Legends Day at Te Rapa on Saturday is building to be one of the race meetings of the summer, with the Rich Hill Champion Middle Distance Series and Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series adding plenty of intrigue to the day.

The $700,000 Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) continues the Rich Hill Champion Middle Distance Series, with Group One winner Snazzytavi sitting atop the leaderboard with 10 points, however, she won’t take her place in Saturday’s field and will likely be overtaken, with the winner of the Herbie Dyke adding seven points to their series tally, while the minor placings will add five (second), four (third), and two (fourth) points to their score.

Last start Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) victor El Vencedor is hot on Snazzytavi’s heels with seven points, while Group One winners La Crique and Ladies Man share third place with six points.

Following Saturday, there will be just two races in the series to go, with the Gr.1 Sport Nation Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) to be run at Ellerslie on February 22 and the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) on Champions Day, March 8, at Ellerslie.

At the conclusion of the series, the horse with the most points accrued will earn a $300,000 bonus, with $150,000 for second, and $50,000 for third, with a 10 percent mandatory trainer payment to be paid from the bonuses.

While there will be plenty of intrigue around local runners and the middle-distance series in the Herbie Dyke, the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Numerian will add some international flavour to the contest.

The Sydney barn will also be represented in the $500,000 Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) by Group One performer and last start A$3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) victor Bosustow, with the Lindsay Park-trained Here To Shock adding further Australian interest to the race.

The sprint feature is also part of the Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series, which holds the same value in bonuses as the middle-distance series.

The sprint series is currently led by last start Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) victor Crocetti on 10 points, however, the Zacinto four-year-old gelding won’t be present at Te Rapa this weekend, and could be usurped in the series by Railway placegetter Luberon and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) placegetter Sacred Satono, who trail by just one point, while fellow BCD Group Sprint contenders Grail Seeker and Babylon Berlin could also leapfrog him in the series if they improve on their current standing of seven points.

Like the middle-distance series, the sprint series will culminate on Champions Day, with the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Kings Plate (1200m) being the final chance to accrue points following this weekend’s contest.

The BCD Group Sprint is shaping to be one of the most hotly contested races of the summer, with glamour colt Savaglee also set to take on his older rivals in the Group One alongside fellow elite-level victors Waitak and Mercurial.

The Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) will also feature on the Te Rapa undercard, with a number of high-class three-year-olds making their bid for next month’s $1.25 million Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) and $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

Rounding out the meeting’s feature races will be the Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m), where a quality line-up will be competing for a share of the $350,000 purse on offer.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief operating officer Darin Balcombe is looking forward to seeing the quality line-up assemble at Te Rapa this weekend and is pleased with the reception of each series.

“It’s great to see the quality of the fields on Saturday at Te Rapa and the interest that these series have created to attract our best horses,” Balcombe said.