South Australian Harness Racing has received a boost with the announcement of a suite of additional feature races on the 2025 calendar. These events will take place at Globe Derby and support a broad range of classes.
The following races have been financially contributed to by The Seymour Group and South Australian Harness Racing Club (SAHRC) to top up the base level of prizemoney offered by HRSA:
• $14,000 monthly races, rotated through all classes
• Saturday February 22: SA Pot of Gold Pacers Final 4YO+ up to 59 $25,000 for horses trained in SA as of February 1 (heats Feb 15 into finals)
• Saturday April 26: Adelaide Pacing Cup Open $25,000 for horses that raced in or were balloted from at least one SA Country Cup race in March or April
• Saturday 28 June: Emerging Stars Final 3YO+ $25,000 No more than 1 win over $4,500 (five weeks of heats into finals series, must be SA trained as of May 26)
• Further $25,000 races TBA including supporting of trotting ranks
• A six-figure slot race TBA
A complete list of feature races for the first half of the 2025 season in SA can be found here:
JANUARY TO JUNE 2025 SA FEATURE DATES
(Seymour Group/SAHRC contributed races coded in yellow for heats and green for finals)
The objective of the Seymour/SAHRC prizemoney contribution is multi-faceted:
• To support participants and owners
• To incentivise bloodstock acquisition to SA and local breeding programs
• To promote Globe Derby Park and SA harness racing
These races support and complement the existing SA schedule of both feature and regular racing which includes an evolving 2YO race calendar, a two-pronged Cup series with one in the Autumn (SA Country Cup) celebrating regional venues and local talent, and one in the Spring (SA Cup) open to all-comers, a remodified Southern Cross Series and bonus scheme with broader first win payment allocations and a targeted eligibility for race series, plus a unique prizemoney and subsidy model that assists to counter the rising costs encountered by trainers.
With a prizemoney increase last financial year of 33% South Australia is evolving into a desirable jurisdiction for a wide range of tried horses, and therefore a haven for connections looking to either forge or extend a horse’s career. The local rules in SA are some of the most beneficial to the national ratings framework, by way of achieving:
• Greater support of 2YOs and 3YOs horses through rating concession, which in turn is growing the ranks in these group to A) curate a boutique volume of runners to enjoy a prizemoney matrix designed for a greater volume of horse than currently hosting, and B) data clearly highlights these horses are dominant outside their age group in lifetime wins races, in which SA aggressively programs
• Emerging talent is well supported with concessions followed by a designated path through lifetime wins races to shield from established high career win/low rating category runners until such a point that is warranted to compete against
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With a fast class rating band of 70+ in SA there is room for growth in these ranks, of which now have decent ongoing prizemoney and a growing number of feature races being programmed
• Established horses looking to extend a career into their third act are generally well placed in SA and further supported by an appropriate offering of rating exempt races and limitations and other conditions to accommodate this age group without interrupting the integrity of the overall model
With a rising number of population, HRSA has taken the step to employ two new staff members, officially commencing for 2025 next week. Peter Foreman will be a new voice greeting many of you to assist Racing Operations Manager David Thuen in the Racing Office from Monday to Friday. Additionally, Toby McKinnon Head of Racing & Strategy at HRA will be lending his services to HRSA 1-2 days per week. Among other positive outcomes, this will allow HRSA to plan and release a number of initiatives throughout the season with ample lead-in time for participants. These appointments are a great coup for SA and will complement the current team to best serve the industry.
For any queries please contact:
HRSA CEO Dean Elliott delliott@saharness.org.au
