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Harold Park Paceway

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Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace ). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky , spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia and New Zealand, races with jockeys riding directly on saddled trotters ( trot monté in French) are also conducted.

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69-647: Harold Park Paceway was a harness racing track in Forest Lodge, New South Wales , in use from 1890 to 2010. It was a half-mile track (804.5 metres) but was just 739 metres in circumference until some changes in its later years. Races at the track were run over distances of 1,760 m, 2,160 m, 2,565 m and occasionally 2,965 m. Before its configuration, events were run over one mile, 9 furlongs and 170 yards, 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 furlongs, 13 furlongs and 98 yards and 15 furlongs and 92 yards – these distances were all for standing starts. For mobile racing,

138-462: A world record crowd of 50,346. Over the previous two weeks, the best pacers in Australia and New Zealand had opposed each other in three series of heats. Caduceus and Apmat had been identified as the best horses in the final field, and throughout the heats, a rivalry had emerged between the horses' drivers, Jack Litten of New Zealand on Caduceus, and local champion Bert Alley on Apmat. The final

207-462: A computer system, which takes control of the vehicle and provides a printout at the end of the score up. Some harness racing clubs have been granted additional funds for the installation of the AVA computerised mobile barriers. In Australia and New Zealand, harness racing is conducted both on smaller rural tracks and at major city venues, creating the opportunity for even the hobby-trainer to make it into

276-406: A difficult position); or to race with "cover" on the outside. On the rail behind the leader is a choice spot, known as the "pocket", and a horse in that position is said to have a "garden trip". Third on the rail is an undesirable spot, known on small tracks as the "death hole". As the race nears the three-quarter mile mark, the drivers implement their tactics for advancing their positions – going to

345-467: A point of argument between many industry participants. Modern Starting gates used in Australia now include Auto start. This innovation allows the starter to concentrate on the actual horse's positioning during the "score up". The modern Starting gates use only a driver for steering the vehicle and a starter in the rear to observe the race and call a false start if required. The start speed, acceleration, score up distance, and gate closing are controlled via

414-1046: A property that the Club had owned for many years. While Harold Park was in its final months, the new Club Menangle circuit was constructed, being 1400 metres in circumference – ideal for mile racing. Racing was then programmed for Tuesday afternoons and Saturday nights and the Club and complex continues to thrive in the Macarthur Region, one of Sydney's real growth areas. Harness racing In North America, harness races are restricted to Standardbred horses, although European racehorses may also be French Trotters or Russian Trotters , or have mixed ancestry with lineages from multiple breeds. Orlov Trotters race separately in Russia . The light cold-blooded Coldblood trotters and Finnhorses race separately in Finland , Norway and Sweden . Standardbreds are so named because in

483-685: A race could be Silver division against Class II. In such a case the Silver Division horses must run 60 m behind the less experienced Class II horses. Some races use the mobile starting gate as seen in the United States. Other races (for up to 16 horses) use a circular starting system. Horses with post positions 1 to 5 are in the first wave, 6-12 or 15 are in the second wave. In volt start good starting numbers (which automatically turn in to certain positions) are 1, 3 and 5 (slightly better than 2 and 4). But numbers 6 and 7 (who start in

552-432: A specific pattern to hit the starting line as a group. This enables handicaps to be placed on horses (according to class) with several tapes, usually with 10 or 20 meters between tapes. Many European – and some Australian and New Zealand – races use a standing start, although this increases the chance of a 'false start' where one or a number of horses commence 'off-stride' and gallop. The race must then be brought back to

621-635: A subscription of two guineas, and the inaugural meeting was held on 19 November 1902. The course was leased from the Metropolitan Rugby Union. Following two meetings at Forest Lodge, racing moved to the Kensington Pony course until June 1904, before resuming at Forest Lodge, by then renamed Epping. In 1911 the New South Wales Trotting Club was recognised as the controlling authority of harness racing in

690-511: Is 1000 meters (inner track) with two long sides and two curves. Horses run counterclockwise. The horses are classified by how much prize money they have gained through the entire career of the horse. The classifications are from the lowest and upwards: Stallions (and castrated geldings) are considered a little better in general. In pure mare horse races, horses from higher classification get 20, 40 or up to 60 meter extra to run. Distance addition occurs also in races between classes. An example of such

