Kaikoura to launch Seddon Shields Trotting Championships

The 2024-25 Seddon Shields Trotting Championship Series, which will culminate with a $30,000 final in March, will kick off on Alabar Kaikoura Cup day on Monday, November 4.

Targetting R51-70 trotters, the series will be held around the top half of the South Island between November this year and March 2025. It will be known as the Seddon Bob Rochford Memorial Trotting Series after the Kaikoura legend who died suddenly at Westport in March this year. Bob was a well-known harness racing stalwart, a former Kaikoura Trotting Club President and Life Member.

It's the second year that the Trotting series is being run and its format has had some tweaks.

Kaikoura is included this year after not being in the inaugural series. There will be 10 heats in the series, starting at Kaikoura and going through to Reefton on March 9, each worth either $15,000, $17,500 or $20,000.  Instead of an accrued points system to determine the overall winner, there will be a $30,000 final at Addington on March 21. Conditions include that horses must start in a minimum of four races across the five Seddon Venues.

The winner of each programmed Trotting Series race will gain automatic entry into the final, with the remainder of the field made up of the highest point earners over the heats.

To see the field for Kaikoura click here 

Points will be awarded as follows :

▪ Automatic entry for 1st
▪ 5 points for 2nd
▪ 3 points for 3rd
▪ 2 points for 4th
▪ 1 point for 5th

The complete schedule is :

November 4 - Kaikoura - $20,000
December 26 and 28 - Westport - $15,000 & $20,000
December 30 - Reefton - $20,000
January 10 and 12 - Nelson - $15,000 and $20,000
January 17 and 19 - Marlborough - $15,000 and $20,000
March 7 - Westport - $17,500
March 9 - Reefton - $17,500

The $30,000 final : March 21 – Addington

Last year's series was won by Boyz Invasion. As top points-scorer he earned a $10,000 bonus for his connections.

For more information contact Erin Fox -  [email protected] or Seddon Shields Chair Johnny Reedy - [email protected]