Tarzino Trophy (Challenge Stakes NZ)

Tarzino Trophy

Group One Betting Guide
Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
Location: Hastings Racecourse
Prize Money: $300,000
Distance: 1400m

THE Tarzino Trophy is one of New Zealand’s most prized feature races and is steeped in history.

Formerly known as the Challenge Stakes, the Tarzino Trophy is the first group one of the season in New Zealand and it is run during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival in August/September.

The next running of the Tarzino Trophy Stakes will be on September 14, 2024 and is sponsored by Westbury Stud, which is standing Victorian Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner Tarzino at stud this season. The race has been named in honour of the son of Zabeel which raced for Mick Price in Australia.

The weight-for-age contest over 1400m doesn’t suit every runner that lines up, but most entrants are going for the Triple Crown which includes the Windsor Park Plate and the Spring Classic.

It’s currently worth $300,000 and despite attracting some of New Zealand’s best ever thoroughbreds, the race only gained elite status in 2003 after champion mare Sunline took out the then Group Two Challenge Stakes in 2002.

The win by Sunline caused a skyrocket in popularity for the race, which was seen as an exhibition gallop for the two-time Cox Plate champion. It has since been taken out by the likes of Xcellent, Starcraft and Tavistock among a long list of champion winners.

Punters love betting on the Tarzino Trophy because it follows a tough winter season and punters are keen to see the stars in action during the spring.


2024 Tarzino Trophy Odds

Odds for the 2024 Tarzino Trophy are currently unavailable.


Best Challenge Stakes bookmakers

Despite the race being run in New Zealand, the Australian and global bookmakers will offer markets for the Group 1 Challenge Stakes.

It’s one of the highlight races on the calendar and bookies know how important it is to give punters a look at the early futures, fixed odds and tote markets.

United States Sport Table

Sport Table


Latest Tarzino Trophy News

Dragon Leap chasing another major prize for Wexford
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will on Saturday bid to complete a sprinting double with Dragon Leap at Trentham in ...
Conditions suit Mali Ston in Coupland’s Mile bid
Mali Ston will have several factors in his favour when he chases a comeback victory at Riccarton in the feature ...
Group 3 sprint tailormade for in-form mare
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson couldn’t have wished for a better fit at Hastings on Saturday for talented mare Romancing ...
Improving weather key for Legarto
Ken and Bev Kelso are gearing up for the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate at Hastings on Saturday with high ...
Wetter the better for Mustang Valley
Andrew Forsman is optimistic about his mare Mustang Valley's chances in the upcoming Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate, especially if ...
Skew Wiff reigns supreme in Tarzino Trophy
Given a perfect steer from Opie Bosson, the Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson-trained Skew Wiff claimed the Group 1 Tarzino ...

Notable Tarzino Trophy winners

The The Tarzino Trophy is synonymous with champion winners and the list is a lengthy one.

Tavistock won in 2009 before becoming a top stallion in New Zealand and Australia. That win came only two years after Seachange scored the second of its back-to-back victories.

The speedy mare won a total of 14 races during its 25-start career and her consecutive Tarzino Trophy wins were two of the highlights.

Xcellent scored an excellent win in 2005 before running third in the Melbourne Cup later that year. Its come-from-behind victory was one of the best seen at the Hastings track.

Sunline was the most popular winner in recent history. The champion mare won on its ear in 2002 in what was considered to be an exhibition gallop. The McKee-trained runner was on the pace and Tit For Taat was left chasing a shadow in the straight.

The race was subsequently upgraded a Group One status following the win of Sunline.

Melody Belle took out the Tarzino Trophy in 2018 in what was one of her remarkable 14 wins at Group 1 level.

Other winners include the likes of Snap, Surfers Paradise, Rough Habit, Flying Luskin (the first of the McKee’s three Challenge Stakes wins) and Poetic Prince.


