Post race celebrations for the connections of Angels Halo
- The first day of the 2026 New Zealand Cup Meeting took place in very pleasant conditions with a light southerly later in the day. Punters were treated to 11 quality races.
- Cambridge trainer Holly Elliot trained the biggest winner of her solo training career when ANGELS HALO upset the field in the Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas. DASHING DIXIE flew home for second with the favourite ASTURIA running third after battling to push out for clear running at the top of the straight.
- As he did last year the Kevin Myers trained JUST CHARLIE won the Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy with stable rider Lily Sutherland getting her third winner of the day. Amberley stayer LOMBARDI ran second ahead of COURT OF APPEAL and favourite THE PRECURSOR.
- Earlier in the day there had been another case of repetition when top class sprinter PLATINUM ATTACK scored a stunning win in the Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes after being held up in the straight. Bruno Queiroz was the rider for Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta in the 1000 meters sprint. CHARMROSE and TIKKI filled the minor placings.
- The highest rated runner in the Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders Stakes MOVING MELODY took out the Group 3 feature for local trainer Terri Rae. Irishman Joe Doyle rode the six-year-old mare, Brian and Shane Anderton prepared the runner-up MOVE ON and Awapuni trained BONA SFORZA, a dual stakes winner on the track, ran third.
- Andrew Carston and Kevin Myers both trained a brace of winners with the North Island versus South Island count being 7 to 4 in favour of the north.