Following the successful staging of the Tabcorp Inter Dominion Championship Series last month, the Newcastle Harness Racing Club is gearing up for another prominent event in 2022.

And, Group 1 glory will be up for grabs across NSW when the TAB Regional Championships return in May.

It’s the third year of the format, again culminating in a blockbuster state grand final at the iconic Tabcorp Park Menangle track on Saturday 28 May.

Qualifying heats and a regional decider will take place at premier tracks in the Hunter, Bathurst, Wagga and Menangle, with the Newcastle International Paceway to host round one on Friday 6 May and the second leg, seven days later, on 13 May.

The final and consolation, over the distance of 2030m, is scheduled for Friday 20 May.

Boundaries have been defined to form the Metropolitan, Western, Riverina and Hunter regions across NSW.

Each regional and state grand final will carry Group 1 status and a $100,000 purse for the winner.

“The TAB Regional Championships have been one of the genuine success stories in Australian sport, especially our industry, through what has been a very challenging couple of years due to the global health pandemic,” Harness Racing New South Wales chief executive John Dumesny said.

“To be introducing new, aspirational Group 1 events onto the calendar through this period and see them grow to become one of the premier titles in regional racing is a true credit to the industry.”

The 2021 edition of the TAB Regional Championships delivered some of the richest storylines in Australian racing last year.

Leading driver Robert Morris won the Hunter region final just 24 hours before his wife KerryAnn drove her first Group 1 winner in the Metropolitan final, only three weeks after giving birth to their daughter.

Gemma Hewitt trained her first Group 1 winner with victory in Bathurst, while young driver Will Rixon drove his first Group 1 winner in the Riverina final, just hours before his legendary grandfather Tony “AD” Turnbull passed away.

The state final was won by the Goulburn-based gelding Send It, owned by a syndicate of friends which includes Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker.

“Group 1 racing is its own theatre of dreams and fairy tales and last year’s event certainly delivered that in spades,” Dumesny said.

“I have no doubt we will see more great stories emerge throughout May.”

The 2022 TAB Regional Championships are open to Australian-bred four-year-old and older pacers with a National Rating Points up to 70.

Horses must be trained by a HRNSW licensed trainer as of 1 February 2022 and stabled in the region they will be competing in from 1 March.

The schedule for heats, consolations and final will be as follows:

Western – Gold Crown Paceway Bathurst

• Round 1 heats – Wednesday 4 May – Distance 2260m
• Round 2 heats – Wednesday 11 May – Distance 2260m
• Final and consolation – Wednesday 18 May – Distance 2260m

Hunter – Newcastle International Paceway

• Round 1 heats – Friday 6 May – Distance 2030m
• Round 2 heats – 13 May – Distance 2030m
• Final and consolation – Friday 20 May – Distance 2030m

Metropolitan – Tabcorp Park Menangle

• Round 1 heats – Tuesday 3 May – Distance 2300m
• Round 2 heats – Tuesday 10 May – Distance 2300m
• Final and consolation – Saturday 21 May – Distance 2300m

Riverina – Riverina Paceway Wagga Wagga

• Round 1 heats – Tuesday 3 May – Distance 2270m
• Round 2 heats – Friday 13 May – Distance 2270m
• Final and consolation – Friday 20 May – Distance 2270m

State grand final – Tabcorp Park Menangle

• Final and consolation – Saturday 28 May – Distance 2400m

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