The International Stakes is a
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...
run at
Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February every year. The 2010 running was sponsored by the connections of stallion
Darci Brahma
Darci Brahma (Danehill-Grand Echezeaux; foaled 21 September 2002) is a New Zealand thoroughbred colt foaled in 2002 at Pencarrow Stud near Cambridge in New Zealand. He was auctioned at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ltd Yearling Sales in January 200 ...
, after being sponsored for many years by
Cambridge Stud
Cambridge Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm established in 1976 at Cambridge, New Zealand by Sir Patrick Hogan.
Stud sires
It has had a number of top quality stallions including:
* Sir Tristram: sire of 45 Group 1 winners and inducted into the Ne ...
and Whakanui Stud. The race is now run as the Herbie Dyke Stakes.
In the early years the Waikato Racing Club invited jockeys from overseas to ride in the race, that being the reason for the name, and in 1972
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest f ...
rode Sailing Home to victory in the race. At that time it was run every two years; it became an annual event from 1978.
In 2017 the purse was increased to $400,000, making it the richest
Weight for Age
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022
Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race.
History
The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rous ...
race in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
The race is one of two Group 1 weight-for-age events run on the same day, the other being the 1400m
Waikato Sprint
The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February.
It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 Herbie Dykes Stakes.
The list of winners ...
. A Group 2 three year old race, the David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic, is also on the same raceday.
=Race results=
See also
*
Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand
The racing of Thoroughbred horses (or gallopers, as they are also known) is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand.
History
Thoroughbred horse racing commenced soon after European settlement. The first totalisator machin ...
*
Zabeel Classic
The Zabeel Classic is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race run at weight-for-age over a distance of 2000 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on Boxing Day, a raceday steeped in tradition that frequently attracts in e ...
*
Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes
*
Otaki-Maori Weight for Age
The Otaki-Maori Weight For Age Stakes is a group 1 flat horse race held at Otaki racecourse in New Zealand, racing under the name El Cheapo Cars WFA Classic.
History
The race is held annually in February and is run under weight for age (WFA) ...
*
Waikato Sprint
The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February.
It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 Herbie Dykes Stakes.
The list of winners ...
References
{{Reflist
Horse races in New Zealand
Open middle distance horse races