A new mares’ series to be staged at Corbiewood in 2017 is to be sponsored by Oakwood Stud (Co Offaly, Ireland).
The series, which will be staged over 7 weeks, will be run by the Scottish Harness Racing Club (SHRC) for its members and is open to mares aged 4 and above with a BHRC handicap of Grade 1 or above.
Mare owners must be members of the club at the date the entries close. SHRC members do not need to reside in Scotland.
The Oakwood Stud Mares’ Pacing Series will be limited to the top 12 BHRC handicapped mares which enter, with the handicap mark to be determined on the date the nominations close (Friday 9th June).
The series will consist of 6 legs, with the first 3 legs run as open preferred handicaps in two lines as per the BHRC handicap system (lowest earnings drawn 1, highest earnings drawn 8) and the remaining 3 legs run as open preferred handicaps in two lines based on monies won within the series.
The series will culminate with a £1500 purse final for the top 8 highest earners in the series, with the winner receiving £1000 as well as a rug and trophy also sponsored by Oakwood Stud.
Derek Delaney, speaking on behalf of Oakwood Stud, was quick to get on board with the idea:
“We love to be involved in great start up ideas in UK & Irish Harness racing from the beginning and we believe there needs to be more racing for the mares and love the idea of them racing their own sex as older mares and not only juvenile stakes racing. When Sarah Thomas told me her thoughts, I was immediately interested in supporting her forward thinking.”
Each of the 12 mares will be guaranteed 4 runs in the series should they enter for all of the legs, with the purse for each leg set at £550. The nomination fee to stake a mare is £150, with the entry fee for each leg being £40. The final will be run in two lines with all 8 mares to ballot for position.
The order of priority for the first leg will be the top 8 BHRC handicapped mares; any mares returned from the first leg will take priority for the second leg.
The order of priority for the remaining legs will be as follows:
- Any mares returned from the previous leg;
- Mares with the lowest number of runs within the series;
- Mares with the lowest earnings within the series;
- Highest BHRC handicap mark.
The idea for the series stemmed from the success of the three STAGBI Future Broodmares races staged at Corbiewood in 2016. All three races were fully subscribed and provided competitive and thrilling finishes in the open preferred handicap format. In 2017 there will be a maximum of two STAGBI Future Broodmares races sponsored by STAGBI, which will supplement the mares’ series.
Further details of the series will be published via the SHRC and BHRC websites and social media pages in due course, however if anybody has any queries regarding the series, please contact Sarah Thomas.
by Sarah Thomas, for Harnesslink