Inter Dominion series to proceed as planned

Following this week’s release of the NSW State Government’s Roadmap to Recovery, the Inter Dominion Planning Work Group has confirmed the 2021 Inter Dominion Series will proceed in accordance with the originally published conditions.

The Roadmap to Recovery winds back restrictions over three stages. Stage three is scheduled to take effect from 1 December and will enable major outdoor recreation facilities, which includes racecourses, to operate with crowds based on a ratio of one person to every two square metres with no cap on crowd numbers. Domestic and regional travel will also be permitted.

The series commences on Saturday night 27th November and this night will be conducted at Club Menangle in accordance with Stage 2 of the Roadmap to Recovery. This will enable a crowd based on a ratio of one person to every four square metres with a cap of 5,000 people. The remainder of the series will be conducted under Stage 3 conditions, as detailed above however the HRNSW Covid-19 Pathway Protocols will be followed throughout the remainder of 2021.

In accordance with the original conditions the series will be conducted as follows: Round 1 Heats – Saturday night 27th November at Club Menangle (Stage 2 cap of 5000) Round 2 Heats – Wednesday night 1st December at Bathurst Round 3 Heats – Sunday afternoon 5th December at Newcastle Grand Finals – Saturday night 11th December at Club Menangle.

Harness Racing NSW and Club Menangle will continue to monitor conditions as the restrictions ease over the month ahead. The HRNSW Covid Management Group will have a focus to work with Government in relation to State borders so as to provide for visiting trainers to enter NSW for the Carnival. The safety of participants, patrons and staff will always come first and the series will be conducted in accordance with the NSW Health guidelines in place at that time.

First Round of Inter Dominion Rankings
Inter Dominion nominations closed on Monday 27 September and today has seen the release of the first round of rankings for the pacers and trotters. Given the circumstances, the nominations are outstanding with 103 pacers and 64 trotters appearing on the following ranking lists.

The pacers are headed by last seasons Grand Circuit Winner, King of Swing with the Trotters headlined by Trotting Masters Champion, Tornado Valley. The second round of rankings will be released on Wednesday 27 October following on from the first acceptances, which close on Monday 25 October.