The Chariots of Fire is the single richest four-year-old harness race for Standardbreds in Australia. It is raced in February at Menangle raceway.
Harness racing, also colloquially known as trotting or the trots, is a spectator sport in Australia, with significant amounts of money wagered annually with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). In Australia there are 90 harness racing tracks, which hold over 1,900 meetings annually. There are approximately 2,900 drivers and 4,000 trainers with about 5,000 Standardbred horses foaled and registered each year.
The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Victoria Cup is the premier middle distance harness race of Australia. Conducted over 2575m, rather than the staying distance of over 3000m or the sprint distance of under 2000m, the Victoria Cup was run at the Melbourne Showgrounds up until 1975, when it was shifted to Moonee Valley. In 2009 the SEW Eurodrive Victoria Cup will be run at Harness Racing Victoria's new venue, Melton Entertainment Park at Melton. The race has been part of the Australasian Grand Circuit since 1987. Conducted in February from 1987 to 2003, the race is now conducted over two nights in December, alongside the Australasian Trotting Grand Prix.
The New Zealand Pacing Free For All is a major New Zealand harness race. It is notable as it is a Group One championship sprint race and has been won by nearly every champion pacer in New Zealand.
Harness racing in New Zealand is primarily a professional sport which involves pacing and trotting competitions for Standardbred racehorses. The difference is the horse's gait or running style:
The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final was a race for trotters within the overall Inter Dominion series. The series is held each year, and is a harness racing competition for both trotters and pacers that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. The host of the series is rotated between the 6 harness racing states of Australia and the North and South Islands of New Zealand. However, in recent years the Trotting series has mainly been held in Victoria with other Australian states reluctant to host the series. It forms part of the overall Inter Dominion series for pacers and trotters.
The Dominion is a race held at the Addington Raceway each year in Christchurch, New Zealand for standardbred horses.
The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand.
Gammalite was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins. He won the Inter Dominion Championship twice and was inducted into the Inter Dominion Hall of Fame.
The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand.
Preux Chevalier was a pacer foaled in New Zealand but notable for his racing successes in Australia in 1984 and 1985 including wins in the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, Miracle Mile Pace and A G Hunter Cup.
The Queensland Pacing Championship was the most important event in Queensland harness racing. It is usually the opening leg of the Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit. The race was previously known as the Albion Park Ten Thousand between 1969 and 1974 and then as the Sir Clive Uhr Championship from 1975 to 1980. In 2006 the race was postponed from Saturday to Tuesday due to rain and it was not run in 2007 due to the Equine Influenza outbreak that occurred in Queensland and New South Wales. In April 2016 Racing Queensland announced that the Queensland Pacing Championship would be discontinued due to financial considerations.
Smoken Up is an Australian champion Standardbred race horse bred in New Zealand. He was the first pacer outside North America to record a mile in under 1:50. He was known as Trigger.
Im Themightyquinn is an Australian champion Standardbred race horse notable for being a three time Australian Harness Horse of the Year and three time winner of the Inter Dominion. He was inducted into the Inter Dominion Hall of Fame.
Lazarus is a former champion New Zealand Standardbred race-horse and is now a stud stallion.
Bettor's Delight is a former champion American Standardbred race-horse and one of the World's greatest stud stallions.
Yulestar was a New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, notable for winning the 2000 New Zealand Trotting Cup and the 2001 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship. He was awarded the totle of New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year for the 2000/01 season.
The Race By Grins is a race for 3 year old and older harness horses run at Cambridge Raceway, New Zealand, by the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness club. It is raced over 2200m from a mobile start and is a slot race.
King Of Swing is a New Zealand bred Standardbred racehorse that became Australasia's champion pacer.
