New Zealand Messenger Championship

The New Zealand Messenger Championship is a Group One event for 4 year old pacing horses in New Zealand, run at Alexandra Park. In recent years the race has been held in late April or early May. It is on the same race-night as the Rowe Cup and Northern Trotting Derby for trotters and the New Zealand Sires Stakes Championship. 
The New Zealand Messenger Championship had traditionally been restricted to 4 year-old horses and was the most prestigious race for that age group in New Zealand, and a key guide to feature races in the following season like the New Zealand Trotting Cup and Auckland Cup. This is evidenced by New Zealand Messenger Championship winners and subsequent Cup victors such as Lazarus, Auckland Reactor, Monkey King, Mainland Banner, Elsu and Just An Excuse to name a few. 
For the 2013, 2014 and 2015 years 5 year olds were also eligible to compete in the race. However from 2016 it reverted back to 4 year olds only.