Celebrate With The Invercargill Harness Racing Club

The Invercargill Harness Racing Club’s massive Christmas meeting featuring the Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup returns this year on Friday 20 December.

Since attaining Group 1 status and receiving a pre-Christmas date the meeting has gone from strength to strength with large crowds attending each year including many who use the event for their end of year Christmas functions.

The stake for the cup is $100,000 with a quality support card including the Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes Trot with a stake of $50,000, the Canada Stakes for a purse of $30,000, the SBSR Sires Stakes Southern Solstice Mobile Pace also for $30,000 and the Diamond Creek Farm/SBSR Robin Dundee Crown for stakes of $25,000.

A popular feature over the past few seasons has been a competition where on course patrons can win the opportunity to place a bet of up to $1000 on the Cup by dropping their losing tote tickets or a coupon from the race book in one of the labelled buckets around the course with their name and phone number on the back for a special draw.

The draw will be made prior to Race 5 where each ticket or coupon drawn will receive a runner in that race. Should your runner finish first in race 5 you receive $1000 to bet on the Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup. Second in the race 5 competition gets $300 to spend on the Cup and third $200.

To enter you must be 18 years of age or older.

Ladies Fashion In The Field, supported by Elegance 148 On Elles Restaurant, McLeay Jewellers and Craig Heyrick of Harcourts Real Estate, Invercargill, is back with entries open on course until Race 3 on the day with some great prizes up for grabs. Details will be in the race book on the day.

Six contestants will be found for the final which will take place in the birdcage later in the day.

The race meeting is a twilight event due to commence at 3.30pm, ideal for those end of year functions and get togethers.

Anyone wishing to book hospitality space for a function should contact Southern Harness Racing’s Promotions Officer, Lindsay Beer either at 021 351 499 or [email protected]