HRV releases its '26-28 Strategic Plan for industry feedback
Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) has released an advanced draft of its 2026–28 Strategic Plan, outlining the high-level direction and future focus areas for the sport as it continues to build long-term sustainability.
The document is intended as a strategic roadmap, not an operational task list, and sets the overarching priorities that will guide the industry’s decisions over the coming years.
The draft plan includes:
HRV’s vision, purpose and values, which set the foundation for the industry’s direction
Key challenges and risks, which shape the operating environment
Four critical enablers, which create the conditions for success
Five strategic pillars, which describe the industry’s focus areas for the next three years
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs invited participants, clubs, and stakeholders to review the plan and provide feedback.
“All involved with harness racing in Victoria have been part of its significant change in recent years as the industry returns to a pathway to sustainability, and this document will form an important roadmap to what’s next,” Isaacs said.
He reinforced that the plan was intended to frame long-term direction rather than prescribe short-term actions.
“I encourage those with a passion for this great sport to consider the plan and share their feedback as we look to help build the industry's commercial sustainability, grow its communities, and enhance the welfare of its people and animals."
Feedback, including your name and contact number, can be emailed to info@hrv.org.au until 4 pm on Friday, December 12, after which time it will be collated and considered before the final plan is published at thetrots.com.au.
HRV's FY25 Annual Report outlines progress towards sustainability
Harness Racing Victoria has made significant strides in its transformation to financial sustainability, which are outlined in its release of the 2024-25 Annual Report.
The HRV group’s performance represented a $14.2 million improvement year-on-year before operational grants, having achieved year two of its turnaround program and being on course to break even in FY26.
The Annual Report, which was tabled in State Parliament on Friday, can be viewed here.
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs said: "The 2024–25 financial year marked a pivotal period of transition and renewal for Harness Racing Victoria. It was a year in which we made tangible progress towards financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and more substantial alignment across our industry, while continuing to deliver on our core purpose — to sustain, grow, and celebrate harness racing across Victoria."
Harness Racing Advisory Council sits for year's final stakeholder meeting
Harness Racing Victoria's Board and management team met with Harness Racing Advisory Council members last week for the last of this year's quarterly meetings.
The two-way conversation canvassed submissions from the Victorian Square Trotters Association, Harness Breeders Victoria, and independent members David Scott and Bill Anderson, including racing opportunities for three-year-olds and mares, Group 1 status for mares' races, and venue programming.
HRV updated members, which also included the Victorian Trainers and Drivers Association, Trots Clubs Victoria, and Victorian Harness Racing Club, on its '26-28 Strategic Plan, and provided integrity, finance, technology, and commercial updates. The integrity presentation included a discussion on swab statistical analysis, trends and patterns, and HRV's intelligence-led approach.
The council and HRV are scheduled to meet next in March.
Stars emerge as APG Vicbred Super Series finals takes shape
The world’s leading reinswoman, Kerryn Manning, and the most successful female trainer in this country, Emma Stewart, look set to go head-to-head in Saturday night’s APG Sales Vicbred Super Series (3YO Fillies) Final.
The Manning-trained and driven Surfe La Mer ($2.10 fav) took out the first semi-final after she charged through along the sprint lane to defeat her stablemate, Alifetimeforliving, by half a head.
The daughter of American Ideal has now won five of her nine starts this season.
“She’s a nice little filly who has come a long way from last year. She has always been fast but a little untractable, but this year she has been really good,” Manning said.
Later in the night, Stewart provided the quinella in the second semi-final when Beach Diamond ($1.15 fav), with NSW reinsman Cameron Hart in the sulky, led all the way to hold off stablemate Let Her Roll.
“She is a super little filly, a pleasure to drive, and everything you ask her to do she does for you,” Hart said.
Stanley and Watson target a big Vicbred night at Melton
A cold call to leviathan owner-breeder Rob Watson a decade ago has changed Mick Stanley’s life, not just his career.
The pair are now a juggernaut with four key runners, headed by star filly Soho Americano, in the rich APG Vicbred Super Series pacing finals at Melton on Saturday night.
