Jack Potts – Born 100 Years Ago and a Star at Stud

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The dominance of Bettor’s Delight up to and including 2020 has evoked memories of another super sire born exactly one hundred years ago. In the season just gone by Bettor’s Delight’s progeny were a league above any other, and when he is crowned champion sire at next month’s Harness Racing awards it will be his ninth New Zealand premiership in a row. The first sire to do nine straight was a horse that sounds more like a driver or trainer – Jack Potts.…

NZB Ready to Run Sale Breeze Up Dates Confirmed

Breeze Up dates for NZB’s Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds have been adjusted and will now take place on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 October at Te Rapa Racecourse, with all prospective buyers welcome to attend. With the recently released trial and racing programs announced for October, the decision was made to move the dates forward slightly to better fit with the industry’s wider schedule. Timing for the Breeze Ups will remain the same, commencing at 10am both days. Each Breeze Up heat will be filmed and timed, with extensive video…

Dunstan Horsefeeds to partner Sires’ Stakes Fillies’ Series

Another heavyweight sponsor, Dunstan Horsefeeds, has been confirmed for the upcoming Sires’ Stakes Series.  The Hamilton-based company will support the three-year-old fillies, following on from Woodland Stud’s recent announcement that it will sponsor the three-year-old colts and geldings.  “Dunstan Horsefeeds has always viewed the Sires’ Stakes as a great innovation,” says Dunstan Horsefeeds director David Smith.  The arrangement continues a long association with harness racing since the company’s inception 35 years ago.  “Dunstan Horsefeeds has always been a proud sponsor and supplier of the New Zealand Standardbred Industry and we are only too happy to increase…

Krug to race before final

By Michael Guerin The hot favourite for next month’s rescheduled Sires’ Stakes Final will contest next week’s Addington heat even though he probably doesn’t have to. And co-trainer Nathan Purdon says he is happy to have a three-year-old race to target with Krug, even though it is oddly on the way to the two-year-old Sires’ Stakes Final. As we all know the unique situation of having the two-year-old final early in the horse’s three-year-old careers came about when the group one, usually held at Addington in May, was canned because…

Schofer still coming to terms with amazing feat

Talented young rider Hazel Schofer was enjoying a relaxing day on Sunday as she tried to put into perspective what had transpired at Hawera twenty-four hours earlier. The three-kilogram claiming apprentice enjoyed a truly magical day in the saddle as she took out six of the 12 races carded on the day, with four of those victories coming on horses trained by her employer, Allan Sharrock. The winning haul took her to the top of the jockeys’ premiership a week into the new season and pencilled her name into the…

New venture off to a bright start for Heptinstall

Ex-pat Kiwi breeder, owner and racing enthusiast Tommy Heptinstall is reaping the rewards of his decision to move a number of his current racing team across the Tasman with two winners in the space of four days getting the venture underway on a high note. Tavistock three-year-old Wertheimer (NZ) (Tavistock) started the ball rolling when he broke his maiden status over 1300m at Cranbourne on Wednesday for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young while Aqueduct (NZ) (Dundeel) picked up his second career victory when successful over 1400m at Murray Bridge on Saturday…

Racing industry demands changes to NZTR structure

John Costello’s article in Bloodhorse Magazine in December 1996 when he described the changes made by Racing Industry Board Chairman Garry Chittick as watershed in New Zealand racing Racing can’t sit on its hands and wait forever – we have the legislation; it won’t happen on its own! by Brian de LorePublished 9th August 2020 Moves are afoot; the winds of change are airborne. The Racing Bill of 2020 has been passed into law, and the changes in the new legislation have opened the door for positive change, and perhaps…

James pleased with class trio

The two open class trials to be held before the Taupo racemeeting on Wednesday will see a host of New Zealand’s top galloping talent step out for their first serious hit out, including a high-class trio from the Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable. The Cambridge conditioners will line up dual Group Three winner Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) and lightly raced six-year-old Sherriff (NZ) (High Chaparral) in the first heat, while Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), one of the top three-year-old fillies of last season, will contest the second of the 1100m heats.…