759-567: Is a combined thoroughbred and standardbred track, while another is only used once every year. So the only "pure" thoroughbred track in Sweden is Bro Park . At Solvalla in the suburbs of Stockholm the premier Standardbred mile race is held in late May every year, Elitloppet ( the Elite race ). Other important annual races are Svenskt travkriterium , a race restricted to three-year-olds, also hosted at Solvalla and Swedish Trotting Derby (open for

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828-553: Is an Australasian champion Standardbred notable for being a three-time Australian Harness Horse of the Year and three-time winner of the Inter Dominion (2011 - 2013). I'm Themightyquinn won over AUD 4.5 million in its career. Races can be conducted in two differing gaits: trotting and pacing. The difference is that a trotter moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs (right front and left hind, then left front and right hind striking

897-421: Is an Australian harness racing event for Standardbred pacers that was held at Harold Park Racetrack each November until 2008 when the race was switched to Menangle Park Paceway . Prize money has long been among that of Australia's leading harness races and has often included bonuses for speed. The race was held twice in 1986 due to a change of dates from January to November/December, and again in 1996 due to

966-421: Is important, while the longer stretch run of a mile track favors horses with late speed for come-from-behind wins. Usually, several drivers will contend for the lead away from the gate. They then try to avoid getting "boxed in" as the horses form into two lines – one on the rail and the other outside – in the second quarter-mile. They may decide to go to the front; to race on the front on the outside ("first over",

1035-432: Is not universal.). An additional lane is available to the inside of where the rail would have been. If the race leader is positioned on the rail at the top of the homestretch, that leader is required by rule to maintain that line (or move further out), while horses behind the leader can move into the open lane with room to pass the leader if possible. This solves a common problem, in which trailing horses are "boxed in" (behind

1104-795: Is part of the Pacing Triple Crown . Important Canadian races include the North America Cup , the Canadian Pacing Derby , the Maple Leaf Trot , the Gold Cup and Saucer, and the Mohawk Million. The harness racing industry conducts an annual Grand Circuit , which includes many of the most prestigious races for both pacers and trotters. Founded in 1871 and first conducted in 1873 at four tracks,

1173-414: Is that they often wear hobbles (straps connecting the legs on each of the horse's sides). The pace is an unnatural gait for horses, and hobbles are used to maintain the gait at top speed; trotting hobbles (which employ a different design, due to the difference in the gait) are becoming increasingly popular for the same reason. Most harness races start from behind a motorized starting gate , also known as

1242-476: Is the number one game to bet on. The winner of seven (pre-decided) races (with 12 or 15 horses) is to be picked. One single "row" is very cheap to play, but people usually play large systems, picking the winner in one or two of the races and several horses in the other races. The price for a system grows rapidly if many horses are picked in a race. Price for one "row" is 1/2 SEK (approximately 0,05 euro) but if, for instance, betting on 2, 5, 1, 7, 7, 1 and 4 horses in

1311-423: Is the richest Standardbred horse in the world. Foiled Again retired on January 1, 2019, but the then 15-year-old gelding left an indelible mark in harness racing annals. He compiled a 331/109–70–46 record and earned an all-time record US$ 7,635,588 in purse money. In one of his last races at Rosecroft Raceway, he beat the then 10 year old career winner of over $ 600,000, Real Flight. I'm Themightyquinn (foaled 2004)

1380-425: Is their fastest winning time at that distance. Harness races involve a good deal of strategy. Though the vast majority of races are one mile, races are contested on several different size tracks. The most common are 1/2 mile, 5/8 mile, and 1-mile tracks. Certain horses are better on the smaller tracks and others are better on the 1-mile tracks because there are fewer turns. Also, on the shorter tracks, early speed

1449-837: The Australian Pacing Championship . The most prestigious events for three-year-olds including the Victoria Derby , the New South Wales Derby and the Australian Derby . For the younger horses there are series that stem from yearling sales including the Australian Pacing Gold and an Australasian Breeders Crown . In New Zealand the major races include the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup as well as

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1518-480: The Netherlands , Malta , Russia , United Kingdom and Estonia . In Italy "trotto" is as popular as "galoppo". Almost all North American races are at a distance of one mile (1,609 m). Most races are run on tracks constructed solely for harness racing (some with banked turns), but a few tracks conduct both harness and Thoroughbred flat racing. North American harness horses earn a "mark" (a record), which

1587-1006: The New Zealand Free For All , Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile and the New Zealand Messenger Championship . There are also the New Zealand Derby and the Great Northern Derby for three-year-olds, and the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup for trotters. The Harness Jewels raceday (the end-of-year championships for two-, three- and four-year-olds) takes place in late May/early June The major open races in Australia and New Zealand are brought together in an Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit . The leading harness racing nations in Europe are France, Italy and Sweden, and

