Harness racing in New Zealand

Harness racing in New Zealand is more often called trotting in the "old school" rather than the more fashionable name of "harness racing".[1] The sport is long standing with events being held as early as 1864. In New Zealand trotting as a sport involves both pacing and trotting competitions for Standardbred racehorses.[2]

History

Lawn Derby, pacing un-hoppled.

Trotting races were held as part of the programme of some of the galloping meetings in the Otago Southland area as early as 1864. The first totalisators were introduced about this time. They faced opposition from a curious alliance of bookmakers and anti-gambling factions but were approved by the Clubs and licensed by the Colonial Secretary. The first trotting race on a racecourse in Canterbury, in 1875, before the totalisator was introduced, the stake was only about a "tenner" (£10), but the match created a lot of interest. About 1880, Lower Heathcote Racing Club was founded, supporting gallops, but added trotting events to its programme, giving smaller stakes. Some years later the club discontinued gallops and became the Lower Heathcote Trotting Club, which gave stakes ranging from £15 to £35.[2]

The New South Wales bred, Lawn Derby, racing un-hoppled, was the first pacer to break the two-minute barrier in Australia or New Zealand when he recorded 1:59.4 at the Addington track in New Zealand in 1938.[3]

From these early stages, the sport has developed with top races and top horses from then right up to the present day.

Major races

NZ trotter Uncle Petrika

In New Zealand the richest and most important race is the New Zealand Trotting Cup, run for older pacers in November at Addington. Other major races include the Auckland Trotting Cup as well as the Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile and the New Zealand Messenger Championship for four-year-olds. There are also the New Zealand Derby and the Great Northern Derby for three-year-olds, and the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup for trotters. The Harness Jewels raceday (the end-of year championships for two-, three- and four-year-olds) takes place in late May or early June

A marquee event is the annual series which takes place between New Zealand and Australia called the Inter Dominion. The series, which includes a pacing series and a trotting series, is held yearly and rotated around the Australian State Controlling Bodies and once every four years the Inter Dominion Championships are held in New Zealand.

Racing rules

New Zealand racing differs from North American racing in that metric distances are used, generally above the equivalent of one mile and horses are classed by how many wins they have. Another large difference is that in New Zealand racing the leader does not have to hand up the lead to any horse that challenges, often leaving a horse parked outside the leader in the "death seat", "the death", or "facing the breeze", as this horse covers more ground than the leader. New Zealand racing generally has more horses in each race, a field of 12 or 13 is not uncommon. This generally means that with the smaller tracks a "three wide train" starts as the field gets the bell at signal their final lap. There is a system of an 'open lane' or 'passing lane' ('sprint lane' in Australia). These lanes do not operate on all tracks and have been a point of argument between many industry participants. Many horses are able to easily "cross the Tasman" to Australia, as the rules are similar.

United States and Canada

The association with trotting in New Zealand and the United States has always been strong, with much of the breeding stock coming from America. Particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, New Zealand horses competed in both Canada and the United States. The first New Zealand horse to be raced in America by a New Zealander was the trotter Vodka, the winner of the 1953 Dominion Handicap. He was taken there in 1956 by his owner, J. S. Shaw, won 11 races and was later leased to American interests.

In 1960 Caduceus was the first New Zealand pacer to compete in the Yonkers International Series with his trainer-driver, J. D. Litten. Despite his nine years, Caduceus showed he was the equal of the top American horses, winning the last race of the series, only to be disqualified. He also was leased to American interests and at 10 years of age was still winning races.

False Step was driven in the Yonkers International series during the 1960–61 season by his trainer C C Devine. False Step's performances showed he was one of the greatest pacers in the world. He beat the acknowledged American champion, Adios Butler, in a 1½ mile race. He was sold in America for 115,000 dollars, the fifth highest price paid for a pacer in the United States.

Arania also entered the series with False Step. She did not do well, but after being leased won several races and proved she was able to race with the best in America, and in fact created a record of 1 min 57 sec for 1 mile in the Lexington Red Mile.[4]

In 1964, Cardigan Bay was to travel to America with reinsman Stanley Dancer, who paid 100,000 dollars for the horse. Cardigan Bay was already an established racehorse in New Zealand, having won the 1963 New Zealand Trotting Cup and other top races in Australia and New Zealand. He went on to win over a million dollars in the United States, the first harness horse ever to do so.

