2023 Otago Daily Times Southern Mile

About the ODT Southern Mile Series

The Otago Racing Club is promoting the Otago Daily Times Southern Mile series, to be staged by six clubs over four venues, with the opening race on Boxing Day at Wingatui and the final at Wingatui on March 2nd, 2024.

There will be 10 qualifying races, each run over 1600 meters, at the Rating 65 and Rating 74 levels.

The final will be a 1600m Benchmark Rating 82 Special Conditions Handicap.

To be eligible for the final, horses must have competed in at least one qualifying race.

Points will be allocated on the following basis: 10 points for first, 8 points for second, 7 points for third, 6 points for fourth, 5 points for fifth, 4 points for sixth, 3 points for seventh, 2 points for eighth, and 1 point for ninth and tenth.

The field for the final will be selected from the horses with the highest number of points. In the event of horses being on the same number of points, preference will be given to heat winners. If there is no heat winner, selection will be based on horse ratings, followed by NZTR Handicapper discretion.

In the event of a qualifying race at a feature meeting being split, the consolation race placegetters will receive half points i.e. 5 points for first, 4 points for second and so on down to tenth. There will be no additional stake added to a consolation race.

In the event of a qualifying race at an industry meeting being split, the additional stake will be divided equally over the two races. Placegetters will receive full points i.e. 10 points for first, 8 points for second and so on down to tenth.

In the event of a dead heat, points will be divided i.e. Dead Heat for the first 10 points & second 8 points added & divided by 2 = 9 points each.

Fillies & mares & 3YO allowances apply [including final].

Two-year-olds excluded.

Apprentice allowances apply (including final).

The schedule of races is:

• 26/12/23 Wingatui R75 1600 $50,000 Otago RC
• 26/12/23 Wingatui R65 1600 $50,000 Otago RC
• 01/01/24 Riverton R65 1600 $20,000 Riverton RC
• 13/01/24 Wingatui R75 1600 $50,000 Waikouaiti RC
• 13/01/24 Wingatui R65 1600 $50,000 Waikouaiti RC
• 27/01/24 Riccarton R75 1600 $50,000 Canterbury JC
• 03/02/24 Wingatui R65 1600 $50,000 Otago RC
• 10/02/24 Riccarton R65 1600 $50,000 Banks Peninsula RC
• 17/02/24 Ascot Park R74 1600 $50,000 Southland RC
• 23/02/24 Riccarton R74 1600 $30,000 Canterbury RC
• 02/04/24 R82 Spc Con Hdcp 1600 $200,000 Otago RC