Inaugurated 1970 Surface Turf Purse 400,000 NZD | Distance 2000 m (10 furlongs) Track Left-handed | |
Location Te Rapa Racecourse
Hamilton, New Zealand Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing | ||
The International Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February every year. The 2010 running was sponsored by the connections of stallion Darci Brahma, after being sponsored for many years by Whakanui Stud.
In the early years the Waikato Racing Club invited jockeys from overseas to ride in the race, that being the reason for the name, and in 1972 Lester Piggott rode Sailing Home to victory in the race. At that time it was run every two years; it became an annual event from 1978.
In 2017 the purse was increased to $400,000.
The race is one of two Group 1 weight-for-age events run on the same day, the other being the 1400 m Waikato Sprint.
References
New Zealand International Stakes Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA