KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's biggest three-year-old pacing race just got bigger - a lot bigger.
The Auckland Trotting Club will shock its rivals by boosting the stake for this season's Woodlands Stud Great Northern Derby to $200,000, a record for a harness racing Derby in the Southern Hemisphere, and $75,000 more than last season.
The move comes on top of stakes increases for all group one races at Alexandra Park this season and will also see a change to the Derby format.
In recent seasons the classic has been run in mid-December but will now move to the first Friday of the Auckland Cup meeting in March but will have two $15,000 heats held the week before.
The first five from those heats will qualify for the Derby, with the ATC selecting the remaining three spots.
One of those seems certain to go to a leading Australian pacer, with the ATC to underwrite the travelling expenses of one of their best three-year-olds. Lombo Pocket Watch is the early favourite for that invitation.
It is hard to imagine any Australian trainer turning down the chance to run in the Derby, especially as a win or second placing in the classic would be enough to guarantee a start in the rich Harness Jewels series in June, entry into which is based on stakes.
The stake could even lure freakish filly One Dream to start in the Derby, a move ATC officials have planned on.
With that in mind they have moved the Pascoes Great Northern Oaks from its intended date in March to April 27.
"With the Derby becoming New Zealand's biggest 3-year-old race now we wanted to give the fillies a chance to start, especially with ones like One Dream and Top Tempo in this season's filly crop," said ATC vice president Rod Croon.
