Here are the current points for 2025, up to and including Forbury Park TC on 19th June 2025.

The Trotter of the Year includes all Southern Harness managed meetings including Oamaru, and Forbury. 

Points are awarded as follows:

1st - 6pt     2nd - 4pt     3rd - 3pt     4th - 2pt

If you have any questions regarding the Trotter of the Year points please call Russell Morton, 221 7136 or  0274 429 759.

2025 STANDINGS after 11 meetings (up to & including 18th May 2025)

• The top 10 most raced horses that have started at an Invercargill Harness meeting only and who have won 1 or more races at an Invercargill Harness meeting during the period from 1 August 2024 to 6 July 2025 inclusive will be eligible for the bonus.  There are 15 race meetings hosted by the club during this period. 
• All horses that meet the criteria above will be eligible for the bonus with the top 10 receiving it. The list of bonus eligible horses will be published on the Southern Harness website and the Invercargill Harness Racing Facebook page.  
• The top starter will get $5,000, the remaining horses from 2nd – 10th in the top 10 list will get $2,500 each.  That’s $27,500 worth of bonuses! 
• If in the case of a tie a countback will be done on most wins, then most seconds and then most thirds.  If a tie is still held then highest stakes money earned at the Invercargill HRC meetings during that period will determine the final standings. 
• Bonuses will be payable to the registered owner(s) of the horse after the last Invercargill HRC meeting is held on 6 July 2025. 
• In case of any dispute the Invercargill HRC Committee will have the final decision. 

A series will run consisting of 14 qualifying races and a final.

To be eligible for the final your horse must start in at least 2 heats.

Selection for the final will be based on points (highest to lowest).

The Final will be R55 & Faster Special Handicap Pace for a stake of $40,000.

Front: R55-69, 10m: R70-R79, 20m: R80-R89, 30m:R90-R99, 40m: R100 & faster

Points will be:-

1^st – 10

2^nd – 5

3^rd – 3

4^th – 1

** (Denotes only started in 1 heat)

Races will be held:-

This series for 4 year old and older mares will continue in the current season and will be known as the Southern Belle Speed Series.

The series will consist of four heats and a final as follows:-

The conditions of the series are as follows:-

1. Open to all 4 year old and older mares up to R70 as at 1^st January 2025.
2. The heats will be Preferential Barrier Draw based on winning stakes using the Track Grid. The final will have an open draw.
3. To be eligible to start in the final any mare must have started in a heat of the series.
4. Where a mare is accepted and that heat is cancelled and starts in another race on that day the mare will become eligible for the final at the discretion of the Club’s balloting committee which hosts the final.
5. The winner of a heat will gain automatic qualification for the final. A horse can win two heats and then be ineligible to start in any further heats.
6. Mares will earn points in the heats as follows:   1^st – 10 points, 2^nd – 5 points, 3^rd – 3 points, 4^th – 1 point.
7. A minimum of 6 horses will be required for a heat to be run.

The highest points scorers in the heats will be selected to start in the final – a maximum of 13 starters – mares with equal points will be selected at the discretion of the Club holding the final.

Mares selected to start in the final will not be eligible to start in other races on the day of the final.

QUALIFICATION FOR FINALS:

a) To be eligible to contest the Southern Oaks Final or Southern Supremacy Final a three-year-old horse must have contested at least one heat or been eliminated from a heat or accepted for an abandoned heat.

b) All heats will be run under Preferential Barrier Draw conditions, based on Winning Stakes.

c) The winner of Heats 1 and 2 in each series automatically qualifies for its respective final.

d) The first three placegetters in Heats 3 and 4 automatically qualify for their respective finals.

e) Selection Criteria for Finals: after Automatic Qualifiers fill their positions in the respective Finals, the balance of each field will determined by the host club, based on overall racing performance of those that have contested at least one heat or been eliminated from a heat or accepted for an abandoned heat. Preference will be given to horses that contested a heat, over those eliminated or accepted for an abandoned heat.

f) All automatic qualifiers will not be permitted to accept for any other race on the programme of the Invercargill HRC on 27 April 2025.

g) A nomination for each Final must be made with the host club in the normal manner.

h) The host club reserves the right to extend Nominations for the Finals, if in its view there are insufficient entries.

i) Both Finals will have a maximum of 12 starters: 8 from front line and 4 from. Up to two emergencies may be selected.

j) A minimum of six horses will be required for a heat to be run, unless otherwise agreed to by HRNZ.

k) In the event a heat is abandoned owing to insufficient entries, a replacement heat may be sort.

l) Southern Harness reserves the right to alter or amend conditions of these series, if required, following approval from HRNZ.

