Group One performer Kiwi Ida (Squamosa) is set to fly the South Island flag in the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on September 5. Owned and trained by John and Karen Parsons, the high-class mare has been off the scene since February, but she warmed up for her return with impressive trial wins at Rangiora on July 14 and August 18. Karen Parsons, who has spent recent weeks in the North Island with well-performed jumper Delacroix (NZ) (Zabeel), reported that Kiwi Ida has made pleasing progress…
Month: August 2020
NZTR Chairman to step down
NZTR Chairman Dr Alan Jackson has today signaled his intention to retire from the Board at the AGM on 17 November. A “change chair” who presided over a period of significant upheaval, Dr Jackson brought the benefit of more than 30 years of international business experience across a wide spectrum of industries and organizations to the role. Under his chairmanship he guided the industry through the introduction of the Health & Safety in the Workplace Act; saw through the progression of the Messara Review and the introduction of the Racing…
Heavyweight Hero to get title shot
By Jonny Turner A fit, healthy and sound Heavyweight Hero will test his mettle against the New Zealand’s best trotters in the Basil Dean Free-For-All at Addington on Friday night. The formerly injury plagued squaregaiter will clash again with Majestic Man after running home stylishly in to second behind the Oamaru trotter a fortnight ago. That run was an important stepping stone towards Heavyweight Hero having a clear shot at some of the country’s best races for the first time. Injuries have previously prevented the former Todd MacFarlane seven-year-old trained more than the occasional…
Zero Cool to ice Snow Queen
Owner Brandon Nolan was faced with a tough decision when unraced Zero Cool was diagnosed with chips in her hock; premature retirement or surgery that would cost almost as much as the bargain buy’s purchase price. Nolan, whose mother Michelle now trains Zero Cool, and fellow owners Jesse Lamont and Jamie Oliver, former school mates, opted for the operation and after just ten starts their gamble has already paid off handsomely. After a belated start to her career, Zero Cool has won six of her 10 starts, banking $21,905 in…
Damsel’s Day at Bendigo tomorrow
Recent increases to the racing program in Victoria has required some creative scheduling by GRV and Clubs especially when the same class of meeting is run at the same venue in quick succession. With Melbourne Metropolitan regions placed under a Covid19 curfew the BGRA’s race meeting on Saturday August 29 was shifted to the premium Saturday night time slight and converted to a full provincial race meeting meaning back to back provincial meetings on consecutive days amongst an already packed racing calendar. The BGRA approached GRV regarding a potential “bitches…
Shaw creates coursing history
This weekend will see Victoria Shaw become the first female in the sport of coursing’s 147-year history to call the Waterloo Cup. The Melbourne based race caller is ecstatic over the huge honour and cannot wait to see how the event unfolds. “Coursing is a very important part of building a racing dog and as a race caller it’s a very important part of building your own capacity to deliver a race at a TAB level,” Victoria explains. This has been Victoria’s first coursing season and she has relished the…
‘Hot August Month’
Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club’s ‘Hot August Month’ was a forward-thinking extravaganza! And it reached a month-long climax tonight with four feature races – Enduro Series final (545m), Enduro Series final (660m), Tier 3 Enduro Cup final (545m) and Tier 3 Enduro Cup Consolation (545m). The progressive approach was designed to foster middle-distance and staying racing in a four-week series rather than one-off special events. And the exciting and proactive initiative resulted in a gala night of racing. In-form stayer Euro Bro (Oct ’17 My Bro Fabio x Broadway Miss) landed…
Jakkal ready to pounce at Tauranga
Promising three-year-old Sheza Jakkal will contest Saturday’s Dobson’s Refrigeration And Electrical 3yo (1300m) at Tauranga and trainer Gavin Opie senses a gilt-edged opportunity. The Te Aroha horseman is expecting the daughter of Jakkalberry to relish the rise in distance, having closed well for second over 1100m behind Only Words at Taupo last week and with two three-year-old stakes races a week later there he hopes Saturday’s contest will be a softer option. “I think stepping up to the 1300m will be ideal,” Opie said. “She hasn’t had much luck with…
Anderson in good spirits ahead of Vase
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Southern speedster Spirit Of St Louis will have his first shot at Group glory when he lines-up in the Gr.3 Allied Security Maurice Holmes Vase (2600m) at Addington Raceway on Friday. The Graeme Anderson and Mike Love-trained gelding has established a strong record to date, having won eight of his 12 career starts and placed on three other occasions, including a runner-up effort in the Listed PGG Wrightson Standardbred ‘Harness 7000’ (1980m). He will tackle a quality field on Friday and his connections are…
Selections | Addington, Friday 28 August
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!