Month: July 2020

See ‘Smokey’ fly up!

Editor BOAY

Essendon fans keen on taking up TAB’s cross-sport (AFL/Greyhounds) offer tonight will be hoping not only to ‘see the Bombers fly up’ but also Zambora Smokey score at Warragul. TAB is offering $2.80 on seventh-placed Essendon winning or even losing by 13pts or less against second-placed Brisbane and Zambora Smokey winning a heat of the G3 Warragul St Leger. Essendon has been hit-and-miss this season, but Zambora Smokey has been ‘kicking goals’. He won the G2 Warrnambool Cup in May and last week was a finalist in the G1 Maturity…

Tiger’s roaring middle distance motor

Editor BOAY

Motor City Tiger was originally transferred from NSW to Victoria to tackle the Launching Pad earlier in the year before that series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But while the Launching Pad mission was abandoned, Motor City Tiger remained with astute Pakenham South trainer Geoff Scott-Smith and is set to take a major step in his middle distance emergence in Saturday night’s Restricted Wins Final (600m) at The Meadows. “He seems to have found his mojo,” said Scott-Smith. “It was always going to be the plan to step…

Orange sets new stakes-winning record

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Champion driver Blair Orange will end the season a happy man. And that means no regrets over what 2019-2020 could have been. Orange heads to Addington tonight expecting to win at least one race with Krug and hoping to add a few more to his season’s tally of 218, which means he starts tonight exactly where he left off last season with its 218 wins. While those would be scarcely believable numbers for anybody else in harness racing, Orange has of course been higher, setting a national…

Pacer turned trotter on the rise

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner What was to be a regular training run during lockdown has again paid dividends for Mosgiel trainer Craig Buchan, who produced Top Pocket Chance to win at Ascot Park on Thursday. The 4yr-old pacer turned squaregaiter continued his rapid progression in his new gait when powering to his second consecutive trotting victory in race 3 for driver Brad Williamson. What was to be just another piece of trackwork has proven to be the starting point in the then 22-start maiden pacer propelling himself towards trotting’s middle grades.…

Morrison seals second premiership

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner A pinpoint winning drive behind Miss Impression at Ascot Park on Thursday crowned John Morrison New Zealand’s Junior Driver’s Premiership winner for the second time. The vital victory meant the Canterbury reinsman went in to Friday’s final day of the racing season with an unassailable total of 34 wins. Morrison was a runaway winner of last year’s junior driver’s premiership, finishing with a 19-win break on Sheree Tomlinson. This season’s battle, which went down to the wire, was a much different challenge. “Last year it was one…

Dunn looking to finish season on a high

NZHarnessNews

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Multiple Group One winner Sundees Son will return to racing at Addington Raceway on Friday night and trainer Robert Dunn is hoping the five-year-old will bring his manners. The Majestic Son gelding’s Inter Dominion campaign was cut short last year after he developed a tendency to break in his last three appearances. “He got to the stage where he wasn’t trotting his races out at all, so we just decided to pull the plug,” Dunn said. Sundees Son will have his first start in…

Sultan still has his swing

Editor BOAY

Rising eight-year-old Sultan Of Swing (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) showed he still has the zest for racing when winning a 900m trial at Te Rapa on Tuesday and the Shaune Ritchie-trained gelding is on target for an early season feature. A Group One placegetter and winner of 10 races, Sultan Of Swing will be aimed at the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m) back at Te Rapa on September 5 and could have a raceday outing before that. “He hasn’t raced since he ran second to Melody Belle in the Tarzino…

Australian plans for Cambridge trio

Editor BOAY

Trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have their fingers crossed they can attain a travel exemption for a couple of staff members ahead of spring racing. “The horses are coming up well, that is the main thing, and we have got some good options ahead of us. What path we take will be dictated to by the COVID situation over in Australia over the next two or three weeks,” Forsman said. “The thought is to get some staff members there, it is just working through the logistics of that. Once…