2026 Ballarat Pacing Cup

2026 Ballarat Pacing Cup night will feature a new group 1 race with running of the $75,000 Ballarat Trotters Cup.

It will complement the Group 2 $100,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup on Saturday, January 24.

The meeting will be the third leg of a new-look Victorian Summer of Super Saturdays.

The carnival will feature five major country cups in as many week leading into the Group 1 $250,000 AG Hunter Cup at Melton on Saturday, February 14.

Bendigo will lead off on January 10, followed by Shepparton on January and then Cranbourne on January 31 and Kilmore on February 7 will follow Ballarat.

Each of the country cup meetings will also showcase a feature trot as a lead-up to the Group 1 $250,000 Great Southern Star on Hunter Cup night.

Ballarat and District Trotting Club chief executive officer Paul Rowse said the club was excited to continue its long connection with Victoria’s premier carnival.

“The summer has become supercharged with more feature racing in January in Victoria – it will be the destination,” Rowse said. 

“Ballarat, as always, is happy to continue to be a big part of that, including having trotters cup with group 1 status.”

Rowse said there were more announcements regarding the Ballarat Pacing Cup night program to come.

The $20,000 Durham Park Rising Star Ballarat

Ballarat and District Trotting Club has joined forces with Durham Park to create a direct pathway to Queensland’s rich slot race for two-year-old pacers, the Protostar.

 The winner of the inaugural $20,000 Durham Park Rising Star Ballarat at Bray Raceway on Thursday, June 12, will be invited by the BDTC and Durham Park to race in their slot in the $500,000 Ladbroke Protostar at Albion Park on July 12.

WOODLANDS - NEW PACING CUP SPONSOR

Woodlands Stud is the new sponsor of the Ballarat Pacing Cup.

The Ballarat and District Trotting Club has formed a new partnership with the New Zealand and Australian breeding empire for Australia’s premier country feature race.

The 2025 $100,000 Woodlands Stud Ballarat Pacing Cup, 2710m, will be run on Saturday, January 18.

BDTC chief executive officer Paul Rowse said the club was excited to be expanding what was already a long-standing relationship with Woodlands Stud.

“We value highly the association we have developed with Woodlands.

“It’s exciting to take it to a new level - having it on board for our marquee event and one of Australia’s great races.”

Rowse said the Ballarat Cup had long held a special place on the Australian racing calendar and would again next year be a major lead into the grand circuit event, the AG Hunter Cup, two weeks later.

Woodlands Stud Australian manager Mark Hughes said Woodlands was proud to be involved with the 2025 Ballarat Pacing Cup.

 "Ballarat is Australia's pre-eminent provincial harness racing club. 

"The Ballarat Pacing Cup has a deeply rich history and is the jewel of Victorian harness racing's provincial cups circuit.

 "Woodlands Stud looks forward to continuing to strengthen its relationship with the Ballarat club in the years to come," he said.

Woodlands Stud has its base on NZ’s North Island, having been established in 1992.

Woodlands is the Southern Hemisphere home of leading sires Bettors Delight, American Ideal, Sweet Lou, Lather Up, Downbytheseaside, What The Hill, and Speeding Spur.