Dazzling Miss and connections post race
- Riccarton Parks 2023 calendar year concluded with the 31st meeting, Christmas at the Races, on Friday 8 December 2023.
- Held on the Polytrack, to enable the eight-week window to undertake annual renovation of the Course Proper, the meeting attracted numerically strong fields for an Industry day, helped no doubt by the industry policy of $25,000 stakes for twilight meetings.
- Eight races were held with 96 starters at an average of 12 horses per race.
- Over 700 attended as part of a pre booked Christmas function making for a buoyant atmosphere.
- Rating 75 races provided the features on the programme.
- DAZZLING MISS who had won three races on the Cambridge Polytrack when trained by Shaune Ritchie won the fifth race in her 11 race career, and fourth on a Polytrack, when winning the RJ Begg Oral Surgery 1400. Now trained by Terri Rae the five-year-old mare was ridden by promising apprentice Denby-Rose Tait for owner Monovale Holdings.
- The other Rating 75 race, the Probuild Scaffolding 2100, was taken out be the Te Akau Racing trained ELEGANT LADY to give jockey premiership leader Warren Kennedy his second winner on the programme. The other was VALORIOUS, also for the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson training partnership in the opening event.
- Top Wanganui rider Lisa Allpress also rode two winners. ARISTOCRAT in the Coast Group Maiden giving Terri Rae and Monovale Holdings the first of their two winners and MISS SAILOR in the Peninsular Beachfront Resort Mooloolaba Rating 60 for dual code trainer Michael House.
- The souths leading trainer, Andrew Carston, concluded Riccarton Park 2023 winning the last race with MUMBO JUMBO for an ownership that includes past Board member Jan Irving. Stable employee Brandon May was the rider.