2024 Tarzino Trophy Final Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 Tarzino Trophy Final Field is released.


Previous Tarzino Trophy Fields

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Callsign Mav
    John Bary
    Jonathan Riddell
    15
    59kg
    2 Silks
    Dragon Leap
    Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
    Joe Doyle
    6
    59kg
    3 Silks
    Brando
    Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
    Johnathan Parkes
    16
    59kg
    4 Silks
    He’s A Doozy
    Lisa Latta
    Kozzi Asano
    9
    59kg
    5 Silks
    Gospodin
    Jim Pender
    Kozzi Asano
    17
    59kg
    6 Silks
    Spring Tide
    John Bary
    Joe Kamaruddin
    1
    59kg
    7 Silks
    Sharp ‘N’ Smart
    Team Rogerson
    Michael McNab
    2
    58.5kg
    8 Silks
    Pier
    Darryn & Briar Weatherley
    Sam Weatherley
    3
    58.5kg
    9 Silks
    La Crique
    Simon & Katrina Alexander
    Craig Grylls
    14
    57kg
    10 Silks
    Belclare
    Lisa Latta
    Sam Spratt
    7
    57kg
    11 Silks
    Aromatic
    Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
    Warren Kennedy
    11
    57kg
    12 Silks
    Malt Time
    Shaun & Emma Clotworthy
    Vinnie Colgan
    10
    57kg
    13 Silks
    Legarto
    Ken & Bev Kelso
    Ryan Elliot
    5
    56.5kg
    14 Silks
    Pennyweka
    Jim Wallace
    Kate Hercock
    13
    56.5kg
    15 Silks
    Lickety Split
    Andrew Forsman
    Lisa Allpress
    12
    56.5kg
    16 Silks
    Skew Wiff
    Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
    Opie Bosson
    4
    56.5kg
    17 Silks
    Mali Ston (1E)
    Darryn & Briar Weatherley
    Troy Harris
    8
    59kg
  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Demonetization Nigel Tiley Sam Spratt 3 59kg
    2 Green Luck Ryan Elliot Paul Harris 4 59kg
    3 Helena Baby John Bell Darren Danis 6 59kg
    4 Spring Tide John Bary Jonathan Riddell 2 59kg
    5 Dark Destroyer Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott Lisa Allpress 8 58.5kg
    6 Jodelin Gal Carl Henderson Tegan Newman 7 57kg
    7 Rose ‘N’ Power Fred & Lindsay Cornege Sam Weatherley 1 57kg
    8 Imperatriz Mark Walker Opie Bosson 9 56.5kg
    9 La Crique Simon & Katrina Alexander Craig Grylls 5 56.5kg

2023 Tarzino Trophy result


1stSkew Wiff (+1000)
2ndDragon Leap (+260)
3rdLegarto (-250)

Recent Tarzino Trophy winners

  • Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, trainers for Te Akau Racing, had reason to celebrate at Hastings as they added another feather to their cap after Tokyo Tycoon and Quintessa’s impressive stakes victories. Their day got even better when the progressive mare Skew Wiff managed to outshine her recent rival, Dragon Leap, securing the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m). Skew Wiff, a daughter of the renowned stallion Savabeel, bred and owned by Waikato Stud, had suffered a late defeat by Dragon Leap in the Stud-sponsored Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) just a month prior. However, this time, she turned the tables with a stellar ride by Opie Bosson. Bosson made the most of a favorable barrier draw (4), positioning the four-year-old mare behind the leaders Pier and Callsign Mav. It became evident that she was in control of the race as early as 800 metres from the finish. With 250m to go, Bosson urged Skew Wiff to take the lead, and she held off a late charge from Dragon Leap and another talented four-year-old mare, Legarto, to claim her first stakes win and secure her third career victory. Notably, she had finished second twice at Group One level during her three-year-old season.
  • Dark Destroyer, one of last season’s top three-year-olds showed he has come back as a spring four-year-old in fine fettle as he produced a resolute finish to take out the first Group One of the New Zealand season, the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained son of Proisir hadn’t been seen since completing a successful campaign in Brisbane during the winter where he took out the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2143m) before finishing an unlucky fourth in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) behind fellow Kiwi, Pinarello. The David Archer-owned gelding had failed to flatter when unplaced behind race-rival La Crique over 1100m at the Taupo trials last month, however he stripped a far fitter horse for his campaign opener on Saturday. Settled back towards the rear by rider Lisa Allpress, Dark Destroyer began to move into the race approaching the home corner where hot favourite Imperatriz ($1.50) had been taken to the front by Opie Bosson. Imperatriz and last year’s runner-up Spring Tide set down to a tooth and nail struggle at the 200m before Dark Destroyer asserted his superiority in the final stages to win by a length from Spring Tide with La Crique knocking off Imperatriz for third.
  • Having been sent around as a popular $3.70 market-elect the John Bary-trained Callsign Mav fell in to claim the 2021 Tarzino Trophy. Having been made to work to find the lead from barrier 11, Jonathan Riddell managed to cross the field and have Callsing Mav lead throughout. Despite the fast-finishing Spring Tide looking like he will finish over the top of the eventual winner, Callsign Mav found enough in the final 50m to go on and claim the race by 0.2 lengths in a thrilling edition of the race and claim consecutive Tarzino Trophy wins.
  • Many an astute punter gave Callsign Mav little to no chance in the Tarzino Trophy, so when he saluted at an $82 quote, not many would have held a winning ticket. Having settled fourth in the running, Callsign Mav was given an A-grade steer from Jonathan Riddell to claim Group 1 glory. The 0.8 length win saw him hold off the fast finishing Supera and managed to defeat the all-conquering Avantage who was sent around as a $1.20 favourite. The win handed local trainer his second win in the race, having trained Survived to success in the event back in 2013.
  • Despite settling close to lat, the superstar mare that is Melody Belle charged down the middle of the track to claim back-to-back wins in the Tarzino Trophy. When cornering, the superstar had just two runners behind her, but when Michael McNab asked for an effort entering the home straight she was quick to pick off her rivals. With 100m to go, it was all over bar the shouting as she went on to become just the third runner to claim multiple Tarzino Trophy wins.
  • Melody Belle stamped her credentials as a must-watch Kiwi horse after winning the Tarzino Trophy. After taking up an early spot on the speed a number of runners went past the eventual winner but she never panicked, taking the lead at the 200m and gritting it out to record a strong win.
  • Despite finishing well in the lead-up to the Tarzino Trophy, Close Up wasn’t found by punters. The Shelley Hale-trained eight-year-old ran well over the odds and it held on gamely over group one winner Aide Memoire and last start winner Underthemoonlight. It was a welcome return to the big stage for jockey Grant Cooksley who was nearing the end of his career just a few years ago. The big spring runs came from Gingernuts which flashed into fifth and Kawi was steady to the line in fourth. Read the report here.
  • Kawi became the second horse to win back-to-back Challenge Stakes when winning as the hot favourite in 2016. The Allan Sharrock-trained gelding was kicking off its Triple Crown campaign and it did it in style, winning by 1.3 lengths over El Pescado and Farm Boy. The field also included subsequent group one winner Mime, the Australian-performed Capella and fan-favourite Hasselhoof. Kawi’s bid for the Triple Crown was derailed by the abandonment of a key lead-up race.
  • Kawi scored the first of its two Challenge Stakes victory by the same margin. It scored by 1.3 lengths over a quality field and it handled the wet conditions much better than the rest of the field. Jockey Leith Innes had the gelding in a good spot before running on and kicking clear in the straight. The well-favoured Ryan Mark finished in second after battling well and Ginner Hart ran well for third. Out of the placings was Karaka Million winner Vespa and future Australian winner Turn Me Loose.
  • I Do was the first of three consecutive winners for trainer Allan Sharrock and this win was tinged with sadness. The popular grey ran in honour of the late Lisa Chittick, who was married to Waikato’s Stud Mark Chittick, and it won in style. The daughter of No Excuse Needed was best suited to wet tracks, but it made the best of the dead track conditions by holding on over Pussy O’Reilly and subsequent group one winner Pure Champion.
  • Survived gave the locals a strong victory in 2013 when the John Bary-trained runner scored a one length win. The gelding, which now races in Australia, relished the heavy track conditions to score over a talented field. Opie Bosson was aboard the son of Zed and the form stood up nicely having beaten the likes of Final Touch, Sangster and Taurus.
  • Ocean Park was a popular winner for punters in 2012. The Gary Hennessy-trained runner was the talk of the town prior to winning and it stamped its authority before later winning the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. The star colt scored by a half-length over Xanadu with 2011 winner Mufhasa running in fourth. The Challenge Stakes was run on another rain-affected track, but it took nothing away from a quality race from a future superstar stallion.

