For the first time in history the Wanganui Cup will run twice in the same calendar year.
Traditionally run in summer months, usually around late November or early December, the 2016 Listed Civics @ Cambridge Thoroughbred Lodge Wanganui Cup was not contested when the meeting was abandoned after one racebecause of track safety concerns following an untimely downpour of rain.
It was rescheduled to run at the Wanganui Jockey Club's annual Queen's Birthday Saturday date this weekend and will again take pride of place at the Christmas at the Races-themed meeting on December 2 this year.
The Queen's Birthday winter meeting is traditionally a big affair featuring the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes and the Listed Castletown Stakes for two-year-olds in addition to the Foxton Cup, a handicap event for open grade horses. The latter two events have been raced at Wanganui since a fire at the Foxton course some years back forced that club to look elsewhere.
With the rescheduled Wanganui Cup on Saturday, the Foxton Cup has been put on hold and will likely run again at the Wanganui spring meeting on Saturday, September 2.
The spring meeting is traditionally the WJC's biggest raceday with the Listed H S Dyke Wanganui Guineas, the Listed O'Leary's Fillies race and the first two-year-old event for the season in New Zealand the main attractions.
However, with three black type events programmed for Saturday the Queen's Birthday fixture will now rival the sping meeting for importance. With $270,000 total stakes on offer this weekend's meeting will trump September's when $230,000 will be up for grabs. WJC operations manager Bret Field said this Saturday's meeting was expected to attract large numbers.
"Normally Ag Challenge hosts big numbers in the Wanganui room as sponsor of the main race on the day, but has opted to rescedule that celebration for another date to help us cater for others. It is the Marist Rugby Club's centenary celebrations over Queen's Birthday and many of those attending have signalled they will also come to the races, while the St John Club have doubled their traditional numbers from 50 to 100 and that's in addition to all our other usual racegoers - it's going to be huge," Field said.
The first of the nine race card starts at 11.42am with the final event timed for 4.17pm.
