Dubbo & Parkes Harness Racing Clubs are excited to announce a new series culminating in a final to be held on the last meeting for the season at Dubbo. The new series is to be known as the Garrards RIO Meteor Repechage.
The series caters for horses that have had a minimum of five starts at Dubbo or Parkes during the 2015/16 season including a minimum of one start at each venue. Maximum of three lifetime wins. No concessions will apply with the barrier draw to be conducted on lifetime wins.
Two heats are to be conducted at Parkes' final meeting this season on August 14 and two heats conducted at the Dubbo meeting conducted on August 21. Horses must have had five starts as per conditions prior to nomination for respective heats. Preference for a start in the heats will be given to horses with the most number of starts at Parkes & Dubbo during the 2015/16 season. Horses qualifying at Parkes will be ineligible for the heats conducted at Dubbo with the final conducted at Dubbo on August 28 over 1720m. Prize money for the final is yet to be determined however the winning trainer will receive a new RIO Meteor Race gig.
The series is in addition to the popular Garrards Iron Horse Series Invitation which is already in into its third year. It is designed to cater for the lower grade horses that have consistently raced at both venues throughout the season, giving trainers the opportunity to win a substantial prize with a horse that may not necessarily earn a huge amount of money.
With the season passing the hallway point there are already 450 horses that have competed at both Dubbo and Parkes and therefore have registered points in the Garrards Iron Horse. Over 100 of those horses have already earned double digit points.
The current leader is Nathan Hurst's Tulhurst Stacey on 36 points two points clear of Go Lassie Go for Jason Gaffney. Bullion Hall & Mod Conns are a further point away in a tie for third. At this stage fourteen individual trainers have horses placed in the top 20 list. Included on that list is evergreen claimer Catch Your Breath who continues to earn points merely from starting, proving that all you have to do is keep racing at both clubs and you're in with a chance.
Greg Hayes