1656-885: The " Harness Horse of the Year ." The marquee event of Australasian racing is the Inter Dominion Series, which includes a pacing series and a trotting series. The series is held yearly and rotated around the Australian State Controlling Bodies and once every four years the Inter Dominion Championships are held in New Zealand. The major events for open age pacers in Australia are the Miracle Mile Pace , A.G. Hunter Cup , Victoria Cup and

1725-420: The "running tracks" the horse must be "a fast starter". The start of the races and the starting position (which equals a certain number as explained previously) are indeed important, independent of the start method. A very good horse in a race with weak opponents but with a bad start number (like 12 or higher) may not become the prime favorite due to the bad starting position, especially at short distance. After

1794-834: The Grand Circuit now visits 20 tracks as of the most recent 2021 season. The most notable harness tracks in North America are the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey , Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York , The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky , and Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario . Since 1947, the "United States Harness Writers" Association annually votes for

1863-626: The Southern Hemisphere record holder and the only standardbred horse to pace a mile in less than 1.47.0. The fastest ‘miles’ at Harold Park were 1:55.6 by Westburn Grant in 1990, 1:56.1 by Master Mood and 1:56.2 by Chokin . When the race distance became 1760 metres the fastest mile rates were 1:54.2 by Iraklis and 1:54.4 by Christian Cullen . The Miracle Mile proved elusive to legendary reinsman Brian Hancock who trained one winner in Our Sir Vancelot but due to suspension

1932-702: The best four-year-old horses) hosted in September at Jägersro in Malmö . The latter race track also hosts the Hugo Åbergs Memorial , which is an international race open for all horses. Other important harness racing arenas in Scandinavia are Åby outside Gothenburg , Mantorp , Axevalla , Bergsåker , Boden (almost at the polar circle ) and Charlottenlund in Danish capital Copenhagen . A betting game called V75

2001-404: The big-time if they have an exceptional horse. The major tracks include Gloucester Park (Perth), Globe Derby Park (Adelaide) Albion Park (Brisbane), Menangle Park Paceway (Sydney), Melton Entertainment Park (Melbourne), Alexandra Park (Auckland) and Addington Raceway (Christchurch). The breeding and racing of standardbred horses is both a dedicated pastime and profession for participants in

2070-658: The biggest races. Trot racing as a sport is often considered dull, but when combined with betting it can rapidly get interesting. The huge popularity of trot betting in Sweden "spills over" to the neighboring Norway (11 racing tracks), Finland (43) and Denmark (9). In Ireland, sulky racing is today associated with the Traveller community , and some with criminal associations, whereby illegal racing takes place on public roads. Trotting sport and betting also exist in Austria , Belgium , Germany , Hungary , Serbia , Italy ,

2139-590: The breed. The founding sire of today's Standardbred horse was Messenger , a gray Thoroughbred brought to America in 1788 and purchased by Henry Astor, brother of John Jacob Astor . Astor had the horse for two years on Long Island and then sold him to C.W. Van Rantz. From Messenger came a great-grandson, Hambletonian 10 (1849–1876), a horse who gained a wide following for his racing prowess and successful offspring. The lineage of virtually all North American Standardbred race horses can be traced from four of Hambletonian 10's sons. As of January 1, 2019, Foiled Again

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2208-418: The clear majority of harness racing in Australia and New Zealand are also now for pacers, even though the sport is colloquially still known as 'the trots.' Pacing horses are faster and (most important to the bettor) less likely to break stride (a horse that starts to gallop must be slowed down and taken to the outside until it resumes trotting or pacing). One of the reasons pacers are less likely to break stride

2277-534: The distances were one mile, 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs and 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs. Founded in 1890, the course was first known as Forest Lodge , and for the first meeting there were five events with total prize money of ninety-nine sovereigns . Just prior to the turn of the 20th century, and before meetings commenced at Forest Lodge, trotting and pacing was confined primarily to match races between enthusiasts without any serious attempt at organisation. Following some preliminary discussions, thirty-three of

2346-462: The early years of the Standardbred stud book , only horses who could trot or pace a mile in a standard time (or whose progeny could do so) of no more than 2 minutes, 30 seconds were admitted to the book. The horses have proportionally shorter legs than Thoroughbreds , and longer bodies. Standardbreds generally have a more placid disposition, due to the admixture of non-Thoroughbred blood in

