Livamol Classic

Livamol Classic

Group One Betting Guide
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024
Location: Hastings Racecourse
Prize Money: $450,000
Distance: 2040m

THE Livamol Classic is the final leg of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown, which also features the Tarzino Trophy (Challenge Stakes) and the Arrowfield Stud Plate.

New Zealand’s richest weight-for-age race at $250,000, the Livamol Classic used to be worth $1.2 million when it was the Kelt Capital Stakes, but the sponsorship fell through and the fields haven’t changed in quality since.

The Livamol Classic always adds plenty of excitement as it is the last leg of the Triple Crown and it’s also the last chance in spring for the quality thoroughbreds to show what they’ve got before heading over to Australia.

Run in mid October, the Livamol Classic is the feature on a bumper card which also includes the Hawke’s Bay Guineas. Due to the timing of the race, the weather typically plays its part and is considered one of the must-attend race days on the New Zealand calendar.

Some of the past winners include Castletown, Veandercross, Xcellent, Princess Coup and Jimmy Choux – with the race being a great guide to the Melbourne Cup run a month later.


2024 Livamol Classic Betting Odds

Betting odds for the 2024 Livamol Classic are currently unavailable.


Best Livamol Classic bookmakers

The Livamol Classic is one of New Zealand’s best races and the bookmakers pay a lot of respect to the race.

All of our recommended online bookmakers offer markets for the Livamol Classic which includes futures, fixed odds and tote betting.


Latest Livamol Classic News

Legarto clash looms on Ladies Man’s horizon
Ladies Man will compete in the Otaki-Maori WFA Classic this Saturday, but Allan Sharrock is already looking at a potential ...
Positive reports flowing on Kiwi Melbourne Cup hope
Regular updates from across the Tasman have kept a constant smile on New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock’s face since stable ...
Ladies Man claims Group 1 Livamol Classic
Allan Sharrock has always seen Ladies Man as a superstar in waiting, and Saturday’s Group 1 Livamol Classic marked the ...
Mustang Valley
Andrew Forsman is confident that drier conditions will pose no problems for his Mustang Valley's defence of her Group 1 ...
Quality mare in tip-top order for Livamol challenge
Pearl Of Alsace has enjoyed a faultless preparation and will strip at the top of her game for Saturday’s Group ...
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 ...

2024 Livamol Classic Final Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 Livamol Classic final field is released.


Previous Livamol Classic Fields

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks Callsign Mav John Bary Jonathan Riddell 9 59kg
    2 Silks Defibrillate Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall Craig Grylls 2 59kg
    3 Silks Justaskme Allan Sharrock Johnathan Parkes 8 59kg
    4 Silks Times Ticking Alby MacGregor Lisa Allures 11 59kg
    5 Silks Platinum Invador Lisa Latta Vinnie Colgan 5 59kg
    6 Silks Ladies Man Allan Sharrock Ryan Elliot 7 59kg
    7 Silks Chase Stephen Nickalls Sam Spratt 3 59kg
    8 Silks Dionysus Roger James & Robert Wellwood Kozzi Asano 14 59kg
    9 Silks Cakebytheocean Chris Gibbs Masa Hashizume 6 59kg
    10 Silks Mustang Valley Andrew Forsman Joe Doyle 4 57kg
    11 Silks Aromatic Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Warren Kennedy 12 57kg
    12 Silks Pearl Of Alsace Shaun Ritchie & Colm Murray Sam Weatherley 1 57kg
    13 Silks Enchanted Elle Shaun Phelan Elen Nicholas 10 57kg
    14 Silks Poser Kurtis Pertab Opie Bosson 13 57kg

2023 Livamol Classic result


1stLadies Man (+450)
2ndPlatinum Invador (+410)
3rdPearl Of Alsace (-111.11)

