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Spring Classic

New Zealand | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

LADIES MAN winning the Spring Classic.
LADIES MAN winning the Spring Classic. Picture: Race Images PN

The Spring Classic is a Group 1 race run under Weights For Age conditions for open class horses at Hastings conducted by Hawke's Bay Racing.

The Spring Classic is run over 2040m. It was first run in 1955 and was won by Redcraze.

The Spring Classic was known under various names including the Kelt Capital Stakes. It is regarded as New Zealand's feature WFA race. It is known as the Livamol Classic at the moment.

Being the championship distance, it caters for the WFA horse plus the staying types.

It was worth as much as two million dollars in the late 2000s but it was not viable and has gradually dropped back.

The first winner Redcraze was good when trained in New Zealand by Syd Brown but late in the his career he went to TJ Smith and he became a true star of the turf winning races like the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, Metropolitan and Brisbane Cup.

Solvit won in 1994 then also won the Cox Plate.

The race is traditionally run at the start of October over the same distance as the Cox Plate but was moved closer from 2020.

In 2017, the race was abandoned due to safety concerns with the track. It was run a fortnight later on a dead track but impacted many horses Spring campaigns.

Melody Belle bolted in with the 2019 race giving her the big NZ G1 treble which was done for the first time. Also she made it a record nine G1s won in New Zealand. Sunline and Rough Habit had won more including their Australian records but she went there too to win the Empire Rose. She would end the 2020 edition standing at 12 x G1s and by the end it was 14 all up.

Mares have a great recent record in the event.

The Spring Classic was worth NZ$450,000 in 2023.

Notable winners of the Spring Classic include Ladies Man (2023), Melody Belle (2019/2020), Jimmy Choux (2011), Wall Street (2010), Princess Coup (2007/2008), Xcellent (2005), Prized Gem (2002), Cent Home (1999), Moss Downs (1997), Solvit (1994), Veandercross (1992), Castletown (1991), Lomondy (1986/1989), Commissionaire (1983/1984), La Mer (1978/1979), Balmerino (1977), Duty Free (1973/1976), Game (1969/1970/1971), Picaroon (1960/1961/1963) and Redcraze (1955).

The 2023 Spring Classic was won by Ladies Man from Platinum Invador and Pearl Of Alsace.


Racing and Sports

Previous Spring Classic Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
LADIES MAN (NZ) 6G
ZED (NZ) - JUST POLITE (AUS) DEHERE (USA)
RYAN ELLIOT 59.0 A SHARROCK 7
MUSTANG VALLEY (NZ) 4M
VANBRUGH (AUS) - CREAM OF THE CROP (AUS) NEW APPROACH (IRE)
M MCNAB 55.5 ANDREW FORSMAN 5
SAVY YONG BLONK (NZ) 6M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - AMPIN (NZ) PINS (AUS)
DANIELLE JOHNSON 57.0 JAMIE RICHARDS 6
MELODY BELLE (NZ) 6M
COMMANDS (AUS) - MELEKA BELLE (NZ) IFFRAAJ (GB)
T N HARRIS 57.0 JAMIE RICHARDS 12
MELODY BELLE (NZ) 5M
COMMANDS (AUS) - MELEKA BELLE (NZ) IFFRAAJ (GB)
O P BOSSON 57.0 JAMIE RICHARDS 2
SAVVY COUP (NZ) 4M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - EUDORA (NZ) PINS (AUS)
C W JOHNSON 55.5 MICHAEL & MATTHEW PITMAN 7
WAIT A SEC (NZ) 7G
POSTPONED (USA) - SECURITY (NZ) GROSVENOR (NZ)
J PARKES 59.0 GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN 6
WILLIE CAZALS (IRE) 8H
AUSSIE RULES (USA) - SECRETE MARINA (IRE) MUJADIL (USA)
C J GRYLLS 59.0 LANCE O'SULLIVAN & ANDREW SCOTT 10
ADDICTIVE HABIT (NZ) 6G
COLOMBIA (NZ) - CHASING THE HABIT (NZ) SKY CHASE (NZ)
S C SPRATT 59.0 LEE SOMERVELL 12
COSTUME (NZ) 5M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - DISGUISED (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ)
M T COLEMAN 57.0 GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON 4
RANSOMED (NZ) 6G
HANDSOME RANSOM (AUS) - SKI QUEEN (NZ) SKY FILOU (NZ)
J PARKES 59.0 G VILE 12
SHEZ SINSATIONAL (NZ) 5M
EKRAAR (USA) - ORIGINAL SIN (NZ) SHINKO KING (IRE)
O P BOSSON 57.0 A SHARROCK 14
JIMMY CHOUX (NZ) 4H
THORN PARK (AUS) - CIERZO (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS)
J K RIDDELL 57.5 JOHN BARY 2
WALL STREET (NZ) 6G
MONTJEU (IRE) - VILLA WANDA (GB) GRAND LODGE (USA)
M T COLEMAN 59.0 JEFF LYNDS 14
VOSNE ROMANEE (NZ) 7G
ELECTRONIC ZONE (USA) - MADISON AVENUE (NZ) MORCON (GB)
B R LAMMAS 59.0 JEFF LYNDS 5
PRINCESS COUP (AUS) 5M
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - STONEYFELL ROAD (AUS) SOVEREIGN RED (NZ)
O P BOSSON 56.5 MARK WALKER 7
PRINCESS COUP (AUS) 4M
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - STONEYFELL ROAD (AUS) SOVEREIGN RED (NZ)
N G HARRIS 55.0 MARK WALKER 12
LEGS (NZ) 4M
PINS (AUS) - RIVER CENTURY (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS)
L CROPP 55.0 KEVIN GRAY 1
XCELLENT (NZ) 4G
PENTIRE (GB) - EXCELO (NZ) CENTRO (NZ)
M T COLEMAN 57.0 M MORONEY & A SCOTT 13
BALMUSE (NZ) 5G
LORD BALLINA (AUS) - MUSING (GB) MUSIC MAESTRO (GB)
J S BULLARD 59.0 KEVIN MYERS 6
DISTINCTLY SECRET (NZ) 5G
DISTINCTLY NORTH (USA) - TE AKAU SECRET (NZ) LORD BALLINA (AUS)
O P BOSSON 59.0 MARK WALKER 2
PRIZED GEM (NZ) 5M
PRIZED (USA) - VAGUELY ATTENTIVE (NZ) NOBLE BIJOU (USA)
M RODD 56.5 M BAKER 6
CINDER BELLA (NZ) 6M
VICTORY DANCE (IRE) - LUCKY JEWEL (NZ) LUCKY RING (IRE)
L A O'SULLIVAN 56.5 K ZIMMERMAN 11
THE MESSAGE (NZ) 7G
GOLD AND IVORY (USA) - MISS MORRINSVILLE (NZ) DESTROYER (SAF)
L M BALLANTYNE 59.0 J RALPH 9

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