Otaki-Maori WFA

Otaki-Maori Classic is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for sprinters at Otaki Racecourse run over 1600m each February.

Some of New Zealand’s greatest milers have taking out the event, with the likes of Avantage (2020, 2021), Melody Belle (2019), Darci Brahman (2006) and Rough Habit (1991) tasting success in the WFA Classic.

Darci’s Brahma’s win in the race was his last start before going on to finish second to Apache Cat in the 2006 Australian Guineas.

The Group 1 BCD Sprint (1400m) is one of the more reliable form references leading into the race, with plenty of horses tackling the 1400m Group 1 first-up before getting to the mile second-up from a spell.

2023 WFA Classic betting odds

Markets for the 2023 WFA Classic are currently unavailable.

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The WFA Classic is one of New Zealand’s prized events and most betting sites will feature markets on the event.

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Sport Table

Latest WFA Classic News

2023 WFA Classic Field

Horsebetting.com.au will update this page when the 2023 WFA Classic is released.

2022 WFA Classic result

Recent WFA Classic winners

• 2022: Mascarpone gets his Group 1 moment
  Consistent performer Mascarpone capped a frustrating run of five consecutive placings to claim his first victory at the highest level in the 2022 WFA Classic. The Team Rogerson-trained five-year-old son of Shooting To Win is more commonly known as a high-class sprinting commodity having claimed minor placings in races such as the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) and twice in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). Stepping up to the 1600m journey for the first time since finishing unplaced behind the champion mare Probabeel in the 2020 Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), there were many pundits who doubted his ability to stretch to a mile. Mascarpone found the lead without too much pressure and was beautifully rated by apprentice rider Wiremu Pinn, before angling centre track when rounding the home bend in search of better ground. Chased hard by the Jamie Richards-trained pair of Amarelinha and Brando, Mascarpone found a strong kick in the concluding stages to draw clear and register his eighth career victory at start 26.
• 2021: Avantage defends title
  Avantage continued her march into the realms of superstardom when she made it career Group One number eight with a gritty win in the Group 1 WFA Classic. Unbeaten in three starts, all at Group One level, in her current campaign, Avantage was confidently expected to take Otaki’s elite feature on Saturday to make it four in a row and she duly obliged under a confident ride from Opie Bosson. Bosson had the Fastnet Rock mare positioned perfectly outside the pacemaker Deerfield throughout before issuing a confident challenge at the 300m. Kept up to her work by Bosson, Avantage held out a gallant late bid from Callsign Mav, who had tracked all the way and took the victory by half a length with Travelling Light showing her best form of late with a nice run into third.
• 2020: Avantage leads home stable quinella
  Te Akau Racing produced a one-two finish in the Group One Classic at Otaki with Avantage beating Prise De Fer. The Jamie Richards-trained Avantage and Prise De Fer fought it out down the Otaki straight, with the four-year-old mare coming out on top to add to her win in last month’s Group 1 Telegraph. Under a cool ride from Danielle Johnson, Avantage travelled sweetly before creeping along the rail at the 500m. While a number of the day’s winners had come wide in the home straight Avantage gained a critical length on her stablemate. She held Prise de Fer by three-quarters of a length to give Johnson a second Group One win on Avantage.
• 2019: Melody Belle claims more Group 1 glory
  Fresh off victory in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa earlier in the month, the Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle was confidently expected to prevail despite being dealt a blow earlier in the week when she drew barrier 13 in the 14-horse field. Rider Opie Bosson followed that recipe to the letter as he positioned the mare nicely in behind the speed despite travelling wide for the better part of the first 800m. Melody Belle was travelling easily as she moved into contention before Bosson sent her to the extreme outside to make her challenge. Hitting the front at the 300m mark the glamour mare kept up a powerful run to defeat local galloper Wyndspelle with Takanini visitor Consensus fighting bravely for third. The win took Melody Belle’s career record to ten wins from 19 starts, five of those at Group One level, and over $1.5million in stakes earnings.
• 2018: Davise breaks through for first Group 1 win
  Good things come to those who wait as the connections of Devise found at Hastings. A multiple black type place getter, the mare broke through at the highest level when triumphant in the Group 1 WFA Classic. Devise was given an economical trip behind the pace by Michael Coleman who brought her into contention with a well-timed run in the straight.

WFA Classic past winners list

WFA Classic Past Winners Pre 2000