“I didn’t know Rob, but he was one of six major owners with horses in multiple stables I reached out to and he was the only one who replied … that’s how it all started,” Stanley recalled.
“I remember him saying ‘you’re a young guy in the game trying your best and I want to support you’. We’ve had some nice horses over the years, but this is by far the best batch yet."
APG backs the Vicbred Super Series to champion Vic-bred excellence
Australian Pacing Gold (APG) was proud to announce its sponsorship of the 2025 Vicbred Super Series, one of Victoria’s premier harness racing showcases, to be held across two thrilling nights of racing at Melton Entertainment Park.
The age finals for 2YO and 3YO fillies and colts & geldings will be staged on Saturday, followed by the 4YO mares and entires & geldings finals on Saturday, November 29.
Robert Marshall, Chairman, Australian Pacing Gold said: “The Vicbred Super Series continues to play an instrumental role in uncovering the next generation of superstars, horses that will go on to shape the future of Australian harness racing. APG is proud to stand alongside HRV in supporting that journey."
Vicbred Vouchers flood the state with $5k owner and breeder incentives
The map of Vicbred Voucher winners has swelled significantly as the APG Vicbred Super Series builds towards its finals night.
In addition to the $5000 Vicbred Vouchers that owners have won since September in select Victorian races, winning owners and breeders of all Vicbred Super Series heats, semi-finals, finals, and consolation races each receive a voucher.
The $2.75 million ownership and breeding celebration, which was announced in July, sees $5000 vouchers won between September 2025 and November 2026 thanks to the State Government's Victorian Racing Industry Fund.
The vouchers can go towards your next stallion service or APG or Nutrien sales purchase. Details here.
The map below shows how the vouchers have quickly filtered to owners and breeders throughout the state:
There are still plenty of vouchers to be won for the remainder of 2025, with the following races all offering $5000 Vicbred Voucher bonuses.
Pacers:
Nov 20 @ Ballarat: Up To 49
Nov 21 @ Mildura: Maiden
Nov 25 @ Shepparton: 2YO Maiden
Dec 3 @ Mildura: Maiden
Dec 7 @ Horsham: Maiden
Dec 9 @ Shepparton: 3YO Maiden
Dec 10 @ Melton: 2YO Maiden
Dec 15 @ Maryborough: 3YO Maiden
Dec 16 @ Swan Hill: 55-64
Dec 17 @ Bendigo: Mares Up to 55 and a 4YO+ Maiden
Dec 18 @ Kilmore: 2YO Maiden
Dec 21 @ Cranbourne: One Lifetime Win
Dec 28 @ Cobram: Maiden
Dec 31 @ Melton: Mares Up to 55 and a Maiden
Trotter:
Nov 20 @ Ballarat: Up To 49
Nov 24 @ Horsham: 30+ SS
Dec 1 @ Maryborough: 2 & 3YO Maiden
Dec 4 @ Ballarat: 30+ SS
Dec 10 @ Melton: Mares Up to 59
Dec 11 @ Kilmore: 50-55
Dec 14 @ Gunbower: Maiden
For a full list of Vicbred Vouchers race dates CLICK HERE
'This is so special': Emotions run high as Tracy dominates The Ascent
Wins don’t get any more fitting or emotional than Tracy The Jet’s romp in the $NZ500,000 The Ascent at Addington.
Trainer Jess Tubbs described it as her hardest chapter yet since tragically losing her husband, champion driver Greg Sugars, in April.
This time last year at Addington they shared one of their greatest moments together when champion trotter Just Believe won the Group 1 Dominion Trot.
Now she’s returned to do Greg proud and win one of the richest races of the iconic NZ Cup Week in her own right.
“This is so special,” she said. “It’s been a really hard week, a very emotional week.
“Coming back here where Greg had so many friends and everyone wants to show their respect for him, while trying to win a big race has been very hard. I’m just so thrilled we got the result. It’s a relief.”
