Age group numbers prompt extra races this week

An influx of harness racing two and three-year-olds has prompted a re-jig of races at both Addington Raceway on Friday and Oamaru on Sunday.

“We had a total of 72 two-year-old pacers and trotters nominated in the South Island this week,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s new Head of Racing and Wagering Matt Peden, “demand has essentially exceeded supply.”

“But it’s a great problem to have.”

To accommodate the numbers three new races have programmed across the two meetings.

At Addington on Friday there were always going to be three Listed NZ Standardbred Harness Million races for the two-year-olds ($75,000 Trot, $150,000 Fillies  Pace, and the $200,000 Colts and Geldings Pace) as well as the $100,000 Group 1 Canprint Flying Stakes Mobile Pace for the three-year-olds.

Now an extra race,  the NZB Standardbred 2YO Colts and Geldings Mobile Pace (4.56pm) has been added, as has Race 2, the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust 3YO Mobile Pace for R47-R54 (5.19pm).

Further south at Oamaru on Sunday it was originally intended to have just one two-year-old race.

But because of the volume of youngsters nominated there will now be two races, one of each sex – Race 5, the Denice Swain Memorial Fillies Mobile Pace (1.48pm) and Race 6, the Republican Party Road to the NZ Cup Mobile Pace (2.13pm).

The winners of both races will be eligible for the Entain two-year-old bonus.

“We always expect great numbers and quality this time of the year but we have been genuinely surprised and delighted to see the depth and calibre of fields that are coming together,” says Peden.

“Judging by Addington and Oamaru things are looking very promising as we look ahead to New Zealand Cup week and beyond.”

To see the Addington fields, click here.

To see the Oamaru fields, click here.

From Harness Racing New Zealand