$600,000 Next Gen boost for 2025 Sale yearlings

HRNZ’s latest announcement comes as a timely boost to domestic buyers ahead of the 2025 National Yearling Sale, with an additional $600,000 in bonuses on offer through the launch of Next Gen, a scheme designed to boost ownership and harness racing in New Zealand.

Funded by the TAB, NZB Standardbred and HRNZ, the bonuses are available to certain horses and ownership groups that meet the criteria, designed to support emerging talent and attract new participants to harness racing.

There are two key bonuses with $600,000 total on offer over the next three years, split between the Harness Million 2YO races and a two-year-old second start bonus, with payouts split between the owner, trainer and breeder.

There are three ways for horses to qualify for the bonuses, the first being a yearling is sired by a first or second crop stallion, making 70 yearlings in the upcoming 2025 National Yearling Sale automatically eligible for the scheme.

Another way to qualify, is to buy any yearling from the 2025 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale, and have it trained by a Next Gen trainer, that is, any trainer who has not trained a Group One winner as of 1 January 2025.

The third way to qualify a horse for the Next Gen bonuses is to buy any yearling from the 2025 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale and race with an ownership group of at least four people, where the horse is owned 30% or more by people who are born after 1984 or have never previously been registered with HRNZ as owners.

All yearlings purchased, regardless of the qualifying method, must be nominated for the Harness Million Series, in order to be eligible for the Harness Million-specific bonuses.

On top of the usual Harness Million stakes pool, a $50,000 Harness Million bonus ($35,000 will go to the owner, $10,000 to the trainer and $5000 to the breeder) will be awarded to the first Next Gen eligible horse across the line in each of the three Harness Million 2YO races.

A $5,000 2YO Second Start bonus ($4000 to the owner, $1000 to the trainer) will also be awarded to any Next Gen eligible horse that has two race day starts during their two-year-old season.

To be eligible for the Second Start bonus the yearling must be purchased at any NZB Standardbred eligible sale and meet the Next Gen Sire, Trainer, or Owner criteria.

“It is a great new initiative and timely boost to the industry, and we look forward to our buyers and breeders reaping the rewards in the next three years of this scheme,” commented NZB Standardbred Manager Cam Bray.

“There are many ways to get involved and be eligible for the bonuses, but the key component is purchasing a yearling at our upcoming National Yearling Sale and nominating it for the Harness Million.

“Every horse is eligible for the scheme in one way or another, with those by emerging sires automatically qualifying.

“With the likes of Captain Crunch, Bold Eagle and other quality stallions eligible, it’s a no brainer to get involved.”

“We look forward to the domestic buying bench stepping up and embracing this new initiative with the goal of increasing ownership and generating new interest in harness racing.

“It will certainly be an incentive to race these horses as two-year-olds and bring returns to investors and owners quickly,” added Bray.

Bonuses for Next Gen yearlings:
•    A $50,000 bonus is awarded to the highest-finishing Next Gen-eligible horse in each of the three Harness Million 2YO races, with $35,000 to the owner, $10,000 to the trainer, and $5,000 to the breeder.
•    A $5,000 bonus is also awarded after a horse’s second race-day start as a two-year-old, with $4,000 to the owner and $1,000 to the trainer, available to the first 90 eligible horses to qualify.

2025 National Yearling Sale eligible sires who automatically qualify for Next Gen Series:
•    Bettor’s Wish
•    Bird Parker
•    Bold Eagle
•    Captain Crunch
•    Elite Stride
•    Face Time Bourbon
•    King Of Swing
•    Lather Up
•    McWicked
•    On A Streak
•    Propulsion
•    Stay Hungry
•    Tall Dark Stranger
•    Timoko
•    Ultimate Sniper
•    Village Mystic
•    Zenith Stride

Check out the full list of eligible Next Gen-Sired yearlings click here or look for the Next Gen logo on the online catalogues against a Lot.

These yearlings are already qualified for the Next Gen bonuses being by first or second crop sires, with no additional partnerships or registrations required.

For more information on Next Gen, check out HRNZ’s website click here.

The 2025 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sale takes place on Saturday 15 February at Karaka and Tuesday 18 February at Christchurch, with catalogues available to view online at www.nzbstandardbred.co.nz.

From NZB Standardbred