2YO schedule confirmed for 2026

The 2026 2YO season will kick off in January, with harness racing in both islands.

Harness Racing New Zealand has just confirmed the dates and venues for 2YO racing for the first half of next year.

January 23 will see the opening Young Guns Heats at Alexandra Park as well as the first race for the 2YO Pacers at Addington.

The Young Guns series will culminate in the two big finals, the Cardigan Bay Stakes (colts and geldings) and the Delightful Lady Classic (fillies), on March 20.

The Delightful Lady Classic goes from a $70,000 Group 2 to a $100,000 Group 1 while the Trotters’ equivalent, the Young Guns Easton Light Classic was a $50,000 Group 3. It’s now a $100,000 Group 1. It will be held on May 8.

All heats and finals for the three Young Gun series will be at Alexandra Park.

In all there will be five $100,000 Group 1s between January and May next year. In addition to the Cardigan Bay Stakes, the Delightful Lady Classic and the Young Guns Easton Light Classic there will be the Diamond Creek Classic at Invercargill (April 26) and the Avon City Ford Welcome Stakes at Addington on May 22.

Other features of the schedule include the $50,000 Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham on March 29 and the $60,000 Group 2 Sapling Stakes at Ashburton on May 31.

To see the full schedule of 2YO racing (January – May 2026) please click here