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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 clockwise (right-handed) direction.
Horses have raced at Ellerslie since 1857 when Robert Graham hosted a race meeting on his property, on the site which is now Ellerslie Racecourse. The Auckland Racing club then purchased thirty-six hectares of land from Graham in 1872 on which the course is situated. [1]
The first race meeting of the Auckland Racing Club was held at Ellerslie on 25 May 1874. [1] At this time the racecourse was a considerable distance outside the city and it took Aucklanders up to several hours to get to the course by carriage.
A "platform" station, Ellerslie Racecourse Platform was opened in January 1874. Many went by train, although with the demand created by the event, as late as in 1910 they often had to travel in open cattle trucks because there were not enough normal coaches available for the demand of the extra services. [2]
A publication compiled by E.G. Sutherland, held in the Sir George Grey Special Collections, [3] makes note of the importance of the aesthetic appeal of Ellerslie:
"It seems worthy of mention that by making Ellerslie attractive the Auckland Racing Club has added to the popularity of the sport. Ellerslie’s attractive outlook has been partly responsible for bringing thousands of visiting racing patrons within its borders to witness the best class of thoroughbreds in action. It’s well laid out floral beds, ponds and large variety of choice trees and palms have drawn kudos from Royalty, Governors, Viceroys, tourists and visitors from all parts of the world." [4]
Ellerslie was the location of the first automatic totalisator, designed by George Julius and installed in 1913.[ citation needed ]. Queen Elizabeth II visited the racecourse during the royal visit to New Zealand in 1953/54. [5]
During World War Two the Stands were used as Hospital Wards for the American Forces serving in the Pacific. Dr McGregor-Grant, who the Steeplechase is named after, was the head Doctor.
During the 20th century, Ellerslie Racecourse provided plants for Kingseat Hospital. [6]
Champion racehorses to have raced at Ellerslie include Kindergarten, Balmerino, Bonecrusher, Uncle Remus, Japan Cup winner Horlicks, Il Tempo, Mr Tiz, Sunline (who was buried at the racecourse in 2009) and Jimmy Choux.
Ellerslie is home to two of New Zealand's major racing carnivals - the Summer Carnival and Auckland Cup Week. The Summer Carnival is run in the Christmas-New Year period with Boxing Day and New Year's Day formerly being home to the New Zealand Derby and Auckland Cup respectively, but these were moved to the new Auckland Cup Week in March 2006.
Steeplechasing at Ellerslie uses the well-known "hill." The jumping track leaves the course proper just before the 1000 metre mark at the end of the back straight and rises approximately 16 metres to the top of the hill, where there are two steeplechase fences 100 metres apart. There is another at the foot of the hill where the steeplechase track rejoins the course proper just after the 600-metre mark. The total length of this section of the track is approximately 750 metres. It is not used for flat racing. The major steeplechase at Ellerslie, the Great Northern Steeplechase, requires the horses to climb this hill 3 times in the 6400m event.
The following is a list of Group races which are run at Ellerslie Racecourse.
| Grp | Race Name | Age | Sex | Weight | Distance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zabeel Classic | Open | Open | wfa | 2000 | December 26 |
| 1 | Railway Stakes | Open | Open | wfa | 1200 | January |
| R | Karaka Million | Restricted 2yo | Open | sw | 1200 | January |
| 1 | New Zealand Derby | 3YO | Open | sw | 2400 | March |
| 1 | Auckland Cup | Open | Open | hcp | 3200 | March |
| 1 | Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes | 2YO | Open | sw | 1200 | March |
| 1 | New Zealand Stakes | Open | Open | wfa | 2000 | March |
| 2 | Easter Handicap | Open | Open | hcp | 1600 | April |
| 2 | Eight Carat Classic | 3YO | Fillies | sw | 1600 | December |
| 2 | Great Northern Guineas | 3YO | Open | sw | 1600 | January |
| 2 | Royal Stakes | 3YO | Fillies | sw | 2000 | January |
| 2 | City of Auckland Cup | Open | Open | hcp | 2400 | January |
| 2 | Rich Hill Mile | Open | Open | hcp | 1600 | January |
| 2 | Championship Stakes | 3YO | Open | sw | 2100 | April |
| 2 | Darley Plate | Open | Open | wfa | 1200 | March |
| 3 | Lindauer Stakes | Open | Open | wfa | 2000 | November |
| 3 | Great Northern Challenge Stakes | Open | Open | wfa | 1600 | November |
| 3 | Eclipse Stakes | 2YO | Open | sw | 1200 | January |
Other races of note in the past include:
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 the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be further divided into hurdling and steeplechasing.
Thoroughbred horse racing is an important spectator sport in Australia, and gambling on horse races is a very popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred horseracing in Australia are flat racing, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia. Thoroughbred racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football and rugby league, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators, starting gates and photo finish cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
The racing of Thoroughbred horses is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand.
Bonecrusher was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who was widely admired in both Australia and New Zealand.
The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race is graded as a Group One (G1) and was first contested in 1874.
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. The purse of the race in 2020 was $1 million.
Desert Gold was a famous and successful New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced at the time of World War I. She raced in Australia and New Zealand, winning 36 races, including 19 in succession.
Great Northern Foal Stakes is a horse race in New Zealand. It is a listed 2 year-old race over 1400m run at Ellerslie Racecourse.
Xcellent is a thoroughbred racehorse who was trained by Michael & Paul Moroney.
Auckland Cup Week is one of New Zealand's major annual thoroughbred racing carnivals and is the country's richest offering stakes in excess of NZ$2.2 million. Held in Auckland in early March, the carnival comprises two days of racing and entertainment at Ellerslie Racecourse - Vodafone Derby Day and Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day.
The Great Northern Steeplechase is New Zealand's richest steeplechase. It is run over 6,400 metres (21,000 ft) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, making it Australasia's longest horse race, and usually takes between eight and eight and a half minutes to complete. The race has been run in early September since 2005, after previously being held in early June.
The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt, during the Wellington Cup carnival in January.
Trentham Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Wellington city area in New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Trentham in Upper Hutt, next to Trentham Military Camp.
The Trentham Stakes is a Group 3 weight-for-age race held for thoroughbred racehorses at Trentham Racecourse near Wellington, New Zealand conducted by the Wellington Racing Club.
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 excess of 20,000 Aucklanders to the famous course.
The Railway Stakes is a Group One New Zealand horse race. Held at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, it is held over 1200 metres, and is one of New Zealand's feature sprint races.
The Captain Cook Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at weight-for-age over a distance of 1,600 metres at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand.
The New Zealand Stakes currently run as the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes is a Group One thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand.
Colin Jillings was a leading trainer in thoroughbred horse racing in New Zealand from the early 1950s through until his retirement in September 2005.
The Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes, currently known as the Sistema Stakes, is a Group One horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds held at Ellerslie Racecourse.
Coordinates: 36°53′21.45″S174°48′20.77″E / 36.8892917°S 174.8057694°E