KEY POINTS:
Harness Racing New Zealand has confirmed next year's second running of the Harness Jewels series will be held at Cambridge.
The series starts this year, with Ashburton hosting a raceday worth over $1.5 million.
The meeting consists of $200,000 pacing races for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds separated by sex and three $100,000 races for trotters of the same ages open to both sexes.
The races will be contested by the top 12 stake earners in each age group, with only stakes earned in New Zealand counted.
Already the concept is shaping as New Zealand's premier winter race meeting, with this year's likely to play host to superstars such as Changeover, One Dream, Pay Me Christian, Monkey King, Awesome Armbro and Houdini Star.
HRNZ officials want to rotate the meeting between the north and south every year and the north's premier club, the Auckland Trotting Club, confirmed yesterday it supported the Cambridge-Te Awamutu club's bid.
HRNZ bosses are hoping to secure the same Saturday date of Queen's Birthday weekend which Ashburton will have this year.
While some trainers may have slight concerns over Cambridge's reputation as a front-runners' track, the move could be a huge success.
Cambridge is one of the strongest racing regions in the country and the locals there have turned out in big numbers when champions such as Christian Cullen or Lyell Creek have raced at Cambridge before.
The Cambridge meeting would also be more likely to lure leading Australian horses, many of whose trainers are reluctant to head to Ashburton this season because it could mean flying to Auckland and then heading south by road.
Being awarded the series will continue the huge improvements in Waikato harness racing in the last five years.
Stakes and race dates have increased at Cambridge and the region is now the focus of New Zealand harness racing every January.
Cambridge has also redesigned its main grandstand to provide modern corporate hospitality facilities and the track also now sports a seven-day-a-week cafe and bar.
* Flashing Red's bid for major race wins on both sides of the Tasman in the same week received a boost yesterday.
Last Friday's Auckland Trotting Cup winner has headed to Perth for the Fremantle Cup on Friday night, in which he faces a 20m backmark.
While that won't be easily overcome, his task has been made significantly easier by the withdrawal of favourite Be Good Johnny from the race. The dual Miracle Mile winner is being held back for the two mobile start races later in the West Australian carnival.
Trainer Tim Butt said Flashing Red has thrived since last Friday's national record 2700m performance.
* Extasia set a modern-day Alexandra Park record yesterday.
The 4-year-old trotting mare won the class one trot by an astonishing 25 lengths in the hands of Maurice McKendry at the Kumeu meeting.
It was the greatest winning margin in a totalisator race at Alexandra Park for at least 20 years.
"I couldn't hear any other horses coming up the straight and now I know why," joked McKendry. "I can't remember ever winning a race by that much before.
"She has always been good and she just took off down the back straight."
Extasia, trained by Peter and Glen Wolfenden, was having her fifth career start for her second win and while she still has plenty to learn she is on the fast track to open class.
The highlight of yesterday's minor meeting was the first career driving success for Emmett Brosnan, the son of astute trainer Richard Brosnan.
Having his 12th drive, Brosnan reined home Heeza Endenglassie, trained by his father, to win the maiden.
