Futurity and Sales Series
New Zealand’s Standardbred racing industry is supported by a range of futurity and sales-based race series that provide breeders, owners, and trainers with structured, high-quality racing opportunities for young horses. These races are not only rich in prize money but also vital for showcasing the quality and development of our breeding stock.
At the heart of these initiatives is the New Zealand Sires Stakes Board (NZSSB), the principal body responsible for the administration and oversight of most major age-group and sales-linked racing series in the country. Their continued investment and strategic leadership have helped ensure that New Zealand-bred Standardbreds have clear and aspirational targets from their juvenile season through to open class.
New Zealand Sires Stakes Series
The New Zealand Sires Stakes Series has long been the flagship age-restricted race programme for the country’s best young pacers and trotters. Introduced in the early 1980s, this series provides a nationally coordinated platform for two- and three-year-old Standardbreds to compete for substantial stakes across several feature finals.
Separate divisions cater for pacing colts and geldings, pacing fillies, and trotters — each offering progressive heats and culminating in prestigious Group races. These events are career-defining and have been the launching pad for many of the sport’s most elite performers.
In recent years, the NZSSB has undertaken a major strategic push to broaden its offerings — not only boosting stake levels across key races, but also introducing and supporting more conditioned race opportunities for horses who may not peak at two or three. Importantly, there has been a concerted effort to expand racing pathways for aged horses in both gaits, addressing an important gap in the calendar and helping maintain the relevance and depth of our open-class divisions.
The Sires Stakes Board continues to review and refine its programming in consultation with industry stakeholders, working to ensure that its race offerings reflect the evolving needs of participants and breeders alike.
For more information about race eligibility, series conditions, or to discuss the future direction of the programme, contact:
Martin Pierson
General Manager – NZ Sires Stakes Board
NZB Standardbred Harness Million Series
The Harness Million Series is New Zealand’s premier sales-linked futurity programme, tied to graduates of the annual NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales. Administered by the NZSSB, the series offers significant stakes for two- and three-year-old pacers and trotters, with separate races by age and gait.
These events add value to the sales process and offer immediate racing returns for investors in New Zealand-bred yearlings. The Harness Million races are now a key feature of the juvenile calendar and continue to grow in prestige and profile.
Nevele R Fillies Series
A long-standing highlight of the calendar for pacing fillies, the Nevele R Fillies Series is open to three-year-old pacing fillies and showcases some of the finest female talent in the country. Administered by the NZSSB and sponsored by Nevele R Stud, the series consists of heats and a Group 1 final, offering both racing prestige and breeding value to participants.
This series plays an important role in strengthening the fillies and mares programme and offers a well-defined stepping stone for future broodmares.
Caduceus Club Fillies Series
The Caduceus Club Fillies Series offers early-season racing for two-year-old pacing fillies, helping fast-track juvenile development while maintaining a strong focus on fillies-only programming. Also administered by the NZSSB, the series includes heats and a final and has consistently attracted high-quality fields, reflecting its importance in developing our young female talent.
Together, these series form the foundation of New Zealand’s harness racing development pathway, from the sales ring to the racetrack. Thanks to the dedicated stewardship of the New Zealand Sires Stakes Board, participants are afforded a clear, credible, and commercially valuable roadmap for young horses — and increasingly, for older ones too.