Kiwi trotters back in force for 2025 Inter Dominion harness racing series

It’s been a lean few years for New Zealand trotters in the Inter Dominion trotting series but Bet N Win and Oscar Bonavena are poised to change that in 2025.

Bet N Win won easily at Menangle on Saturday night. Picture: Race Images NZ

Young Kiwi trotting star Bet N Win is leading the charge to wind back the clock.

For a long time the Kiwis “owned” the Inter Dominion trotting series, winning 18 of the 23 finals from Yankee Loch in 1989 to I Can Doosit in 2012.

Champions like Lyell Creek (2000), Pride Of Petite (1996 & ’97), Take A Moment (2001 & ’03) and I Can Doosit (2011 & ’11) led the New Zealand dominance.

But the ride has turned in recent years with Aussies winning five of the past six finals.

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It’s been due to pandemic and a date change causing less Kiwi interest in the great race, but also by the dominance of Australia’s champion Just Believe, who won the crown in 2022 and 2023.

But the Kiwis are back in force for this revamped and enriched Brisbane series, which starts on Saturday week and culminates with a $500,000 final at Albion Park on July 19.

While there are only two Kiwis in the trotting series, they are two of the biggest players in Bet N Win and Oscar Bonavena.

And both have already snared wins in Australia in the build-up.

Oscar Bonavena won brilliantly at Albion Park last Saturday week, then ran some sparkling closing times to finish a close second at the same track last night.

Bet N Win, who only arrived in Australia last Tuesday, opened his campaign when he hardly raised to a sweat to cruise to victory at Menangle last night.

Bet N Win NZ dominates the Ainsworth - https://t.co/mAbIve6hIO Trotters Mobile.🔥🥇

The New Zealand visitor trained by David and Stacey White and driven by Bob Butt trotted to victory by 5.9 metres in a mile rate of 1.58.6 over the 2300 metres.

Congratulations.👏 pic.twitter.com/Vaz89H1za1

— Club Menangle (@ClubMenangle) June 21, 2025

They are trying to become the first Kiwi to win the Inter Dominion trotting crown since Winterfell did with the home ground advantage in the 2019 Auckland series.

The last Kiwi to win the final in Australia was I Can Doosit at the now defunct Moonee Valley track way back in 2012.

Bet N Win and Oscar Bonavena make for a fascinating contrast, but little separates their chances in Brisbane.

Bet N Win in the young buck, a five-year-old who has raced just 23 times for 13 wins.

Oscar Bonavena is most likely in his last year of racing as a nine-year-old, who boasts 34 wins and almost $1.15 million in earnings.

They are the new and the old of NZ trotting.

The latest markets have Oscar Bonavena rated slightly higher at $3.50 and Bet N Win at $4.50 to win the final.

Both of them will have turn the tables on Australia’s new trotting star Arcee Phoenix, who beat the pair on their patch in the $NZ500,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4.

Arcee Phoenix is back!
Arcee Phoenix is back in action winning the Yabby Dam Farms Trotters Free for All with ease for trainer-driver Chris Svanosio. pic.twitter.com/e7wkyautnZ

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) June 21, 2025

Arcee Phoenix has long looked the next big thing in Aussie trotting and he’s delivering on that this year.

Chris Svanosio’s six-year-old followed a sparkling Melton trial win with an arrogant first-up win at the same track last night.

There was a touch of Just Believe about the way he made a midrace move to sit outside the leader and toyed with his rivals last night.

His odds were slashed from $3.50 to $2.80 for the trotting finals straight after it.

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Originally published as Kiwi trotters back in force for 2025 Inter Dominion harness racing series