The Race by Grins

Last updated

The Race by Grins Mobile Pace
Listed race
LocationCambridge Raceway, New Zealand
Inaugurated2022
Race type Standardbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance2200m
TrackLeft-handed oval
Qualification3 year old and older pacers
PurseNZ $1,000,000 (2024)

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.

Contents

History

The Race by Grins was first held in 2022. It involves each potential race entry (slot) being sold to a purchaser (slot holder) who secures a spot in the race for three years. The slot holder may then liaise with the trainers and owners of high quality racehorses that may potentially fill the slot and contest the race. The slot holders will enter into independent arrangements with the horse owners/trainers in regards the distribution of any prize money won.

In 2022, one of the horses was withdrawn prior to the fields being drawn. From 2023 the Race by Grins has a pool of horses available from which slot holders can select a replacement for any horse withdrawn prior to acceptance time. There will also be one emergency drawn in the field. [1]

Grins, the initial race sponsor is a ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage associated with New Zealand rugby representatives Stephen Donald, Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie. [2] [3] [4]

It was intended to introduce a trotting version of the slot race in 2023 but this did not occur due to a lack of funding. [5] However, in 2024 an inaugural trotters slot event, the TAB Mobile Trot was held for a stake of $600,000 [6] The two slot races have attracted the best combined fields of New Zealand and Australian horses for many years. [7] [8] [9]

The 2024 edition was won by Merlin in a time of 2:35.1 which set a new New Zealand record for the 2200m journey beating the previous record of 2:35.4 by Ultimate Sniper in November 2019. [10]

Race results

The past winners of the race are as follows:

Year
Stake
Winner
Driver
Trainer(s)
Time
Second
Third
2024$1,000,000Merlin [11] Zachary ButcherBarry Purdon & Scott Phelan2:35.10Don't Stop DreamingKango
2023 [12] $1,000,000 Copy That [13] Blair OrangeRay Green [14] 2:36.3Old Town Road Self Assured
2022 [15] $ 862,500 Self Assured [16] Mark Purdon Mark Purdon & Hayden Cullen2:37.5Majestic CruiserSpankem

Other major races

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ no-byline (2023-01-14). "Cambridge race gets bigger". Cambridge News. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ↑ "Grins get around The Race". www.hrnz.co.nz.
  3. ↑ "Spy: All Blacks hope to score big with their new RTD brand". NZ Herald. April 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Our Story". Grins.
  5. ↑ "TAB Trot Slot Holders Confirmed | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz.
  6. ↑ "Big plans in pipeline for The Race By Grins". www.hrnz.co.nz.
  7. ↑ Hamilton, Adam. "Hamilton: Slot races to reinvigorate harness racing". Harness Racing Victoria.
  8. ↑ "Australian invasion set for million dollar slot race". NZ Herald. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  9. ↑ "NZ's richest ever harness race draws one of deepest fields in 25 years". NZ Herald. April 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ Stewart, Bruce (April 12, 2024). "Merlin the millionaire - Harnesslink".
  11. ↑ Turner, Jonny (April 13, 2024). "Magic night for Merlin in $1m The Race by Grins". Otago Daily Times Online News.
  12. ↑ Reid, Brad (April 14, 2023). "Winners are grinners: Copy That blows them away in $1 million feature - Harnesslink".
  13. ↑ https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news/copy-that-again-shows-his-class-in-the-1m-race-by-grins/
  14. ↑ Lichter, Barry (24 March 2023). "Ray's got the Grins after Copy That's clinical win sees odds slashed for $1 million slot race". Lincoln Farms. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "Horse racing: Cambridge racing bosses to create richest night in NZ harness racing history". NZ Herald. April 13, 2024.
  16. ↑ Guerin, Michael (14 June 2022). "Favourite Self Assured too good in The Race". Night of Champions. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
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