The Big Fish Craig Thompson has found a horse paying good money as his tip of the day at Motukarara today.
Month: December 2020
Gillies’ chances Betterthanyouthink
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk South Auckland trainer Owen Gillies is enjoying his first season training under his own name and he is hoping he can add to his winning tally at Cambridge Raceway on Tuesday. Gillies trained in partnership with Derek Balle for four seasons, 10 years ago, before he spent some time across the Tasman to further his racing experience. “I went to work for Daren Garrard in Brisbane,” he said. “It’s not my sort of thing over there, it’s too hot. “I was in partnership with…
O’Reilly Mot’s driver to follow
By Jonny Turner A standout book of drives awaits Gerard O’Reilly at Motukarara on Tuesday. Among them are two leading chances from his own stable, including unbeaten filly Sweet Belle. The three-year-old returned to racing in style when cruising to an effortless win at Methven earlier this month. After leading in both of her career wins, Sweet Belle is set to face a much different challenge when she starts from the outside of the second row in race 10. But O’Reilly thinks she is ready for it. “She is good…
Veteran takes Timaru Cup
Topweight Gallant Boy (NZ) (Gallant Guru) continued his purple patch of form with a gritty effort to take out the Listed Craigmore Sustainable Holdings Ltd Timaru Cup (1600m) on Monday. The ten-year-old gelding gave his rivals weight and a beating as he lumped 60kgs to victory in a performance that generated generous applause from the large crowd assembled at the Phar Lap raceway for the meeting. Prepared at Wingatui by Brian and Shane Anderton, the son of Gallant Guru was having his 72nd career start and third attempt at the…
Derby contenders unleashed at Rotorua
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable added another likely candidate to their Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) assault in March, when Frontman (NZ) (Makfi) made a winning debut at Rotorua on Monday. There had been plenty of talk about the full brother to multiple Group One winner Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) after he had won a 1000m trial at Te Aroha earlier in the month. Backed into a prohibitive $1.90 for the maiden 1400m contest, the Makfi three-year-old never gave his multitude of supporters a moment’s worry as he…
No time for Mai Tais as Karaka looms
COVID-19 hit plenty of racing plans when it closed the industry down in March, not least that of promising mare Mai Tai (NZ) (Atlante). Mai Tai was getting set for her second start following a fourth placing on debut when lockdown hit, forcing trainer Jamie Richards and owners Llanhennock Trust – made up of the Hawkins family from Wentwood Grange in Cambridge – to wait until the current season to get her career going. But she hasn’t disappointed, topping off a very good five months with victory in the Stella…
Silver Chief Heats: Sun sets on Spitfire’s winning streak
Thirteen proved to be an unlucky number for Western Australian sensation Sunset Spitfire when the unbeaten sprinter made his hugely anticipated eastern states debut at The Meadows in Saturday night’s heats of the Group 1 Feikuai Greyhounds Silver Chief. After 12 consecutive victories in his home state, Sunset Spitfire started $1.30 favourite in the fourth of eight ‘sudden death’ Silver Chief heats following a scorching 29.52s Meadows trial but he tasted defeat for the first time. In a massive upset, $34 outsider Tyler Durden swept home powerfully to give Jeff…
January / February Racing Calendar now available
GRV’s Racing Calendar for January/February is now available for download, and even includes the upcoming Vic Bred schedule. The next release of Greyhound Monthly Victoria magazine will be our February 2021 issue, which is due online on 1 February. Click HERE to download the Racing Calendar.
GRV operations to slow during Christmas holiday period
GRV advises it will be operating with minimal office staff numbers between Thursday 24 December and Monday 11 January as some of our team members take a well-earned break. Importantly, essential services such as our Participant Support Line and Greyhound Participant Support Program will continue to operate as normal. However, we ask for your patience and understanding when dealing with some other areas of the business, as response times may not be fast as usual. From all of us at GRV and our Greyhound Adoption Program, we wish you a…
‘Jess’ v ‘Cartier’ in Sale showdown
The Group 1 98.3 FM Sale Cup ‘sideshow’ sees Run Like Jess pitted against Blazing Cartier in the Cup Night Match Race (650m) on Boxing Day. And it promises to be a sensational showdown, with a $10,000 winner-take-all purse. It will also be a battle between Lara trainers Rob Camilleri (Run Like Jess) and Rob Britton (Blazing Cartier). Here’s what each trainer had to say in the lead-up to the two-dog tussle, which is Race 4 at 7.50pm. Run Like Jess (Box 1)“We haven’t had him all that long and…