List of major races

Major horse races in New Zealand
Harness Racing Circuit [5]
Name Distance Current Value Winners
Auckland Trotting Cup2700 m$600,000Winners
Dominion Handicap3200 m$200,000Winners
Great Northern Derby2700 m$600,000Winners
New Zealand Trotting Derby2700 m$300,000Winners
New Zealand Free For All2000 m$200,000Winners
New Zealand Messenger2700 m$200,000Winners
New Zealand Sires Stakes1950 m$200,000Winners
New Zealand Trotting Cup3200 m$750,000Winners
Noel J Taylor Mile1700 m$100,000Winners
Rowe Cup3200 m$300,000Winners

Horse races

List of harness races in New Zealand
Race Date Club Grade Type Stake
Avon City Ford CupSepNZ MetroListedOpen Pace$20,000
Ordeal CupSepNZ MetroListedOpen Trot$20,000
Spring CupSepAucklandListedOpen Pace$25,000
Superstars ChampsOctNZ MetroGroup 24YO Pace$50,000
Searells ClassicOctNZ MetroGroup 3Open Pace$30,000
D G Jones Trotting CupOctBanks PenGroup 3Open Trot$35,000
Kumeu Founders CupOctKumeuGroup 3Open Pace$30,000
Canterbury Park Trotting CupOctNZ MetroGroup 3Open Trot$30,000
Methven CupOctMethvenListedOpen Pace$25,000
Ashburton Flying StakesOctAshburtonGroup 2Open Pace$75,000
Ashburton Trotters Flying MileOctAshburtonGroup 3Open Trot$40,000
Kaikoura CupOctKaikouraGroup 2Open Pace$60,000
Handicap TrotNovKaikouraListedOpen Trot$30,000
New Zealand Sires StakesNovNZ MetroGroup 13YO Pace$300,000
New Zealand Trotting CupNovNZ MetroGroup 1Open Pace$750,000
NZ Free-For-AllNovNZ MetroGroup 3Open Pace$50,000
Discretionary TrotNovNZ MetroListedOpen Trot$25,000
New Zealand Free For AllNovNZ MetroGroup 1Open Pace$200,000
New Zealand Trotting Free-For-AllNovNZ MetroGroup 1Open Trot$100,000
Dominion HandicapNovNZ MetroGroup 1Open Trot$200,000
Pak'N Save Franklin CupNovFranklinGroup 2Open Pace$80,000
Ladyship StakesDecAucklandGroup 23YO Fillies Pace$70,000
Lyell Creek StakesDecAucklandGroup 2Open Trot$50,000
Northern 4YO Breeders StakesDecAucklandGroup 34YO Mares Pace$40,000
Northern StakesDecAucklandListed3YO Pace$25,000
Queen Of HeartsDecAucklandGroup 1Mares Pace$100,000
Elsu ClassicDecAucklandGroup 23YO Pace$70,000
Trotters Flying MileDecCambridgeGroup 2Open Trot$55,000
Sires Stakes Fillies FinalDecAucklandGroup 13YO Fillies Pace$150,000
National TrotDecAucklandGroup 1Open Trot$100,000
Manukau Summer CupDecAucklandGroup 3Open Pace$45,000
3YO OpenDecAucklandListed3YO Pace$200,000
Flying MileJanCambridgeGroup 2Open Pace$75,000
Trotting Cup FFAJanCen OtagoListedOpen Pace$25,000
Flying StakesJanCambridgeListedOpen Trot$30,000
Cambridge 4YO ClassicJanCambridgeGroup 34YO Pace$40,000
Waikato GuineasJanCambridgeListed3YO Pace$27,500
Southland CupJanNorth SouthGroup 3Open Pace$55,000
4YO Futurity StakesJanCambridgeGroup 24YO Pace$60,000
Te Awamutu Juvenile StakeJanCambridgeListed2YO Pace$25,000
4YO ClassicJanMarlboroughGroup 24YO Pace$50,000
Caduceus Club Mares ChampionshipJanNZ MetroGroup 2Mares Pace$50,000
Fillies PaceJanNZ MetroListed3YO Fillies Pace$125,000
FFA MobileJanNZ MetroListedOpen Pace$75,000
4YO ChampionshipFebForburyGroup 34YO Pace$30,000
NZ Sapling StakesFebAshburtonGroup 32YO Pace$30,000
Hambletonian ClassicFebAshburtonGroup 33YO Trot$30,000
NZ Breeders StakesFebNZ MetroGroup 1F & M Pace$100,000
City Of Auckland FFAFebAucklandGroup 2Open Pace$60,000
Northern OaksFebAucklandGroup 13YO Fillies Pace$200,000
NZ Kindergarten StakesFebWyndhamGroup 32YO Pace$30,000
Great Northern DerbyMarAucklandGroup 13YO Pace$600,000
Auckland Trotting CupMarAucklandGroup 1Open Pace$600,000
Cardigan Bay StakesMarAucklandGroup 22YO Pace$50,000
City of Sails FFAMarAucklandGroup 3Open Trot$40,000
Delightful Lady ClassicMarAucklandListed2YO Fillies Pace$25,000
StakesMarCheviotGroup 32YO Fillies Pace$30,000
3YO TrotMarRangioraListed3YO Trot$60,000
Invercargill CupMarInvercargillGroup 3Open Pace$55,000
Canterbury Country Cups FinalMarNZ MetroFeatureOpen Pace$30,000
NZ Trotting DerbyMarNZ MetroGroup 13YO Trot$100,000
Flying StakesMarNZ MetroGroup 23YO Pace$50,000
4YO Trotters ChampMarNZ MetroGroup 34YO Trot$30,000
New Zealand Trotting DerbyAprNZ MetroGroup 13YO Pace$300,000
NZ Trotting ChampsAprNZ MetroGroup 1Open Trot$100,000
Fillies ClassicAprAucklandGroup 12YO Fillies Pace$110,000
NZ Trotting OaksAprNZ MetroGroup 33YO Fillies Trot$30,000
Free-For-AllAprNZ MetroGroup 3Open Pace$30,000
Fillies ClassicAprNorth SouthListed2YO Pace$25,000
Easter CupAprNZ MetroGroup 1Open Pace$100,000
Welcome StakesAprNZ MetroGroup 12YO Pace$100,000
North Island Country Cups FinalAprAucklandFeatureOpen Pace$30,000
Noel J Taylor MileAprAucklandGroup 14YO Pace$100,000
Sires Stakes Trotters ChampionshipAprAucklandGroup 23YO Trot$80,000
Morrinsville Juvenile StakesAprMoriinsvilleListed2YO Pace$30,000
2YO FilliesAprAucklandListed2YO Fillies Pace$150,000
New Zealand MessengerMayAucklandGroup 14YO Pace$200,000
NZ Sires Stakes Fillies ChampsMayAucklandGroup 12YO Fillies Pace$150,000
Rowe CupMayAucklandGroup 1Open Trot$300,000
Northern Trotting DerbyMayAucklandGroup 13YO Trot$100,000
NZ Trotting StakesMayNZ MetroGroup 32YO Trot$30,000
Southern Country Cups FinalMayInvercargillFeatureOpen Pace$35,000
Southland OaksMayInvercargillGroup 23YO Fillies Pace$50,000
Southern Supremacy StakesMayInvercargillGroup 23YO C & G Pace$50,000
Rangiora ClassicMayRangioraGroup 3Open Pace$60,000
Fillies FinalMayNZ MetroGroup 13YO Fillies Pace$150,000
NZ Sires Stakes Trotting ChampionshipMayNZ MetroGroup 22YO Trot$60,000
Yearling Sales 2YO OpenMayNZ MetroListed2YO Pace$200,000
Cambridge 3YO Trotting StakesMayCambridgeListed3YO Trot$25,000
Memorial NZ OaksMayNZ MetroGroup 13YO Fillies Pace$150,000
NZ Sires Stakes FinalMayNZ MetroGroup 12YO Pace$200,000
Kumeu StakesMayAucklandGroup 34YO Pace$30,000
Winter CupMayNZ MetroListedOpen Pace$25,000
NI Breeders StakesMayFranklinGroup 3F & M Pace$30,000
Yearling Sales 2YO TrotMayNZ MetroListed2YO Trot$60,000
Harness Jewels 2YO DiamondMayAshburtonGroup 12YO Fillies Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 3YO DiamondMayAshburtonGroup 13YO Fillies Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 4YO DiamondMayAshburtonGroup 14YO Mares Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 2YO EmeraldMayAshburtonGroup 12YO C & G Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 3YO EmeraldMayAshburtonGroup 13YO C & G Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 4YO EmeraldMayAshburtonGroup 14YO E & G Pace$200,000
Harness Jewels 3YO RubyMayAshburtonGroup 13YO Trot$100,000
Harness Jewels 4YO RubyMayAshburtonGroup 14YO Trot$100,000
Harness Jewels 2YO RubyMayAshburtonGroup 22YO Trot$100,000
Trotting Breeders StakesJunAucklandGroup 3F & M Trot$35,000
Winter CupJunAucklandListedOpen Pace$25,000
NZ Yearling Sales NHT PaceJunAucklandListed2YO Pace$100,000
Greenlane CupJunAucklandListedOpen Trot$25,000
Thames CupJunThamesListedOpen Pace$20,000

See also

References

  1. ↑ Trotting in New Zealand with reinsman C C Devine Archived 2008-10-18 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Original History of trotting in New Zealand
  3. ↑ Brisbane racing: Did you know these harness racing facts? Retrieved 2010-7-18
  4. ↑ New Zealand Horses in America
  5. ↑ Harness Racing New Zealand - List of Major Races
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.