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April is a big month for harness racing in the south with total stakes of $700,000 on offer.
The Winton Harness Racing Club hold their Cup Day at Central Southland Raceway in Winton on Saturday 9 April, the feature races including the Winton Businesses Cup raced for a stake of $20,000 over a distance of 2400 metres, the $25,000 Southern Belle Speed Series Final supported by Vet South Equine, the Southern Standardbred Breeders Assn and AON Insurance over a distance of 1609 metres and a 2400 metre heat of the Alabar Supremacy Stakes for $15,000.
Just five days later the Wyndham Harness Racing Club hold their Kindergarten Stakes Day on Thursday 14 April, the day before Good Friday, at Young Quinn Raceway in Wyndham. The main feature is the Macca Lodge Group 2 NZ Kindergarten Stakes, a race with a stake of $50,000 raced over 1609 metres and part of the 3 Diamonds 2-year-old series. There is also a Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks heat on the programme plus the Hunter Family Handicap Pace and Trotters Gold Chip Final.
The Invercargill Harness Racing Club host the last two meetings of the month at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill.
The first is on the afternoon of 22 April with the highlight being the final heats of the Alabar Supremacy Series and the Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks Heat, then just one week later, on Saturday 30 April, one of the highlights of the season – Diamonds Day – will take place.
Diamonds Day, with stakes in excess of $290,000, is the culmination of several of the south’s major series and the day will see the running of the Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks Final and the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final, both races Group 2 events with stakes of $50,000 over a distance of 2700m. The other Group 2 race on the programme is the $60,000 Diamond Creek Farm Classic for 2-year-olds. The $30,000 Regent Car Court Southern Cups Final is also on the programme and the Invercargill Club are working on some exciting promotions for the day including a ‘Diamond’ feature.
Vaccine passes are no longer required by the time these meetings roll around and with increased indoor limits and no limits outdoors Southern Harness Racing looks forward to welcoming back patrons in good numbers.
