In recent years the race has been held in late April or early May.
It was previously raced on the same race-night as the Rowe Cup and Northern Trotting Derby for trotters and the New Zealand Sires Stakes Championship.
This is evidenced by New Zealand Messenger Championship winners and subsequent Cup victors such as: For the 2013, 2014 and 2015 years five year olds were also eligible to compete in the race.
However, in 2022 the New Zealand Messenger and its traditional lead up race, the Noel J Taylor Mile, were both opened up to older horses.
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