New Zealand Events and Festivals

3/01/2008 - 3/08/2008Auckland Cup Week (horse racing)

Auckland Cup Week is the biggest and most glamorous event in the New Zealand racing diary. The main event is the classic 3,200m (2-mile) Auckland Cup, as well as a series of other races before and after the big day. These include the Mercedes Derby for three-year-olds that is raced over 2,400m (1.5 miles), and the Diamond Day for two-year-olds raced over 1,200m (0.75 miles). Between them, the races during the Auckland Cup Week showcase the best that thoroughbred racing has to offer, with the nation's finest horses, jockeys and trainers competing for the biggest prizes in the country. The venue of Ellerslie racecourse is a famous Auckland landmark with a long history that dates back to 1857. During Auckland Cup Week, the city is abuzz with activity as a number of big entertainment events take place in and around the city.