Going update for TAB Mile day at Riccarton Park, Day 2 of NZ Cup Meeting 2025. Race morning Soft5, 3.2 penetrometer. 131 starters over 10 races. First jumps at 1:34. Good luck on the punt on a day that regularly features around the top dozen NZ on course turnover days.

Down to our last tickets for Martin Collins NZ Cup Day Riccarton Park on Saturday. Will sell out. No gate sales on the day. Whilst wet today forecast is fine for Saturday. Strongly suggest buying your tickets today. 🤙🏻

After 27mm rain yesterday Friday dawns beautifully fine in Christchurch. Last bits of infrastructure going up at Riccarton Park for Martin Collins NZ Cup Day. Two hugely successful days so far. Friday morning going Heavy8, Slow in past terms, 3.9 penetrometer, 45% moisture read.

Riccarton Park Friday afternoon going update. Soft7, 3.8 penetrometer, 44.6 moisture. Members sold out & less than 200 GA to go. Looks like we’re heading for a capacity 15,000 for Martin Collins NZ Cup & Al Basti Equiworld NZ 2000 Guineas Day. Praying for a day like today.

Riccarton Park “Cup Day”

Canterbury Jockey Club Cup Day 2025. Dawns fine after a cloud burst and 6mm rain overnight. Going unfortunately back into the Heavy8 description. 4.0 on the penetrometer. No late sales as sold out last night. First of 11 jumps at 12:20pm.

Two days on from the most extraordinary raceday weather conditions on NZ Cup Day 2025 the annual renovation of the Course Proper is underway.

Riccarton Park renovation in full swing. Scalp mowing, scarifying, subsoiling & verti drain to date. Coring, under sowing, fertiliser and growing to come. Resume racing mid-January.

Friday brings down the curtain on the 2025 calendar year of racing at Riccarton Park with the Christmas at the Races twilight meeting. On the Polytrack as the annual Course Proper renovation started immediately after NZ Cup Day. Photo shows, terrific turf growth this year.

Christmas at the Races theme for the Riccarton Park twilight Polytrack meeting Friday. First at 3:03, last of 8 at 6:56pm. 107 Acceptors, 8 ballots. Likely to go around with an average field size over 12. Strong Quaddie fields for a Friday night punt after work.🤙🏻🍺💰

Work on the new building on the site of the demolished Grand National Stand at Riccarton Park in full swing. Completion October 2026.

Happy New Year and all set to go for the first Riccarton Park raceday of 2026. Twilight industry meeting tomorrow, Wednesday. 123 acceptances over 8 races starting at 2:45pm. Race names celebrate the upcoming NZB 100th National Yearling Sale and key South Island studs.

Riccarton Park in outstanding condition for Woodbourne Tavern & Speight’s Timaru Stakes day on Saturday. 160 nominations. Tuesday going Good4, 2.6 penetrometer, 31.3% moisture reading. BUT, keep an eye on the weather forecast. Not the best with rain predicted from Wednesday.

Not the best of looks out the window at Riccarton Park Thursday morning. Great fields carded for Saturday but weather will play a big hand. Going this morning Soft5 on a 3.4 penetrometer reading. 39.9% moisture reading after 14mm rain to 8am this morning.

Not currently raining at Riccarton Park but did receive 12mm past 24 hours. Friday morning going Heavy8, 3.9 penetrometer, 44.1% moisture reading. Deteriorated from Thursday morning when Soft5, 3.4 & 39.3%. Forecast for more inclement weather unfortunately.

Early milestone in the construction of the new Riccarton Park Pavilion with the concrete foundations poured this morning.

Riccarton Park lit up for Tuesday trackwork. 163 acceptances for the annual Banks Peninsula Racing Club fixture Wednesday. 4mm of rain overnight with track conditions going from Good4 2.8 penetrometer yesterday morning to Soft5, 2.9 today. Showery at present, more rain to come.

Beautiful Riccarton Park racemorning after 8mm rain since last afternoon’s penetrometer reading. 4 horses galloped this morning with minimal marking. 3.6 reading equals Soft7, 42% moisture reading. 136 starters, 12.4 average for the 11 race Banks Peninsula card starting 1pm.

Progress continues on the new Pavilion on the site of the demolished Grand National Stand at Riccarton Park. 149 nominations for our next meeting a twilight affair next Wednesday, 18 February.