Ellerslie Racecourse

Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit of approximately 1900m.

History

The first race meeting was held at Ellerslie on the 25th of May 1874. At this time the racecourse was a considerable distance outside the city and it took Aucklanders several hours to get to the course by carriage. Now, the course is well within the city and only a matter of minutes away from the CBD.

Ellerslie Racecourse was the location of the first automatic totalisator, designed by George Julius and installed in 1913.

From fairly modest beginnings, compared to the thriving Riccarton Racecourse in Christchurch, Ellerslie developed into one of the finest racecourses in the country and, arguably, the world.

Ellerslie's turf has been graced by most of New Zealand's champion racehorses. Kindergarten set astonishing weight-carrying and race time records in the Easter Handicap and Auckland Cup, and the likes of Balmerino, Bonecrusher, Uncle Remus, Japan Cup winner Horlicks, Il Tempo, Mr Tiz and countless other all-time greats have achieved Group One glory at Ellerslie.

It is now home to two of New Zealand's best racing carnivals - the Summer Carnival and Auckland Cup Week. The Summer Carnival is run in the Christmas-New Year period and features an abundance of stakes races on what are traditional race-going days for Aucklanders. Boxing Day and New Year's Day used to be home to the New Zealand Derby and Auckland Cup respectively, but they now reside in the new Auckland Cup Week in March, which took place for the first time with great success in 2006.

teeplechasing

Although Ellerslie's best races take place over summer, it has a truly spectacular steeplechase course which is a serious rival to any other in the world, featuring the world-famous Ellerslie hill on the back straight which towers over the course. The course's most famous steeplechase, the Great Northern Steeplechase, requires the horses to climb this hill 3 times in the gruelling 6400m event. Although it is one of the toughest steeplechases in the world, the jumps are all fair and reasonable which provides a wonderful spectacle of jumping.

In 2001 the race produced the astonishing result of a dead-heat for first - after more than seven minutes even the examination of the photo finish with a magnifying glass failed to split Smart Hunter and Sir Avion.

Ken Browne, who died in 2006, is one of the all-time legends of Ellerslie racecourse for his feats in jumps racing and particularly steeplechases on the course. He owned, trained and rode a considerable number of winners of the Great Northern, and he is honoured by having the jump at the foot of the famous hill named after him, as well as the Ken Browne Hurdle race run in June.

Many keen racers have raced on this racecourse and there are many more to come.by Roydon Misseldine

Races

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Ellerslie Racecourse.

{| class="wikitable"
-
Grp
Race Name
Age
Sex
Weight
Distance
Date
-
1
Zabeel Classic
Open
Open
wfa
2000
December
-
1
Railway Handicap
Open
Open
hcp
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
Diamond Stakes
2YO
Open
sw
1200
March
-
1
New Zealand Stakes
Open
Open
wfa
2000
March
-
1
Easter Handicap
Open
Open
hcp
1600
April
-
2
Eight Carat Classic
3YO
Fillies
sw
1600
December
-
2
Great Northern Guineas
3YO
Open
sw
2000
December
-
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
February
-
2
Darley Plate
Open
Open
wfa
1200
-
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
-}