Mata
1876 – Guy Fawkes
1875 – Nectar
1874 – Tambourini
1873 – Kakapo
1872 – Detractor
1871 – Peeress
1870 – Knottingley (Dec)
1870 – Knottingley (Jan)
1869 – Mainsail
1868 – Flying Jib
1867 – Magenta
1866 – Nourmahal
1865 – Rob Roy

References

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New Zealand Cup Winners
LOVERACING.NZ - New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
TAB | Sports & Racing Betting Online in New Zealand
New Zealand Horse Racing Statistics and Information - RaceBase
Sporting Records of New Zealand. Todd, Sydney. (1976) Auckland, New Zealand: Moa Publications. ISBN 0-908570-00-7
The Great Decade of New Zealand racing 1970–1980. Glengarry, Jack. William Collins Publishers Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand.