Martin Collins NZ Cup winner Mahrajaan and connections post-race
- NZ Cup Day 2023 played out in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,000. This was the fourth year in succession that the sold-out sign went up prior to raceday.
- The Group 1 feature Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas was won in stunning fashion by MOLLY BLOOM who exploded from last to beat IMPENDABELLE and TULSI. Co-trainer the great Lance O’Sullivan had won the race three times as a jockey and gained a fourth as a trainer in partnership with Andrew Scott. Irishman Joe Doyle was the rider.
- The Martin Collins New Zealand Cup once again drew a capacity field and huge interest from punters. Stephen Marsh who operates a Riccarton Park satellite stable has coveted a win in the metric two miler and had prepared first day winner NEST EGG to tray and achieve that goal. But so also had fellow Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray with MAHRAJAAN and they came out on top of the favourite with WAISAKE third.
- Matamata father and daughter training partnership Darryn & Briar Weatherley came close in the 1000 Guineas with TULSI but kicked a big goal on the day with MARIA FARINA in the Lindauer Stewards Stakes. Darryn and wife Lou part own the six-year-old mare who was ridden by comeback jockey Matt Cameron in the feature South Island sprint.
- One of Riccarton Parks great supporters is New Plymouth Hall of Fame trainer John Wheeler. Wheels nailed a bit of racing history preparing LORD DONOVAN to win on all three days of the NZ Cup Meeting. The gelding part owned by harness racing identity Ken Barron and Springfield farmer Graham Dawson achieved the treble winning the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Premier, the tenth of the 12 races.
- That 12th race brought the curtain down on NZ Cup & Show Week 2023 and fittingly the last was won by a Riccarton Park trained horse in BETTY SPAGHETTI for Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong. A massive group of owners celebrated accordingly.
- Two jockeys tied to be the leading rider over the three days and 32 races of the meeting with Lily Sutherland and Warren Kennedy each winning four races and 18 different riders getting at least one win.
- Amongst the trainers, 21 different trainers got a winner with possibly to be expected, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson partnership winning the most with five.