In recent years the race has been held in late April or early May.
It was previously raced on the same race-night as the Rowe Cup and Northern Trotting Derby for trotters and the New Zealand Sires Stakes Championship.
The New Zealand Messenger Championship had traditionally been restricted to 4 year-old horses and was the most prestigious race for that age group in New Zealand, and a key guide to feature races in the following season like the New Zealand Trotting Cup and Auckland Cup. This is evidenced by New Zealand Messenger Championship winners and subsequent Cup victors such as:
For the 2013, 2014 and 2015 years five year olds were also eligible to compete in the race. Then from 2016 it reverted to four year olds only. However, in 2022 the New Zealand Messenger and its traditional lead up race, the Noel J Taylor Mile, were both opened up to older horses.
zealand, messenger, championship, group, event, standardbred, pacing, horses, zealand, alexandra, park, group, racelocationalexandra, parkauckland, zealandinaugurated1967race, typestandardbred, flat, racingwebsitewww, alexandrapark, nzrace, informationdistance. The New Zealand Messenger Championship is a Group One event for standardbred pacing horses in New Zealand run at Alexandra Park New Zealand Messenger ChampionshipGroup I raceLocationAlexandra ParkAuckland New ZealandInaugurated1967Race typeStandardbred Flat racingWebsitewww wbr alexandrapark wbr co wbr nzRace informationDistance2700mSurfaceDirtTrackRight handed ovalQualificationOpen class pacers from 2022 onwards Historically for four year old pacers only PurseNZ 91 200 2021 Contents 1 Race scheduling 2 Winners list 3 Other major races 4 See also 5 ReferencesRace scheduling editIn recent years the race has been held in late April or early May It was previously raced on the same race night as the Rowe Cup and Northern Trotting Derby for trotters and the New Zealand Sires Stakes Championship The New Zealand Messenger Championship had traditionally been restricted to 4 year old horses and was the most prestigious race for that age group in New Zealand and a key guide to feature races in the following season like the New Zealand Trotting Cup and Auckland Cup This is evidenced by New Zealand Messenger Championship winners and subsequent Cup victors such as Lazarus Auckland Reactor Monkey King Mainland Banner Elsu Just An Excuse For the 2013 2014 and 2015 years five year olds were also eligible to compete in the race Then from 2016 it reverted to four year olds only However in 2022 the New Zealand Messenger and its traditional lead up race the Noel J Taylor Mile were both opened up to older horses Winners list editYear Month Horse Owner Driver Time2023 Apr Self Assured Mrs J L Feiss Natalie Rasmussen 1 3 18 82022 Apr Majestic Cruiser D S Glynn amp Mrs H R Glynn Cameron Hart 3 13 12021 Apr Copy That M W amp M T Butterworth Maurice McKendry 3 18 812020 not raced2019 May Spankem 2 Mrs GJ Kennard PI Kennard Breckon Racing Syndicate JA Gibbs MNZM Mrs A Gibbs GA Woodham Mrs KJ Woodham Natalie Rasmussen 3 17 62018 Apr Eamon Maguire BD Sceats GJ Anderson R Chalklin SR Pulley AD Gow Mrs PP Gillan Natalie Rasmussen 3 15 72017 Apr Lazarus Mrs GJ Kennard PI Kennard TG Casey KJ Riseley Mark Purdon 3 25 22016 Apr Field Marshall Mrs S A Brown S B Brown Dexter Dunn 3 15 82015 Apr Sky Major Mrs K J Purdon T G Casey Clear View Racing No 4 Syndicate J Lohman T F Henderson The Anzac Racing Syndicate Zac Butcher 3 15 62014 May Elios Bennett Bloodstock Ltd C Eynon M R McKinnon G Rutledge B Destounis John Dunn 3 17 42013 May Christen Me C J Roberts V L Purdon Dexter Dunn 3 17 72012 May Mustang Mach K Farah A Kheir G Braude M Gordon Dexter Dunn 3 18 02011 May Franco Emirate R E Nieper