Karaka Millions Series
Millions of Reasons
New Zealand's richest raceday has been enhanced further, with the Karaka Millions Series offering graduates of NZB’s Sales the opportunity to compete for a share in the TAB Karaka Millions races.
Just twelve short months after the yearlings make their sale ring debut, they are eligible to compete in the lucrative $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO race and another twelve months later they will be able to contest the boosted $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO race.
In an exciting new initiative, NZB and NZTR, generously supported by Entain, are delighted to announce the NZB Mega Maiden Series, which will see $1m in bonuses up for grabs across 40 maiden races each season, for the next three years.
Comprised of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand, a $25,000 bonus will be struck if a Karaka Millions eligible horse, three years or older, wins. The winning owner will take home $20,000 and the successful trainer $5,000. Read more about the NZB Mega Maiden Series here.
Announced in 2023, the Series also includes two $200,000 bonuses for New Owners and Book 2 horses from graduates of the Karaka 2024 Sale. Read about them here.
The “KM” logo displayed on the nominations and fields produced by NZTR denotes that the horse is qualified for a start in the two TAB-sponsored features for graduates, as well as the NZB Mega Maiden Series races.
All yearlings and weanlings purchased at Karaka are eligible for the Series. To nominate your purchase following a Sale, email finance@nzb.co.nz or call +64 9 298 0055. Entry deadlines apply, check the Terms & Conditions for the relevant sale for which the horse was purchased from.
The Race Towards the 2025 TAB Karaka Millions 2YO
During the incredible 2024 TAB Karaka Millions Raceday, Go Racing triumphed with Velocious (Written Tycoon) in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO to snap the seven-year reign of Te Akau Racing. Velocious was a $190,000 purchase from the Book 1 draft of breeders Inglewood Stud at Karaka 2023.
Champion expat jockey James McDonald returned to his old stomping ground to take the mount on Velocious, and he played his part to perfection.
Runner-up Damask Rose was offered by Milan Park at Karaka, where she was bought for $200,000 by David Ellis – the purchaser of all of the previous seven winners of the race. The third-placed Full Force was a $135,00 purchase by Benner Racing from the draft of Kilgravin Lodge.
$1.5 million Opportunity in the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO
The $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) is becoming one of the brightest highlights on the New Zealand racing calendar, and now Roger James and Robert Wellwood have won it twice in a row.
The Cambridge trainers saddled Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) to defeat a star-studded field in 2023, and they repeated that result at Ellerslie in 2024 with the ultra-talented Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel).
Bought by James and Wellwood for $625,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2022, Orchestral has earned $876,550 with three wins and two placings from her six starts so far for owners Colin and Helen Litt.
$1 million NZB Mega Maiden Bonuses
Announced in May 2024, Karaka Millions riches are set to be amplified from the 24/25 season, with horses eligible for the lucrative Karaka Millions Series eligible to race for an additional $1m in bonuses.
In an exciting new initiative, NZB and NZTR, generously supported by Entain, are delighted to announce the NZB Mega Maiden Series, which will see $1m in bonuses up for grabs across 40 maiden races each season, for the next three years.
Comprised of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand, a $25,000 bonus will be struck if a Karaka Millions eligible horse, three years or older, wins. The winning owner will take home $20,000 and the successful trainer $5,000.
Your Invite On Course in 2025
TAB Karaka Millions Raceday
Venue: Ellerslie Racecourse
Date: Saturday 25 January 2025
Dress: Cocktail Racewear
Watch: Trackside Premier, Trackside 1 or LOVERACING.nz
$1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m)
$1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m)
$1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic 4YO (1600m)
$600,000 Sistema Group One Railway Stakes (1200m)
$600,000 Group Two Westbury Classic (1400m)
$250,000 Group Three Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m)
The second day of the carnival to bookend the selling extravaganza, will be held on Saturday 1 February 2025 at Ellerslie. All are welcome to round out the week at Karaka with another high stakes, high quality day of racing.
Saturday 1 February
Venue: Ellerslie Racecourse
Watch: Trackside Premier, Trackside 1 or LOVERACING.nz
$150,000 Group Three Two-Year-Old (1200m)
$110,000 Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m)
$125,000 Country Cups Final (Distance tbc)
Plus a number of other races that are yet to be determined
Eligible Horses for 2025 Races
Horses Eligible for 2025 $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (YOB 2022)
Horses Eligible for 2025 $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (YOB 2021)
Terms & Conditions
Karaka Million Terms & Conditions - 2024 (for 2022 Weanlings & 2023 Yearlings)
Karaka Millions Terms & Conditions - 2025 (for 2023 Weanlings & 2024 Yearlings)