Recent Livamol Classic winners

  • Respected New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock has always seen Ladies Man as a superstar in waiting, and Saturday’s Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) marked the big gelding’s arrival on the major stage. The lightly raced six-year-old overpowered his elite weight-for-age opposition at Hastings, joining his half-sister Ladies First as a Group One winner. Ladies Man was a respected $5.50 third favourite for Saturday’s Livamol, and his star quality well and truly shone through. Ridden by Ryan Elliot, he settled into an effortless rhythm in midfield as Times Ticking strode forward to put pace into the race as the field turned into the back straight. Elliot got Ladies Man rolling coming down the side of the track, and by the home turn, he had ominously moved up into fifth out wide on the track. Ladies Man worked through his gears in the straight, lengthened stride and took control at the 150m mark. Pearl Of Alsace surged through along the inside to lodge a major challenge, with Platinum Invador launching a powerful run from near the back of the field. But Ladies Man was too big and too strong, holding them out by three-quarters of a length. Platinum Invador got up to take second place from Pearl Of Alsace, with beaten favourite Mustang Valley close up in fourth but perhaps not as effective on Saturday’s Good 4 track.
  • Having finished an eye-catching second behind La Crique in the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata just seven days prior, Mustang Valley was installed a warm ($2.30) favourite for the Hastings feature and she gave her supporters no need for concern, courtesy of a peach of a ride by Michael McNab. Relishing the Heavy 10 underfoot conditions, the four-year-old daughter of Vanbrugh travelled beautifully in midfield for McNab before making her move at the 600m to loop the field and take over on the home corner. McNab went for home and the mare put a gap on her rivals before coasting to the line four lengths clear of runner-up Justaskme, who chased hard in the home straight and Defibrillate who made up good ground for third.
  • For the third year in a row, Jamie Richards has trained the winner of the Livamol Classic, with Savy Yong Blonk sustaining a long sprint to claim Group 1 glory. Having been aided by an inch-perfect steer from Danielle Johnson, the six-year-old defied the $8 quote online betting sites had her quoted as and managed to get the better of Harlech late on in the piece. Having angled the widest in the home straight, Savy Yong Blonk produced a sustained burst of speed to drive hard after Harlech, who swept to the lead inside the final furlong, heading her fellow Matamata raider in the final few bounds to capture a valuable elite-level win.
  • Having claimed the 2019 Livamol Classic, the Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle returned to defend her crown, and managed to destroy her rivals once again. Stablemates Avantage and Prise De Fer took over rounding the home bend but Melody Belle was starting to go through her gears as she dashed to the front at the 300m with a powerful burst. Troy Harris had an armchair ride over the concluding stages as Melody Belle comfortably held out Avantage, who had also provided the quinella with her a fortnight prior in the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate. The win handed Melody Belle here 12th win at Group 1 level.
  • Melody Belle earned a slice of New Zealand racing history with another commanding performance in the Group 1 Livamol Classic at Hastings. She became the first horse to complete Hawke’s Bay’s weight-for-age Triple Crown during the New Zealand Spring Carnival – the Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and Livamol Classic. Opie Bosson moved Melody Belle out into clear air with more than 1200 metres to run, and she cruised forward to slide into second place at the top of the home straight. From that point on, the rest was history, with Belle putting over three lengths on her closest rival.
  • After a heartbreaking race the year prior in the Classic for punters, the favourite did the business in consummate ease. Settling in the ideal position just behind midfield, and under Chris Johnson the champ was eased to the outside just after the 800m and the horse did the rest. Savvy Coup won by two lengths on the line ahead of a game Lizzie L’Amour.
  • The pride of New Zealand racing Gingernuts was set to walk over the field on home soil in the Spring Classic but it was Wait A Sec who delivered on the big stage. Gingernuts delivered a powerful run as the line approached but Wait A Sec snuck up the inside to pinch the win in a bobbing finish.
  • Willie Cazals caused an upset in 2016 with a narrow win. The O’Sullivan/Scott training combination continued their good success at Hastings with Willie Cazals, which was an outsider in the betting at $16.10. The nine-year-old imported runner defied its age in lasting from a short neck over subsequent Group 1 Australian Cup Humidor and the highly talented Hasselhoof. Given the quality of the field, Humidor still paid $2 to place despite running as the race favourite.
  • Addictive Habit was a popular winner for punters at $6.80 and it was given a great ride by Sam Spratt. The Lee Somerville-trained six-year-old had always been a popular runner with New Zealand punters and it finally scored its big group one victory. The field was mostly comprised of the more staying types which included Benzini and Nashville, but the win was still a credit to a tough and consistent horse.
  • Favourite punters were left deflated after the win of Costume in 2014. Race favourite Shuka had attracted some massive bets from the New Zealand public and it looked the winner for most of the straight, but the Rogerson-trained Costume finished strongly down the outside to down them all at odds of $52. The well-bred daughter of Savabeel had been out of form for awhile leading into the race, but it pulled out all the stops when it needed to. The come from behind win came on a day where the leaders were going well, so the win deserved even more credit. Finishing in behind was the likes of 2015 winner Addictive Habit, multiple group one winner Nashville and New Zealand Derby winner Puccini.
  • The Spring Classic has been known to throw in the odd upset and Ransomed was a key example of this. The Gary Vile-trained stayer was more suited to wet tracks and not the good 3 surface which they raced on, but it proved too good to score by a nose over Nashville. The son of Handsome Ransom didn’t quite live up to expectations in subsequent Spring Classics, but the $30 shot had its time in the sun. Nashville and Survived rounded out the placings.
  • Shez Sinsational was one of New Zealand’s best thoroughbreds in its time and it scored a popular victory in 2012. The Allan Sharrock-trained stayer entered the race having won twice at group one level that year and it also went to Australia and won the Group 2 Hollindale at Gold Coast. It was able to turn around a poor showing in the Windsor Park Plate where it finished 11th and win at odds of $8.60. The Spring Classic was the first of three consecutive wins in New Zealand before retiring in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie where it finished second behind Veyron and ahead of Shootoff.

