New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock has his team firing on all cylinders, as evidenced by his current fifth standing on the trainers’ premiership in addition to an impressive strike-rate of 4.42, with 19 wins on the board from 84 starters this season. The multiple Group One winning trainer is matter of fact about the stable’s strong run of form. “I think it is just having better horses. I have a really good team,” he said. “I have some young ones that will be jumping out on Friday too. It is…
Month: December 2020
The Box Seat
Courtesy of The Box Seat’s Stable of Sponsors, Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin bring you up to speed with the latest from the Harness Racing industry.
News Briefs/ Club News – Dec 2
By Dave Di Somma – Harness News Desk Comeback for Herbert Former All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is on the verge of his first raceday drive in 27 years. Tomorrow night at Cambridge he’ll drive Chalberg, a horse he bred, in the amateurs drivers race. Herbert, who went to World Cups as both a player and a coach, has a long association with harness racing, through his father Clive, who trained for 20 years from the 1980s. Together they trained 22 winners in 1993 and 94. Crowds to return in…
Australia’s best greyhounds to take on local superstars in ‘Gippsland Festival of Racing’
GRV today launched its 2020/21 ‘Gippsland Festival of Racing’, which will incorporate more than half a million dollars in prize money across six spectacular nights of greyhound racing throughout December, January & February. Set to attract the most talented greyhound athletes from all around Australia, the ‘Gippsland Festival of Racing’ kicks off with heats of the Sale Cup on 20 December, with the final to be run on Boxing Day. From there the festival moves to the Warragul Cup series in January before concluding with the Cranbourne Cup in early…
Applications open for Godolphin Flying Start
Applications have now opened for the two-year Godolphin Flying Start programme. Founded in 2003, the full-time international management and leadership training programme is the brainchild of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai. 12 candidates are selected annually to receive the scholarship which includes course fees, accommodation, transport, health insurance and a monthly allowance. The world’s most renowned horseracing and breeding locations are bases for Godolphin Flying Start and the programme takes trainees to work and study in five countries around the globe. The course commences in Kildare in…
Duo excited by well-related youngsters
COVID-19 prevented Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie getting a trip to Royal Ascot this year, but they are happily settling for trips to the winner’s circle in New Zealand. Ramsay and Ritchie have made a solid start to the 2020-21 season, saddling up five wins from just 26 starts, including a black-type success in the Listed Karaka Classic (1600m) at Pukekohe with exciting mare Siracusa. They’re attempting to add to their tally with a promising trio of three-year-olds ready to race at Rotorua on Wednesday, with some wide barrier draws…
Asano to head north
The South Island’s leading jockey, Kozzi Asano, will leave the mainland next week for a couple of months in a bid to further his riding career. The gun hoop will take up an opportunity with Wexford Stables in Matamata where he will get the chance to garner further knowledge off co-trainer and former champion jockey Lance O’Sullivan. Asano was a surprise package last term, coming out of the blue to lead the national jockeys’ premiership for much of the season before being gunned down late by Lisa Allpress. He currently…
Keegan on the ride of her life
Trudy Keegan is still on cloud nine after taking out the Gr.3 Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton with Aimee’s Jewel (NZ) (Proisir) last month. It was the first time the Stratford trainer had campaigned in the South Island and she said she couldn’t have hoped for a better experience. “Riccarton was our first time racing on southern soil and to go down there for the first time and win a Group Three was pretty massive,” Keegan said. “It was like being on a big adventure because we…
Belle Of Montana out for six months
By Michael Guerin Superstar pacing mare Belle Of Montana’s season is over. And that means the multiple group one winner won’t be defending her Queen Of Hearts title at Alexandra Park on Friday week. Trainer Barry Purdon and owner Dean Shannon have decided to call it quits on this season, which promised so much, after the five-year-old was found to have some slight wear and tear in a knee after her brave last start third to Mach Shard and Copy That in the Spring Cup at Alexandra Park on September…
New foal has “big ears” just like Shartin
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Reigning US Horse of the Year Shartin has a new Bettor’s Delight half sister. Canterbury breeder Grant Crabbe, who bred Shartin in 2013, has a new filly out of the same mare, Bagdarin. “She was born at home at 8-35 am on Saturday 21st November. Caught me by surprise as she came seven days early.” She’s Bagdarin’s sixth foal but the first by the super sire Bettor’s Delight. “She’s a great looking filly,” says Grabbe, “with big ears just like her sister and…