The 2023 Martin Collins NZ Cup and Guineas Day topped off a week of gripping horseracing at the New Zealand Cup Meeting at Riccarton Park in Christchurch. The Cup Meeting is not just about horse racing; it’s a social event full of food, fashion and fun.
A close race saw Mahrajaan overtake the winner in the final 400m of 2023’s NZ Cup.
©Jeff Griffith/Unsplash
The Horse Behind the Title
The USA-bred stayer, Mahrajaan, was ridden by Sam Weatherley. Trainer Shaune Ritchie was thrilled that his plan to win the 160th New Zealand Cup panned out. Mahrajaan came fifth on the first day of the Cup Meeting, in the 2600m Listed Metropolitan Handicap. On the final day of the meet, he ousted the favourite and came thundering home to win the 3200m Group 3 race.
The six-year-old gelding was born and bred in the USA from champion sire Kitten’s Joy in 2018. Mahrajaan won multiple longer races in England before being acquired by NZ trainer, Shaune Ritchie. Shaune acquired him specifically for the 160th Martin Collins New Zealand Cup 3200m stamina-testing race. The Cambridge-based trainer bought him for £75,000 through Tattersalls in the British Autumn.
“Mahrajaan pulled ahead to win in the final 400m of the Cup Race, overtaking the favourite, Nest Egg.”
NZ Cup and Guineas Day
Riccarton Park Racecourse, home of the Canterbury Jockey Club, drew a giant crowd on the final day of the Cup Week. The full 15,000 tickets for the day were sold out by the Thursday before. The three previous Cup Days also sold out prior to the day. Live music, food and The Ned Fashion in the Field competition were other draw cards bringing in the crowds.
The Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas is a 1600m race for three-year-old fillies. It had a total prize pool of NZ$300,000. Thoroughbred Molly Broom won, ridden by Irishman, Joe Doyle. One of Molly’s trainers, Lance O’Sullivan, won the Guineas three times as a jockey. He finally took yet another win as Molly’s co-trainer, along with Andrew Scott. Impendabelle and Tulsi came second and third.
Darryn and Briar Weatherley, Tulsi’s trainers, may have been beaten in the Guineas but they were also competing in the day’s sprint, the Lindauer Stewards Stakes. Their horse Maria Farina won. The family from Matamata in the north trained and part-own the horse. The father-daughter training team have brought 19 high-stakes winners to fruit in their career together. The mare was ridden on the day by jockey and come-back sensation Matt Cameron.
Music and Fashion
The NZ Cup was part of “The Grand Tour”, one of the twenty top horse races in New Zealand. The Grand Tour racing festival helped bring famous singer Sir Dave Dobbyn to perform on Cup Day this year. The racecourse had a dedicated Entertainment Zone, with DJs, food vendors, bars and TAB access, relaxation areas and even a giant big screen to get a better look at the races. The crowd was also pleased with the day’s weather, windy with a temperature high of 16 degrees Celsius.
The Ned Fashion in the Field event was a crowd-drawer and crowd-pleaser. It had a dedicated space, the Historic Tea House, and a raised cat walk. Patrons could purchase hospitality packages for seating in the Fashion in the Field area at $165. Tables of ten had their own bar, big screen and totes.
Categories for the Fashion competition on the final day included; Classic Race Wear, Contemporary, Best Dressed Man, Millinery, Carnival Debut, Finishing Touches, Something Borrowed or Something Blue, Eye on the Crowd, and Supreme Winner. The total prize pool was in the tens of thousands in cash and prizes. Entrants could still register on the day until 11 am, with the first heat beginning at 12:30 pm. Winner of Best Dressed at the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup in Australia, Eleanor Campbell, was judging on the day.
The 2023 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton Park was a thrilling event filled with high-class racing and entertainment. Whether you’re a horse racing enthusiast or just looking for a fun day out, this annual event is not to be missed.
