CUDDLE, A Bay Filly bred in the Hawkes Bay was one of a few horses that had the ability to win two-mile races from end to end. Few still have the ability to win or versatility to win over this extreme distance and then come out and win at one mile and 10 furlongs in consecutive starts.
CUDDLE was one of the few that did and on more than one occasion. Her two Auckland Cups (1935 and 1936), each won in record time, were followed by wins in the Weight-For-Age-Kings Plate and the Clifford Plate giving her the perfect record of six wins from six starts at Ellerslie. Trained at Trentham by Tommy George, CUDDLE had 67 starts for 24 wins, 14 seconds and 5 thirds for stakes of 12,092 pounds reflecting the depressed times she raced in.
CUDDLE died in June 1955 at the age of 25 but her name lives on. The Cuddle Stakes, a prestige event for Fillies and Mares, has been staged by the Wellington Racing Club since 1967.
A fitting tribute to one of New Zealand’s great race mares.
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CUDDLE STAKES (1600m Fillies & Mares) |
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Year |
Horse |
Owners |
Jockey |
Time |
Trainer |
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1967 |
Min Flicka |
JA Higgs |
WD Skelton |
1.38.75 |
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1968 |
Havering |
JD & LD Georgetti |
NE Eastwood |
1.44.00 |
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1969 |
Choucuana |
J Harrison & W Sanders |
KS Cullen |
1.41.75 |
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1970 |
Anne Gable |
W McEwan & PJB Smith |
JF Harris |
1.40.75 |
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1971 |
Shelly Burford |
AJW McKenzie & J Webb |
WD Skelton |
1.41.00 |
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|
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1972 |
Sheralee |
Sir William Stevenson |
WD Skelton |
1.38.75 |
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1973 |
An Illusion |
JP Norman |
JW Walker |
1.40.75 |
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1974 |
Marinoto |
FM & Mrs Walsh |
RW King |
1.44.00 |
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1975 |
Marinoto |
FM & Mrs Walsh |
LM Robinson |
1.37.00 |
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1976 |
In Reality |
JA & RA Greig |
GA Phillips |
1.42.25 |
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1977 |
My Binnie |
AT Kofoed |
RC Franklin |
1.44.75 |
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1978 |
Lavender Hill |
Mrs WL Chitty |
WD Skelton |
1.43.00 |
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1979 |
Stormee |
GJ Lennox & EH Symes |
GJ Childs |
1.38.75 |
BF Deacon |
Race moved to May |
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1980 |
Concert |
AJ, AS, GB & RS Fell |
JA Cassidy |
1.40.75 |
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1981 |
Mun Lee |
DJ Gordon |
DM Walsh |
1.39.25 |
MK Smith |
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1982 |
Asheen |
Mr MI Sullivan |
R Jenkins |
1.41.00 |
EB Skelton |
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1983 |
Out In Front |
G Lowe, Mr & Mrs JD O'Flaherty & JE Spedding |
JA Cassidy |
1.41.66 |
RJ Bothwell |
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1984 |
Ikon |
TF Fookes & RN Preston |
M Barnsley |
1.35.50 |
HJ & RJ Bergerson |
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1985 |
Silver Elm |
B Blackshaw, AE Brown, H Grace & Mrs EL Hurst |
DM Walsh |
1.35.64 |
ND Eales |
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1986 |
Royal Seal |
K Betty, RA Nielsen, EJ Pratt & KV Robinson |
GA Phillips |
1.37.86 |
B Robinson |
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1987 |
Just A Star |
Mrs DN Davidson, SID Herbert & SWA Vincent |
JW Walker |
1.45.23 |
IW Herbert |
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1988 |
Classic March |
RF Taylor |
EE Jillings |
1.35.38 |
RF Taylor |
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1989 |
Shuzora |
Mr GI, Dr J & Mrs M Bryce |
EE Jillings |
1.35.38 |
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1990 |
She's Fun |
Mrs EI Wells |
LA O'Sullivan |
1.42.09 |
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1991 |
She's Fun |
Mrs EI Wells |
PD Johnson |
1.42.66 |
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1992 |
Adnamira |
Mrs JE & RJ Bothwell, Mrs JA & WY Stewart |
DG Bradley |
1.50.19 |
RJ Bothwell |
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1993 |
Last Round Up |
MK Allen, DM Fitzgerald, BI McKinnel & R Thomas |
KA Smith |
1.37.22 |
Mrs RA Todd |
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1994 |
La Scala |
GI Lambert |
KA Smith |