Jim Curtin 3 18 02010 May Tintin In America ATC Trot 2008 Syndicate David Butcher 3 15 82009 May Auckland Reactor Auckland Reactor Ltd Mark Purdon 3 18 82008 May Gotta Go Cullen I D Dobson Tony Herlihy 3 22 92007 May Monkey King Cavalla Bloodstock Limited Steven Reid 3 23 92006 May Mainland Banner I D Dobson S J Dobson Lynne Umar Ricky May 3 23 52005 April Mi Muchacho R C Anderson Ms P C Larsen Peter Ferguson 3 23 52004 April Elsu Mrs J Walters Double Up Synd Est D Hudson Mrs P Small David Butcher 3 22 22003 May Just An Excuse O Haines Mrs I K Haines Todd Mitchell 3 22 02002 April Young Rufus H Manolitsis V T amp W Lynch G J Carey K R Hyslop Mark Purdon 3 21 42001 March Tupelo Rose G L Banks M J Hanover J D Curtin Peter Jones 3 23 62000 March Pic Me Pockets H R Bosher Tony Herlihy 3 19 81999 April Homin Hosed Mrs M A Macey B L Macey Todd Mitchell 3 23 11998 May OK Royal J W Smolenski M J Ward Jack Smolenski 3 20 61997 April Agua Caliente D S Short Mrs D E J Short Mrs D E Woods Miss S M Short Glen Wolfenden 3 24 71996 April Decision Time J M Ward James Stormont 3 22 31995 April Rain Again B C Madsen Neil Brady 3 23 01994 April Montana Vance J B Hart Mrs K J Purdon J B Ede D H Sixton Tony Herlihy 3 23 01993 March Chokin Pacers Australia Synd M Joyce J Loughnan B De Boer Tony Herlihy 3 23 31992 April Abdias J Butcher Mrs C M Butcher Philip Butcher 3 27 01991 April Christopher Vance R R Reid Lorna Reid Syndicate Mrs J C Reid Tony Herlihy 3 19 51990 March Alert Fulla J Friedhof Maurice McKendry 3 25 81989 March Dillon Dean D P Dwyer Mrs H M C Burley Colin De Filippi 3 22 71988 February Rostriever Hanover I A Munro Mrs A H Munro Patrick O Reilly 3 23 51986 December Trident The Horseplayers Syndicate John Hay 3 25 81985 December Placid Victor Mrs L G Wilson Maurice McKendry 3 23 21984 December Roydon Glen R A McKenzie Fred Fletcher 3 25 41983 December Nostradamus W J Francis amp P I Renwick Peter N Jones 3 32 41982 December Hilarious Guest M G Vermeulen Peter Wolfenden 3 26 21981 December Melton Monarch J S Dalgety Barry Purdon 3 26 51980 December John Tudor H T amp A P Dodds amp B C Newton Thomas H Knowles 3 29 31979 December Tempest Tiger P K Ryder Jack Smolenski 3 27 91978 March Sapling G C Cruickshank amp R Given Henry Skinner 3 26 41978 December Locarno B J amp E J Francis Robin D Butt 3 34 61977 March Stanley Rio W J Francis amp G B amp J B Noble John B Noble 3 28 41976 March Forto Prontezza Mrs E amp A R J McNaught Henry Skinner 3 29 21975 March Josias J amp Mrs C M Butcher Robert F Mitchell 3 29 61974 March Speedy Guest W F Woolley Jack Smolenski 3 28 81973 March Tonton Macoute N M Allcock amp W E Ross A K Holmes 3 101972 March Scottish Warrior R A McKenzie Charlie Hunter 3 10 21970 December Sam Tryax Mrs amp R C Whitford Barry J Anderson 3 11 61969 December Western Ridge T E Renshaw Reg J Weatherley 3 14 21968 December Bewitched G B Noble John B Noble 2 55 81967 December Governor Frost C Hadley Peter Wolfenden 2 55 4Other major races editAuckland Trotting Cup New Zealand Trotting Cup Great Northern Derby Rowe Cup Dominion Handicap Noel J Taylor Mile Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Miracle Mile PaceSee also editHarness racing in New Zealand Harness racingReferences edit Rasmussen tops 13 million in stakes with G1 NZ Messenger win Harnesslink 28 April 2023 Turner Jonny 28 September 2019 Spankem NZ Harness Horse Of The Year Otago Daily Times Online News nbsp This horse race article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp nbsp This article related to sport in New Zealand is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Zealand Messenger Championship amp oldid 1182277494, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
