Start the New Year in style at Ellerslie on Wednesday with the SkyCity New Year’s Day Races.

The feature meeting has been a staple of Auckland’s entertainment calendar for decades, and this New Year’s Day is no exception, with plenty of entertainment available for everyone.

Stuck for an idea of what to do in Auckland with the family on New Year’s Day? Come down to Ellerslie where General Admission is free for children under 15, and there will be plenty of free activities to keep them entertained, including pony rides, a mobile barnyard, bouncy castle, face painting, and organised games and activities.

There are plenty of options to enjoy the 10-race card full of quality racing. Be part of the roar of the crowd with General Admission at just $30 per person, or enhance your raceday experience in either the Cuvée or Silks Lounge for $180 and $165 per person respectively.

The Cuvée is one of the most-coveted areas on course, and includes a gourmet food and beverage package, and is located right in the heart of the day’s racing. Get a great view of the horses as they parade before you in the neighbouring birdcage before they flash past the winning post directly opposite. This covered outdoor location is as close as you’ll get to the victories of the winning post.

The Silks Lounge’s view is hard to beat and is an odds-on raceday favourite. The menu for the day has been specially designed by Executive Chef Paul Barrett who relies on the bounty of seasonal Kiwi produce, often incorporating produce grown sustainably onsite.

Get ready for and action-packed 10-race card, headlined by four feature stakes races, including the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m), Gr.2 SkyCity Eclipse Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m).

The Ellerslie SkyCity New Year’s Day Races is the perfect event to carry on the New Year’s festivities, so come and join us.

What: SkyCity New Year’s Day Races

When: Wednesday 1 January 2025 (first race jumps at 12:05pm)

Where: Ellerslie Racecourse (Raceday carparking is accessible via 16 Derby Downs Place, while mobility/accessible parking, ticket collection, drop-offs and foot traffic via 100 Ascot Avenue).