The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at

Ellerslie Racecourse Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand. The race was formerly graded as a Group One (G1) event but as from 2022 is a Group 2. It was first contested in 1874.

History

The first meeting of the

Auckland Racing Club Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...

was in May 1874. One of the events, run over a distance of miles, was named the Auckland Cup. This race was won by Mr. J Watt's three-year-old Batter. At the Summer Meeting of 1874 the Auckland Cup was run on Boxing Day over a distance of two miles and in subsequent published records of the club this race is shown as being the first official, recognised Auckland Cup contest. This race was won by Templeton who must have been an impressive horse as to inspire Thomas Bracken (composer of 'God Defend New Zealand') to write a requiem of sorts to his fading prowess called Old Templeton. The day was reviewed positively in the 28 December issue of the New Zealand Herald, and was found to be absent of ‘sheanannaking’ and ‘hanky-panky’ and that everything was ‘above-board’ and ‘up hill and down straight’. In 1898 W H Bartlett filmed

Uhlan winning the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie Racecourse ''Uhlan winning the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie Racecourse'' was an 1898 New Zealand sports documentary film. W. H. Bartlett was employed by Alfred Henry Whitehouse to film the Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckl ...

for the entrepreneur

Alfred Henry Whitehouse Alfred Henry Whitehouse (15 September 1856 – 7 April 1929) was a notable New Zealand motion picture exhibitor and producer. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, in 1856. Whitehouse produced the earliest New Zealand films being ...

. This was the first time a horse-race had been filmed in New Zealand.

Scheduling

The race was run on Boxing Day from in its inception until 1958 and from then until 2006 it was on New Year's Day. Since 2006, the race has been contested on the second Saturday of Auckland Cup Week at the beginning of March on the same race day as the New Zealand Stakes and the Sistema Stakes (Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes). The 2021 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup was run on Saturday 13 March at approximately 5.30pm. It is typically the second-to-last race run on the final day of Auckland Cup Week. For many years the Auckland Cup was the richest horse race in New Zealand. However, it has been surpassed in recent years by the New Zealand Derby and Karaka Million two year old and three year old races.

Notable winners

The Auckland Cup has been won by such notable horses as: *

Beau Vite Beau Vite was a New Zealand-bred brown Thoroughbred Stallion, who developed into a grand stayer performing in New Zealand and Australia and raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old on wet or dry tracks recording 31 wins from 5 furlongs to ...

(1940) who won the 1940 and 1941

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...

. * Beaumaris (1950). * Castletown (1992) who also won the Wellington Cup three times. * Cuddle (1935 and 1936) who also won the

Doncaster Handicap The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the ...

and

All Aged Stakes The All Aged Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April or May during the ATC Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$6 ...

. * Il Tempo (1969 and 1970) who also won the Wellington Cup in world record time of 3:16.2 for the two miles. *

Jezabeel Jezabeel (2 November 1992 – 22 September 2015) was a top New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Melbourne Cup. In April 1995, as a 2 year old, she won the listed 1600m Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie. Later that year she went to F ...

(1998) who also won the 1998

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

. *

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

(1942) who was one of five inaugural inductees into the

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand thoroughbred horse racing industry. History The Hall of Fame's first group of honorees were inducted in 2006, and inductions are he ...

. * Nelson (1885-87), an Australian champion who greeted the judge at the head of the field three times.

Auckland Cup and Avondale Cup double

In recent years the following Auckland Cup winners have also won the Avondale Cup: * Glory Days: 2019 * El Soldado: 2016 Auckland Cup and 2017 Avondale Cup * Who Shot Thebarman: 2014 * Sangster: 2013 * Spin Around: 2009 Auckland Cup and 2007 Avondale and Counties Cups

Race results since 1958

Previous winners

The following are earlier winners of the Auckland Cup.Auckland Cup – Winners List
/ref> *1957 – NOT HELD *1956 – Yeman *1955 – Tesla *1954 – Arawa *1953 – Coaltown *1952 – Rev *1951 – Classowa *1950 – Beaumaris *1949 – Swanee *1948 –

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

*1947 – Balgowan *1946 – Sylis *1945 – Expanse *1944 – Foxwyn *1943 – Lord Chancellor *1942 –

*1941 – Piastre (AUS) *1940 –

*1939 – Cheval De Volee *1938 – Cheval De Volee *1937 – The Buzzer *1936 – Cuddle *1935 – Cuddle *1934 – Gold Trail *1933 – Minerval *1932 – Fast Passage *1931 – Admiral Drake *1930 – Motere *1929 – Concentrate *1928 – Corinax (AUS) *1927 – Rapier *1926 – Tanadees (AUS) *1925 – Rapine *1924 – Te Kara *1923 – Muraahi/ Te Kara *1922 – Scion *1921 – Malaga *1920 – Starland *1919 – Karo *1918 – Mascot *1917 – Fiery Cross *1916 – Depredation *1915 – Balboa *1914 – Warstep *1913 – Sir Solo *1912 – Bobrikoff *1911 – Santa Rosa *1910 – Waimangu *1909 – All Red *1908 – All Red *1907 – Zimmerman *1906 – Master Delaval *1905 – Putty *1904 – Mahutonga *1903 – Wairiki *1902 – Siege Gun *1901 – St. Michael *1900 – Blue Jacket *1899 – Blue Jacket *1898 –

Uhlan Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

*1897 – Antares *1896 – Nestor *1895 – Anita *1894 – Lottie *1893 – Pegasus *1892 – St. Hippo *1891 – Pinfire *1890 – Crackshot *1889 – Leopold *1888 – Lochiel *1887 – Nelson (AUS) *1886 – Nelson (AUS) *1885 – Nelson (AUS) *1884 – The Poet *1883 – Salvage *1882 – Welcome Jack *1881 – King Quail *1880 – Foul Play *1879 – Ariel *1878 – Ariel *1877 – Lara *1876 – Ariel *1875 – Kingfisher *1874 – Templeton

References

* ''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. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2018 (47th edition). Dennis Ryan, Editor, Racing Media NZ Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2017 (46th edition). Dennis Ryan, Editor, Racing Media NZ Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2012 (41st edition). Birch, Andrew, Editor. New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing, Hamilton, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2009 (39th edition). Clark, Adrian, Editor. New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing, Hamilton, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2008 (37th edition). Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2005 (34th edition). Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2004 (33rd edition). Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Paeroa, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 2000 (29th edition). Bradford, David, Editor. Bradford Publishing Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1997 (26th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Mike Dillon's Racing Enterprises Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1995 (24th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Mike Dillon's Racing Enterprises Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1994 (23rd edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Meadowset Publishing, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1991 (20th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1990 (19th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1987 (16th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1986 (15th edition). Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1985 (14th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1984 (13th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1983 (12th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1982 (11th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1981 (10th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1980 (9th edition). Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1979 (8th edition).Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1978 (7th edition).Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand. * New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1976. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland. * The DB Racing Annual 1974. Bradford, David, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland. * The DB Racing Annual 1972. Bradford, David, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland.