Fireball favourite has the ‘Power’

He Shall Power can confirm his arrival as the next big thing in the staying ranks with a breakthrough feature victory in Saturday night’s Group 3 The Fireball (725m) at The Meadows. In a wide-open betting affair, He Shall Power is TAB’s joint $4 favourite with Here’s Tears, with Sunset Bourbski at $4.20 and Sir Truculent $4.50. Trained by Pearcedale-based husband and wife owner/breeders David and Shona Crawford, He Shall Power burst onto the staying scene in May when he finished an unlucky third to Bronski Beat in the Group…

Blue-blooded trotting speedster to Nevele R

NEVELE R PRESS RELEASE  We are thrilled to announce that the New Zealand all-comers trotting record holder, Marcoola, will be joining Nevele R’s stallion line-up in 2020. An outstanding stallion prospect, Marcoola is both the fastest and richest entire son of New Zealand’s greatest ever trotting stallion Sundon. The 2016 New Zealand Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, Marcoola dominated his age group (which included the likes of Temporale, Lemond, High Gait and Wilma’s Mate), winning seven consecutive races, including the New Zealand Trotting Derby in which he set a…

Whittaker hoping to get the chocolates this weekend

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk  Luke Whittaker, one member of a determined trio of junior drivers intent on getting this year’s New Zealand Junior Driver Champs off the ground, is looking forward to his hard work coming to fruition this weekend. A Cantabrian at heart, Whittaker is looking forward to returning to his home region to compete in front of his family. “Something I strive for every year is to make my family proud,” he said. “When I go out there I am not only representing myself, I am…

Prosperous start to racing career

Trainer Stephen Autridge saddled two runners at Avondale on Wednesday, with Savabeel three-year-old Prosperous making a good impression when winning by five lengths on debut, while well-bred colt Kurt was narrowly beaten into second.  The Kevin Hickman-owned duo both pleased Autridge, with Prosperous one of the few runners to make up significant ground on the day. “She worked really well on Saturday morning on a wet track so we thought given she handles it she was a chance,” Autridge said. “She is certainly going to improve with it but it…

Well-travelled Crawford grateful to be home

Shane Crawford has spent a large portion of his working life overseas in various racing jurisdictions, but the Cambridge trainer is pleased to be based in his homeland with the COVID-19 pandemic currently wreaking havoc around the world. Crawford has been training in New Zealand for the last decade, but prior to that the Waikato horseman was jetting around the world, learning from the best trainers and laying the groundwork for his current business. “I have been in racing all of my life,” Crawford said. “My grandfather, Norm Crawford, trained…

Mystery Shot out to continue winning roll

Unbeaten three-year-old Mystery Shot (Shooting To Win) will be out to keep his picket fence formline intact when he lines up at Caulfield on Saturday. Bred by Inglewood Stud, Mystery Shot trialled on four occasions in New Zealand and was identified by syndicator Brad Spicer and bloodstock agent Gary Carvell as a private purchase horse.  The son of Shooting To Win has since won each of his four starts and will have what is likely his final run of this campaign this weekend in the Super Vobis 3YO (1400m). “He…