Countdown on to Northern Lights Autumn Carnival

It's now just over a week until the start of the newly-minted Northern Lights Autumn Carnival.

The re-jigged programme will see 13 Group 1s and nearly $5m in feature race stakes on offer between March and May at Alexandra Park and Cambridge Raceway.

The carnival kicks off on March 6 with the third round of Young Guns Heats for the two-year-olds at Alexandra Park, as well as the $17,000 Northern Mares Gateway.

A week later it's the $60,000 Group 2 Alabar Classic and the $70,000 Caduceus Club Ladyship Stakes for the three-year-olds as well as the Group 3 $40,000 Founders (Pacers) and Greenlane (Trotting) Cups.

March 20 is shaping up as a stellar night at Alexandra Park.

The 2YOs will fight it out for $100,000 and Group 1 glory in the Delightful Lady (Fillies) and Cardigan Bay Stakes (Colts and Geldings), there will be two Listed Harness Million finals worth $200,000 and $150,000, plus the City of Auckland Free For All and the Northern Mares Classic for the pacers and the $60,000 Group 2 Lyell Creek Stakes.

April kicks off with two $60,000 Group 2s with the Flying Miles for the Trotters and Pacers at Cambridge (April 2) before attention turns to the jam-packed Night of Champions on Friday, April 10 with the $1m The Race front and centre.

The Taylor Mile - ANZAC Cup night at Alexandra Park a fortnight later then leads into the Northern Derby and Oaks on May 1 as well as the Roy Purdon Memorial and the $120,000 3YO Sires' Stakes Trotters Championship.

A week later another huge night looms with the $200,000 Group 1 Sires' Stakes Final for the Fillies, the $100,000 Messenger, the $100,000 Young Guns,  the $100,000 Northern Trotting Derby and the $200,000 Rowe Cup.

All told the three months will feature nine race nights with 29 Group or Listed races and $4.6m in feature race stakes.

To see the Northern Autumn Carnival schedule click here