The Kit Ormond Memorial Spring Classic (formerley Kelt Capital Stakes) is a Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

 run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:...

 and is New Zealand's

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 richest weight-for-age horse race. It is run at a distance of 2040m and in 2011 will carry prizemoney of NZ$3000,000.

The race was sponsored by Kelt Capital Limited, and in particular the owner thereof Sam Kelt, a strong supporter of New Zealand and particularly Hawke's Bay racing. The growth in prizemoney was substantial in the decade up to 2008. In 2000 it was worth $250,000; in 2002 it was the equal richest race in New Zealand at $500,000 and in 2004 it was New Zealand's first million-dollar race for more than a decade. The race was worth $2,000,000 in 2007 and 2008, but the stake had to be reduced to $1,200,000 in 2009 as that level was deemed unsustainable. The 2010 running was worth $250,000, below several major races in New Zealand but still slightly ahead in terms of weight-for-age races. The race has been renamed the Spring Classic after Kelt Capital pulled their sponsorship.

The race is run on the first Saturday in October, along with two other Group features, the Hawke's Bay Guineas

Hawke's Bay Guineas

The Hawke's Bay Guineas is a major Thoroughbred horserace in New Zealand for three year old horses. In 2003 the stake was boosted to $100,000 and the race was moved to the first Saturday in October, meaning that it is run on the same day as the Spring Classic....

 for three year olds and a 1400m handicap formerly known as the G.R. Kelt Memorial. The weather in the Hawke's Bay's means the track conditions are usually excellent.

The race is now regarded as New Zealand's premier weight-for-age

Weight for Age

Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...

 race and has attracted interest from overseas, most notably with subsequent world champion miler Starcraft who ran second in 2004.

Winners of the Spring Classic

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Time
2011	Jimmy Choux Jimmy Choux Jimmy Choux is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. On 5 March 2011, he won the 135th running of the New Zealand Derby. In doing so, he became the first horse since Surfers Paradise in 1990 to win both the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the New Zealand Derby....	Jonathan Riddell	John Bary	2:06.24
2010	Wall Street	Michael Coleman	Jeff Lynds	2:02.97
2009	Vosne Romanee Vosne Romanee Vosne Romanee is a three time Group 1 winning New Zealand Horse. While being a competitive Group 1 horse earlier in his career, he rose to prominence as a seven year-old in 2009/10. His biggest win came as one of the longshots in the Kelt Capital Stakes in October 2009, while he followed it up with...	Buddy Lammas	Jeff Lynds	2:08.42
2008	Princess Coup Princess Coup Princess Coup is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. She is most noted for twice winning the Kelt Capital Stakes, New Zealand's premier race, in 2007 and 2008. She also won the 2007 New Zealand Oaks and 2008 Stoneybridge Stakes, and ran third in the 2007 Caulfield Cup...	Opie Bosson	Mark Walker	2:04.58
2007	Princess Coup Princess Coup Princess Coup is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. She is most noted for twice winning the Kelt Capital Stakes, New Zealand's premier race, in 2007 and 2008. She also won the 2007 New Zealand Oaks and 2008 Stoneybridge Stakes, and ran third in the 2007 Caulfield Cup...	Noel Harris	Mark Walker	2:04.16
2006	Legs	Lisa Cropp	Kevin Gray	2:03.82
2005	Xcellent Xcellent Xcellent is a thoroughbred racehorse who was trained by Michael-Patrick Moroney.He won 6 races from his first 9 career starts, including four Group Ones - The New Zealand Derby and New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie Racecourse, and the Mudgway Stakes and Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings...	Michael Coleman	Mike & Paul Moroney	2:03.21
2004	Balmuse	Jamie Bullard	Kevin Myers	2:05.03
2003	Distinctly Secret	Opie Bosson	Mark Walker	2:03.64
2002	Prized Gem	Michael Rodd	Murray Baker	2:04.10
2001	Cinder Bella	Lance O'Sullivan	Karen Zimmerman	2:03.31
2000	The Message	Linda Ballantyne	John Ralph	2:03.91
1999	Cent Home	David Walker	Jim Wallace	2:02.16
1998	Just Call Me Sir	Trudy Collett	Moira Murdoch	2:04.06
1997	Moss Downs	Michael Coleman	Chris McNab	2:03.63
1996	Love Dance	Gary Grylls	Bev & Ken Kelso	2:03.41
1995	Italian Saint	Tony Allan	Noel Eales	2.03.41
1994	Solvit	David Walsh	Moira Murdoch	2.00.16
1993	Calm Harbour	Lance O'Sullivan	Noel Eales	1.59.70
1992	Veandercross Veandercross Veandercross was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred gelding who won 14 stakes races, , and was chosen Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year for the 1992/93 season....
1991	Castletown Castletown (horse) Castletown is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse who won over $2 million in prize money and is best known for winning one of New Zealand's toughest staying tests, the Wellington Cup, on three occasions. He had over 100 starts, from two to eight years of age, including a record 13 races over...
1990	Timandra Steed
1989	Lomondy
1988	Classic Bay
1987	Secret Seal
1986	Lomondy
1985	Always Summer
1984	Commissionaire
1983	Commissionaire
1982	Ruanuku
1981	Serendiper
1980	Harmanaire
1979	La Mer La Mer (horse) La Mer was a thoroughbred racehorse, who raced from 1976 to 1979. She raced and won 24 times from 1200m to 2400m, and won $223,604 in stake money....
1978	La Mer La Mer (horse) La Mer was a thoroughbred racehorse, who raced from 1976 to 1979. She raced and won 24 times from 1200m to 2400m, and won $223,604 in stake money....
1977	Balmerino
1976	Duty Free
1975	Curly Wave
1974	Guest Star
1973	Duty Free
1972	Count Kereru
1971	Game
1970	Game
1969	Game
1968	Dalvui
1967	Terrific
1966	Palisade
1965	Empyreus
1964	Tatua
1963	Picaroon
1962	Moy
1961	Picaroon
1960	Picaroon
1959	Supertax
1958	Rover
1957	Pinnacle Ridge
1956	Syntax
1955	Redcraze Redcraze Redcraze was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced both in Australia and New Zealand, winning major races in both countries....