IRT NZ Cup to go on tour

Racegoers will soon have three chances to get up close to harness racing's greatest prize, and also win tickets to the biggest race day of them all.

For the first time the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup will be on show at meetings around the South Island as part of the build-up to the great race at Addington on Tuesday, November 14.

"It's gone on tour before but not to any race meetings so we thought we'd take the Cup to the crowd this time," says Addington Raceway's Sponsorship Manager Rachel Deegan.

The Cup will be on show at Methven this Sunday (October 8), followed by Ashburton (Flying Stakes day - October 23) and then Alabar Kaikoura Cup day on Monday, October 30.

Anyone getting their photo taken with the Cup will then go into the draw to win double General Admission passes to Addington on Cup Day.

"We will have three double passes at each meeting so it should be a fun way to promote what is always a massive day at Addington on the second Tuesday of November," says Deegan.

The Cup dates back to 1904 and has been won by a who's who of this country's champion standardbreds - the likes of three-time winners Indianapolis, False Step and Terror To Love as well as all-time greats Cardigan Bay (1963), Lord Module (1979), Christian Cullen (1998) and Lazarus (2016 and 2017).