Friday, March 5, 2010

Auckland Cup week 6-Mar to13-Mar-2010

This week is the annual Auckland Cup
horse racing...!
Stella Artois Trophy Cup
After 80 years in storage, the newly named Auckland Cup has been polished to perfection and is now enjoying its current role as New Zealand's ultimate racing trophy.

Gifted in perpetuity to the Auckland Racing Club by Moss Davis in 1928, the Cup was made in 1889 by the Crown Jeweller of the time, Robert Garrard.

AUS, NZ, USA have some shared racing history:

Auckland Racing Club - started 1874
Melbourne Racing - started 1860s
The
Kentucky Derby - started 1874

1860s - 1870s => big for horse racing around the world!

Melbourne's sold gold "the loving cup" trophy

The most famous NZ born horse was the beautiful 17.1 hands high chestnut Phar Lap who won the Melbourne Cup in 1930.
NZ celebrated Phar Lap with a life size bronze statue and unveiling ceremony 25-Nov-2009 in Timaru.
The statue of the 17.1- hand thoroughbred sits on a plinth in the middle of a fountain over a map of New Zealand, with his foot planted firmly on his birthplace.
More info at HorseTalk about the unveiling. Both NZ and Australia loved the champion Phar Lap.

Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup in 1930.
Any bets who will win this year's Auckland Cup?
Better head to the track!

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