1.34.61 |
GB Barlow & JR Lynds |
Race moved to April |
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1995 |
Roman Penny |
NZRSS Syndicate No 4 (Mgr Mrs LC Reid) & NZRSS Syndicate No 7 (Mgr Mrs LC Reid) |
DJ Walker |
1.38.00 |
K & S Gray |
Race moved to May |
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1996 |
Red Roulette |
GI, Dr J & Mrs M Bryce |
VJ Costa |
1.44.05 |
LD James |
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1997 |
Elegance |
Riwa Bloodstock Syndicate |
J Walker |
1.38.78 |
IW Herbert |
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1998 |
Methinks |
Mrs MF Eivers & RJ Miller |
JEM Rogers |
1.38.39 |
RB Priscott |
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1999 |
Cheerful |
Messrs PJ & PM Vela |
JD Hayes |
1.35.64 |
Mrs S Laxon |
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2000 |
Platonic |
CE & Mrs GE Dillon |
LG Innes |
1.37.53 |
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2001 |
Cinder Bella |
Messrs BM Hancock & CJG McFarlane |
LA O'Sullivan |
1.35.33 |
Mrs KA Zimmerman |
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2002 |
Dawn Till Dusk |
Miss MA Falconer & AP Madden |
MT Coleman |
1.40.26 |
Miss MA Falconer |
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2002 |
Elfonze |
Messrs AP Broad, PI Jefferson, SE Kale, AR Miers, GE Leadbeater & Mrs C Nicholson |
MJ Walker |
1.38.24 |
IW Herbert |
Race moved to Nov |
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2003 |
Rodrigo Rose |
Lady & Sir Patrick Hogan, Mr PJ & Mrs SG Walker |
JL Waddell |
1.35.42 |
G Richardson |
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2004 |
Bhandara |
Barlow Thoroughbred Ltd |
LK Cropp |
1.35.38 |
|
Race run At Otaki |
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2005 |
Leigh Valley |
D, l & Mr S Hawkins & Llanhennock Trust |
GJ Grylls |
1.36.53 |
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2006 |
Rhysess |
SG Crutchley & CB Turner |
KA Myers |
1.47.86 |
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2007 |
Kirra Sand |
MJ Fitzsimmons, J Reily & OG Stewart |
JL Waddell |
1.36.30 |
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2008 |
Yanna Marie |
Marie Bloodstock Ltd & KT Myers |
DJ Walker |
1.40.75 |
|
Race moved to Oct |
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2009 |
Ististar |
Fun All Round Syndicate |
HS Tinsley |
1.43.64 |
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2010 |
She Rules |
Whakanui Stud Ltd |
AJ Calder |
1.48.46 |
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2012 |
Floria |
R W E Moore |
LG Innes |
1.36.18 |
SJ McKee |
Race moved to March |
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2013 |
O'Fille |
S F Meredith, C G Waaka & J H Work |
NG Harris |
1.34.90 |
WW Marshment |
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2014 |
Neena Rock |
Mrs C & WL Bolton |
M Sweeney |
1.35.72 |
W Bolton |
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2015 |
The Diamond One |
A G, K J, M C & P R Dennis |
R Hutchings |
1.35.71 |
C & H Anderton |
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2016 |
Rasa Lila |
Sir Peter Vela |
LG Innes |
1.36.33 |
SC Ramsay & JP Ritchie |
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2017 |
Miss Wilson |
Chouxmaani Investments Ltd |
ST Collet |
1.37.16 |
JG Bary |
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2018 |
Montoya Star |
G E Pilkington, C M Smith, I Kelly, K R Bimler, J S Mee, L V Vibert,T & E McGillivray, T Lawlor, G Allison & K Bickley |
MJ McNab |
1.35.21 |
MA & MM Pitman |
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|
2019 |
Concert Hall |
Mrs J L Egan |
Matthew Cameron |
1.37.74 |
Roger James & Robert Wellwood |
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2020 |
Tinkalicious | J Bishop, K R Hill, G & R Hoar, D M & Mrs K Horo, L Klock, Ms T & W Rodden, Smyth and Co Racing Syndicate (Mgr: Tony Smyth), Tequila Sunrise Syndicate (Mgr: Scott Kearns) & Tinkalicious Syndicate | Johnathan Parkes | 1.37.40 | Janelle Millar | |
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2021 |
Coventina Bay | R J Belk, M J Bridgeman, A J Butler, N J Collings, W P Darling, Mrs C Elliott, P W Hancock, M P Kapo, E Mains, W A Niwa & W A Rothwell | Samantha Collett | 1.35.29 | Robbie Patterson | |
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2022 |
Sinarahma | J P Goodin, G H Phillips, S A Sharrock, B R Sharrock & T Kemp | Lisa Allpress | 1.36.26 | Allan Sharrock | |
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2023 |
Pearl Of Alsace | Sir Peter Vela | Ashvin Goindasamy | 1.37.78 | Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray | |
The 2023 race was the 57th recorded running of this event