Phil Williamson likely to have big team at Harness 5000

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  

"If they are eligible they'll go" - that's Phil Williamson's approach to the Harness 5000 meeting at Ashburton on December 21.

"I haven't finalised who's going yet but that's where we are at."

Right now the Oamaru-based Williamson has eight trotters who have qualified for the meeting. Of them seven could potentially line up with only Jimmy Carter likely to be too far down the pecking order to get a start.

The eight are :

3YO Trotting Fillies 
Have A Little Faith (1st)
Atlantic City (3rd)

4YO Trotting Mares
Empire City (10th)
Harriet's Moment (20th)

5YO and Older Trotting Mares
Practical Magic (18th)  

3YO Trotting Colts and Geldings

Tarragindi (1st)

5YO and Older Trotting Entires and Geldings

Our Pinocchio (13th)
Jimmy Carter (47th)

The Harness 5000 is for trotters and pacers whose sire stood for an advertised retail service fee of $5,000 or less in the breeding season of conception and to be eligible horses must compete in at least five race day starts between July 3 - December 9,2025.

There will be a maximum of 14 starters in each of the $60,000 finals. They will all be held over 1700 metres (mobile).

"It's another idea and there's nothing wrong with it and any money to the owners is good by me."

With the money up and the calibre of horses who have qualified already Williamson is expecting a very competitive day's racing.

"I think the racing is going to have better horses than they had planned."

"They were thinking it was for the lower grade horses but there are going to be a lot of high grade horses there."

"The Majestic Sons can get in and he's our leading (trotting) sire."

Every week the Harness 5000 Progress Tracker is updated to show the number of horses who have reached the qualifying threshold for the meeting. The "168" on the tracker signifies all 12 races having full 14-horse fields. It is however anticipated that around 350 horses will be in the mix come December, though this figure could fluctuate.

Right now the figure is at 338.

The 5YO and older categories have the most qualifiers with 66 Pacers and 63 Trotters

"It'll be  a good day's racing," says Williamson, "trying to get some of it (the stakes) - that's the tough bit!"

To see the Harness 5000 Leaderboards click here