Harness racing in New Zealand

Harness racing in New Zealand is primarily a professional sport which involves pacing and trotting competitions for Standardbred racehorses.

[1] Trotting races were held as part of the programme of some of the galloping meetings in the Otago Southland area as early as 1864.

[2] They faced opposition from a curious alliance of bookmakers and anti-gambling factions but were approved by the Clubs and licensed by the Colonial Secretary.

The first trotting race on a racecourse in Canterbury, in 1875, before the totalisator was introduced, the stake was only about a "tenner" (£10), but the match created a lot of interest.

About 1880, Lower Heathcote Racing Club was founded, supporting gallops, but added trotting events to its programme, giving smaller stakes.

This generally means that with the smaller tracks a "three wide train" starts as the field gets the bell to signal their final lap.

Other major races include the Auckland Trotting Cup as well as the Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile and the New Zealand Messenger Championship for four-year-olds.

There is also the Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit in which each year points are awarded for placings in the major races in Australia and New Zealand to determine the overall winner.

Despite his nine years, Caduceus showed he was the equal of the top American horses, winning the last race of the series, only to be disqualified.