TROTTING
Trotting, or otherwise known as harness racing, is a type of horse racing which focuses on the gait of the horse and unlike mounted racing, the horses are required to pull a cart (sulky) behind them from which the driver controls the horse.
Although harness racing consists of two different gait methods, trotting and pacing, trotting is by far the more popular method, used exclusively in Europe and also in North America, New Zealand and Australia. When trotting, the horse’s front left leg will move forward in sync with the rear right leg. Then the front right leg will move forward with the rear left leg. This type of gait is body-centred and can be performed either in a straight line, where the hind legs move forward directly behind the front legs or in a passing gait where the hind legs are placed further out than the front legs. Despite its popularity, trotting has one disadvantage in that the horse is able to advance into a canter if they are not controlled properly by the driver. To ensure this doesn’t occur during a race, the driver controls the horse with two aids, reigns and a long light whip.
Unlike standard racing, harness races do not use Thoroughbreds as they are considered to "hot headed", instead Standardbreds are used as they are more docile and stockier with more muscle so that they can pull the sulkies. The Standardbred gets its name from when the racing industry decided that any Thoroughbred who could trot a mile in under 2 minutes 30 seconds was considered to be a Standardbred.
The use of sulkies dates back to the Roman Empire when chariots were used for transport and racing. Afterwards, they were used by doctors and solo travellers so that rather than having to ride the horses, they could relax more for longer distances. The design of the sulky has also changed dramatically over the past century. Many modifications to the wheel size, seat height and axle to have been made to increase the racing speeds by making a lighter and more dynamic sulky. By the 1920s the standard sulky was invented which had 28 inch wheels and weighed between 33 and 40 pounds. The sulkies are connected to the horse via straps which go under the horse along its girth and sit just behind the horse’s wither on the top.
There is a lot of skill and tactic involved with trotting as the right position of the track can improve the driver’s chances of winning dramatically. The worst positions on the track are often the most dangerous. To be stuck in the middle of a three horse train is difficult to get out of as you are boxed in by surrounding drivers and cannot gain clear passage to advance on the track. Also, the further out the driver and horse are, the more distance they must cover in order to maintain their position and it is also a challenge to become the leader as they are also often dealing with oncoming wind, making it harder for the horse to keep up with the others. A good position on the track is one behind the leader on the inside as the horse is able to advance if a passage opens up or another horse tires and the driver can steer the horse into their position.
Prior to a race, several horses are given a handicap, which means that they are required to start further behind the starting line in order to equal the chances of each horse winning. For more competitive horses, another a larger handicap may be added on to their existing one. This method of balancing the game also affects the odds of the race for bettors. If their winning horse has been handicapped, the odds are usually increased, which is more risky for the bettors however if they are confident in the horse’s performance, this can often be more rewarding with a larger payout.
Trotting races are held throughout Australia and several races are often held over one day at a club. These race days are called meetings, and there are often up to nine races in one meeting. Horses can either win one race and receive prize money for the one race or they may be entered into an event titled a Series, in which the horse competes in several races and each horse receives points depending on what position they finished in for each race. The total scores are then added together the overall winner is the horse with the maximum points.
MAJOR TROTTNG RACES
Inter Dominion Series:
The Inter Dominion Series is a major Australasian Trotting and Pacing Championship across Australia and New Zealand. Each year the series is held in a different state and the trotting series are run over two consecutive weekends. The 2009 series was held at two locations, January 31 at Ballarat where the PETstock Ballarat Cup, Alabar Victoria Derby Heats and Intern Dominion Trotting Semi-finals were held. Then on February 7 at Moonee Valley where the BIG6 Hunter Cup, Alabar Victoria Derby and Inter Dominion Grand Final were held. The 2009 Grand Final winner was Sundons Gift from New Zealand who was driven by CW Lang. The 2010 Series is scheduled to be held in Sydney, New South Wales and in Christchurch, New Zealand for 2011.
