Month: August 2020

After months of discussion and consultation, big changes are being proposed on how the whole racing industry, including harness racing, is being funded.   On 1 August 2020, RITA devolved into TAB NZ and Racing NZ. TAB NZ has changed the method and timing in which all three codes will be funded for the 2020/21 season, which will now flow through Racing New Zealand.  The biggest proposed change is that all three codes  (HRNZ, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Greyhound NZ) will be paid in arrears. This is a significant departure from…

By Jonny Turner All Stars filly Avana added another chapter to the massive legacy left by the late Tuapeka Lodge breeder Father Dan Cummings when she won at Ascot Park on Thursday. The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained filly became yet another black-type performer for the Tuapeka Lodge Racing syndicate when she scored in a 1-57.1 mile rate in race 3. Cummings, who died in March, and his keen eye for a talented standardbred were behind the selecting of Avana, who was knocked down to Purdon and Rasmussen’s All…

Big Fish, Little Fish is the brand new Whale Watch brought to you by Michael Guerin and Craig Thompson. Today they look over the Addington meeting.

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk With a 14-strong team in at Alexandra Park on Thursday night Amanda Telfer was optimistic of recording her first New Zealand training win and that proved to be the case, bagging a double. “We had a few nice chances tonight and it proved that way, which was good,” said Telfer, who trains in partnership with her brother Steve. Three-year-old filly Cloudy Bay pleased when finishing runner-up on debut at Alexandra Park last week and returned to the Auckland track to go one better in…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk While Champion expat New Zealand jockey James McDonald will by vying for Group Two success at Rosehill on Saturday, a day earlier a harness racing trainer of the same name will be hoping to kick-off his season in winning fashion at Addington Raceway. Ladbrooks trainer James McDonald said he often gets comments referring to his name, particularly a few years ago when the jockey was based in New Zealand. “I do get a few comments about the name, but I have been around longer…

Michael Guerin, Matt Cross and Greg O’Connor provide us with their selections ahead of today’s meeting at Addington today Selections can be found here Head to www.tab.co.nz to make a bet!