Welcome to the Southern Harness Website  

The website covers all meetings run by Southern Harness which include the following Clubs: Invercargill, Winton, Wairio, Riverton, Wyndham, Gore, Tuapeka, Northern Southland, Roxburgh and Oamaru.

Unique to New Zealand, check out the audio comments  on the website from trainers each week prior to each race day. You’ll find these in the Tips section.

The website  offers post raceday stories and photos, as well as other racing news, views, and interviews  as they come to hand.

Note:  If you missed any of the stories on this website – click on the  Archive section. There you’ll find articles featuring southern harness racing personalities and horses, as  well as features on stock produced by the Southern Bred, Southern Reared Group.

Bruce Stewart  –  Editor

This seasons dates and conditions for the Southern Supremacy Stakes, the newly named Southern Oaks, Southern Country Cups Series and Southern Belle Speed Series. LOOK UNDER Southern Series and Series Points Update on this website for details and conditions.

Southern Harness would like to acknowledge the passing of racing journalist Mac Henry. Mac wrote for a number of harness racing publication over the years including the Southern Harness website, HRNZ website, the Harnessed Magazine and Breeders Weekly.

Our thoughts are with Jill and the wider Henry family.

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Sundees Son Sensational

Bruce Stewart

12^th January 2022

They came to see the champ, and he delivered.

Southlanders gave champion trotter Sundees Son a rousing reception when he returned to the Ascot Park birdcage after winning the Pryde’s Easifeed Southern Light Handicap Trot.

The appreciation shown reminded me of galloper Little Brown Jug’s return to the birdcage after winning the 1979 Southland Guineas.

Sundees Son warming up for John Dunn

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Lavers Cup Grand Slam

Bruce Stewart

12^th January 2022

He’s as tough as teak and Art Major gelding Laver used those qualities to win today’s Yaldhurst Hotel Northern Southland Trotting Cup at Ascot Park.

Aided by One Change, Pace N Pride and Tommy Waterhouse losing their chances early in the Group Three feature, regular pilot Gerard O’Reilly took the six-year-old to the front and the horse simply ran the legs off his opposition, beating a game Classie Brigade by two and three quarter lengths.

Laver parading before the Northern Southland Cup

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Duke Sold for Big Money

Bruce Stewart

Tuesday 11^th January 2022

“I’ve got very mixed feelings but, in the end, it was too much money to turn down.” This is the way Southland owner Lester Smith described his feelings after the sale of quality colt Duke Of Cornwall was confirmed today.

The colt has been purchased by American owner Richard Poillucci who’s procured many New Zealand bred standardbreds over the years. They include Shartin N the 2019 USA Dan Patch Harness Horse of the Year – she won forty-six of her sixty-eight starts and banked $2,667,563.

Duke Of Cornwall winning his last race in New Zealand

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Perfect Result in Hygain Revell Douglas Series

6^th January 2022

Bruce Stewart

Today’s result in the Hygain Revell Douglas Junior Driver Series was perfect on a personal level and also for punters.

The winner Franco Stefan was the favourite, and the winning driver is former Northerner Kaleb Bublitz.

Franco Stefan warming up

Continue reading “Perfect Result in Hygain Revell Douglas Series”