The origins of the Inter Dominion Series date back to 1896 when the Inter Colonial Free for All was held at Moonee Valley, allowing both Pacers and Trotters to compete against each other from across Australia. This race would then be the last harness race held at Moonee Valley for eighty years. Then in the 1935-36 racing season, thousands of spectators gathered to watch the first Inter Dominion Series held over a 2575 metre race distance. Now, the trotting races consists of two semi final races with the top five placegetters and the sixth horse going on to the finals and there is also a consolation race. Every eight years, the series locations are selected, giving organisers plenty of time to prepare for the spectacular event.
Barastoc Trotters Grand Circuit Series:
The Barastoc Trotters Grand Circuit Series is worth a total $8 million in prize money and consists of nine legs where drivers and horses compete to be named the Grand Circuit winner. The event began in 1999 and is now sponsored by Barastoc, a premier performance horse feed. Each race that the horses compete in is valued differently, with the stakes varying between $50,000 and $300,000. The 2009 winner was One Over Kenny from New Zealand with 17 points. In the nine legs, he won three and placed 2nd in the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship. The trotters grand winner is determined by the calculating the total scores of each horse and the horse with the most point is declared the winner. In each the Grand Circuit series races the first place getter receives 5 points, the second will receive 2 points and third will receive 1 point.
Oaks, Derbies and Cups:
The 3 year old Trotters Derbies and Oaks are classed as the some of the feature races during the racing season. These races are held throughout the year in both Australia and New Zealand. The Open trotters race calendar features the WA Trotters Cup, EB Cochran Trotters Cup, NSW Trotters Mile and the VicBred Super Series 4 year old Trotters Final. With all these races, the total prize money on offer depends on whether the race is classified as a Group 1 race and its ranking as a major race.
HISTORY OF TROTTING
Origins of the Standardbred:
The Standardbred horse originated from an English grey Thoroughbred named Messenger, who was foaled in 1780 and sent to America in 1788. His sire, Mambrino was an excellent trotter who won 10 of his 16 starts. Despite these genes, Messenger was not a stayer as he could barely finish two miles. However his stud record was exceptional, with the stallion servicing over 100 mares a season. The next horse to contribute to the Standardbred breed was Messenger’s descendant Hambletonian. Foaled in 1849, Hambletonian and his mother were purchased by William Rysdyk who described the foal as "cat hunched" and ugly. Yet as the stallion grew, his ability to trot and pace at high speeds made Hambletonian the most popular stallion in the 19th Century. Now, his bloodlines are so strong that 99 per cent of Standardbreds originate from Hambletonian.
Not as tall of Thoroughbreds, the Standardbred averages 15 hands high and possesses a larger head and higher neck. The breed’s legs are shorter and have more muscle while their body is longer. The term Standardbred originates from when eligible horses were required to trot one mile in 2 minutes 30 seconds or less. If the horse could perform this, they were registered as a Standardbred. One of the benefits of Standardbreds is that they have an excellent temperament and unlike their cousin the Thoroughbred, they are not as hot headed.
The Beginning of Harness Racing:
The use of chariots during the Roman Empire is marked as the first stages of harness racing when horses and chariots were used to compete against each other as a spectacle for the Emperor. However the first type of trot racing began in 1554 in Holland when 3,000 horses competed in a trotting match. This contest is now titled The Golden Whip and is the most famous trotting event in the country.
In America, the first harness races took place on the road when men were travelling to and from work however by the mid 18th century trotting races were acknowledged as proper races and were taken to official race courses for competition. In the late 1800s, America introduced the Grand Circuit series however the popularity of harness racing declined once cars were invented and the need for horses decreased. It wasn’t until 1940 when the Roosevelt Raceway in New York hosted another harness race and its gaming popularity was noticed did the industry get back on its feet.
Trotting gained international fame first with France in 1836 and Australia in the 20th century. Today, trotting is most popular in Europe, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Although trotters came before pacers, the pacing industry is often more favoured by bettors as the horse’s performance is more stable and consistent.
By 1897, the 2 minute 30 second race time record had been abolished by Star Pointer, a pacer who finished the mile in two minutes and since then the time has become even shorter with many horses finishing the mile in 1 minute and 50 seconds.
Trotting in Australia:
Trotting races date back to the 1800s when men would race on public roads and then eventually moved to racetracks in the 1820s. In Hobart, the first official trot race was held in 1825. In the same decade, Edward Curr noticed the excellent pedigree of Standardbreds being foaled in Tasmania.