Incredible experience for winner of 2025 Garrards Young Guns Series
The first prize for this year’s Garrards Young Guns Series will be a money-can’t-buy trip to the United States, featuring an exclusive training and racing experience with the New York-based powerhouse team of Shane and Lauren Tritton.
The husband-and-wife duo relocated to Pine Bush, Upstate New York, in 2020 and have quickly become one of the most influential stables in North American harness racing.
The Trittons have continued to deliver at the highest level with multiple Group 1 victories, preparing some of the sport’s biggest names such as Nandolo, It’s A Me Mario and Lochinvar Art.
“The Young Guns Series is a terrific initiative, and Team Tritton is only too happy to support the next generation coming through, offering them the unique perspective the US provides with a different approach to preparing and racing standardbreds,” Shane Tritton said.
Lauren Tritton made global history earlier this year when the 31-year-old mother of two became the first female driver to land three winners at The Meadowlands in a single meeting.
“I would have loved to be part of a series like this when I was coming through the driving ranks back home in Australia,” Lauren Tritton said.
The King's rise a boon for Victoria's new-look carnival
The scene is set.
Victoria’s revamped and re-energized Summer of Glory is the biggest winner from the stunning emergence of Kingman.
When the potential $1 million bonus and new six-week schedule was announced about six weeks ago, there were sighs in some quarters.
Was it more lure just to get Leap To Fame down to Victoria much longer than just a hit-and-run raid on the Hunter Cup?
That was a natural take for the perennially negative, but the real benefits of the revamp and bonuses is much clearer for all to see now.
In the moments after Kingman’s epic and almost unbelievably huge NZ Cup win last Tuesday, his trainer-driver Luke McCarthy quickly switched the focus to Victoria.
“We’ve got one more race here (NZ) back at Addington (on Friday) and then he’s heading home for a freshen-up,” he said.
“We had planned to go to the Blacks A Fake, but now Victoria has the bonus, we’ll target all those cups starting in early January.
“It’ll be more like a freshen-up than a break at home and then we’ll head to Victoria.”
Graham set for big bonus as Cranbourne's cash splash comes to an end
Ross Graham has what appears to be an unassailable lead in the race for the $5000 trainer prize through Cranbourne Harness Racing Club’s successful Spring Cash Splash promotion.
The Sutton Grange horseman has collected 58 points across the six Cranbourne meetings through spring, which sees him 31 clear of Alison Alford and a further two ahead of John Justice.
Trainers have been allocated five points for a win, four points for second, three points for third, two points for fourth and one point for fifth at every Cranbourne meeting through the September, October and November series.
The leading Spring Cash Splash trainer takes home $5000, with $2000 for second and $1000 for third. Graham’s spring at Cranbourne has been a lucrative one, with seven individual winners across the six meetings so far.
Harness Racing Victoria will again introduce restricted two-year-old races from February to create more opportunities for young horses.
When applying the same method last year, HRV’s Racing Department found that more two-year-old races received sufficient nominations when opportunities were condensed in the year’s early months.
HRV will once again program two-year-old races at central Victorian venues, where the category’s population is at its greatest, with pacing races to begin in February and trotting races in March.
Two-year-old races will be scheduled as follows:
February 4 – Maryborough (pacers)
February 11 – Maryborough (pacers)
February 25 – Maryborough (pacers)
March 6 – Melton (pacers and trotters)
March 16 – Maryborough (pacers and trotters)
March 30 – Maryborough (pacers and trotters)
To contact the Racing office, call 03 8378 0291 from 7.30 am-3.30 pm on weekdays or 8-9 am on weekends and public holidays, or email racing@hrv.org.au. For late scratchings or driver changes out of hours, leave a message on 03 9214 0650.
From HRV's customer service, futurities, and licensing:
FUTURITIES:
VICBRED: HarnessWeb access is open to accept or withdraw Vicbred acceptances and series fees for eligible two, three, and four-year-olds for 2026. Automatic invoicing will be actioned at the start of December with payment required by February 2, 2026. Further information will be updated on Vicbred - The Trots.
