Championship Race day Ellerslie March 7th

[Murray Fish]

Tickets start at $35 pre buying,  $65 if you pay on the day!  <--- ouch!

Personally,  I had more bets on this day last year than on any other day of the year!!

So hoping that a true track is found on the day! 

Anyone going to be  on course?

[Murray Fish]

General Admission

$35pp first release | $65pp on the day | Under 15s free | Senior citizen rates apply at the gate on the day (50% off the advertised ‘on the day’ price). 

At what number of punters would it take for them to put up the HOUSE FULL sign?

[Murray Fish]

Based on historical records, the largest crowd ever recorded at the Ellerslie racecourse appears to be **45,000 people**, who attended the Auckland Cup race on Boxing Day in 1944 .

For a clearer picture, here is a summary of some of the biggest crowds at Ellerslie across different eras:

| Date | Event | Attendance | Notes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Boxing Day 1944** | Auckland Cup | **45,000** | This is the highest number found in the search results, cited as a record at the time . |
| **c. 1911** | Boxing Day Races | 30,000 - 35,000 | A large crowd for the early 20th century, considered a record at the time . |
| **June 1945** | Winter Meeting | 39,000 | Described as a record for a winter meeting in New Zealand . |
| **December 2020** | SkyCity Boxing Day Races | 14,000+ | Called a "modern-day record" and the biggest crowd in almost 12 years . |

It is important to note that while the 45,000 figure from 1944 is the highest found, it is very likely a record for the course's long history. Modern-day crowds, while still very large, are often not directly comparable to these historical peaks due to different event structures, seating capacities, and entertainment options. For example, one article noted that close to 25,000 were expected for a recent Boxing Day event, described as the largest in 155 years at that time .