Stakes and dates changes for Young Gun Finals

[Wandering Eyes]

Significant changes have been approved to all three of next year’s Young Gun Finals at Alexandra Park.

It’s been agreed that the Delightful Lady Classic for the 2YO Fillies and the North Island 2YO Trot Series Final will join the Cardigan Bay Stakes for 2YO Colts and Geldings in being worth $100,000. Previously they were at $70,000 and $50,000.

All three series in 2026 will also see a change in dates.

The Cardigan Bay Stakes and the Delightful Lady Classic will move from their May slot this year to Friday, March 20 while the North Island Series Final will be held on Rowe Cup night on May 1, a week earlier than this year.

The first lot of heats for the Cardigan Bay and the Delightful Lady will be programmed for late January 2026 with the trotters’ heats getting underway in late March.

“We think the changes are significant on a number of fronts,” says HRNZ’s Head of Racing and Wagering, Matthew Peden.

“It is part of HRNZ’s ongoing strategy around utilisation of horses, with a view to having these 2YOs in our system sooner.”

“It also highlights the volume and calibre of two-year-old racing there is now and that’s especially timely ahead of the upcoming yearling sales.”

The NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales kick off at Karaka on Saturday, February 15 before moving to Christchurch three days later (Tuesday, February 18).

Of the three Young Guns finals the Cardigan Bay has the longest history. It dates back to the late 1970s and has been won by the likes of Chokin (1991), Il Vicolo (1993) and Merlin (2022) while Under Cover Lover (1997), Dream About Me (2015) and Spanish Armada (2016) have been among the gun fillies to win the Delightful Lady.

For more information contact  :  matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz

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