The Challenge 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...

 first Group One

Group One

Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...

 race of the season. It is run over a distance of 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

Sunline

Sunline was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the world's highest earning racemare of her time, competing on 48 occasions for 32 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds to earn A$11,351,607. She won races in three different countries, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. She won successive...

, the brilliant 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...

 and Australian visitor and subsequent European Group 1 winner Starcraft

Starcraft (horse)

Starcraft is an Australian-owned Thoroughbred racehorse who came to international attention when he won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket in England in September 2005...

. Seachange is the only dual winner of the race.

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 Spring Classic

Kelt Capital Stakes

The Kit Ormond Memorial Spring Classic is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's richest weight-for-age horse race...

 contenders, with that race being run a month later over 2040m. Along with the 1600m Windsor Park Plate

Stoneybridge Stakes

The Windsor Park Plate is a New Zealand Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay. The race is registered as the Horlicks Plate. It is run over a distance of 1600m in late September. It is the second of the three Group 1 weight-for-ages run in Hawke's Bay's Spring Carnival,...

, these races form the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown.

Winners of the Challenge Stakes

Year	Winner
2011	Mufhasa
2010	Keep The Peace
2009	Tavistock
2008	Fritzy Boy
2007	Seachange Seachange (horse) Seachange is a top New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. She won a record seven Group I races in New Zealand. Her regular rider in New Zealand was Gavin McKeon....
2006	Seachange Seachange (horse) Seachange is a top New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. She won a record seven Group I races in New Zealand. Her regular rider in New Zealand was Gavin McKeon....
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...
2004	Starcraft Starcraft (horse) Starcraft is an Australian-owned Thoroughbred racehorse who came to international attention when he won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket in England in September 2005...
2003	Miss Potential
2002	Sunline Sunline Sunline was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the world's highest earning racemare of her time, competing on 48 occasions for 32 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds to earn A$11,351,607. She won races in three different countries, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. She won successive...
2001	Fritz
2000	Cent Home
1999	Hero
1998	Batavian
1997	Pakaraka Star
1996	Vialli
1995	Marconee
1994	Snap
1993	Calm Harbour
1992	Surfers Paradise Surfers Paradise (horse) Surfers Paradise was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for winning the Cox Plate in 1991. By Crested Wave, Surfers Paradise was named after Queensland's iconic beachside strip....
1991	Rough Habit Rough Habit Rough Habit was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won 11 Group One races on both sides of the Tasman, and won New Zealand's Horse of the Year Award in 1992 and 1995....
1990	Flying Luskin
1989	Catering King
1988	Poetic Prince
1987	Field Dancer
1986	Catering King
1985	Shagolvin