Auckland Races on Boxing Day

[Murray Fish]

Sigh, speaking wearing a punters hat! perhaps #1 pet  HATE,  Rain on the day...
 

"Cloudy, then a period of rain with heavy falls in the afternoon. Northerlies, turning westerly in the evening."

[hesi]

It's a forecast for 48 hours' time.

Keep an eye on it, the rain may not arrive till the end of the day Some of those fields a bit skinny though

[mikeynz]

Very common for lots of rain through the festive season, fouls up all the beaches in Auckland, only a few days ago I note a lot of no go zones, me old mate TAB always tried to talk the place up but I wasn't convinced lol.

[PeterLambFan]

3 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

Sigh, speaking wearing a punters hat! perhaps #1 pet  HATE,  Rain on the day...
 

"Cloudy, then a period of rain with heavy falls in the afternoon. Northerlies, turning westerly in the evening."

Never mind Auckland. What’s the weather forecast for Patterson Park?

[Murray Fish]

9 minutes ago, PeterLambFan said:

What’s the weather forecast for Patterson Park?

I believe the last time I was on that  course was 1974! sleep two nights in the Grandstand!  Doh! can't recall any winners from that meeting! 

[Murray Fish]

3 hours ago, hesi said:

It's a forecast for 48 hours' time.

Keep an eye on it, the rain may not arrive till the end of the day

For the horse racing meeting on Boxing Day in Auckland, the weather from 12 PM to 5 PM is expected to be **cloudy with a high chance of rain developing in the early afternoon**. You should plan for wet conditions.

### 📅 Hourly Forecast for 12 PM to 5 PM
Based on the most detailed forecast available, here is the expected weather for Friday, December 26th:

| Time | Temperature (°C) | Condition | Chance of Rain | Expected Rainfall |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **12 PM** | 24° | Cloudy | 30% | Trace |
| **1 PM** | 22° | Rain | **100%** | 3.2 mm |
| **2 PM** | 22° | Rain | **100%** | 5.6 mm |
| **3 PM** | 22° | Showers | 90% | 1.3 mm |
| **4 PM** | 22° | Showers | 90% | 1.0 mm |
| **5 PM** | 21° | Showers | 90% | 0.6 mm |

### 🌤️ Overall Day Summary & What to Expect
The general forecast for Auckland on Friday confirms the afternoon will be **cloudy with breezy winds**.

*   **Weather**: The morning may start dry, but **rain is highly likely to move in during the afternoon**. Other forecasts also mention "a couple of showers" for the day.
*   **Temperature**: Warm, with highs around **21-24°C** during the event.
*   **Wind**: Expect **breezy West to Southwest winds**, which could be noticeable in open areas like a racetrack.

### 💡 Practical Tips for Your Day
Given this forecast, here are a few suggestions:
*   **Essential Gear**: Bring a **waterproof jacket or poncho**. An umbrella is also a good idea, but be mindful of wind and other racegoers.
*   **Footwear**: Wear **closed-toe shoes with good grip**, as the grass areas may become wet and slippery.
*   **Layering**: Dress in layers. While it will be warm, the breeze and potential rain can make it feel cooler.

I hope this detailed forecast helps you plan for the races. Would you like me to check the weather for a specific racetrack location, such as Ellerslie or Pukekohe Park, for more localized information?

[hesi]

It is one of those tricky forecasts.

The rain arrives a couple of hours early, it is wet all day

The weather arrives a few hours late, they just get the program finished before the rain

 

 

[Murray Fish]

Just had a quick look at all the odds for the day...  Not one fav from Team Orange! In the WFA Legarto has been backed, on that rain arriving? To my eye, she looked just that wee bit pretty, I noted she should improve on that run... tad thin though now at 4.40 

[Mardy]

2 hours ago, PeterLambFan said:

Never mind Auckland. What’s the weather forecast for Patterson Park?

Looks shit to be honest. If the forecast is correct,be a shock if they race at all.

[Special Agent]

Shops and roads were mental today with all that last minute Christmas shopping.  After trackwork this morning thought I'd grab a couple of things.  What a stupid idea!  Queues outside The Warehouse waiting for it to open.  Then the supermarket was jam packed.  The shops are closed for just one day for crying out loud.

Some marketing genius needs to transfer that urgency to the Boxing Day races.  I'm trying to think back to what created anticipation for weeks leading up to the carnival at Ellerslie.  It's a different world of no newspapers where you might share and discuss at smoko.  The age of the device can be a secluded experience.

One thing is for sure, there does appear to be less disposable cash, the Boxing Day sales will no doubt be in full force again.  This all impacts on life, and a day out at the races.  Clubs need to be much more organised with pre-paid packages, and more inventive with everything on offer.

[Special Agent]

In simple terms I think racing needs to be made relevant, and cool again.

I think our leaders are under estimating the power of the smaller clubs and surrounding communities.  The people on here want to see the best horses and jockeys.  The people we need to entice on track just want a memorable experience.

[hesi]

42 minutes ago, Special Agent said:

In simple terms I think racing needs to be made relevant, and cool again.

I think our leaders are under estimating the power of the smaller clubs and surrounding communities.  The people on here want to see the best horses and jockeys.  The people we need to entice on track just want a memorable experience.

As I mentioned before, the anticipation of Ellerslie on Boxing Day used to be enormous, so not just the smaller clubs

What created the anticipation at Ellerslie on Boxing Day?

4 things, in my opinion anyway

1.  The overall high quality fields

2.  The Derby and Queen Elizabeth which was always a superb field and the lead up race for those serious about the Auckland Cup on NYD.

3.  The picnics and boot parties on the infield,. along with all the other activities that led to a real carnival atmosphere.  They used to get 10,000 people

4.  The huge coverage in papers like the Auckland Star and Friday Flash

[Shad]

3 hours ago, Murray Fish said:

I believe the last time I was on that  course was 1974! sleep two nights in the Grandstand!  Doh! can't recall any winners from that meeting! 

Who won the Westport cup that year, had the gallops till 1996, nice course.

[Murray Fish]

23 minutes ago, Shad said:

Who won the Westport cup that year,

how time flies!

[Shad]

8 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

how time flies!

Certainly does, was saying a few good horses won there first race at Westport trots, armalight and our mana, both top horses of  there era, been a long day hence not reading your post correctly re the winners, I'll have to hunt down an old race book to see who did win in 74, I know the club got a 1000 pounds back in the day for the worlds first triple deadheat, 

Edited 23 minutes ago by Shad
Typo