NZ Cup Day at Addington is expected to be a sell-out in 2022. Photo / Supplied
NZ Cup Day at Addington is expected to be a sell-out in 2022. Photo / Supplied
Three of the greats in New Zealand trotting will parade down the home straight at Addington Raceway on IRT NZ Cup Day and deliver the trophy before the main race.
Monkey King, Terror to Love and Lazarus with sulky and a driver will walk the length of the final straight in front of the expectant huge crowd, with champion driver Ricky May in an open-top car.
They will be joined by the popular Crusaders' horses and guardians, together with the theme music "Conquest of Paradise" at one of Canterbury's biggest racing days of the year on Tuesday, November 8.
Lazarus won the NZ Cup in 2016 and 2017. Photo / Supplied
Darrin Williams, the racing industry manager at Addington Raceway, said that the pageant will get the crowd "fizzed up" before the $600,000 IRT New Zealand Cup.
"We want to make sure that we celebrate Canterbury in a unique way as we only can," said Williams
"When the music starts we think that will be something that will add to the flavour of the parade, they will come down the track first to the music and everything else revving the crowd up and they will lead the parade," he added
Many at the race track will know the horses by name who together have won seven New Zealand Cups between them and more than $10 million in stakes.
The new "Bacardi on the Green" with a capacity of 3000 is expected to sell out first. Photo / Supplied
Lazarus, now a nice year old, won the NZ Cup in 2016 and 2017, winning a total of 37 races and $4.4m in stakes.
Terror to Love won three NZ Cups, 2011, and 2012,2013. The 14-year-old won a total of 31 races and $2.4m in winnings.
Monkey King is the oldest at 19 years old, winning 39 races and $3.4m in stakes. It won the NZ Cup in 2009 and 2010. Monkey King is regularly training with other horses and in a sulky, while the other two stallions have been away from any track for a number of years.
Over the years race veterans have delivered the NZ Cup on track prior to the main race. Even Richie McCaw delivered it by helicopter in front of a sold-out crowd.
Organisers plan to build on this year's first pageant into a feature event at future NZ Cup days.
This year's cup day is expected to be a sell-out for the first time since 2019.
In 2021 Addington Raceway held the New Zealand Cup with limited crowds due to COVID-19 restrictions. Photo / George Heard
Covid-19 hampered the event in 2020, with a limited capacity of just 12,000, just of 50 per due to restrictions.
Last year it went ahead without a crowd with groups limited to a hundred people.
Simon Carter of Addington Raceway said all event industries across the board throughout the country have had a difficult 12-24 months.
"Addington is no different in that respect but certainly that makes us more excited to look forward to a full race meeting this year," said Carter.
"I think all event organisers are looking forward to a booming summer period," he added.
It is less than 50 days until Cup Day and more than 3000 corporate tickets have been sold and 98 per cent of hospitality has sold out.
