1. SOUTHERN CROSS – RACING SERIES 2026 SEASON

*The 2026 Southern Cross Series will be conducted during the period October-December. Exact dates of this Series are subject to the National Feature Race Schedule and Sky Racing availability and will be advised when confirmed.

All Southern Cross Races will be advertised and published on the HRSA website.

2. FIELD SELECTION FOR RACING SERIES

Heats

All eligible horses nominated for the Southern Cross Heats will be guaranteed a start in a Heat. Harness Racing SA Ltd will determine the number of heats and the number of horses to compete in each Heat, however where there are insufficient horses after the close of nominations or acceptances to conduct more than one heat then no heat will be conducted with all acceptors progressing directly to the Final.

Finals

To be eligible for the Final, horses must have competed in a Heat, excepting that where no heat is conducted due to insufficient acceptors, all those horses which had accepted for a heat will progress directly to the Final.  Qualification for Finals will be determined based on horses finishing positions in the heats. In the case of the final qualifying position(s) in the Final being determined between two or more horses with the same qualifying position in a heat, the horse(s) with the fastest individual time in the heat will qualify for the Final. Should there be a scratching prior to the fields being drawn, the next eligible horse will be drawn into the Final.

Consolations

A consolation may be held in each age group and sex. Each consolation will consist of horses which competed in the Heats but failed to qualify for the Final. Qualification for Consolations will be determined based on horses finishing positions in the heats (excluding horses which have qualified for the Final). In the case of the final qualifying position(s) in the Consolation being determined between two or more horses with the same qualifying position in a heat, the horse(s) with the fastest individual time in the heat will qualify for the Consolation. Should there be less than eight acceptors for any Consolation, the race may not proceed or alternatively may be combined with the opposing age category. In this scenario, barrier draw will revert to preferential barrier draw by sex.

3.  BARRIER DRAW

Barrier draws for the Pacing Heats, Finals and Consolations will be decided by random barrier draw.

Barrier draws for the Trotting Heats and Finals will be decided by random barrier draw, with preferential barrier draw on sex.

4.  HANDICAPPING AND SCRATCHING PENALTIES

Australian Handicapping Regulations apply to both series of races. Normal scratching penalties apply to both series of races. Rule 195A shall apply to both series of races.

5.  PRIZEMONEY DISTRIBUTION

Prizemoney will be distributed as follows:

*The driver’s fee will be deducted from stakemoney as a “first charge”. 

6. BONUSES

(1)            WIN BONUSES

A Southern Cross win bonus of $5,000 (or balance of if any Place Bonus has been paid prior to first win) will be paid to an eligible 2YO for its first win in South Australia.

A Southern Cross win bonus of $5,000 (or balance of if any Place Bonus has been paid prior to first win) will be paid to an eligible 3YO for its first win in South Australia.

A Southern Cross win bonus of $4,000 (or balance of if any Place Bonus has been paid as a 2YO or 3YO prior to first win) will be paid to an eligible 4YO for its first win in South Australia provided that a Southern Cross bonus had not been won as a 2YO or 3YO.

A Southern Cross win bonus of $2,000 (or balance of if any Place Bonus has been paid as a 2YO or 3YO prior to first win) will be paid to an eligible 5YO or older for its first win in South Australia provided that a Southern Cross bonus had not been won as a 2YO, 3YO or 4YO.

As an incentive to breed or purchase a South Australian sired horse, an additional bonus of

$1,000 will be paid if the horse is sired by a stallion registered and resident in South Australia at the time of its conception.

(2)            PLACE BONUSES

2YO and 3YO horses may be eligible for a Southern Cross Place Bonus, provided they are yet to be paid a Southern Cross Win Bonus in that particular year. The conditions of the Place Bonuses are as follows:

• $1,500 for a second placing.
• $1,000 for a third placing.
• Place bonuses are capped at $3,000 for 2YO’s and $3,000 for 3YO’s.
• Any horse which wins its first race subsequent to any place bonus(es) being awarded, will be paid the remainder of the prescribed bonus for the relevant age group.

