During June and July, 2yr-old maiden winners will receive lighter handicapping penalties for winning their first race.
How those winners will be handicapped will depend on their rating before their victories.
Horses with 50 ratings points or more will receive no rating penalty, but will lose their maiden status in the ratings-based system.
Horses with a rating of under 50 points will be penalised a maximum of four rating points and have any new rating capped at 50 points.
The policy applies to all maiden wins for trotters in races worth less than $20,000.
It also applies to 2yr-old pacing races of the same value and some other events maiden juveniles contest.
HRNZ said the policy would be a trial to ``reinvigorate'' late-season 2yr-old racing.
The trial appears to be a minor change from the 2yr-old maiden handicapping policies that were previously in place.
Currently 2yr-old maiden pacing wins receive a maximum penalty of five rating points and lose their maiden status.
The 2yr-old maiden trotting winners are currently penalised a maximum of four points and lose their maiden
status.
Discretion can be applied to those wins by the handicapper under the existing rules.
No caps on ratings after winning a 2yr-old maiden event are in place at present.
The trial changes look set to do little to suppress the ire of harness racing trainers, who have recently delivered a scathing judgement of the country's handicapping system.
Top trainers recently told the Otago Daily Times the ratings-based system was ruining the careers of young horses and it discouraged the trainers from racing juveniles.
