Harness racing in New Zealand
Harness racing in New Zealand is a professional sport for Standardbred horses. The races are run in two gaits: pacers and trotters. Pacers are usually faster, and most of the sport’s big prize money goes to pacers. The sport is still often called trotting because of its traditional name.
The game began in the Otago and Southland area around 1864, with the first betting systems appearing then. The first trotting race on a track in Canterbury happened in 1875. Clubs grew, and trotting events were added to regular race meetings. Over time the sport developed into the modern harness racing we know today.
In 1938 a New Zealand pacer named Lawn Derby became the first to break the two-minute mark in Australia or New Zealand, running 1:59.4 at Addington. Since then, the sport has grown with many top horses and races.
Races in New Zealand use metric distances, ranging from 1600m to 3200m. A horse leading does not always stay there; a challenger may press from outside the leader, sometimes called sitting in the “death seat” or “the breeze,” which affects how far the horse runs. A race can have up to 16 runners, though smaller fields are common. On some tracks there is an open lane or a passing lane, but not everywhere.
New Zealand horses often race in Australia, and Australian horses compete in New Zealand races too. In 2021 New Zealand changed the official birth date for horses to January 1.
The biggest race in New Zealand is the New Zealand Trotting Cup, held in November at Addington. Other major races include the Auckland Trotting Cup, the Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile, and the New Zealand Messenger Championship for four-year-olds. There are also the New Zealand Derby and Great Northern Derby for three-year-olds, plus the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup for trotters. The Inter Dominion is a long-running series between New Zealand and Australia, with pacing and trotting divisions; New Zealand last hosted it in 2019.
New Zealand has produced famous pacers and trotters who have shone both at home and abroad. In the 1950s and 60s NZ horses raced in North America, and horses like Cardigan Bay later found success in the United States.
Harness racing takes place across New Zealand at many tracks and clubs, reflecting a long history of breeding and competition from around the world.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:52 (CET).