Until the 20th Century, trot racing flourished in all states of Australia however the Government declared all unregistered racing illegal in 1900 and consequently the New South Wales Trotting Club was established in 1902 to formalise the industry. In the same year, the famous Harold Park was built in Sydney and declared the "best lit trotting track in the world". The track was named after Childe Harold, a great sire of past trotting horses. Despite the popularity of the sport, there were still not enough horses being bred in Australia and the industry still had to import horses from North America and Europe.
The first Australian harness racing winner was Miss Kitty and in 1916 all racetracks were closed due to World War one and were not reopened until 1918 however the sport suffered for another decade. Throughout this whole time, Thoroughbred racing was increasingly in popularity and was therefore competition to the harness racing industry. Another problem was that trotting races were only being held during the day and was not attracting enough spectators to keep the revenues up. This was fixed in 1949 when night racing was introduced which attracted a large crowd of spectators every race.
On December 22, 1977, Miss Debra Wicks was the first female driver to win a harness race when she drove Darwin Boy to victory. The biggest influence to harness racing was in the early 2000s when cable and satellite broadcasting was introduced and Sky Channel began broadcasting trot races to over 2 million viewers each week.
TROTTING TRACKS
In Australia, harness racing tracks for both trotting and pacing are smaller than in North America and normally range between 700 metres to 1000 metres. Despite using the metric system, all racing times are converted into the mile-rate system so that times can be compared internationally. Despite many industry professionals requesting larger 1400 metre traces, many commentators believe the length of the track would be undesirable.
Australian racetracks are known to be quite hard, which are not as springy and have tighter turns. Banking on the curves of the track are important for speed as they maintain gait symmetry at the entrance and exit of curves.
Each state in Australia hosts several harness racing tracks, however the dominant racing tracks in each region are as follows:
Victoria:
Moonee Valley Racecourse hosts races seven days a week with the highlight of the week being Saturday night when the track is lit up. Trotting races are held over lengths between 1135 metres and 3065 metres.
Track Circumference: 965 metres
Home Straight length: 180 metres
Track Surface: Granitic Sand
New South Wales:
The premier metropolitan track in NSW is Harold Park in Sydney, which was on sale in 2008 for $150 million to make way for the new New South Wales racing headquarters at Menangle Park in Sydney’s south-west. Majority of races are held on Tuesdays during the day and spectators can watch races held between 1760 metres and 2965 metres.
Track Circumference: 804.50 metres
Home Straight length: 195 metres
Track Surface: Crushed Granite
Western Australia:
Harness Racing has a strong future in Western Australia with the industry being financially strong throughout the past few years. The main racecourse, Gloucester Park is located in Perth and the racecourse has meet days every Friday night and occasionally on Mondays and Tuesdays. Horses are able to race from 1730 metres to 2907 metres.
Track Circumference: 804.50 metres
Home Straight length: 143 metres
Track Surface: Granitic Sand
Queensland:
Albion Park in Brisbane is Queensland’s largest track and horses are able to race between 1660 metres and 2680 metres on the track. Queensland has been home to many winning trotting horses however when equine influenza struck Queensland and New South Wales, the racing industry suffered a significant financial loss.
Track Circumference: 1019 metres
Home Straight length: 197 metres
Track Surface: Crushed Granite
South Australia:
Although trotting is not as prominent in South Australia, Globe Derby Park in Adelaide is doing extremely well with its family friendly atmosphere. Meeting are held every Saturday and Monday throughout the season and on Fridays during the winter period. Races are held between the distances of 1800 metres and 2645 metres.
Track Circumference: 845 metres
Home Straight length: 150.90 metres
Track Surface: Crushed Granite
Tasmania:
There are not as many races held in Tasmania however the stake money in this state equals the total stake money from the other states. The two main race tracks are in Hobart and Launceston with the major races held on Sunday for the twilight sessions. Tattersalls Park is home to harness racing in Hobart and also offers Monday night meetings.
Track Circumference: 970 metres
Home Straight length: 200 metres
Track Surface: Crushed Granite
