Racing: Hungry for a place in winners' circle

Major Ouch with driver Roydon Downey (left) and Steel Giant with jockey Matt Cameron promote Auckland Cup Week at Mission Bay. Photo / Dean Purcell

Matt Cameron hasn't been eating much in the past couple of days.

The 168cm-tall jockey is trying to get his weight down to 53.5kg before tomorrow when he races at Ellerslie.

Auckland Cup Week, the richest and biggest week of New Zealand racing, starts tonight with harness racing - the Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park - and continues tomorrow with TV3 Derby Day.

A hungry Cameron will be riding favourite 3-year-old Volkstok'n'barrell in tomorrow's premier race, the New Zealand Derby, in which the country's top thoroughbreds run over 2.4km. The prize is $750,000.

The week marks the end of the summer racing season.

To celebrate the raceway's gates opening, Cameron, thoroughbred Steel Giant, driver Roydon Downey and harness horse Major Ouch headed to Mission Bay this week to stretch all 12 of their legs and show off the Trillian Trust Auckland Cup (gold) and the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup trophies from the Auckland Racing Club.

It's not the first time 28-year-old Cameron has ridden in the race - he has come second a few times before, but he said it would be great to have a win.

"Riding in it is amazing, the crowd's great, the money's excellent, it's just a big buzz, especially being one of the favourites," he told the Herald.

"It's quite a buzz going past the crowd [twice]. You can definitely hear them roaring and screaming away. It makes it heaps better to see everyone excited, it makes our job even more exciting."

Cameron described feeling anxious before a big race.

"You just want to get it done and get the hype over."

Cameron said he would be the only jockey racing in all red silks, with a silver detail and a number one on his back.

Derby Day features 10 races at Ellerslie, as well as the Viva Prix de Fashion, New Zealand's fashions in the field final.

The week's events continue on Wednesday with the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup day, which features a 3200m race dating to 1874.

Next Friday, Diamond Day marks the end of the summer racing season, and supports charity Ronald McDonald House.

The day will also feature the Whips and Spurs Carnival, inspired by the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

Admission at all events is $10 and free for under 15s.