2415-523: The field gets the bell at signal their final lap. New Zealand racing is quite similar to that of Australia. Many horses are able to easily "cross the Tasman " and compete as well on either side of the sea that separates Australia and New Zealand. In both New Zealand and Australia the same system of an 'open lane' operates, although in Australia it is called a 'sprint lane' and in New Zealand a 'passing lane'. These lanes do not operate on all tracks and have been

2484-575: The first of his two Inter-Dominions in 1973 with Tony Turnbull as driver. Brian Hancock won the race twice, in 1980 on Koala King and 1994 on Weona Warrior. 1988 saw Our Maestro give John Binskin his only Inter-Dominion win for the Bob Knight stable. In 1966 the Tasmanian Chamfer's Star made a clean sweep of the series for driver Brian Forrester and Bankstown trainer, Max Treuer. In 2002 Smooth Satin and trainer/driver Steve Turnbull added

2553-423: The first turn. After the initial fight for a good running position, the horses usually form two rows or tracks. Good running positions are the leading position of the inner track or the second (or third) place in the outer track. This is explained by the fact that the outer track is close to 15 meters longer per lap, front running is always heavier compared with just follow behind (just like in cycling). Positions in

2622-604: The great progenitors of the stock of the early trotting days. The Kentucky -bred Childe Harold was imported from Glasgow , Scotland by Andrew Town of Richmond . 1 October 1949 marked the beginning of night racing, following legislation enacted with the support of all parties in the State Parliament . Harold Park, from that time, become known internationally as the mecca of Australian harness racing. From May 1927 until December 1987, Harold Park also hosted Greyhound racing meetings. The first race meeting on 28 May 1927,

2691-484: The ground simultaneously), whereas a pacer moves its legs laterally (right front and right hind together, then left front and left hind). In continental Europe, races are conducted exclusively among trotters, whereas in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States races are also held for pacers. Pacing races constitute 80% to 90% of the harness races conducted in North America - while

2760-416: The industry. The premier events can now have prizemoney exceeding AUD 1 million and recent upgrades to some venues has created world-class facilities for harness racing. Betting revenues have come under pressure from both thoroughbred racing and from expanding opportunities in greyhound racing - however 'the trots' still has a dedicated following and a rich history to enjoy. Friday night is generally regarded as

2829-429: The inner track behind the leader may appear the best. But as described before, overtaking is not an easy manoeuver. And horses in the inner track may very well be trapped all the way to the finish, due to the horses and sulkies in the outer track. On the other hand, if an opening in the outer track appears close to the finish line, such a horse has had "an easy ride" with much strength left to give. The leading position of

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2898-414: The lead early; circling the field; moving up an open rail; advancing behind a horse expected to tire and so on. Harness horses accelerate during the final quarter-mile of a race. The finish of a harness race is exciting, and often extremely close. The judges have a photo-finish camera to help them determine the order of finish if needed. Until the 1990s harness tracks featured a rail on the inside, much like

2967-463: The lead to any horse that challenges, often leaving a horse parked outside the leader in the " death seat " or simply "the death" (known as "facing the breeze" in New Zealand), as this horse covers more ground than the leader. Australian racing generally has more horses in each race; a field of 12 or 13 is not uncommon. This generally means that with the smaller tracks a "three-wide train" starts as

3036-477: The leader, with another horse outside). It makes races more wide-open, with potentially higher payoffs — and more attractive to bettors. Australian racing differs from North American racing in that metric distances are used, generally above the equivalent of one mile and horses are classed by how many wins they have. Another large difference is that in Australian racing the leader does not have to hand up

3105-451: The mobile barrier. The horses commence pacing or trotting and line up behind a hinged gate mounted on a moving motor vehicle, which then leads them to the starting line. At the line, the wings of the gate are folded up and the vehicle accelerates away from the horses. Another kind of start is a standing start, where there are tapes or imaginary lines across the track behind which the horses either stand stationary or trot in circles in pairs in

3174-570: The new circuit was New Zealander Monkey King in a track record time of 1:50.8. In 2010 Victorian pacer Smoken Up , who ran 2nd the previous year, won the race and broke the Australasian record in at time of 1:50.3 (Smoken Up has subsequently lowered that record to 1:48.5 in the Len Smith Mile, also at Menangle). In 2018, My Field Marshal, trained by Tim Butt and driven by Anthony Butt set the race record of 1.46.9 and in doing so, became

