Tarzino Trophy

The Mudgway Stakes is run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay, and is New Zealand's first Group 1 thoroughbred horse race of the season. It is run over 1400m on the first Saturday in September.

The race's timing, weight-for-age conditions and the reliably dry weather of the region at that time of the year combine to ensure that the race sees one of the strongest fields assembled in any race all season as a number of horses heading towards a campaign in Australia choose it as a starting point.

As a result, the winners list for the last few years is extraordinarily strong for a New Zealand race. Included among the winners are champion mare Sunline, the brilliant Xcellent and Australian visitor and subsequent European Group 1 winner Starcraft.

As hard as it is to believe by looking at the winners list, the race was only given Group 2 status until 2003, when Miss Potential took out the first Group 1 running of the race.

The race is often used by Kelt Capital Stakes contenders, with that race being run a month later over 2040m.