Bad weather forced abandonment of the 150th anniversary meeting 12 months ago – but now New Zealand’s well-known coastal venue is back
New Zealand: The Castlepoint Beach races are an iconic event on the racing calendar and are set to make their return this Saturday [Feb 24] after they were cancelled last year due to weather conditions.
Awapuni trainer Peter Didham was looking forward to supporting the 150th anniversary celebrations at last year’s event, and while disappointed he wasn’t able to compete, he is excited to return to the meeting this year where he will be represented by a trio of runners.
“It is great, we went last year and the races were cancelled, but we had a great time,” he said.
“I have a couple of owners that were keen to go, so I have got Ruffhouse Rosie, Fabian Hawk and Gum Basher all going over to have a gallop in the water and sand. I have a few staff going over and they are looking forward to having a really good day out.”
Castlepoint is located only 50 minutes east of Masterton and 2½ hours from New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. Races are held on the strip of beach in front of the Castlepoint Store.
While Didham lined up up a runner at the meeting a few years ago, he said this will be the first time he is sending over some competitive horses, and he is looking forward to supporting the iconic Wairarapa event he has enjoyed as a punter.
“I had an old stable hack a couple of years ago that one of my staff took over, but it is the first time having a real go,” he said.
“I have been a couple of times (as a spectator), we have got some friends that have a house over there. They get a big crowd and if they get a nice day it will be good, and the horses love it.
“Kevin [Myers, trainer] takes about 30 horses there and he has got Aljay [G3 New Zealand Cup winner] and all his good ones going. There have been some good horses win over there.”
Beach racing is well established in Europe at venues like racing venue Alongside the likes of Laytown in Ireland, Sanlucar de Barrameda in Spain and the Duhner-Wachtrennen in Germany.
Horse racing at Castlepoint dates back to the first days of European settlement in the area. The beach races were immortalised in book form last year through the release of Racing Against The Tide – 150 Years Of Horse Racing At Castlepoint.
Commissioned by the Castlepoint Racing Club, the 200-page coffee table-sized book has been a labour of love for author Matt Philp and photographer Lottie Hedley over the last couple of years.
The book captures the community and rural feel of the iconic meeting, which takes place annually on the picturesque Castlepoint Beach, with the famed Castlepoint Lighthouse and Pacific Ocean in the backdrop.
The event is engrained in the memories of many Wairarapa locals who accompanied their parents each year to the not-to-be missed social event of the summer, with Philp’s words and Hedley’s images bringing life to the characters and festivities behind the event.
Racing Against The Tide encapsulates the rich history of the meeting, from its rural roots to the modern day, where the Undie 100, fashion parade, and Kids’ Big Dig bring has added further entertainment to the event.
The Castlepoint Racing Club are looking forward to adding another chapter to the event this weekend. Books will be available to purchase for $55 or can also be ordered via the club’s website: castlepointracingclub.com
• Visit the Castlepoint Races website and the European Beach Racing Association website
• Visit the LoveracingNZ website
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