Changes to Australasia’s flagship harness racing event, the Inter Dominion Championship, were made at the annual meeting of Harness Racing Australia (HRA) in Hobart today.
The race will no longer be conducted according to a roster taking in the six mainland capitals of Australia and New Zealand’s two major harness racing cities, Christchurch and Auckland, which has been the case for most years since it was first held in 1936.
Instead, eligible cities in Australia and New Zealand will tender for the right to conduct the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship in three year terms following the end of the current roster.
The next Inter Dominion will be conducted in Christchurch in 2011 and the last event held under the current roster will be staged in Perth in 2012.
It was also decided to rename the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship to avoid marketing confusion.
A new name is to be found for the signature trotting race in Australia and New Zealand.
The format for the conduct of the Inter Dominion series for the three years 2013 – 2015 will be decided by the Inter Dominion Event Committee (IDEC) following consultation with the bodies interested in tendering to conduct the event.
The changes are still to be ratified by Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ).
“There has been considerable debate in the past few years about the future of the Inter Dominion and today’s vote is the culmination of a great deal of work by a lot of people and extensive industry consultation,” HRA Chairman Mr Geoff Want said in Hobart today.
“The primary objective of the process has been to find a way to reinvigorate the Inter Dominion and restore it to a position of eminence in the Australian sporting landscape,” he said.
“It is felt that having the series held in one venue for three years will provide greater marketing and sponsorship opportunities and help build brand awareness”.
The Inter Dominion Trotting Championship has been held in Melbourne in recent years because of a reluctance of most host cities to stage the event.
“It is of critical importance that we encourage the development of trotting in this part of the world and it is our intention to re-brand the Inter Dominion Trot to help raise the profile of the event,” Geoff Want said.