Auckland racing bosses have confirmed New Zealand’s richest ever race meeting for January as they continue to grow in confidence the Karaka Millions will be back at Ellerslie. 

The Auckland track has been out of action since March last year for major developments, including the installation of a StrathAyr racing surface. 

That should provide enormously improved drainage and a more consistent racing surface, and the newly-sown grass is finally starting to grow on the entire racing surface. 

While Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox is adamant the new surface will only be used for racing after a long safety check list is ticked off, those ticks are already landing in the right boxes. 

“The seeds are really germinating well and we couldn’t be happier,” 

says Wilcox. “There are still things that need to go right and we won’t be taking any shortcuts, but at the moment, I am 90 per cent confident the track will be ready for the TAB Karaka Millions meeting.” 

That is January 27, and for Ellerslie to host the mega meeting, it will need to pass a soft-opening meeting 13 days earlier. 

If that all falls into place, Wilcox and his team will plan for the Karaka Millions to double as the official, ribbon-cutting reopening of the track. 

It will also be the richest race meeting ever held in New Zealand, with total stakes of $4.25 million spread over just six races. 

The new $1m race open to all 4-year-olds had already been announced, while the 3-year-old Karaka Million has been boosted to $1.5m and the 2-year-old worth $1m, both for horses sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s yearling sales. 

The ATR board have voted to put over $3m more into stakes for this season and that will see the other three stakes races on Karaka Millions night rise to $300,00 for the Westbury Classic (Group 2 fillies and mares) and $225,000 each for the Brighthill Farm Yearlings Concorde (Group 3 open sprint) and the Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (Group 3, 3-year-old 1200m). 

That will make the Karaka Millions the first New Zealand race meeting to top $4m in stakes. 

“We are aware of the industry’s anticipation around the meeting and how much most would love to have it back at Ellerslie, so we will keep them informed as we progress,” says Wilcox. 

The ATR board’s decision to go above and the beyond NZTR’s stake minimums will inject more money into races at every level. 

All ATR Group 1s will be run for at least $450,000 right down to maiden races at either Ellerslie or Pukekohe being for at least $25,000. 

• The first Group 1 race of the new season is set to be run on a good4 surface.

Hastings track manager Richard Fenwick says his track was rated just in the soft5 range on Monday, but with fine weather forecast for the week, he is confident of a good4 for Saturday’s $400,000 Tarzino Trophy meeting. 

Karaka Millions 

January 27, scheduled for Ellerslie 

• $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3-year-old.
• $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2-year-old.
• $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (4-year-olds).
• $300,000 Westbury Classic (fillies and mares).
• $225,000 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (3-year-old 1200m).
• $225,000 Brighthill Farm Yearlings Concorde (open sprint).