Championship Stakes

The Championship Stakes, run at Ellerslie Racecourse, is a Group 2 horse race run for three-year-olds at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand.

Championship Stakes
Group II race
LocationEllerslie Racecourse
Auckland, New Zealand
Inaugurated2006
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Websitewww.ellerslie.co.nz
Race information
Distance2100m (10.5 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
Trackright-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightSet-Weights
Purse$100,000

When the New Zealand Derby was moved from December to March in the 2005-06 season, the race was set up to be run on the second Saturday in February as the main-lead-up race, two weeks before the Derby. Before this the race had been restricted to fillies only. However, in 2011 the race was moved New Year's Day, with the Avondale Guineas (previously run in December at Avondale and the main Derby lead-up before 2005) moving to Ellerslie and taking the February date.

The race currently known as the Valachi Downs Championship Stakes, is now raced in April.

Both the first two winners of the race went on to win the Derby, and the 2009 and 2010 Derby winners contested the race. The 2011 running (in the new date) only provided two outsiders in the Derby, before both the 2012 and 2013 winners went on to win the Derby.

Winners of the Championship Stakes

Year
Winner
April 2019 Lord Arthur
April 2018 Azaboy
April 2017 Tavidream[1]
April 2016 The Hassler[2]
April 2015 Werther
January 2014 Show The World
January 2013 Habibi
January 2012 Silent Achiever
2011 Hidden Asset
2010 Zarzuela
2009 Down The Road
2008 Red Ruler
2007 Redoute's Dancer
2006 Wahid
March 1997Ellakapella

See also

Footnotes

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.