23 December 2020 | HRNSW MEDIA
WHILST the TAB Regional Championships will be back bigger in 2021 the regions in which horses will be eligible to compete are still to be defined.
There has been a push from some members of the industry to enlarge the Riverina Region however this has not received universal support.
“Participants located nearer to Sydney but further from Wagga have petitioned industry officials for inclusion in the Riverina but this has been met with strident resistance from others,” Harness Racing New South Wales Chief Executive John Dumesny explained.
“Logically through measuring the distance between the two major tracks, Goulburn should stay in the Metropolitan Region but there is an argument relating to competitiveness.
“There are however other instances across NSW where this is the reverse situation.
“The boundaries were set in the ‘70s or ‘80s and are not perfect today therefore a fresh approach is required.
“HRNSW will investigate applying local government area boundaries now that what was proposed and put to industry has been rejected.
“If there is a change, the new boundaries will be adopted for the 2021 TAB Regional Championships.”
In November, HRNSW announced that the popular Regional Championships would return bigger and better next year.
Flowing on from the success of the inaugural series – the creation a catalyst of COVID-19 – the same concept is to be adopted for 2021 with the welcome addition of the ultimate state grand final worth $100,000 in stakes.
Named ‘The TAB State Final’, the field will be composed of horses that place in the Regional Championship Finals and will be held at Tabcorp Park Menangle on May 29.
Prior to this, Heats, Consolations and $100,000 Regional Championship Finals will also be held throughout May at the Bathurst, Newcastle, Menangle and Wagga tracks.
Important Conditions:
- Horses must be trained by a HRNSW licensed trainer from January 1 based on a submitted stable return.
- Horses will be regionalised from March 1 in the Region it is continuously trained from that date.
For more information on the 2021 series click here.
Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 33 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by a Board of Directors and is independent of Government.
HRNSW CONTACT:
SHAUN SNUDDEN | Manager Industry Development
(02) 9722 6600 • ssnudden@hrnsw.com.au
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
