The Stella Artois Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse

Ellerslie Racecourse

Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit of approximately 1,900 m.-History:The first race meeting was held at Ellerslie on 25 May 1874...

 in Auckland, New Zealand. The race is graded as a Group One (G1) and was first contested in 1874.

For years, the Auckland Cup was the richest horse race in New Zealand. It recalled such names as Beau Vite, Howe, Kindergarten, Beaumaris, Yeman, and Froth, and a consistent runner of the 80s, Australian champion Nelson, who greeted the judge at the head of the field three times in four years.

The Auckland Cup is currently run for a purse of $1 million making it the equal richest open age race in New Zealand. Since 2006, the race is contested on the Wednesday of Auckland Cup Week

Auckland Cup Week

Auckland Cup Week is one of New Zealand's major racing carnivals. Held in Auckland in the first week of March, the carnival includes Thoroughbred, Harness, and Greyhound racing. The carnival was first run in 2006. The main features are the Auckland Cups for each code, with the thoroughbred version...

 at the beginning of March. Previously it had been raced on New Year's Day.

Winners of the Auckland Cup

AUCKLAND CUP

(3200 metres, $1,000,000)

Run annually in March at Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland

Year	Horse	Jockey	Owner	Trainer	Time
2011	Titch	Opie Bosson	J N Wallace	Kevin Myers	3:17.02