Int'l Harness Racing Competition Set for Invercargill

MEDIA RELEASE
24 NOVEMBER 2016

INTERNATIONAL HARNESS RACING COMPETITION SET FOR INVERCARGILL

International competition in harness racing returns to Invercargill this weekend as the annual Trans Tasman Drivers Challenge takes place in Invercargill.

Supported by American Ideal the competition will pit a team of Australian reinsmen against a team from the North Island and one from the South Island.

This is the third year the competition has been held and to date the North Islanders have been the team to beat. They have won the teams title in both 2014 and 2015 with Maurice McKendry taking the individual title in 2014 while Zac Butcher took individual honours last year.

This year the North Island team features David and Zac Butcher, Joshua Dickie and Scott Phelan while Australian honour will be upheld by Lance Justice, John Caldow, Lisa Miles and David Murphy. The South Island team have had a late change with Southland driver Clark Barron stepping in to replace Dexter Dunn. Barron will join Ricky May, Blair Orange and Nathan Williamson in the South Island team.

Points will be scored in five heats throughout the afternoon with 10 points for a win, 7 for second, 5 for third 3 for fourth and 1 for fifth. At the end of the afternoon a new team and individual champion will be crowned.

The standard of racing in the first two years of the competition has been superb and fans can look forward to more of the same this season. The public will be able to meet the drivers at the prizegiving in the Cafeteria at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill after the event.

The first race is timed to start at 12.35pm and admission to the course is free!

AUSTRALIA - Lance Justice, Lisa Miles, John Caldow, David Murphy

NORTH ISLAND - David Butcher, Zac Butcher, Joshua Dickie, Scott Phelan

SOUTH ISLAND - Clark Barron, Ricky May, Blair Orange, Nathan Williamson

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