3243-542: The one at Thoroughbred tracks. This "hub rail" was replaced with a row of short pylons (usually of a flexible material), which mark the inside boundary of the course. This change was mainly for safety reasons; it allows a driver to pull off to the inside of the course if necessary, such as when their horse breaks stride but they cannot move to the outside due to being boxed in, thus avoiding injury to himself, his horse, and other competitors. This change allowed another innovation, "open-stretch racing". (As of 2011 open-lane racing

3312-448: The outer track, also known as the position of "death", is a very hard position to run and only very strong horses can win from this position. If a horse completes the race from the "death" position, commentators often point that out when announcing the KM pace of the horse. On short distances (1640 meters), the horse that gets the leading position of the inner track has a very good chance to be

3381-560: The postponement of the 1995 race caused by track redesign and construction. When the new track opened in 1996 the race distance was changed from one mile (1609m) to 1760m. The 2007 running was abandoned due to the Equine Influenza outbreak. The 2012 race was also delayed until April 2013 due to renovations. Since 2009, the race has been run at Menangle Park, once again at the metric mile distance. The 1400m track length and improved design allowed for faster times. The first winner at

3450-664: The premier trotting night although key events will enjoy broader weekend billing. Important annual races include the Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters, the Little Brown Jug for 3-year-old pacers, and the Breeders Crown series of twelve races covering each of the traditional categories of age, gait and sex. The Hambletonian is part of the Trotting Triple Crown and the Little Brown Jug

3519-422: The race for seven consecutive years from 1974 to 1980. The Harold Park race record was held by the New Zealand champion Iraklis. The last Miracle Mile run at Harold Park was won by Divisive on 28 November 2008. The Miracle Mile moved to the new Menangle Park Paceway in 2009. The Inter Dominion was run at Harold Park on several occasions. Notable among the Inter Dominion pacing winners was Hondo Grattan who won

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3588-540: The race in 2016 was 1 million euros, with approximately half of that to the winner. The horses are entered in the race based on lifetime earnings, unless they have qualified by performing well in the preceding six qualifying races. Sweden is "the locomotive" of harness racing in Scandinavia. It is a professional all-year event, even at very high latitudes during the winter. In Sweden there are 33 racing tracks, and in Finland 43. For comparison, there are only three thoroughbred racetracks in Sweden. One of them ( Jägersro )

3657-690: The race to his victories in the Miracle Mile, Ben Hur and Chariots of Fire. Some of the winners of Inter Dominion Trotting Championship , the trotter's edition of the series at Harold Park, have included Hano Direct, Yamamoto, Diamond Field and Precocious. All the leading trainers and drivers were familiar faces at Harold Park Paceway at its peak, including Donny McPherson , who had many wins there, Kevin Robinson, Kevin Newman, Jim Caffyn and Vic Frost. A members vote on 26 October 2008 voted in favour of

3726-414: The sale of Harold Park, on the condition that the land be sold for a minimum of $ 150 million. On 10 December 2010 it was announced the site had been purchased by Mirvac for $ 185 million to be redeveloped for medium-density housing . The adjoining Rozelle Tram Depot was also part of the paceway complex, and was turned into a food-centric retail complex that opened in September 2016. The last race meeting

3795-542: The second volt together with number 8 and higher) may get up a better speed after the turn-around but before the starting whistle sounds. Horses may have different initial speed, but must not exceed the starting line before the start signal sounds. Horses number 6 and 7 can both get a better speed at the starting line, and there are no horses in front of them. Due to this number 6 and number 7 are known as "running tracks" at volt starting. Horses 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 14, 15 have all horses in front of them. But to get advantage of

3864-466: The seven races the price multiplies as 0.5 × 2 × 5 × 1 × 7 × 7 × 1 × 4 = 980 SEK (approximately 92 euro). The bettors win money if they get all seven, six or five horses right within the system. But the difference between picking all 7 winners and just five is huge, in terms of money to win. V75 races are of distances 1640 m ("short"), 2140 m ("normal"), 2640 m ("long") and rarely 3140 m ("extra long"). The race track's length most usually

3933-672: The sport is fairly popular in most northern European countries. Practically all races in Europe are trotting races. The Prix d'Amérique at Vincennes hippodrome near Paris is widely considered to be the most prestigious event of the European racing year. Other notable races include the Elitloppet one-mile race in Solvalla track near Stockholm, Sweden and Gran Premio Lotteria di Agnano in Naples , Italy. A yearly Grand Circuit tour for

