Inaugurated 1955 Distance 2040m (10 furlongs) | Website Hawke's Bay Racing Surface Turf | |
Location Hastings Racecourse
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing | ||
The Livamol Spring Classic (formerly Kelt Capital Stakes) is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's richest weight-for-age horse race. It is run at a distance of 2040m and in 2016 carried prize money of NZ$250,000.
The race was sponsored by Kelt Capital Limited, and in particular the owner thereof Sam Kelt, a strong supporter of New Zealand and particularly Hawke's Bay racing. The growth in prize money was substantial in the decade up to 2008. In 2000 it was worth $250,000; in 2002 it was the equal richest race in New Zealand at $500,000 and in 2004 it was New Zealand's first million-dollar race for more than a decade. The race was worth $2,000,000 in 2007 and 2008, but the stake had to be reduced to $1,200,000 in 2009 as that level was deemed unsustainable. The 2010 running was worth $250,000, below several major races in New Zealand but still slightly ahead in terms of weight-for-age races. The race has been renamed the Livamol Classic after Kelt Capital pulled their sponsorship.
The race is run on the first Saturday in October, along with two other Group features, the Hawke's Bay Guineas for three-year-olds and a 1400 m handicap formerly known as the G.R. Kelt Memorial. The weather in the Hawke's Bay's means the track conditions are usually excellent.
The race is now regarded as New Zealand's premier weight-for-age race and has attracted interest from overseas, most notably with subsequent world champion miler Starcraft who ran second in 2004.