Rotorua Racing Club’s most prestigious raceday of the season is shaping up to be a cracker, with Saturday’s Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup Day bringing together proven stakes performers, in-form stables and plenty of familiar faces across two feature events from a racecard of 9 races.
The Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup and Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes headline a quality afternoon of racing, with several runners returning to Rotorua carrying strong form and even stronger storylines.
Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup – Race 7, 3.22pm
Last year’s Cup was claimed by the ever-tough Nigella Lane, handing trainer Ralph Manning his third success in the staying feature, a race and venue that clearly holds a special place for the veteran horseman. Read more about that here.
While Nigella Lane steps out in the Group 3 feature this year (more below), the Cup itself looks wide open with several classy contenders set to line up.
The field features names like Hezashocka (Shaun & Emma Clotworthy), Pacifico (Andrew Forsman), Drop Of Something (W Hillis, R Cole), Khan Hunter (Antony Fuller), Savoir Faire (Mark Walker, Sam Bergerson), Blue Sky At Night (Shelley Hale), Rosetown Princess (Darrell Hollinshead), Taimate Diva (Andrew Carston), Donnybrook (Mike Breslin), Awhina (Nicholas Bishara) and more…
Among the leading chances is Savoir Faire. The current market favourite brings some interesting credentials into Saturday’s feature. Prepared by the Te Akau team of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Savoir Faire was stakes placed in 2023 in New Zealand before campaigning in Australia and has returned to our shores in excellent touch. With multiple wins since Christmas and top jockey Michael McNab aboard from barrier six, the gelding shapes as one of the horses to beat.
Another contender is ‘Cups queen’ Blue Sky At Night who has quite the resume when it comes to staying features. Already a dual Cup winner through victories in both the Group 3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup and Group 3 Avondale Cup, the mare knows exactly what it takes on the big stage. Partnered once again by regular rider Tayla Mitchell for trainer Shelley Hale, she comes into the race off a solid effort in the Group 2 Travis Stakes and looks poised for another bold showing.
One to consider would be last start winner Khan Hunter with Lynsey Satherley aboard. Trained by Tauranga’s Antony Fuller, the gelding is making the short trip from the Bay, is in-form and jumps from barrier one.
View the rest of the field here.
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Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes – Race 8, 3.57pm
Last year’s edition was taken out by emerging star Tomodachi, who has since gone on to perform at the highest level with placings in both the Group 1 TAB Telegraph at Trentham and the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint at Te Rapa. Her Rotorua victory last season also marked Andrew Scott’s 1000th training win in New Zealand.
This year’s field again features a fascinating mix of proven black-type performers and mares on the rise including Nigella Lane (Ralph Manning), My Lips Are Sealed (Mark Walker, Sam Bergerson), Churchillian (Tony Pike), Bedtime Story (Guy Lowry, Leah Zydenbos), Imprevu (Janenne Dalley), Kitty Flash (Andrew Forsman), Bourbon Empress (Stephen Marsh), Frostfair (Lance Noble) and more. We’ve pulled two out for your consideration.
We’d be remiss to not include Nigella Lane. The 2025 Rotorua Cup winner returns to Arawa Park chasing more feature-race success for trainer Ralph Manning, whose affinity with the Rotorua carnival is well documented with the trainer counting Arawa Park has his lucky track.
While her 2200m Cup victory last year highlighted her toughness, Nigella Lane has proven equally effective over shorter trips, adding wins over 1400m and 1600m since her breakthrough stakes success. Drawn barrier one and with Michael McNab taking the reins, she looms as one of the key chances in the Group 3 contest.
Andrew Forsman’s consistent four-year-old mare, Kitty Flash, is the current race favourite and has been knocking on the door for another win. Kitty Flash brings four consecutive placings into Saturday’s race and has already finished in the money in stakes company on five occasions. George Rooke takes the mount, although the mare may need a touch of luck from a wide draw.
View the rest of the field here.
Keen to join us?
Hospitality has sold out but with free general admission, a stacked racecard and plenty of entertainment for the family on and off the course, Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup Day promises another memorable afternoon at Arawa Park.