The 2025 Aurora Australis shines an international spotlight on Victorian trotting. Commencing in January, this eight-race series encompasses the feature trotting races that headline the start of a new racing year.
The Aurora Australis commences with the $75,000 Maori Mile at Bendigo on Saturday 4 January, where the fastest trotting stars compete for glory on one of the quickest tracks in Victoria.
The series then heads to Ballarat on Pacing Cup Night for the time-honoured $30,000 The Knight Pistol on Saturday night 18 January.
Victoria’s metropolitan track Melton, plays host to the next legs of the Aurora Australis series of races – with the $30,000 V L Dullard Trotters Cup on Saturday night 25 January and the $290,000 Great Southern Star series (two $20,000 Heats into a $250,000 Final) on Saturday night 1 February.
A new race has been added to the 2025 Aurora Australis, the Bruce Skeggs Cranbourne Trotters Cup, a $60,000 Group 1 race over 2555m at Cranbourne.
The final leg is the Group 3 $30,000 Australian Trotting Championship on Saturday night 22 February at Melton.
An attractive target to Australasia’s best trotters, the Aurora Australis will attract international participation from the key global trotting markets in the years to come.
| Day | Date | Month | Race | Track | Distance | Current Prizemoney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 4th | January | Aldebaran Park Maori Mile (Group 2) | Bendigo | 1609m | $75,000 |
| Saturday | 18th | January | Aldebaran Park The Knight Pistol (Group 3) | Ballarat | 2200m | $30,000 |
| Saturday | 25th | January | V L Dullard Trotters Cup (Group 3) | Melton | 2240m | $30,000 |
| Saturday | 1st | February | Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star Heats (2 Heats) | Melton | 1720m | $20,000 |
| Saturday | 1st | February | Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star Final (Group 1) | Melton | 1720m | $250,000 |
| Saturday | 8th | February | Bruce Skeggs Cranbourne Trotters Cup (Group 2) | Cranbourne | 2555m | $60,000 |
| Saturday | 22nd | February | Australian Trotting Championship (Group 2) | Melton | 2650m (SS) | $30,000 |
