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New Zealand kicks off the New Year with a G1 being the Railway Stakes run at Ellerslie on Friday.

Some Australian sprinters have won this race and went close again last year but Julius held them off. Could it happen again in the 2021 NZ Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Friday?

2021 NZ RAILWAY STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The Railway Stakes is a Group 1 race run under set weights and penalties conditions for sprinters at Ellerslie race course conducted by the Auckland Racing Club.

The Railway Stakes is run over 1200m. It was first run in 1890.

The Railway Stakes is the first of the feature New Zealand sprints over the summer with the Telegraph the second of them.

Run over the six furlongs, it is part of the Summer festival at Auckland.

It was always run as a handicap until 2009 when switched to Set Weights & Penalties.

Australian horses have a good recent record in the Railway. Start Wondering was a kiwi sprinter then had a stint with Chris Waller before going home to win in 2017 with the Rayners.

Atomic Force had won a Galaxy in Sydney and won the 2012 running. Gold Trail was one of Gary Portelli's first big race winners taking it in 2010.

Recurring won for Gerald Ryan in 2005 while (Our) Egyptian Raine won when trained in NZ but came to Australia and ran some enormous G1 sprint races.

In an unbelievable occurrence, the grand kiwi sprinter Mr Tiz dead-heated in the 1989 Railway and the 1989 Telegraph. He would win the race twice more in 1990 and 1991.

The Railway Stakes was worth NZ$200,000 in 2021.

Notable winners of the Railway Stakes include Bounding (2014), Atomic Force (2012), A Gold Trail (2010), Recurring (2005), Egyptian Raine (2003), Fritz (2001), Bawalaksana (1999), Coogee Walk (1998), Ensign Ewart (1994), Mr Tiz (1989/1990/1991) and Diamond Lover (1987).

The 2020 Railway Stakes was won by Julius from Winter Bride and Evalina.