Birchip, a city that is famous for its bull and the best vanilla slice of Australia, is now the home of Victoria’s First Harness Slot Race.
The $ 125,000 Cargill Running of the Bulls On March 8, the newest addition to the racing calendar, which will have rural Victoria in the core.
Birchip Harness Racing Club secretary Brad Sharp said that the concept was the realization of a “dream that has been in the pipeline for four or five years”.
“We are in the clouds to reach this point,” said Sharp. “We are so proud of our meeting once a year, and this new race is an incredible addition to the day in 2026 and then.”
Thanks to the generous support of great sponsor Cargill, the function event in Birchip is run in each of the first two years for $ 125,000 and has a unique set of disorders that requires lock holders to find the right horse at exactly the right time in their career.
Harness Racing Victoria CEO Matt Isaacs said it was a “great concept between the club and HRV, which will yield the dial about what is already one of the great Sunday of Country Racing.”
“I congratulate Birchip and the armor racing community with embracing this opportunity,” said Isaacs. “I’m sure BullAnd that much more will come to be trackside on March 8. “
Each horse in the final field represents one of the 10 lock holders, including the Race sponsor Cargill. The remaining nine successful parties will be chosen on the basis of criteria, including their earlier involvement and cooperation with the club and HRV, and their ability to promote and attend the race.
Slots are set at $ 10,000 a year, with a two -year obligation for 2026 and 2027. Slot holder expressions of interest on November 14, 2025, before a committee selects the successful applicants, which will then be charged with finding their perfect horse.
The racing conditions of 2026 have been carefully made to draw a field of emerging types and national warriors. They include:
- A Pacing race of 2150m for horses 4YO and parent, with a preferential barrier (NR)
- Horses must have a national rating of no more than 90 and since January 1, 2024 have not won a race worth $ 50,000 or more
- Horses with a national rating of 91+ are eligible, provided that they have not won a race worth $ 15,000 or more
- The horse must be trained Victorian from December 1, 2025
Sharp said that the club had already received excellent community support for the concept.
“The club thanks Cargill Care for us, a small group of passionate club supporters for planting the seed, and HRV for his support to make it all happen.”
Andrew Lee is the co-chairman of Cargill Cares, an arm of multinational food corporation cargill that supports initiatives with local effects.
“Cargill Cares is set up to support organizations and non-profit clubs, and we are very happy to get this project off the ground,” Lee said.
“Me and fellow chairman, Andy Barber, are pleased to support this event together with Cargill Cares.
“The annual BIRCHIP meeting is a specially for the local community, and it is now going to a whole new level with Victoria’s very first cable tree lock racing.”
Click here Around the Bull Destination page for more information and to register your final interest.
By Harness Racing Victoria
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