The Awapuni Gold Cup is held annually in Palmerston North

Palmerston North

Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is run at weight-for-age over 2,000 metres and is worth $100,000. It is notable as even though it is only worth $100,000, it has been won by many of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

's most famous racehorses. These horses have gone on to become Hall of Fame horses and win major races including the Japan Cup

Japan Cup

The is the most prestigious horse race run in Japan. It is contested at the end of November at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters over the grass. With a purse of ¥476 million , the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.The Japan Cup is an invitational event...

. They include Desert Gold

Desert Gold

Desert Gold was a famous and successful New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced at the time of World War I. She raced in Australia and New Zealand, winning 36 races, including a still-standing record of 19 in succession ....

, Redcraze

Redcraze

Redcraze was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced both in Australia and New Zealand, winning major races in both countries....

, Mainbrace

Mainbrace

Mainbrace was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who won 23 of his 25 race starts and was placed second in the other two. When he broke down he had won 17 races in succession, which was only two behind Gloaming and Desert Gold's Australasian record. He, also, on eight different occasions...

, Grey Way

Grey Way

Grey Way, the Washdyke Wonder was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. He was born in Washkdyke in 1970 near Timaru by Grey William out of Waybrooke. The other racehorse born in this area is Phar Lap....

, Balmerino

Balmerino

Balmerino was a bay Thoroughbred stallion that was foaled at Cambridge in the Waikato region of New Zealand. He later became a champion racehorse with many international successes.-Breeding:...

, La Mer

La mer

"La mer" is French for "the sea", and is the name of:*La mer , an orchestral composition by Claude Debussy*La Mer , Champion racehorse*"La Mer" , a song by Charles Trenet, published in 1939 and first recorded by him in 1946...

, Show Gate

Show Gate

Show Gate was a champion New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse sired by Gatekeeper out of Minglow. Foaled in 1969, she was horse of the year in 1975 and 1977 and won races from 1200 metres up to 2400 metres in record time...

, Horicks

Horlicks (horse)

Horlicks was an outstanding Thoroughbred racemare from New Zealand. She won the internationally-contested 1989 Japan Cup in a world record time of 2:22 for 2,400 metres - a remarkable feat given that many of the world's classic races, such the Belmont Stakes, are run over this distance...

, Nightmarch

Nightmarch

Nightmarch, foaled in 1925 was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse known as The Kiwi. He won the New Zealand Derby and Dunedin Cup as a three-year-old before going to Australia where he became the first horse to win both the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate in the same year, as well...

 and Kindergarten

Kindergarten (horse)

Kindergarten was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse that raced during the early 1940s. He won many of the premier events in New Zealand including the Wellington Cup and Auckland Cup for more than £16,000 in stake money, which was a large amount during the War.-Breeding:He was a bay colt by...

. Desert Gold

Desert Gold

Desert Gold was a famous and successful New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced at the time of World War I. She raced in Australia and New Zealand, winning 36 races, including a still-standing record of 19 in succession ....

 and Sir Slick

Sir Slick

Sir Slick A Bay gelding bred by sire Volksraad from the Paris Opera mare Miss Opera, the New Zealand bred Sir Sick has raced nationally and internationally performing in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong...

have won the race three times.