| Group II race | |
 Beau Vite,1940 winner | |
| Location | Awapuni Racecourse Palmerston North, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1915 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2,000 metres (1+1⁄4 miles) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds and up |
| Purse | $100,000 (2021) |
The Awapuni Gold Cup is held annually in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It is a set weight and penalties race over 2,000 metres. [1] [2]
First held in 1915, the race has been won by many of New Zealand's most famous racehorses including:
Desert Gold and Sir Slick have won the race three times.
Awapuni Gold Cup winners, Desert Gold and La Mer also won the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, in 1915 and 1976 respectively.
| Year | Winner | Sire | Dam | Jockey | Trainer(s) | Time | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 [4] (Trentham) | Nereus 55 | Savabeel | Eudora | Joe Doyle | Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray, Cambridge | 2:11.87 (soft) | He's A Doozy 58 | Skyman 56 |
| 2023 [5] | Brando 57 | Savabeel | Saoirse | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker | 2:02.65 (soft) | Colorado Star 56 | Kelly Coe 53 |
| 2022 [6] | Zola Express 54.5 | Shamexpress | Zolana, by Golan | Chris Dell | Janelle Millar | 2:01.99 (good) | Tiptronic 59 | Vernanme 57 |
| 2021 [7] | Beauden 56 | Bullbars (Aus) | Belle Femme (Aus) | Ryan Elliot | Team Rogerson, Tuhikaramea | 2:07.12 | Prise De Fer 57 | Callsign Mav 58 |
| 2020 | no race due to COVID-19 | |||||||
| 2019 [8] | Jacksstar 55 | Zed (NZ) | Star Guest (NZ) | Chris Johnson | Gary Vile | 2:02.03 | Sampson 56 | Authentic Paddy 58 |
| 2018 [9] | Our Abbadean 53 | Lookin At Lucky (USA) | Highland Lights (AUS) | Danielle Johnson | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | 2:02.97 | Five To Midnight 56 | Sampson 57 |
| 2017 [10] | Sampson 56 | Dubai Destination (USA) | Magic Star (AUS) | Reese Jones | Howie Mathews | 2:06.51 | Five To Midnight 55 | Woodsman 55 |
| 2016 [11] | Maygrove 57 | Authorised (Ire) | Lady Zhivago (NZ) | Matt Cameron | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 2:09.68 | Trojan Warrior 55 | King Kamada 55 [12] |
| 2015 [13] | Iamishwara 58 | Keeninsky | She’s Heroic (NZ) | Lisa Allpress | Antony Kaye | 2:04.04 | Jubilate 55 | King Krovanh (Aus) 55 |
| 2014 [14] | Soriano 53.5 | Savabeel (AUS) | Call Me Lily (NZ) | Noel Harris | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | 2:05.06 | Military Move 56 | Nashville 59 |
| 2013 [15] | Better Than Ever 58 | French Deputy | Songfest | Hayden Tinsley | Jason Bridgman | 2:02.43 | Ransomed 56 | Spiro 55 |
| 2012 [16] | Riomoral 55.5 | Captain Rio | Immoral | Phillip J Turner (A) | Karen McQuade | 2:02.58 | Back In Black 55 | Doctor Fremantle 55 |
| 2011 [17] | Hold It Harvey 57 | King Cugat | Daly Charm | Jamie Bullard | Terri Rae | 2:02.72 | Dawn Ghost 53.5 | Can’t Keeper Down 53 |
| 2010 [18] | Sir Slick 58 | Volksraad | Miss Opera | Samantha Collett | Graeme Nicholson & Paul Allbon | 2:01.55 | Manonamission 55 | Red Ruler 58 |
| 2009 | MacO'Reilly 59 | O'Reilly | Double Babu | Hayden Tinsley | David Haworth | 2:05.01 | Sir Slick 59 | Spectacular Icon 55 |
| 2008 | Sir Slick 59 | Volksraad | Miss Opera | Bruce Herd | Graeme Nicholson & Paul Albon, Te Aroha | 2:03.62 | Chettak 59 | Butch James 59 |
| 2007 | Sir Slick 59 | Volksraad | Miss Opera | Bruce Herd | Graeme Nicholson | 2:01.37 | All Square 59 | Arabian Nights 56.5 |
| 2006 | Tusker 56 | Volksraad | Stella Artois | David Walsh | Murray Baker | 2:02.13 | Kerry O’Reilly 58 | Distinctly Secret 58 |
| 2005 | Distinctly Secret 58 | Distinctly North | Te Akau Secret | Jamie Bullard | Mark Walker, Matamata | 2:02.85 | Showgirl 57 | Penitentiary 57 |
| 2004 (Dead heat) | Irish Rover 58 | Kenfair | Sterling Lea | David Walker | Eddie Carson | 2:02.52 | - | Lough Rinn 58 |
| 2004 (Dead heat) | Distinctly Secret 58 | Distinctly North | Te Akau Secret | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker, Matamata | 2:02.52 | - | Lough Rinn 58 |
| 2003 | Maze 56 | Housebuster (USA) | Strangeways | Gary Grylls | 2:04.60 | Semper Fidelis 56 | Wolf Creek 57 | |
| 2002 | Cent Home 58 | Lord Ballina (Aus) | Centuria | David Walker | Jim Wallace, Opaki | 2:05.55 | Perceptible 58 | College Union 56 |
| 2001 | Cronus 56 | Zabeel | Foreign Copy | Vincent Colgan | 2:02.19 | No Alimony 58 | Hero 57 | |
| 2000 | Cruzeiro 57 | Kaapstad | Janeiro | J Walker | Geoff Georgetti, Marton | 2:03.93 | Kingdom Come 58 | In My Time 57 |
| 1999 | Emerald 56.5 | Grosvenor | Jennifer Rush | Mark Sweeney | 2:00.74 | Aerosmith 56 | Cruzeiro 58 | |
| 1998 | Magnet Bay | Gold And Ivory (USA) | Rivermist | Peter Johnson | D B Frye, Rangiora | 2:04.29 | Sapio 58 | Denholm 58 |
| 1997 | Interval 57 | Paris Opera (AUS) | Resolute | Lee Rutherford | Stephen & Trevor McKee, Takanini | 2:09.02 | Sapio 58 | All In Fun 58 |
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