Place bonuses can be earnt in any race conducted in South Australia

    (3)      DISTRIBUTION OF BONUSES

Win and place bonuses will be distributed as follows: Owner – 80%, Nominator – 10%, Trainer- 5%, Driver –  5%.

Payments will be forwarded through Harness Racing SA Ltd’s stakes payments system.

*Take note the Nominator is the person(s) who owned the horse at the time it was first made eligible for the Southern Cross Series

(4)            BREEDER BONUSES

A Southern Cross Breeder Bonus of $500 will be paid to the breeder of each Win Bonus, provided the horse was either:

1. Born and microchipped in SA OR
2. Bred wholly by residents of SA

(5)      LEASE CONDITIONS

        Parties to leases should notate any special arrangements relating to Southern Cross bonuses in the conditions of a lease. Harness Racing SA Ltd’s lease contains an appropriate reference

7.   ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

(For the 2024-2025 Breeding Season / 2025-2026 Foaling Year)

Resultant foals born in the 2025-2026 foaling year from mares served in the 2024-2025 breeding season (1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025) will be eligible to nominate for the Southern Cross Racing Series as a two- or three-year-old if:

1. one (1) of the eligibility pathways in this Section 7 is satisfied; and
2. all required fees are paid in accordance with the Schedule of Fees.

Eligibility may be established under:

• Pathway 1 – SA Bred Foals
• Pathway 2 – SA Owned Foals
• Pathway 3 – SA Trained Yearlings

7.1       SA BRED FOALS (Pathway 1)

A foal will be eligible as an SA Bred Foal if either of the following conditions is met:

• SA Foaled and Microchipped
• The foal is born in South Australia;
• is microchipped in South Australia; and
• the foal is notified via Harness Web and the Southern Cross futurity box is ticked.

OR

• Conceived by a Stallion Registered and Domiciled in SA
• The foal is by a stallion registered and domiciled at stud in South Australia at the time of service; and
• the foal is notified via Harness Web and the Southern Cross futurity box is ticked.

7.2       SA OWNED FOALS (Pathway 2)

A foal born outside SA may be eligible if:

• Interstate-Born – 100% SA Ownership
• The foal is born outside SA;
• is owned 100% by SA residents from foaling; and
• the foal is notified, in the weanling year, via Harness Web and the Southern Cross futurity box is ticked.

OR

• Purchased or Leased Into 100% SA Ownership from Foaling
• The foal is purchased or leased into 100% SA ownership; and
• an eligibility application with supporting documents is lodged with HRSA.

AND

Additional Requirement:

The horse must be domiciled in SA and under the care of an HRSA-licensed trainer for not less than 60 days prior to competing in the Southern Cross Racing Series.

7.3       SA TRAINED YEARLINGS (Pathway 3)

A yearling may be eligible if:

• it is domiciled in SA and under the care of an HRSA-licensed trainer on or before 1 January 2028; and
• it remains SA domiciled and trained throughout its participation in the Series.

7.4         DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

(a)        Definitions

SA Resident: A person is an SA resident only if listed on the AEC Electoral Roll as domiciled in SA. Every syndicate member must meet this definition.

Southern Cross Racing Series: The period commencing with the first Heat, Prelude, or qualifying race and concluding with the Final for that season.

(b)        Interpretation

Stable Returns:

• Lodgment under AHRR 25 and 25B constitutes primary evidence of domicile and trainer.
• HRSA stable return records are the authoritative record.
• Late lodgment does not automatically render a horse ineligible but may require further evidence.

Eligibility Timing:

All eligibility conditions must be met before the Series commences.

100% SA Ownership (General Rule):

For the purposes of Section 7.2, a horse “is owned 100% by SA residents from foaling” where:

1. Every owner (individual, joint owner, or syndicate member) is an SA resident; and
2. No interstate person holds any direct or beneficial ownership interest at any relevant time.

(i)      Pathway 7.2(a) – Interstate Born, SA Ownership from Foaling

For eligibility under clause 7.2(a):

• The horse must be 100% SA owned from foaling, and
• 100% SA ownership must be continuous and uninterrupted thereafter.

