Month: January 2020

Aussie Update with Adam Hamilton

NZHarnessNews

KIWI raider Smooth Deal has another serious Aussie rival to contend with in the Victoria Derby. Queenslander Governor Jujon blitzed a strong field in the rescheduled $50,000 Group 2 Simpson Memorial at Menangle yesterday, pacing a 1min52.8sec mile and ripping home in 54.3 and 26.2sec. He won without being asked for any real effort by stand-in driver Robbie Morris, while Paul Court’s Kiwi pacer Mach Da Vinci flashed home from well back for a ripper second. Governor Jujon’s win was his seventh from just nine starts and he’s run second…

Trio of drivers injured after nasty Cambridge smash

NZHarnessNews

By Garrick Knight The fall-out from a horror crash at Cambridge yesterday will see three senior North Island drivers on the sidelines for a couple of months. The incident saw race 8 abandoned soon after the start when Afortunado (Jay Abernethy) couldn’t avoid a galloping Ima Denny Too (Tony Cameron) and fell to the track. A chain reaction saw Comic Book Hero (Todd MacFarlane) and Racketeers Boy (David Butcher) also fall while Matty White was flung viciously from the sulky of Machs Little Soaky. Butcher came out of the crash…

Markham driving to May’s call

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner  Champion reinsman Ricky May has delivered instructions from his hospital bed to fellow driver Carl Markham, who will fill in for him behind Missie Castleton at Timaru today. May is progressing well after suffering a medical incident in the Central Otago Trotting Cup at Omakau last Thursday that shocked the harness racing fraternity.  The winner of 2950 races in New Zealand usually does much of the hands-on training of Missie Castleton, who is officially trained by his father, Terry. That work has been handed over to fellow…

The Shark – best at Timaru on Tuesday

NZHarnessNews

The Shark looks to round off a busy few days of harness racing with success from Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru where the Timaru Harness Racing Club are in action. For more punting information head to The Punters Lounge Race 1 11 Rites Of Zhou: Manners were all at sea at The Mot last time but prior form was excellent against fields far better than this. Has to be a big chance if he trots the entire. 1 Superfast Lad: On speed runner who should stay out of trouble from the…

Waller preparing new stars for autumn

AAP

Trainer Chris Waller is gearing up for autumn with several top liners getting ready for trials. After another stellar year as Australia’s leading Group One trainer, Chris Waller is well underway with plans for more at home and abroad. Well into the post-Winx era, Waller will ramp up the preparations of several top class performers in coming weeks including Everest winner Yes Yes Yes and triple Group One-winning sprinter Nature Strip. Both have Group One autumn targets before being aimed at the major sprints in June at Royal Ascot where…

All-Star Mile aim for Mr Quickie return

AAP

Trainer Phillip Stokes hopes Mr Quickie gets into the All Star Mile and can go to the race fresh. Group One winner Mr Quickie will soon return to Phillip Stokes’ stables to ramp up preparations for a first-up tilt at the All-Star Mile. Stokes and the gelding’s connections are targeting the $5 million race at Caulfield in March and want to run Mr Quickie fresh. Ten of the horses in the field for the All-Star Mile, which is in its second year, will be decided by public vote while the…

Return With Honour aimed at Blue Diamond

AAP

Trainer Gerald Ryan will set Return With Honour on a Blue Diamond path after his next start. He may have run out of time to get Return With Honour to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions but trainer Gerald Ryan has lofty goals for the colt. The two-year-old lived up to his barrier trials to win on debut at Randwick on Boxing Day over 1100 metres. Ryan also had him entered for a 1000m-race two days later but made the choice to run him in the midweek event. “I…

Gold Coast needs prizemoney upgrade

AAP

The Gold Coast Turf Club is to resume a push for better prize money with an expected surge in trainer numbers wanting to use its facilities. At least three interstate stables and a Queensland trainer are believed to be looking at either relocating or having satellite operations on the Gold Coast. There are already 700 horses in work at the Gold Coast and Beaudesert which is run by the GCTC. The club will begin a major upgrade on and off the track in coming months. The work will include night…

Maher’s Millions hopefuls work strongly

AAP

Trainer Ciaron Maher is buoyant about the Magic Millions chances of Rathlin and Away Game. Co-trainer Ciaron Maher is pleased with Rathlin and Away Game as he targets his first Magic Millions Classic win. Maher took the two to the Gold Coast on Saturday for a work-out and to give them experience on the track ahead of Saturday’s $2 million 2YO Classic. They worked together between races and will have another hit-out on Tuesday morning. They both qualified for the Millions with wins in separate Listed races at Doomben three…

Wellington Cup immediate target for Justamaiz

AAP

Waikato Cup winner Justamaiz will have his next start in the Group 3 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham on January 18 Photo credit: Trish Dunell Talented stayer Justamaiz will now head straight to the Group 3 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) for his next start after he was denied a run in the Group 3 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) through a bizarre chain of events. The David Greene-trained five-year-old started as one of the favourites for the New Year’s…