4002-461: The sport's supporters met on 4 June 1902 at the saddlery shop of J. McGrath, a well-known harness maker of the day. Those present at the meeting raised the sum of 19 pounds 17 shillings and 6 pence to launch the proposed club. The general contribution was 2/6 per person, while the maximum donation was 10 guineas by J.A. Buckland, owner of a famous horse called "Fritz." The club was incorporated on 10 October 1902, with twenty-two members paying

4071-402: The start the drivers fight to get a good running position . How well this succeeds depends on the horse, the starting position and how the opponents drive their horses. Due to the sulky width and the oval race track overtaking is a far more difficult manoeuver to achieve, in comparison with gallop racing. The "running position fight" during the start and the beginning of the race usually ends in

4140-436: The starting line for a restart which can cause delays in programming and disrupts betting. The sulky (informally known as a "bike", and also known as a spider) is a light, two-wheeled cart equipped with bicycle wheels. The driver (not a "jockey", as in thoroughbred racing) carries a light whip chiefly used to signal the horse by tapping and to make noise by striking the sulky shaft. There are strict rules as to how and how much

4209-613: The state by the Colonial Secretary. The club retained that status until 1976, when control was transferred to the Trotting Authority of New South Wales. In 1911, the club purchased the course from the Metropolitan Rugby Union for 10,400 pounds. On 21 March 1929, due to confusion of the name with the Sydney suburb , the track was renamed from Epping to Harold Park, after the imported trotter Childe Harold , one of

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4278-606: The top trotters includes a number of prestigious European races. All notable racing nations also host their own highly regarded premier events for young horses. Monté (races to saddle) have recently been introduced in larger scale in Sweden and Norway , to increase interest and recruitment to the sport. Saddled events are also commonplace in France and though less frequent, they are not considered exceptional in other European trotting nations. Miracle Mile Pace The Miracle Mile

4347-470: The whip may be used; in some jurisdictions (like Norway), whips are forbidden. For exercising or training, the drivers use what is known as a "jog cart", which is a sulky that is heavier and bulkier than a racing unit. The Prix d'Amérique is considered to be the number-one trotting race in the world. It is held annually at the gigantic Vincennes hippodrome in eastern Paris late in January. The purse for

4416-527: The winner. At longer races (with rather even competitors) running positions like second or third in the outer track have good chances, especially if the inner track horses get trapped behind a weakening front horse. Though all kind of trot betting in terms of money, is the most popular type of betting in Sweden, attendances at the races do not correspond to this. Even when "the V75 circuit comes to town" attendance rarely exceeds 5000 people. Larger crowds only gather at

4485-561: Was declared the winner. The Miracle Mile Pace was the signature race at the Glebe circuit from 1967 to 2008, originally conceived by former Harold Park Chief Executive Len Smith. Winners have included some of the most successful horses of harness racing, including Robin Dundee, Young Quinn , Hondo Grattan , Mount Eden, Halwes , Paleface Adios , Chokin , Westburn Grant, Village Kid, Christian Cullen and Smooth Satin. Paleface Adios contested

4554-410: Was extremely well-attended, with spectators filling the inside greyhound circuit and the centre-course carpark, and those who were unable to see in the grandstand tore down timber and three-ply partitions in the main grandstand to get a better view. In the end Caduceus passed the post half a length ahead of Apmat. Alley lodged a protest against the result, but it was dismissed by the stewards, and Caduceus

4623-470: Was held at Harold Park Paceway on 17 December 2010, with Karloo Mick winning the final event. A special commemorative racebook was issued for the occasion. The winning post was sold for $ 10,000 to Ray Hadley , with the proceeds going to Lifeline . Other attendees took home various other souvenirs from the 120-year-old paceway. The New South Wales Harness Racing Club re-located to the Club Menangle ,

4692-544: Was the first (track oval) race to be held in Australia. In 1995 and 1996, Harold Park was reconstructed and expanded over the Johnstons Creek , enlarging the track to a half-mile track. A high-profile event took place on 13 February 1960, billed as "the stars racing under the stars", when the "mighty atom" Caduceus from New Zealand defeated Australia's Apmat in the final of the Inter Dominion in front of

4761-412: Was unable to drive the three-times Inter Dominion champion on the night of his win in 1997. As set out below there have been several dual winners of the flying mile - notably Smoken Up, Be Good Johnny, Sokyola, Holmes DG, Chokin, Westburn Grant and Village Kid. Champion drivers Lance Justice, Vic Frost and Tony Herlihy have won the race three times each. Kellie Kersley became the first female driver to win

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