FOR the first time in 10 years the Inter Dominion harness racing championship returns to Victoria, and the Ballarat and District Trotting Club is hosing round two of the heats.<\/p>\n
Set for this Tuesday, 4 December, the event will see 34 trotters go over three races on the 10-event card, so no matter what happens you\u2019ll see the 2018 Inter Dominion champion in action.<\/p>\n
CEO of the Ballarat and District Trotting Club, Paul Rowse, said the racing series was like a carnival and drew followers nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people travel from all parts of Australia and New Zealand to follow this carnival,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just your normal race goers, it\u2019s a bit like the English Fanatics in cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not just a carnival on the track, as the club\u2019s partnering with a number of local organisations and individuals to ensure there\u2019s plenty to do for the dedicated harness racing fan and the first timer alike.<\/p>\n
There\u2019ll be a food truck area that\u2019s being put on in conjunction with Plate up Ballarat. When a similar stand-alone event was held earlier in the year over 1000 people turned out to sample the best of what the region has to serve up.<\/p>\n
Along with the food trucks there\u2019s a kid friendly zone with a range of activities to keep the young ones occupied including jumping castles and face painting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to showcase all that Ballarat has to offer,\u201d Mr Rowse said.<\/p>\n
If that wasn\u2019t enough, local illustrator and designer Travis Price will be painting a 21-meter mural on the wall of the grandstand.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople that want to just come along and check out what Travis is doing on the night will be blown away at how great his mural will be,\u201d Mr Rowse said.<\/p>\n
Mr Rowse also said the Ballarat and District Trotting Club was a great venue to see what harness racing is all about.<\/p>\n
With the racers thundering down the home straight and an accessible parade ring, spectators have the chance get so close to the action they can see the excitement in the horses\u2019 eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny patron that comes along can get right up to the fence and see the horses live and it\u2019s quite a different feeling when you see a 500kg horse go flying past you at speeds of up to 40kph,\u201d Mr Rowse said.<\/p>\n
The Inter Dominion format sees three different heats held across the state and then a final meeting to be held in Melton.<\/p>\n
The 34 runners come from around Australia and New Zealand. They race a number of times at each heat, over varying distances, with points allocated depending on where each horse places.<\/p>\n
The more points a competitor gets, the better chance they have of making the final.<\/p>\n
The Inter Dominion heat two goes on Tuesday, 4 December at the Ballarat and District Trotting Club.<\/p>\n
Gates open at 5pm.<\/p>\n
For more information on the local meeting, and other locations and events as part of the carnival, visit\u00a0id18.com.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR the first time in 10 years the Inter Dominion harness racing championship returns to Victoria, and the Ballarat and District Trotting Club is hosing round two of the heats. Set for this Tuesday, 4 December, the event will see 34 trotters go over three races on the 10-event card, so no matter what happens […]<\/p>\n