The New Zealand Pacing Free For All is a major New Zealand

harness race Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...

. It is notable as it is a

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

championship sprint race and has been won by nearly every champion pacer in New Zealand.

History of the race

Horses which have won the Free-for-all include hall of famers and champions who later shone in the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Cardigan Bay Cardigan Bay ( cy, Bae Ceredigion) is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales. Geograp ...

and

Caduceus The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...

. The latter who won the Free For All three times. The race has also been won three times by

Robalan Robalan was a champion New Zealand pacer Standardbred horse, known as "Robby". He is notable in that he won the 1974 NZ Trotting Cup, the richest harness race in New Zealand, and for his epic contests with champion pacer Young Quinn who he more t ...

Harold Logan Harold Logan was a New Zealand bred Standardbred pacer that won two New Zealand Trotting Cups. He was a leading performer in 1931 and 1932. In 1932, he won the New Zealand Trotting Cup with a handicap of 60 yards. Pedigree Harold Logan was b ...

Lordship A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...

and Author Dillon.New Zealand Free for All
Between 1942 and 1948 the race was renamed the New Zealand Pacing Sprint Championship. The race is contested at

Addington Raceway Addington may refer to: Places In Australia: * Addington, Victoria In Canada: * Addington, Ontario * Addington County, Ontario (now Lennox and Addington County, Ontario) * Addington Highlands, Ontario * Addington Parish, New Brunswick * Ad ...

on the Canterbury Anniversary public holiday and Canterbury A&P Show day on the Friday of "Cup week" in mid-November. With the

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chri ...

run on the Tuesday of that week, the Free For All attracts most of the same horses as the Cup, and is often won in the same year by the same horse. There is also the

New Zealand Cup The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch. New Zealand Cup week The New Zealand Cup is raced on the final Saturday of Christchurch "Cup week" held each year in the second week of Novem ...

for gallopers and a number of other premier races for the harness, thoroughbred and greyhound racing codes that week. Distance Unlike the New Zealand Cup it is run from a mobile, rather than standing, start. From 1914 to 1972 the event was generally over miles or from 1973 onwards 2000 m, although from 1920 to 1927 it was a mile only. The 1962 race won by

is recorded by HRNZ to have been over furlongs. The 2008 race was won in record time (1.54-mile rate for 2000 m) by

Auckland Reactor Auckland Reactor is a New Zealand standardbred racehorse bred by Dr. Tony & Anne Parker. He was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year in two seasons. He was also given the nickname The Reactor Factor because most Trainers supposedly feared him. ...

. For 2012 and 2013 the race was contested over 1 mile (1609 m), meaning the race will start on a bend. It was subsequently changed to 1950 m for 2013 to 2017 and has been over 1980 m for 2018 onwards. Stake money The total stake money for the race was: * $165,600 (2020) * $200,000 (2010) * $300,000 (2008) * $100,000 (2000) * $85,000 (1990) * $18,000 (1980) * $4,500 (1970) The total race stake was valued at $300,000 in 2008, but was reduced to $200,000 and below in later years due to economic pressures.

Records

Most wins: * 3 - Arthur Dillon (1918, 1919, 1920) * 3 -

(1956, 1958, 1959) * 3 -

(1931, 1934, 1936) * 3 -

(1962, 1964, 1967) * 3 -

(1972, 1973, 1974) Most wins by a driver: * 7 -

Tony Herlihy Anthony Grant Herlihy (born 4 October 1958) is a New Zealand driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses. He was associated with many champions and has been a leading driver of harness horses in New Zealand. In 2014, he was inducted into the N ...

(1987, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2006, 2012) * 5 -

D D Nyhan Denis Donovan Nyhan or D D Nyhan (11 April 1939 – 1 September 2021), was a prominent trainer and driver of standardbred racehorses winning many of New Zealand's premier racing events. He won the New Zealand Trotting Cup twice with Lordship in ...

(1962, 1964, 1972, 1973, 1974) * 5 -

Mark Purdon Mark Purdon is a driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with many champions and is one of the leading trainers and drivers of harness horses in New Zealand and Australasia. He was inducted into the Inter D ...

(1988, 1995, 2003, 2008, 2016) * 4 -

M F Holmes Maurice Francis Tancred Holmes (10 November 1908 – 7 July 1998), commonly known as Morrie Holmes, was a driver of standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. He was associated with many champions and was a leading driver of harness horses in New Zea ...

(1934, 1952, 1957, 1965) * 4 -

Natalie Rasmussen Natalie Clair Rasmussen (born 1977) is a driver and trainer of Standardbred racehorses in Australia and New Zealand. She has been associated with many champions and is one of the leading trainers and drivers of harness horses in Australasia. Bi ...

(2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)

Results

* won the

same year Full details of each year's race are contained on the Harness Racing New Zealand website

References

{{reflist Harness racing in New Zealand Horse races in New Zealand

History of the race

Records

Results

See also

References