Harness racing will return to southern Manitoba in 2015.

The Manitoba Great Western Harness Racing Circuit will stop in six communities over the next few months.

Darryl Mason of Killarney is President of the circuit. “Our dates are set and races will start July 4th in Morris and the last set of races will be held in mid September in Miami.”

Right now the group is talking with the Province of Manitoba trying to secure $400,000 in funds to help support the races. Mason points out that money is crucial to the races taking place.

“Those funds are used to support the purses and host communities to put the races on in their town.”

Mason says the harness racing circuit gets a portion of the taxes generated from racing at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg. “Right now we are waiting to make sure we have enough money to run all the races we have scheduled.”

Races are set to take place in Morris, Miami, Holland, Selkirk, Glenboro and Killarney.

“This will be our first year in Selkirk. We were supposed to race there in 2014 but that weekend the races were rained out” said Mason.