Fun Facts about the Sapling Stakes

Today will see the 105th running of the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton. It is the longest running juvenile harness racing feature in this country, having started in 1919.

It has always been held at Ashburton, except for 1940 when it held at Addington. It was not held in 1990 because there were 18 nominations but only five paid up. Doraldina won the first Sapling Stakes in 1919, with the second running of the race in 1920 attracting 100 nominations!

Named after a young tree the "Sapling" stakes are for two-year-old horses only. It is currently a Group 2, and was given Group 1 status in 1980 and 81, with Cigar winning by the largest margin, 10 lengths in 1998.

Last year's winner of the Sapling Stakes is a pretty handy type. Marketplace downed arch rival Got The Chocolates by three quarters of a length, paying $7.90. It's unlikely we will see those lucrative odds again. The Regan Todd-trained star has now won 10 from 16 and is widely touted as the sport's next big thing in this country.

The race record (1609m) was set by Follow The Stars in 2014. Driven and co-trained by Mark Purdon (along with Natalie Rasmussen) the son of Art Major produced a big finish to win in 1:53.8

Champion driver Blair Orange is going for win number eight when he drives Freeze Frame for Cran and Chrissie Dalgety. The Dalgetys will also line up the odds-on favourite Fugitive ($1.55 FF) who'll be driven by son Carter. The Dalgetys also won with $1.50 favourite Krug in 2020.

If Allamericanplayer wins today for the in-form Telfers then he'll become the 15th two-year-old to win Welcome Stakes - Sapling Stakes double, joining the likes of Lordship (1961) and Noodlum (1974). Allamericanplayer beat Fugitive in the Welcome Stakes by a length at Addington last Friday night.

In 2019 there was a Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained trifecta with Smooth Deal, Flying Even Bettor and Copperfield and in 2022 Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained the first four home in Vinke B, Wish Me Luck, With Style and Dare Devil.

2021 saw one of the big upsets in the race when the Gavin Smith-trained and driven My Ultimate Chevron won, paying $42.90 and $7.30. The horse was 7/7 in the betting in an eight-horse field and was on debut. Other winners on debut include Misjudge (2001) and Sir Clive (2008).

Three-time New Zealand Cup champion Terror To Love won the race in 2010. Driven by Jim Curtin, Terror To Love's winning time was 1:58.4. It was Terror To Love's first career success at start number four. He went on to win 31 races. Other horses that won the Sapling Stakes and went on to win the New Zealand Cup include Inky Lord (1988), Lordship (1961) and Ahuriri (1922).

In the early years owner Richard Morten had a great run in the Stakes. A farmer based at Ahuriri station in Tai Tapu near Christchurch, he owned Ahuriri, Taurekareka and Kohara who won three Sapling Stakes in  a row between 1992 and 1924. They were driven by James "Scotty" Bryce. Taurekareka was the first horse in New Zealand to win the Triple Crown - the Sapling Stakes, the NZ Derby and the Great Northern Derby. Ahuriri also won back to back New Zealand Cups in 1925 and 26 with Kohara winning the Cup a year later (1927).

To see today's field click here