Tarzino Trophy past winners list

Tarzino Trophy Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2023 Skew Wiff Opie Bosson Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
2022 Dark Destroyer Lisa Allpress Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
2021 Callsign Mav Jonathan Riddell John Bary
2020 Callsign Mav Jonathan Riddell John Bary
2019 Melody Belle Michael McNab Jamie Richards
2018 Melody Belle Sharif Rusof Jamie Richards
2017 Close Up Grant Cooksley Shelly Hale
2016 Kawi Leith Innes Allan Sharrock
2015 Kawi Leith Innes Allan Sharrock
2014 I Do Opie Bosson Allan Sharrock
2013 Survived Opie Bosson John Barry
2012 Ocean Park Lisa Allpress Gary Hennessy
2011 Mufhasa Sam Spratt Stephen McKee
2010 Keep The Peace James McDonald Shaune Ritchie
2009 Lord Tavistock Jason Waddell Andrew Campbell
2008 Fritzy Boy Noel Harris Alby Macgregor
2007 Seachange Gavin McKeon Reg Manning
2006 Seachange Gavin McKeon Reg Manning
2005 Xcellent Michael Coleman Mike Moroney & Andrew Scott
2004 Starcraft Leith Innes Gary Newham
2003 Miss Potential Barry Jones Bill Borrie
2002 Sunline Greg Childs Stephen & Trevor McKee
2001 Fritz Noel Harris Neil Coulbeck
2000 Cent Home David Walker John Wallace

Tarzino Trophy Past Winners Pre 2000

Challenge Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000
Year Horse
1999 Hero
1998 Batavian
1997 Pakaraka Star
1996 Vialli
1995 Marconee
1994 Snap
1993 Calm Harbour
1992 Surfers Paradise
1991 Rough Habit
1990 Flying Luskin
1989 Catering King
1988 Poetic Prince
1987 Field Dancer
1986 Catering King
1985 Shagolvin

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