Trotters’ prize money lowest since 1999

WHEN the Interdominon trotting championship returns later this year, the grand final prize pool will be the lowest it has been since 1999.

The former pinnacle of Australiasian trotting will be run in Victoria in December for the first time since it was scrapped in 2012.

Harness Racing Victoria announced last week the pacers’ grand final would be worth $A500,000 ($NZ539,000) and the trotter’s grand final would be worth $A150,000.

Harness Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New Zealand have also confirmed the same prize money for the two series after that.

The confirmed figures represent big drops in the two series’ grand final prize pools. The trotting grand finals from 2008 to 2012 were run for $250,000 in either Australian or New Zealand currency.

The trotting final has not been run for a $150,000 winning purse since Special Force won at Alexandra Park in 1999.

The following year the championship was run for a record $A500,000 in Victoria.

This year, the Interdominion pacing grand final will be run for its lowest prize pool since Blacks A Fake’s 2007 win in South Australia.

Since then the final has been run for as much as $A1.3 million and has not dropped below $A750,000.

This year’s Interdominion pacing and trotting finals will be run at Melton in December. Alexandra Park will host the 2019 finals and Menangle the 2020 series.