The Tarzino Trophy also known as the Challenge Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's first Group One race of the season. It is run over a distance of 1400m in September. The race is the first of the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown events and is followed by: The race's timing, weight-for-age conditions and the reliably dry weather of the region at that time of the year combine to ensure that the race sees one of the strongest fields assembled in any race all season as a number of horses heading towards a campaign in Australia choose it as a starting point.

History

The Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes was first run in April 1976 as a new Weight for age sprint to take place during the Hawkes Bay autumn carnival. The inaugural running of the event was won by New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame inductee Grey Way, ridden by Bob Skelton. When the group grading system was introduced in New Zealand in the 1978/79 season the Challenge Stakes was given group 3 status. In 1985 the race was moved from autumn to spring and was downgraded to listed status for a time, it would regain its group status in the 1991/92 racing season. It was renamed the Tarzino Trophy in 2017. named after Tarzino, winner of the 2015 Victoria Derby and 2016 Rosehill Guineas and an active sire at Westbury Stud.

Name

Group status

Notable winners

Seachange, Kawi, Melody Belle and Callsign Mav are all back-to-back winners of the race.

Race results