THE RICHEST NIGHT OF SPORT
The sky above Auckland will be full of helicopters this Saturday as the racing and sporting elite descend on Ellerslie Racecourse for the annual New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million.
One of the first race days able to be held at Ellerslie this summer after a long sojourn, the Karaka Million is always the place to be after the festive season, when everyone is back in town and ready to let their hair down.
The late-afternoon event has six races, two of which are run for $1 million in prize money — making it NZ’s richest night of sport. Ordinarily, the event is the launch party to the annual Karaka Sales, attracting an international audience, however, border restrictions have seen the sales move to a March date where they’ll sit as part of Auckland Cup Week, leaving New Zealand’s glitterati to take centre stage.
The first family of Karaka, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Sir Peter and Lady Pamela Vela will host guests, along with their daughters Petrea and Victoria, former jockey Lance O’Sullivan and his wife, Bridgette, and their racing socialite daughters, Caitlin and Georgia, are all confirmed to attend. Rich listers, such as Brendan and Jo
Lindsay, David Ellis and Karyn FentonEllis, former supermodel Kylie Bax and former Black Cap Brendon McCullum are also tipped to be on course. The night has also caught the eye of All Black Anton Lienert-Brown, who will be attending, despite his horse no longer being set to run on the night. Jarrod Smith, of All Whites’ fame, is on the hunt for a million-dollar double when his horse, On The Bubbles, lines up in his second million-dollar feature after triumphing last year.
A-listers, including Matty McLean and Wilhelmina Shrimpton, will be there alongside Auckland Thoroughbred Racing ambassador, Hannah Marinkovich. They’ll all be setting the bar high for best-dressed standards, as will awardwinning milliner Claire Hahn and notable celebrity stylists, Sarah Stuart and Lulu Wilcox.
If you can’t nab yourself a private invite, we’ve heard the place to be is the Cavallo Club, cohosted by Leefield Station. This trackside hotspot channels the laid-back chic vibes of the winery’s Marlborough base. Outside, the Garden Party is one of the most sought-after spots from which to see the night’s big races.
After a successful night last year, Luke Kemeys, of Boys Get Paid, along with the team at Ellerslie, is putting on an event on the night for close to 1000 people.
After the races expect a live band, followed by DJ act, JetSki Safari, who will be playing until late.
The course is nearly sold out already so this year’s edition should, again, be one not to miss.