QUALIFICATION FOR FINALS:

a) To be eligible to contest the Southern Oaks Final or Southern Supremacy Final a three-year-old horse must have contested at least one heat or been eliminated from a heat or accepted for an abandoned heat.

b) All heats will be run under Preferential Barrier Draw conditions, based on Winning Stakes.

c) The winner of Heats 1 and 2 in each series automatically qualifies for its respective final.

d) The first three placegetters in Heats 3 and 4 automatically qualify for their respective finals.

e) Selection Criteria for Finals: after Automatic Qualifiers fill their positions in the respective Finals, the balance of each field will determined by the host club, based on overall racing performance of those that have contested at least one heat or been eliminated from a heat or accepted for an abandoned heat. Preference will be given to horses that contested a heat, over those eliminated or accepted for an abandoned heat.

f) All automatic qualifiers will not be permitted to accept for any other race on the programme of the Invercargill HRC on 27 April 2025.

g) A nomination for each Final must be made with the host club in the normal manner.

h) The host club reserves the right to extend Nominations for the Finals, if in its view there are insufficient entries.

i) Both Finals will have a maximum of 12 starters: 8 from front line and 4 from. Up to two emergencies may be selected.

j) A minimum of six horses will be required for a heat to be run, unless otherwise agreed to by HRNZ.

k) In the event a heat is abandoned owing to insufficient entries, a replacement heat may be sort.

l) Southern Harness reserves the right to alter or amend conditions of these series, if required, following approval from HRNZ.

To provide a stimulus to harness racing in Southland when racing is traditionally more quiet, the Southern Surge is designed to launch the 2025 spring racing by creating early targets for southern based horses.

Across eight races on August 3 and 10 southern based harness horses will compete in $15,000 heats to qualify for eight $25,000 finals on 24 August at Gore.

The below Series Summary and General Conditions govern the running of this series.

Southern Surge Pacers

$15,000 Heats and $25,000 Finals will be run for the following divisions on these race days.

Divisions:

1. Non-Win (Open Draw)
2. 1-Win (Open Draw)
3. R35-R39 with multiple race wins (Open Draw)
4. R40-R50 (PBD Rating & Winning Stakes)
5. R51-R65 (PBD Rating & Winning Stakes)

Southern Surge Trotters

$15,000 Heats and $25,000 Finals will be run for the following divisions on these racedays.

Divisions:

1. Non-Win (Open Draw)
2. R35-R45 Special Handicap (Hcps: R35-R40 Ft, R41-R45 10m)
3. R46-R70 Special Handicap (Hcps: R46-R55 Ft, R56-R62 10m, R63-R70 20m)

2025 Southern Surge General Conditions

• The Southern Surge is restricted to horses aged 3YO & Older.
• To be eligible to contest this series, horses must be registered through HRNZ with a harness racing trainer(s) based south of the Waitaki River, prior to or from 1 July 2025 through Sunday 24 August 2025; or, have an official Horse Movement lodged with HRNZ to a harness racing trainer(s) based south of the Waitaki River, prior to or from 1 July 2025 through Sunday 24 August 2025
• Eligibility for division heats will be determined at the time of acceptance.
• Field selection for division heats will be based on race form, as determined by the HRNZ Bureau, pursuant to the HRNZ Handicapping Regulations.
• Horses’ eligibility for heats will be determined by their actual Rating at the time of acceptance. No junior driver concessions will be applicable for this series.
• To be eligible to contest a division Final on 24 August 2025 a horse(s) must have competed in at least one heat of its respective Southern Surge division. Horses that have been eliminated or are forced scratchings, as emergencies, will not be eligible to contest a final unless they have competed in another heat.
• Horses that are balloted out or eliminated from the first round of heats on 3 August 2025 will be given selection preference for the second round of heats on 10 August 2025, if nominated.
• Horses officially placing in the first four (including dead heats) in a heat qualify for automatic selection for the respective division they have raced in.
• The balance of the fields for Finals will be selected by the HRNZ Bureau based on performances in heats in the respective divisions.
• Heat winning horses remain eligible for their respective finals, even if their rating ascends above the designated rating range for that category. Any trotter ascending to a rating above the designated range will be handicapped a further 10 metres behind the prescribed back mark for that division. This will not apply to the Non-Win division.
• Where races are run as Preferential Barrier Draws no emergencies will be permitted. In Open Draw pacing mobile races up to one emergency may be chosen. In all trotters’ races up to two emergencies may be chosen.
• A horse must be nominated in the normal manner, with the Bureau for a Final. This includes horses that are automatic qualifiers, via their heat placing(s).
• HRNZ and Southern Harness reserve the right to alter or amend these conditions, as they see fit. Any alteration in conditions will be communicated by the HRNZ Bureau.
• The CEO of HRNZ will make the final determination on any aspects not covered by the above conditions or disputes.