Over the coming months, an overview of the world’s harness racing tracks will be provided. This will be completed by country/major area and within that by state, province etc. In the case of major tracks, the overview will be reasonably comprehensive with where possible more emphasis being placed on smaller or interesting tracks that would not normally be accorded much attention. Don’t expect everything to be noted in respect of a club’s history.
Many people will be familiar with major thoroughbred tracks of the world, as they have often featured in many publications. Examples of both flat racing and jumps tracks would include – New Zealand (Ellerslie; Trentham; Riccarton); Australia (Flemington; Randwick; Rosehill; Caufield, Moonee Valley); England (Aintree; Cheltenham; Epsom; Ascot; Newmarket; Goodwood); Ireland (The Curragh); France (Chantilly; Longchamp); United States of America (Churchill Downs; Keeneland; Santa Anita; Belmont Park); Canada (Woodbine); Japan (Tokyo – Fuchu); Hong Kong (Happy Valley; Shatin); Singapore (Kranji); United Arab Emirates (Dubai – Meydan) ……
In the case of harness tracks of the world, several will be familiar but many will not due to taking into account of those both current and past tracks utilised such as Addington, Harold Park/Menangle, Moonee Valley/Melton, Solvalla, Vincennes, Meadowlands, Yonkers, Mohawk …. just to name a few.
For the review of harness racing tracks, we will commence with those of New Zealand. The Classic Families database contains every single track ever officially used for race meetings in New Zealand from 1890/1 season onwards. Accordingly, their review will be broken out into major areas/provinces as follows :
- Auckland/Northland
- Waikato/Bay of Plenty
- East Coast
- Central Districts (Manawatu/Wanganui/Taranaki)
- Lower North Island (Wellington/Wairarapa)
- Seddon Shield Districts (Nelson/Marlborough/Kaikoura)
- West Coast
- Canterbury – Christchurch
- Canterbury – North Canterbury/Banks Peninsula
- Mid/South Canterbury
- North and Central Otago
- Otago
- Southland
How good are you at identifying this track?? Answer next week (clue : it’s in New Zealand).
Australia will be on a state by state basis – Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
America’s will be divided into the United States on a state by state basis whilst Canada will be handled province by province and later on Argentina will take its place in the listing.
In Europe, the continent is broken out country by country whilst Brexit now determines that the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland) and Ireland be regarded as a separate entity. Ireland strictly speaking should be bundled in with the rest of Europe but for our purposes will be placed with the United Kingdom group due to the linkages with UK harness racing.
In Asia, some interesting information covering tracks in China, Japan and Macau will be provided.
In a number of cases, more than one article will be necessary to do justice to the tracks relevant to a specific country/area.
IMPORTANT NOTE :
With respect to the impact on harness racing tracks as a result of the outbreak of COVID 19 (Corona Virus) in early 2020, this matter will be addressed by making no mention unless there has been an enduring and permanent impact on racing at the track in question i.e. racing has ceased permanently.
In most jurisdictions around the world, harness racing ceased for a period while the virus was at its deadliest. At one stage, only Australia (except Tasmania) and Sweden were operating – even in these countries, racing was taking place in state/regional venues only (Australia) with no horse movements between states and at three tracks only in Sweden. The lifting of restrictions often resulted in a return to racing on a limited regional basis e.g. New Zealand had three geographical zones – North (Alexandra Park/Cambridge), Canterbury (Addington) and Southland (Invercargill) before a return to something approaching normal at the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
In the case of New Zealand, just twenty five of the previous thirty one venues used in 2019/20 season remained at the start of the 2020/21 season (1 August 2020) – the six no longer being utilised (some but not all clubs transferred meetings to remaining tracks) – Hawera**, Stratford, New Plymouth**, Geraldine (listed to race at Methven although special exemption grated to allow 150th anniversary of racing at Orari to occur late November 2020), Waimate (to race at Oamaru), Young Quinn Raceway (Wyndham; annual grass track meeting at Cromwell remains). At least temporary reprieves were granted to a number of clubs that had been listed for possible closure – Manawatu Raceway (Palmerston North; six meetings plus four dual code meetings with greyhounds), Forbury Park (ten meetings/one on grass at Wingatui plus Tuapeka HRC annual meeting), Phar Lap Raceway** (Timaru, three meetings). In addition, annual meetings are to continue at Waterlea Raceway (Blenheim), Roxburgh and Gore (grass) while annual dual code meetings with thoroughbreds will be held at Otaki (Kapiti Coast HRC) and Tauherenikau (Wairarapa HRC).
** venues at which thoroughbred racing to continue.
In addition the number of annual meetings reduced from 260 to 257 with Addington Raceway (NZMTC) to host seventy of these meetings (previously thirty six) in the 2020/21 season based on the percentage of the horse population located in the Canterbury area.
Next week we will commence the overview of NZ Tracks, specifically the Auckland and Northland areas.
Peter Craig
11 November 2020
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
