Auckland Cup Week

The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup trophy which Auckland Cup Week® is named after. This trophy was gifted to the Auckland Racing Club by Moss Davis in the 1930s after he purchased it at a Christie's auction in London. The priceless trophy was commissioned by Queen Victoria in the 1880s and made by her personal jeweller, House of Garrard.

Auckland Cup Week® is one of New Zealand's major annual thoroughbred racing carnivals and is the country's richest offering stakes in excess of NZ$2.2 million. Held in Auckland in early March, the carnival comprises two days of racing and entertainment at Ellerslie Racecourse - Vodafone Derby Day and Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day.

The carnival was first run in 2006.

Auckland Cup Week's® feature races are:

Vodafone Derby Day (the first Saturday of the carnival):

• Group 1 $1,000,000 Vodafone New Zealand Derby for 3 year old thoroughbreds
• Group III $100,000 Haunui Farm Kings Plate
• Group III $70,000 McKee Family Sunline Vase
• Listed $60,000 Mufhasa FastTrack Stakes

Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day (second Saturday of the carnival):

• Group I $500,000 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup
• Group I $200,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes
• Group I $200,000 Sistema Stakes

In addition, Auckland Cup Week® plays host to additional off-track entertainment including New Zealand's national fashions in the field final, The Ned Prix de Fashion, which will see its winner take home not only the national title, but a trip to Australia to compete in Victoria Racing Club's MYER Fashions on the Field competition as part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The dates for Auckland Cup Week® 2021 are Saturday 6 March (Vodafone Derby Day) and Saturday 13 March (Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day).

See also

• Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand