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The Race slot holders confirmed

Slot holders for New Zealand’s first slot race, the first harness racing slot race in Australasia, and New Zealand’s richest harness race, The Race have been confirmed. The inaugural edition of The Race will be held at Cambridge Raceway in April will carry an initial stake of $900,000, with prizemoney expected to surpass $1 million in its second and third years.  Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness Inc. have today released the names of the 10 ...

Harness racing’s “The Race” sold out

Harness racing’s first slot race is now confirmed for three years with all 10 slots in the $900,000 event sold.The Race, based on the hugely successful Everest thoroughbred race in Sydney, will has its inaugural running at Cambridge on April 14, with the host club hoping to raise the stake to $1.1million by 2024 making it the richest horse race in New Zealand and richest harness race in the Southern Hemisphere.While the slot holders will not be named until Wednesday, Waikato-Bay Of Plenty Harn...

It's all go for The Race

By Michael GuerinNew Zealand’s first ever slot race is now certain to go ahead at Cambridge on April 14 but club officials are giving potential slot buyers another week to finalise bids because of Covid.The Race has already attracted eight confirmed slot holders with a number of other applications for the remaining two slots expected but delayed as bidders try to clarify travel restrictions for horses and people involved.But with eight slots already sold the 2200m mobile pace will go ahead eve...

Pembrook Playboy back from untimely injury

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News desk  Star pacer Pembrook Playboy is on the verge of a race day comeback.The winner of 11 from 27 starts was cruelly denied a start in last year’s New Zealand Cup after suffering a leg injury just days out from the big race.As it turned out it wasn’t too serious.“We were lucky really,” says trainer-driver Nathan Williamson, “he had torn a muscle in his hindquarters.”His recovery since has gone well, with Williamson gradually increasing the five-yea...

Applications now open for The Race

By Michael GuerinNew Zealand’s first ever harness slot race has taken a major step forward with official applications now open for slot holders for The Race.The $900,000 pace at Cambridge on April 14 will likely have 10 slots sold for $75,000 a year, with the first contracts for three years.Once purchased a slot holder can race a horse of their own in that slot or engage another horse for it, with a minimum return of $37,500 so no slot holder can lose more than half their investment even if th...

South Coast Arden staying home

South Coast Arden’s assault on the $1million Miracle Mile is over before he even got to take his first public steps toward the great race. Trainer Brent Mangos says the restrictions on travel between Australia and New Zealand simply made getting staff and even a driver back and forth across the Tasman too difficult so after meeting with the gelding’s connections they have changed their targets.“It is a real shame as it was a race I was looking forward to going after,” says Mangos.He has ...

Moran, "Would Love" Slot in The Race

Trainer David Moran says he would love to get a slot in The Race with forgotten Aussie super pacer Lochinvar Art.And while he has some big targets at home to get through first, Moran says bringing a top horse to New Zealand is something he has always dreamed of.Lochinvar Art returns to public at the Melton trials on Tuesday to start a new campaign aimed at the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile.He missed almost all of 2021 because of two separate issues, suffering a corn before cracking a cannon bone.D...

The Box Seat discuss THE RACE

The Box Seat's Michael Guerin and Greg O'Connor discuss the announcement of The Race on their December 21, 2021 episode....

NZ's first slot race confirmed for Cambridge

New Zealand's racing first "slot" race based around the hugely successful Everest concept has been confirmed for Cambridge in April, but with a significant stake increase that will instantly make it the richest harness race in New Zealand. The $900,000 invite-only race on April 14 will be simply called The Race. Harness Racing New Zealand programmed the race as part of their radical overhaul of the New Zealand calendar for 2022 and the idea has now been picked up by the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Har...