Prizemoney Increases at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Million Twilight Meeting has received a significant boost to the three undercard races on the six-race card held in January, with each race increasing to $50,000, from $40,000.

The Auckland Racing Club has funded the stakes increase in conjunction with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, also boosting the stakes on four other major New Zealand race meetings including the BMW NZ Derby Day, the Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Cup Day, the New Zealand Herald Boxing Day and the New Zealand Herald New Year’s Day.

“It’s a fantastic result for the stakeholders that will be competing on Karaka Million night,” commented Auckland Racing Club’s CEO Cameron George. “To have a stakes level of $50,000 at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting, along with four other major days, being Derby Day, Cup Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, certainly shows what the Karaka Million night means to the Auckland Racing Club and the industry.

“It is a discretionary investment and it is something that we were committed to doing for the industry and the stakeholders that buy at the Karaka Sales.”

The Karaka Million is an incentive Series featuring three races, eligible to horses sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series. In 2016, horses will be competing for the $1 million Karaka Million for two-year-olds, the $250,000 NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile and the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup.

The Karaka Million – New Zealand’s richest raceday - will be held on 24 January 2016, the eve of the commencement of NZB’s National Yearling Sales Series at Ellerslie Racecourse.

From 2018, the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting will host two of the richest races in New Zealand with the Karaka 3YO Mile soon to become the new $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic. This enormous boost came earlier in the year with the support of the Auckland Racing Club and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Yearlings on offer from Karaka 2016 onwards will now be eligible to enter to compete for the $1 million 2YO event (1200m) in 2017, the new $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) in 2018, plus the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Stayers Cup each year thereafter.

For more information on the Karaka Million Series, click here.