Kelt Capital Stakes

Turf race infobox
class = Group I
horse race = Kelt Capital Stakes


caption =
location = Hastings Racecourse
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
inaugurated = 1955
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat racing
website = [http://www.hawkesbayracing.co.nz Hawke's Bay Racing]
distance = 2040m (10 furlongs)
track = Turf, left-handed
qualification = Three-year-olds and up
weight = Weight for Age
purse = NZ$2,000,000
bonuses = The Kelt Capital Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's richest open-age horse race. It is run at a distance of 2040m and from 2007 will carry prizemoney of NZ$2,000,000.

The race is sponsored by Kelt Capital Limited, and in particular the owner thereof Sam Kelt, a strong supporter of New Zealand and particularly Hawke's Bay racing. Just a decade ago the race was a Group 3 event worth under $100,000, but the growth through Kelt's sponsorship has been astronomical.

When The Message won the race in 2000 it was worth $250,000. In 2002 it was run as the richest-equal race in New Zealand for a prize of $500,000, and in 2004 it was New Zealand's first million-dollar race for more than a decade when Balmuse won the race. From either 2009 or 2010, the race will be worth $3 million.

The Kelt is run on the first Saturday in October, along with two other Group features, the Hawke's Bay Guineas for three year olds and the recently bolstered GR Kelt Memorial, making it one of the most important days of racing on the New Zealand calendar. Hawke's Bay's traditionally reliable and warm spring weather makes perfect track conditions almost inevitable.

The race, and its two predecessors in Hawke's Bay's Spring Carnival, the 1400m Mudgway Stakes and the 1600m Stoney Bridge Stakes, both Group 1, have become the main target for not just the spring but the entire season for New Zealand's best weight-for-age gallopers, and the Kelt has become the focus of attention from overseas too. In 2004, the globe-trotting Australian-owned Starcraft arrived at Hastings for all three races, winning the Mudgway and Stoney Bridge before losing in the Kelt at the hands of the Kiwi, Balmuse.

Winners of the Kelt Capital Stakes

{| class = "sortable" | border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:90%"
- bgcolor="#77dd77" align="center"
width="38px" | Year
width="140px" | Winner
-
2008
Princess Coup
-
2007
Princess Coup
-
2006
Legs
-
2005
Xcellent
-
2004
Balmuse
-
2003
Distinctly Secret
-
2002
Prized Gem
-
2001
Cinder Bella
-
2000
The Message
-
1999
Cent Home
-
1998
Just Call Me Sir
-
1997
Moss Downs
-
1996
Love Dance
-
1995
Italian Saint
-
1994
Solvit
-
1993
Calm Harbour
-
1992
Veandercross
-
1991
Castletown
-
1990
Timandra Steed
-
1989
Lomondy
-
1988
Classic Bay
-
1987
Secret Seal
-
1986
Lomondy
-
1985
Always Summer
-
1984
Commissionaire
-
1983
Commissionaire
-
1982
Ruanuku
-
1981
Serendiper
-
1980
Harmanaire
-
1979
La Mer
-
1978
La Mer
-
1977
Balmerino
-
1976
Duty Free
-
1975
Curly Wave
-
1974
Guest Star
-
1973
Duty Free
-
1972
Count Kereru
-
1971
Game
-
1970
Game
-
1969
Game
-
1968
Dalvui
-
1967
Terrific
-
1966
Palisade
-
1965
Empyreus
-
1964
Tatua
-
1963
Picaroon
-
1962
Moy
-
1961
Picaroon
-
1960
Picaroon
-
1959
Supertax
-
1958
Rover
-
1957
Pinnacle Ridge
-
1956
Syntax
-
1955
Redcraze
-}