New-look Vic racing calendar for 2021

A new-look feature calendar will deliver Victorian harness racing an extended limelight period from September to season’s end in 2021.

Kick-starting a colossal carnival of trots on Saturday September 11 will be a new $100,000 Group 1 open-class sprint race at Tabcorp Park Melton. 

The time-honoured Kilmore Pacing Cup will be run on AFL Grand Final Eve, Friday September 24, one week before the TAB Smoken Up Sprint card at Melton on Saturday October 2.

Smoken Up Sprint night will, for the first time, feature heats of Victoria’s blue riband three-year-old classics, the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Oaks, and the Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby.

Derby and Oaks finals will be contested one week later, on Saturday October 9 at Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup night.

In recent years Victoria Cup night has consistently been among the top-five wagering race meetings on the HRV calendar, benefiting from the Spring Carnival timeslot.

“Moving the Derby and the Oaks to later in the year will provide opportunities for our best three-year-old pacers to have a well-earned spell after contesting the two-year-old Breeders Crown and Vicbred series in November and December,” HRV CEO Dayle Brown said.

“The Derby and Oaks finals being moved to Victoria Cup night will only enhance our opportunity to secure mainstream coverage to create an event the industry can be really proud of.”

The TAB Breeders Crown will again be scheduled for November and the Vicbred Super Series for December, culminating in the finals at the popular New Year’s Eve meeting at Melton.

The 2021 TAB Summer of Glory has also been reimagined.

Night one will feature the PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup at Bray Raceway before the carnival moves to Melton for not only nights two and three, but, for the first time, night four.

On the eve of the $500,000 Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup, an all-trotting card will be contested on Friday night February 5, where the headline act will be the What The Hill Great Southern Star, consisting of two $50,000 heats into a $300,000 final that night.

“We are excited about the TAB Summer of Glory in 2021 and the opportunities it presents for the industry,” Brown said.

“The addition of an extra meeting, the all-trotting card on Great Southern Star night, provides the opportunity to showcase our world-class trotters to audiences both domestically and around the world.”

Harness Racing Victoria