Welcome to the Awapuni Racing Centre
Awapuni Racecourse, Palmerston North
Home of the Manawatu Racing Club, Marton Jockey Club, Rangitikei Racing Club, Feilding Jockey Club
And New Zealand's richest Group One Two Year Old race
Take a virtual tour of the Awapuni Racing Centre: (Use the 1,2,3 to move between floors in Google Maps)
History
The Manawatu Racing Club conducted its first racemeeting in Palmerston North on Boxing Day 1881. A few years later the Club purchased 100 acres of land at Awapuni for just four thousand pounds and the Club celebrated its first raceday at the new course on the 26th December 1903.
The very popular Boxing Day racemeeting continues to be one of the highlights of the Manawatu Racing Club's year, with thousands of racegoers packing the racecourse each season. While Boxing day draws the biggest crowd to Awapuni, the major racemeeting of the year is the Courtesy Ford sponsored Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes - a Group One two year old race run over 1400 metres in the Autumn. This is now New Zealand's richest Group 1 two year old race. More...