Promising filly kicks off at Ashburton

Claire Anderton will try to continue her strong start to the new season when she heads to Ashburton on Friday with a potential contender for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). The Wingatui trainer, who has two wins under her belt from only five runners so far in the new season, will saddle Petty’s Legacy in the Barneswood Farm Stakes Day 18 October 3YO (1250m). The unbeaten daughter of Sweynesse will jump from barrier 14, with Rohan Mudhoo booked for the ride. Petty’s Legacy’s only previous start…

Sir Patrick sweet on promising filly

Iconic breeding and racing personality Sir Patrick Hogan has another promising filly on his hands. Sir Patrick and his wife Justine, Lady Hogan bred and own Tavistock filly Sweet Anna (NZ), who tackles Saturday’s Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings. Prepared by Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Sweet Anna cruised clear of maiden rivals at Te Rapa last start, scoring by 3-1/4 lengths to earn her opportunity in stakes company. “She put on a pretty good performance at Te Rapa when she was able…

Spring Carnival opener brings a grin to Wheeler

There will be an uncommon sight on the first day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival at Hastings on Saturday – jumpers. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the racing calendar has caused the unusual occurrence and one trainer that is pleased about the anomaly is John Wheeler. “It is good,” he said. “They have done really well to accommodate the jumpers. “They go right through to the beginning of November, so it gives us a bit of a chance to give them a decent go.” Wheeler will line-up…

La Rosa out to break maidens

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Promising filly La Rosa has only missed a placing once in her five career starts and she will be out to rectify that in the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Fillies Heat 3 Mobile Pace (1980m) at Addington Raceway on Thursday. The Mark Jones-trained three-year-old ran home well from the back of the field to finish fifth in Heat 2 of the series a fortnight ago, and Jones was pleased with her efforts. “From the draw (9) it was almost impossible to get any money,…

Stars of Speed

It’s not dubbed ‘Rapidfire Racing’ for nothing! The Group 3 Speed Star series – over all three distances (525m, 600m and 725m) at The Meadows – lived up to its hype. There’s a certain aura about one-on-one match-race contests and although COVID-19 protocols denied on-course tangibility, you could still ‘feel’ the atmosphere. Twenty-four greyhounds, 12 matches and $105,000 in prizemoney… The overall finishing positions in each event (split into four match races) were determined by the individual times recorded. WATCH: Christo Bale (2) semaphore a sizzling 29.61sec defeating Catch The…