Industry Notice: Qualification and requalification of horses for harness racing

Friday 7 July 2023

A horse which has not raced is required to race satisfactorily in a Qualifying Trial before being permitted to race at a registered meeting.

The Qualifying Trial requires the horse to start satisfactorily and keep pace and rhythm throughout the trial without breaking gait. The horse must also complete the trial within the correct timeframes according to its age group and the race track.

A horse which has qualified and raced in a mobile start event but has not raced in a standing start event must demonstrate to the Stewards in a Standing Start Trial that the horse has the right behaviour to be nominated in this type of event.

This requires the horse to stand correctly behind the strands and begin the race in a satisfactory manner, not breaking gait for the first 100 metres from the start.

If the Steward judges the horse has shown the correct behaviour, an abbreviation of Qualified Standing Starts (QSS) will be placed beside the horse’s name in the trial results.

In these circumstances, there is no requirement for the horse to complete the entire trial or run a qualifying time as the horse has already qualified to race, and the qualification is for starting status only.

Alternatively, a horse which has qualified and raced in a Standing Start event, but has not started in a mobile start event, must demonstrate to the Stewards in a Mobile Start Trial that the horse has the right behaviour to be nominated in this type of event.

The Mobile Start Trial requires the horse to marshal correctly behind the Mobile, score up in the desired manner and begin the race satisfactorily, not breaking gait for the first 100 metres from the start.

If the Steward judges the horse has shown the correct behaviour, an abbreviation of Qualified Mobile Starts (QMS) will be placed beside the horses name in the trial results.

Similarly, there is no requirement to complete the entire trial or to run a qualifying time as the horse has already qualified to race, and the qualification is for starting status only.

Any horse which is barred from racing for breaking in running must complete the entire trial and record a time within the qualifying time arrangements. This requirement is also extended to horses that have not raced for more than six months.

A horse that has multiple trials for the same reason is required to complete all satisfactory trials in a consecutive manner.

Trainers wishing to remove an outside draw embargo can complete their two race starts in a mixture of race starts or races and trials. 

Again, there is no requirement to record a time within qualifying timeframes.

In these circumstances there is no requirement to finish the trial, as horses are judged on their starting behaviour in the first 100 metres from the start.

Thank you,

David Farquharson
Chief Stipendiary Steward – Harness
David.Farquharson@qric.qld.gov.au

QRIC stewards are available at stewards@qric.qld.gov.au