We welcome the return of the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Series.
15 qualifying races throughout November and December will be run from Pukekohe to Trentham, giving these staying horses the opportunity to qualify for the $125,000 held at Pukekohe Park.
The Dunstan Horse Feeds Stayers Championship Final, traditionally run on New Year’s Day, has been moved to 26 December on Boxing Day to better reflect the depth of New Zealand’s staying division. The new date will allow horses to run in both the Dunstan Horse Feeds Stayers Championship Final as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Cup six days later.
The Dunstan Horse Feeds Stayers Championship is in it's 25th consecutive year running and we are proud to be backing the racing industry with one of New Zealand racing’s longest-running sponsorships.
“It’s been a terrific partnership. We’ve loved watching some of New Zealand’s best stayers come through the series and not just from the big stables either,” said David Smith, Founder of Dunstan Horsefeeds.
“We’ve had an enduring loyal support base from New Zealand trainers and breeders and we’re pleased to be able to give back to the industry. We are a New Zealand-owned company which buys chiefly New Zealand grain and supports New Zealand arable farmers.
“We are heartland Kiwi and we feel sponsorship of these series are a neat fit for us.
“We are proud of the way the stayers championship has developed over the past 20+ years as a way of nurturing our young staying talent and providing a platform to develop the next class of Cup champions.”
Pictured: AQUACADE, trained by Lance Noble, past winner of the Dunstan Stayers Championship Final run at Te Rapa Racing Club.
DUNSTAN STAYERS SERIES PAST WINNERS:
2000 The Red Dimple Tony Parker
2001 Trigger Colin Jillings & Richard Yuill
2002 President Hughes Mark Oulaghan
2003 Diamond Hill Colin Jillings & Richard Yuill
2004 Royal Secret Peter Harris
2005 Ravanelli Murray Matthews
2006 Pentane Lance O’Sullivan
2007 The Fuzz Vanessa & Wayne Hillis
2008 Cross Roads Joanne Surgenor
2009 Tarbach Raylene Whiteside
2010 Seaflyte Vanessa & Wayne Hillis
2011 So Pristine Richard Collett
2012 Green Supreme Graham Richardson
2013 Grand Bellezza Louise McGregor
2014 Graphic Mike Moroney & Chad Ormsby
2015 Awesome Goal John Wheeler
2016 Cheeky Boy Bruce Wallace
2017 Clarify Peter McKay
2018 Diesel Shaun & Emma Clotworthy
2019 Starrybeel Stephen Marsh
2020 Paisley Park Graham Richardson
2021 Star Tsar Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
2022 Dionysus Roger James & Robert Wellwood
2023 Aquacade Lance Noble