Harness Racing New South Wales’ award-winning game Fantasy Harness Racing is back for Season 2 with a new-look format that’s sure to captivate racing fans across the country.
Hot off the success of Season 1 which saw more than 2500 participants manage and manoeuvre their squad of drivers, the first-of-its-kind concept returns in a new timeslot with some key additional features that will shake up the game.
Such was its popularity, Fantasy Harness Racing won the Harness Racing Australia award for best innovation earlier this year.
Season 2 will launch on Monday, 27 November when the barrier arms fold back for race 1 at Goulburn.
The season will culminate with a blockbuster triple points score offering at Club Menangle on 25 May, 2024 when the annual TAB Regional Championships State Final is contested.
This season, drivers will be accumulating points across 26 rounds, with more bonus points and a more dynamic pricing system in play.
There will be more opportunities to win as well with cash prizes up for grabs, VIP hospitality and holiday experiences at the 2024 TAB Eureka and Lets Trot merchandise packs for weekly winners.
In addition, the top 100 eligible players at season’s end will win an exclusive Fantasy Harness Racing cap, uniquely branded with your finishing position.
“We have definitely made every effort to make the game more dynamic but equally to give more people the chance to be part of the prize offering in Season 2,” HRNSW Marketing and Communications Manager Paul Cochrane said.
“There were key learnings from Season 1 and we knew very early on how we wanted to evolve the game as we progressed. We sent out a survey to all registered players at season’s end and it was pretty clear through the feedback that we got that our passionate fans were thinking the same way, so we’re excited to be able to implement those changes and provide a really exciting game in Season 2.”
Players who thought they’d mastered Fantasy Harness Racing may have to re-think their strategy given the changes that they’ll see when the game returns later this month. Some key initiatives are:
- Variable pricing – meaning a drivers price will rise or fall week on week depending on how they have scored
- Changes to the salary cap – you’ll now get $14.5 million to spend – up by $100,000
- Reduction in trades – with variable pricing in play the trades will become a more strategic play, so they’ve been reduced to two per round
- More racing – this season every race meeting in NSW between Monday to Saturday will constitute a round. That means more tracks in play and more points being scored by drivers
“There is no doubt this is going to bring far more intrigue and strategy to the game. I have no doubt we’ll see more volatility in scoring week on week and therefore greater opportunity for players to make big leaps or falls on the overall leaderboard,” Mr Cochrane said.
“Players are going to have to manage their salary cap and budget and with a driver’s price fluctuating week on week, players will have to make a decision on when to make their move at the trade table.”
“The addition of more racing is exciting too. That means more tracks and more drivers having the ability to generate points throughout the round which will put greater emphasis on captaincy choice, given they will get double points as your skipper.”
The League functionality will also return in Season 2 with players able to form head to head groups and take each other on in weekly battles.
Registrations for Season 2 are now open. Don’t delay in signing up and setting up your team for the chance to win some amazing prizes.
Head to www.fantasyharnessracing.com to play!
