A total of twelve finals worth $60,000 will be held in Ashburton next December.
Qualification for the series will take place from January 1 to November 22, 2026.
HRNZ has committed to Harness 5000 for five years.
“It’s a very ambitious series,” said HRNZ Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. “There is a stake of $720,000 on a day that is all about championing horses that are not bred by top stallions.”
“As we know, a great horse can come from anywhere and at Ashburton we saw some good pacers and trotters excel.”
The meeting resulted in an increase in sales of more than six percent over the corresponding meeting at the race track last year.
Turnover at the track also increased by more than 78%, with a 21% increase in the number of horses racing.
“It was a very successful meeting,” said Peter Larkin, chairman of the Ashburton Trotting Club, “the format was good, as were the crowds and sales.”
“The committee and staff have also done a fantastic job, so they should be commended.”
Like this year, Harness 5000 2026 will have a maximum of 14 starters and all races will be 1700 meter mobiles.
Other important information for owners and breeders include:
All 3YOs must start in a minimum of 10 races and all 4YOs and 5YOs and over must start in a minimum of 12 races during the 2026 qualifying period
All income applies only to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
All published bets worth $50,000 or more are excluded
All bonuses are excluded.
All horses that have won a race with a published stake of $100,000 or more are excluded
Stake:
The $60,000 stake for the Harness 5000 Series races is:
1st = $30,000 (50%)
2nd = $9,000 (15%)
3rd = $6,000 (10%)
4th = $3,000 (5%)
5th = $2,550 (4.25%)
6th to 14th = $1050 (1.75%)
Click to view the Terms and Conditions here
The series is open to horses where the stallion’s stud fee during the stud year was $5,000 or less.
Click to view the list of eligible stallions here
A full assessment of Harness 5000 2025 will be conducted by HRNZ, the NZ Standardbred Breeders Association (NZSBA) and the Ashburton Trotting Club in early February.
By Harness Racing New Zealand
#Harness #confirmed