2026 NZ Pacing Free For All - Facts, figures and history

History

First run in 1914, the NZ Pacing Free For All is an integral part of the New Zealand and Australasian harness racing feature race calendar. The race is contested at Addington on the Friday of “Cup week” in mid-November. With the New Zealand Trotting Cup (for pacers) run on the Tuesday of that week, the Free For All typically attracts many of the same horses as the Cup, From 2018 it has been conducted over 1980m.

12 months ago – 2025

On this card a year ago in 2025

Leap To Fame won the NZ Pacing Free-For-All defeating Republican Party and Merlin. Whilst the placegetters do not back up in 2026 he resumes his clashes with Captains Mistress – see below.

Captains Mistress was 6th beaten 13.6L and starting at $8.50 in the $500k Velocity for 3yo’s which was won by Got The Chocolates from Marketplace. She is $1.50 12 months on with Leap To Fame $2.25

Queensland trotting star Gus won the 2025 Group 1 NZ Trotting Free-For-All on Show Day completing a historic Cup Week Group 1 double holding off Muscle Mountain and Oscar Bonavena. He is a dominant $1.40 favourite to repeat that on Friday

Multiple winners

Five horses have won this race three times in its race history; all 50 years or more ago

Dual winners of the the race include Self Assured (2022, 2023), Monkey King (2009, 2010), Cardigan Bay (1961, 1963), Johnny Globe (1953, 1954) and Acron (1924, 1925), Leap To Fame can join them on Friday if successful.

Most wins as a driver

Grant Dixon can make it two wins in the race should Leap To Fame prevail. Note Cameron Hart is the usual driver of Captains Mistress and Swayzee and will drive the former with trainer Jason Grimson to take the reins on Swayzee.

Most wins as a trainer

The Purdon family dominates this races history

Mark Purdon (12 wins): Won in his own right with Tax Credit (1988), Il Vicolo (1995), Young Rufus (2001), and Jack Cade (2003). He added a win with Auckland Reactor (2008) alongside Grant Payne, five straight with Natalie Rasmussen (Lazarus in 2016, Ultimate Machete in 2017, Cruz Bromac in 2018, Chase Auckland in 2019, and Spankem in 2020), and back-to-back wins with Self Assured with Hayden Cullen (2022) and son Nathan Purdon (2023).

Barry Purdon (7 wins): Trained Luxury Liner (1987), Tight Connection (1990), Christopher Vance (1991), and Chokin (1993) in partnership with his late father Roy Purdon. He later won on his own with Holmes D G (1999) and in partnership with Scott Phelan with Merlin (2024).

The Nyhan family with Don and son Denis had multiple wins with Johnny Globe, Lordship and Robalan.

Grant Dixon trained and drove Leap To Fame to win in 2025 and looks to go back-to-back in 2026.

Previous winners

In 2025 Leap To Fame won this by 0.8L as a $1.45 favourite. 2025 FFA placegetters and 2026 NZ Cup entrants Republican Party and Merlin are not backing up this year.

All but Captains Mistress are backing up from Tuesday’s NZ Cup: Leap To Fame, Swayzee, It’s Tough, Mo’unga, Renegade, The Lazarus Effect and Minos. Kingman and Tact McLeod have been early scratchings

Captains Mistress comes to the race via winning the Kaikoura Cup and in the process bettering the track record previously held by Lazarus.

2025 Result – Gr1 NZ Pacing Free For All

NZ Cup Winners

The Cup Week double has been successfully completed a total of 32 times. Leap To Fame is looking to become the 32nd horse to back up from winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday to win the NZ Pacing Free For All on Friday. Monkey King is the only pacer in history to complete the Cup – FFA double twice in 2009 and 2010. Lazarus was the most recent horse to achieve the feat in 2016.

Age – Captains Mistress is the sole 4yo (and mare) contesting the race. Some elite 4-year-olds to have defeated their older rivals include Lazarus (2016), Ultimate Machete (2017), Chase Auckland (2019), and Merlin (2024). Earlier standout 4-year-old winners include Lordship (1962) and Christian Cullen (1998).

Leap To Fame won this race as a 6yo in 2025 and contests it as a 7yo in 2026. The majority of modern winners fall into the prime harness open-class window between 5yo – 8yo. Recent winners in this bracket include Self Assured (won at 7 in 2022 and 8 in 2023),

Spankem (6 in 2020), and Cruz Bromac (7 in 2018)

Harold Logan won his third title at age 14 in 1936

Sex – Captains Mistress is looking to end a 34 year drought for mares and become the first female to win the race since Blossom Lady’s victory in 1992 when “The Bloss” completed the Cup Week double. Previously both Armalight (1981) and Bonnies Chance (1982) completed the New Zealand Cup and Free-For-All doubles

Barriers

In recent years wide barriers have prevailed. The last four editions have been won from barriers 8,7,9,7. Race favourite Captains Mistress is expected to lead and will start from barrier six which has won five of the past 20 editions. Leap To Fame is the sole back row runner with barrier 10 successful once in the past 20 years. Barrier one (Swayzee) has not won in the past 20 years.

Australian Winners

The NZ Trotting Cup has been more of a focus and historically a lot of Australia’s best sprinters would have focussed on Miracle Mile preparations when that race used to be held in November. A lot of NZ FFA winners would be invited to the Miracle Mile but the scheduling has changed. Besides Leap To Fame last year, Smoken Up won this race in 2011.

In 2026 with a field of eight runners after scratchings; four are Australian in Leap To Fame along with stablemates Captains Mistress, Swayzee and Minos. They dominate the betting.

Betting

17 of the past 20 winners have started at single figures at an average win dividend of $5.86. The race favourite has won four of the past six editions

Leap To Fame won at $1.45 in 2025

Shortest Odds Winner – $1.10 Lazarus 1st 2016. In 2023 Akuta was beaten as $1.20 favourite when second to Self Assured when it won for a second time. Christian Cullen won as a $1.40 favourite in 1998.

In the past 30 years there have been five winners at double figure odds: 2023 – Self Assured ($14); 2013 – Pembrook Benny ($26); 2007 – Waipawa Lad ($21); 2005 – Howard Bromac ($13); 2002 – Yulestar ($17)

Odds from NZ TAB as at 1pm Thursday 12 November and subject to change. Race times are local NZ times.

 

From Harnesslink Media