Past Livamol Classic winners list

Livamol Classic Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2023 Ladies Man Ryan Elliot Allan Sharrock
2022 Mustang Valley Michael McNab Andrew Forsman
2021 Savy Yong Blonk Danielle Johnson Jamie Richards
2020 Melody Belle Troy Harris Jamie Richards
2019 Melody Belle Opie Bosson Jamie Richards
2018 Savvy Coup Chris Johnson Michael & Matthew Pitman
2017 Wait A Sec Jonathan Parkes Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen
2016 Willie Cazals Craig Grylls Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
2015 Addictive Habit Sam Spratt Lee Somervell
2014 Costume Michael Coleman Graeme & Debbie Rogerson
2013 Ransomed Jonathan Parkes Gary Vile
2012 Shez Sinsational Opie Bosson Allan Sharrock
2011 Jimmy Choux Jonathan Riddell John Bary
2010 Wall Street Michael Coleman Jeff Lynds
2009 Vosne Romanee Buddy Lammas Jeff Lynds
2008 Princess Coup Opie Bosson Mark Walker
2007 Princess Coup Noel Harris Mark Walker
2006 Legs Lisa Cropp Kevin Gray
2005 Xcellent Michael Coleman Mike & Paul Moroney
2004 Balmuse Jamie Bullard Kevin Myers
2003 Distinctly Secret Opie Bosson Mark Walker
2002 Prized Gem Michael Rodd Murray Baker
2001 Cinder Bella Lance O’Sullivan Karen Zimmerman
2000 The Message Linda Ballantyne John Ralph

Livamol Classic Past Winners Pre 2000

Livamol Classic Past Winners Pre 2000
Year Horse
1999 Cent Home
1998 Just Call Me Sir
1997 Moss Downs
1996 Love Dance
1995 Italian Saint
1994 Solvit
1993 Calm Harbour
1992 Veandercross
1991 Castletown
1990 Timandra Steed
1989 Lomondy
1988 Classic Bay
1987 Secret Seal
1986 Lomondy
1985 Always Summer
1985 Deb’s Mate
1984 Commissionaire
1983 Commissionaire
1982 Ruanuku
1981 Serendiper
1980 Harmanaire
1979 La Mer
1978 La Mer
1977 Balmerino
1976 Duty Free
1975 Curly Wave
1974 Guest Star
1973 Duty Free
1972 Count Kereru
1971 Game
1970 Game
1969 Game
1968 Dalvui
1967 Terrific
1966 Palisade
1965 Empryreus
1964 Tatua
1963 Picaroon
1962 Moy
1961 Picaroon
1960 Picaroon
1959 Supertax
1958 Rover
1957 Pinnacle Ridge
1956 Syntax
1955 Redcraze

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