New Zealand Cup day is one of the big events on the Canterbury social calendar and the Cup, with a purse of $1 million, is also one of New Zealand racing's pinnacle events.
Leap To Fame has dominated the pre-race discussion and the betting. On Monday he was a $1.60 favourite on the NZ TAB to win the big race.
Trained and driven by Queenslander Grant Dixon, Leap To Fame is hailed as a harness superstar, with 58 wins from 73 starts and earnings of just a tick over $5 million, an amount far in advance of any of his rivals on Tuesday. One of those wins was in his only start in New Zealand, when he won the $1 million The race by betcha, in Cambridge in April, in a track record.
Leap To Fame is also out to continue Australian and his own family's dominance of the race in recent years. His half-brother Swayzee proved too good for his Kiwi opponents in the Cup in 2023 and did so again last year.
Swayzee suffered a setback in his preparation for this year's Cup so isn't running.
But another Aussie rising star, Kingman, has been a late entry after beating Leap To Fame in the Victoria Cup last month and is considered one of the main challengers.
The Kiwi challengers in the Cup
Republican Party looms as the biggest Kiwi threat to Leap To Fame.
Trained by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety in Canterbury and driven by their son Carter, Republican Party would be a popular winner. Cran Dalgety has had two seconds and three thirds in previous Cups and has joked he has served a 35-year apprenticeship for Tuesday's Cup.
Republican Party can also surpass $1 million in stakemoney if he runs a top four placing, while Auckland pacer Merlin, who has won $1.6m, looked primed when he won the Kaikoura Cup last week.
Akuta, Don't Stop Dreaming and We Walk By Faith are also rated solid chances.
Aussies to the fore in Dominion Trot
There are three other Group 1 races on the card, including $400,000 Dominion Trot.
Once again, the Australians have a strong hand, with mare Jilliby Ballerini the favourite and Gus and Arcee Phoenix also chances. The main Kiwi hopes in the betting are Oscar Bonavena, Muscle Mountain, Bet N Win and Mr Love.
The two other Group 1s are for three-year-olds. Race 8 is for the colts and geldings and race 9 is for fillies. Both races are over 1980m for stakes of $200,000.
World Driving Championship decided
The race meeting will also feature the final heat of the World Driving Championship, featuring 10 of the best drivers from around the globe. They have been competing around the country for the past 10 days.
Canadian James McDonald leads the series from Australian Gary Hall Junior, with New Zealand rep Blair Orange in fourth place.
The 20th heat in the series, race 3 at 12.54pm, will determine the winner.
categories this year - best dressed, best suited and "something blue". The winner will be announced after race 6 at 2.30pm.
There will be ongoing entertainment at The Infield, on the grass at the centre of the track. Shapeshifter will be playing there after the race meeting finishes.
Cup day will be followed by the Show Day meeting on Friday. It features two $500,000 slot races for three-year-olds and four other Group 1 races.
Steph McGreavy (left) and Kit Winter-Davies from Timaru decked out with handmade felt fascinators. Photo: RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
Cup Day facts
New Zealand Cup
Race 12 at 5:53pm
First run in 1904
Distance: 3200 metres
Winning stake: The winner receives $540,000, second $150,000, third $85,000, fourth $47,500, fifth $27,500, while all other starters receive $15,000.
Three horses have won the Cup three times: Terror To Love (2011-12-13), False Step (1958-59-60), Indianapolis (1934-35-36).
Race record: Lazarus 2016 - 3 minutes 53.1 seconds
Most wins as driver: Ricky May 7, Mark Purdon and Cecil Devine 6
May drives American Me in this year's Cup, while Purdon pilots Akuta.
Previous Australian winners of the NZ Cup: Steel Jaw (1983), Lightning Blue (1987), Arden Rooney (2015), and Swayzee (2023, 2024).
Kerryn Manning became the first female to drive the Cup winner when Arden Rooney triumphed.
The Dominion Trot
Race 10 at 4.37pm.
Like the Cup, it is run over 3200m, but is a race for trotters rather than pacers in the Cup (despite the Cup being called the NZ Trotting Cup).
The difference between trotters and pacers? Trotters move their legs forward in diagonal pairs (e.g., front right and back left legs hit the ground simultaneously then front left and back right), while pacers' legs move laterally (front right and back right, then front left and and back left).
Winner receives Lyell Creek (1999-2000-2004) and Sundees Son (2020-21-22) are the only horses to have won the Dominion three times in a row.
Most driving wins in the Dominion: Anthony Butt 8.
The Dominion Trot is two races before the Cup, at 4.37pm.
Gates open at 11am with first race at 12pm.
Betting: Punters bet $7.26 on the TAB on Cup day last year, a record for that day.
General admission: $25. The Infield tickets cost $90.
Weather: MetService is forecasting a sunny afternoon, northeasterly winds and a high of 19deg.
NZ Trotting Cup field:
1 Rakero Rocket
2 Lakelsa (E2)
3 Merlin
4 Pinseeker
5 Republican Party
6 Leap To Fame (Australia)
7 Vessem
8 Sooner The Bettor
9 Wag Star (E1)
10 Akuta
11 Here's Herbie (E3)
12 Kingman
13 We Walk By Faith
14 American Me
15 Alta Meteor
16 Mo'unga
17 Don't Stop Dreaming
18 Better Knuckle Up
Dominion Trot field:
1 Maui
2 Jilliby Ballerini
3 Hidden Talent
4 Arcee Phoenix
5 Mystic Max (E2)
6 One Over All
7 Muscle Mountain
8 Mighty Logan
9 Mr Love
10 Oscar Bonavena
11 Love N The Port (E1)
12 Father Time
13 Parisian Artiste
14 I Dream Of Jeannie
15 Midnight Dash
16 Paris Prince (E3)
17 Gus
18 Bet N Win
