Menu
Menu
Applications are now open for the 2027 Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship, returning to The Creek, Albion Park on Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 2027.
Ten of the world’s leading harness drivers will compete across 20 races over two feature nights. Slot holders will select their driver and draft the horses they compete with for a share of more than $350,000 in prizemoney.
Applications close Friday, August 28, 2026.
The Ultimate Driver puts you and your mates in the hot seat for the chance to race for over $350,000.
The contest will see 10 of the world’s best drivers compete in a 20 race series across two feature nights at The Creek…but here’s the twist, the slot holders pick the drivers and then the horses to compete for their slot across the 20 races.
So who’s your Driver…Garrard, Herbertson, Tetrick, Dawson, Manning, Jamieson, McMullen, McCarthy, Gingras,
McDonald, Hart, Hall, Alford. It’s in your hands you decide.
Ten slots are available for purchase at $30,000 plus GST each. Slot applications can be made by syndicates (five or more), businesses, or individuals. A selection panel made up of RQ and Albion Park Harness Racing Club representatives will determine slot holders in line with the below selection criteria should there be more applicants than slots available.
Key Selection Criteria
Email the completed application to aclarke@racingqueensland.com.au by Friday, August 28, 2026. Incomplete applications will not be eligible for selection.
Once a slot holder has paid the fee, they are free to negotiate with leading drivers either in Australia or overseas (must be an A-grade driver or equivalent). The arrangement is purely between the slot holder and the driver.
Race fields for the series will be collated in the same manner as any other driver series where trainers nominate their horses without a driver assigned. To maximise fields and competitiveness, all races will be penalty-free with advertised prize money distributed to owners and trainers as per usual.
Following race fields being collated, slot holders will get the chance to choose which horses their driver is partnered with via a draft. For fairness, the draft will be conducted as a ‘snake order draft’, with slot holders able to choose any of the available horses left across the 20 races until all drivers/slot holders are assigned to a horse in each race.
Be there to cheer on your driver with Ladbrokes (pit) lane set up for slot holders to entertain guests. Slot holders will receive points throughout the 20 races (depending on where their driver places in each race), with the slot holder/driver who accrues the most points declared the winner.
The total prizemoney for the Race Series will be a minimum of $350,000 (subject to deductions as provided in Terms and Conditions). The distribution of prizemoney will be in accordance with the following:
1st – $125,000 (inclusive of $110,000 cash & $15,000 Nutrien Sales Voucher for the Sunshine Stars Sale on 21/02/2027)
2nd – $70,000 (inclusive of $60,000 cash & $10,000 Nutrien Sales Voucher for the Sunshine Stars Sale on 21/02/2027)
3rd – $45,000
4th – $30,000
5th – $20,000
6th to 10th – $10,000 (each)
$1,000 per race (split in the case of a Dead Heat)
© Copyright 2026 The Creek | Albion Park Harness Racing Club. All Rights Reserved. Website by Maer Group.