New races at Alexandra Park as part of Future Starts Now

The first of the new Northern Metro Series Finals will be held at Alexandra Park this Friday night.

The finals are a key component of the Future Starts Now strategy launched by Harness Racing New Zealand for the 2024/25 season and beyond.

Aimed at revitalising racing in the north, the series rewards loyalty with the 12 "finalists" coming from a series of heats that started at The Park on August 16. The first three runners from each heat automatically qualified for the $35,000 Final. Included in the Pacers' Final field are three heat winners - Jeremiah, Frisco Bay and Seaclusion.

To see the field click here

Friday night will see the final two heats in the Northern Metro Trotting Series, with the $35,000 Final to be run at the Park next Friday, September 13.

Last Friday also saw the first of the Classique Landscapers South of the Bombays Conditioned Mobile Pace at Alexandra Park, won by the Telfer-trained Cyren Shard.

For the 4YO and older pacers the race rewards horses who have had North Islands starts away from Alexandra Park. The races, which will be held regularly, are penalty free.

"We are generally content for now with the way the Look North strategy as we called it is going," says HRNZ Chief Executive Brad Steele, "it is a longer term project rather than just the here and now."

"But numbers in the north are steadily getting better as horse pools rebuild, both at Cambridge on Tuesdays and Alex Park on a Friday night and that should only improve now that spring is here."

A key appointment to the HRNZ senior management team will also be announced soon.

"A new Head of Racing and Wagering will be unveiled next week and will be good to go for the lead up to what is the most exciting time of the year," says Steele.

"IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup week, even now, is really shaping up well with the Cup and Dominion on Cup day, the prospect of some top Aussies being here and then the two slot races, THE VELOCITY and THE ASCENT on Show day."