If ownership is ever, even briefly, partly or wholly held by a non-SA resident, eligibility is lost and cannot be reinstated for Pathway 7.2(a).

(ii)     Pathway 7.2(b) – Purchased or Leased Into 100% SA Ownership

For eligibility under clause 7.2(b):

• The horse becomes eligible once it is purchased or leased into 100% SA ownership; and
• 100% SA ownership must remain continuous and uninterrupted from the date of purchase/lease until the horse commences and completes its participation in the Series.

Eligibility under 7.2(b) does not require the horse to have been 100% SA-owned from foaling – only from the date it first becomes 100% SA-owned.

Consequences of Interruption

For both 7.2(a) and 7.2(b):

• Any period during which a non-SA resident holds an ownership interest breaks the continuity of 100% SA ownership; and
• Once continuity is broken, the horse is ineligible for Pathway 7.2(a) and remains ineligible under 7.2(b) unless the break occurred before the horse first became 100% SA-owned.

Summary Table

8. ELIGIBILITY FOR SOUTHERN CROSS RACES IN THE 2026 RACING SEASON

Horses foaled in 2025-2026, or otherwise deemed eligible, may nominate and participate if:

• one eligibility pathway in Section 7 is satisfied.
• all required fees are paid; and
• all eligibility conditions are met prior to the commencement of the Series.

A horse is ineligible to start in any Series race unless all eligibility requirements are satisfied prior to the first Series event.

HRSA retains sole discretion to determine all matters of eligibility and interpretation, including the acceptance or refusal of any horse, in the interests of the integrity and proper administration of the Series.

 9. ELIGIBILITY FEES

*Note: Fees will be adjusted accordingly should a horse’s gait change from a trotter to a pacer. Adjustment Fee will depend upon time of original entry in Southern Cross Scheme.

10. SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS – 2026 SEASON

There are two payment options for owners of Southern Cross eligible horses for 2026:

*Payment of the ‘Sustaining Payments’ or the ‘Series Fee’ allows horses to remain eligible to win a bonus as a 4 year old or older as per 6(1).

Owners of an eligible 2 or 3-year-old will be invoiced automatically in January 2026 by HRSA if they haven’t already advised  of their intention to withdraw.

Owners that wish to withdraw a horse and not pay the 2 or 3-year-old fee must advise HRSA in writing (or email) no later than 31st December 2025.

Owners of all horses remaining in the series subsequent to 31st December 2025 will be liable for all sustaining payments.

Sustaining payments are non-refundable should a horse become ineligible for any reason subsequent to the payment being made.

*All fees and payments are inclusive of GST.

11.  OPEN AGE SOUTHERN CROSS ONLY RACES

Throughout the racing season HRSA will program open age races for Southern Cross Horses only. These races will be programmed at varying rating levels or lifetime win levels.

These races will be strictly open to eligible Southern Cross horses which have paid all relevant eligibility fees and sustaining fees only. (No further sustaining fees required for 4YO & older horses) 

12. PARTICIPATION IN VICBRED PROGRAM

Under an agreement between Harness Racing SA Ltd & Harness Racing Victoria, a Southern Cross horse can also be eligible for the Vicbred Program, provided the owner pays the relevant Vicbred fees  in accordance with the Victorian Schedule of Fees. Please check the Vicbred Conditions to confirm whether your horse is eligible (the majority of Southern Cross horses are).

*Any queries on the Vicbred Program should be directed to HRV on (03) 8378 0200.

13. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Harness Racing SA Ltd reserves the right to make any alteration or amendment to these conditions that it deems necessary for the proper conduct of the Southern Cross Racing Series from time to time.

Harness Racing SA Ltd reserves the right to accept any horse as eligible for the series notwithstanding any non-compliance with any condition hereof in respect of that horse, so long as in the opinion of Harness Racing SA Ltd there exist reasonable grounds to excuse the non-compliance.

The decision of Harness Racing SA Ltd will be final in respect of any dispute or matter relating to these conditions.