LICENSING:
RENEWALS: Licensees can still renew online through Harnessweb, where drivers can also upload their medical certificates and betting declarations. To have a licence activated, you must complete payment and HRV's online compliance courses through the Safetrac Portal.
NEW LICENCE PORTAL: From mid-December licensees can expect to see a new licence portal appear in Harnessweb. The portal will allow licensees to apply for upgrades/downgrades and to submit new applications, with all required documents (uploaded), questions, and declarations forming part of the process. Communications will be sent prior to it being released on to Harnessweb.
FOAL NOTIFICATIONS: Online foal notifications are available through HarnessWeb to complete for services in the '24/25 breeding season. All services must be submitted regardless of the outcome. For a live foal, please ensure this is actioned within three weeks from its foaling date to avoid late penalties. More details can be found at Foal Notifications & Microchipping - The Trots.
MICROCHIPPING: Packs will be dispersed within days of the live foal notification being submitted. The packs will be sent to where the foal is residing. Please ensure that if you are engaging your own vet, they scan the code found on the microchipping guidelines to register as an HRV-approved vet. This code is sent in with the package or via the website at Foal Notifications & Microchipping - The Trots. This must be done prior to visiting your property to microchip your foal. More details and FAQs can be found at Foal Notifications & Microchipping - The Trots.
REGISTRATION FORMS: A reminder that on July 1 HRV advised that the following transaction functions must be completed online through HarnessWeb: foal notifications, namings, transfers of ownership, licence applications including renewals, leases, deregistration/death of horses, and split prizemoney payments.
ACCOUNTS:
SPLIT PRIZEMONEY PAYMENTS: Managing owners of partnerships can set-up split prizemoney payments via HarnessWeb, with stake money distribution split to all owners, including futurity win bonuses and participant-incentive bonuses. To be eligible, owners must have active HarnessWeb accounts with up-to-date email addresses and Australian/International bank account details. For more details, please visitSplit Prizemoney Payments - The Trots.
Have a query? Contact HRV's Customer Service Team on 03 8378 0200, 8.30 am-5 pm on weekdays, or email info@hrv.org.au
From Pony Trots Victoria:
Burnaholeinmybucket made a clean sweep of the two races on Hygain Victoria Pony Trots Cup night. Congratulations to the winner, Amelia Hodgson, on two perfect drives! Click the picture above to hear her post-race interview.
Results (Prelude & Cup): 1st - Burnaholeinmybucket, driven by Amelia Hodgson; 2nd - Pinecliffe Gent, driven by Ella Moran; 3rd - Twinkle Toes Ollie, driven by Arabella Maxwell-Dedini.
Special thanks to Alison from Hygain for assisting with the presentation and to Mackenzie for the beautiful garland, complete with fairy lights.
The country cups season is in full swing for Hygain Pony Trots Victoria combatants, with big days at Maryborough and St Arnaud. Here are the standouts:
Hygain Maryborough Pony Trots Cup: 1st - Minnie, driven by Madeline Welch; 2nd - The Devils Fire, driven by Tyler Hausler; 3rd - Burnaholeinmybucket, driven by Amelia Hodgson.
St Arnaud Pony Trots Cup: 1st - Exotic Tabitha, driven by Lacey Hausler (pictured); 2nd - Twinkle Toes Ollie, driven by Arabella Maxwell-Dedini; 3rd - The Devils Fire, driven by Tyler Hausler. Thanks to the support of Charlene Gusman of Gusman Racing, three special awards were presented to Charlie Walters (excellent sportsmanship), Arabella Maxwell-Dedini (for honesty and integrity), and Josie Williams (for showing resilience and perseverance).
Enquiries and nominations are being received for Harness Racing Victoria's life after racing program, HRV Hero, with a steady number of horses being rehomed, both through our valued retrainers and the direct off-the-track avenues.
Harness Racing Victoria's (HRV) Integrity Department advises all trainers to review a recent publication concerning the prohibited substance levamisole.
