By Frank Marrion courtesy of the HarnessXpress Jo Herbert wasn’t the only winner for the first time in over a decade at Motukarara two Sunday’s ago. After leaving the game for family reasons back in 2009, Herbert’s previous winner had been Valhalla at Addington for trainer Brent Lilley in June that year. She has been working for Colin and Julie DeFilippi in recent times and returned to driving last season, winning at her 20th start back with Blue Chip Delight when the stable had three starters in the race. Half…
Year: 2020
A rare opportunity for Telfer
By Michael Guerin (NZ Herald) The elongated pacing season has provided top northern harness trainer Steve Telfer with a rare opportunity. And he admits it is one he could get used to. Telfer could find himself in the rare situation of having the favourite for a $200,000 race come the end of next month with B D Joe in the NZBS Harness Million at Alexandra Park. The three-year-old pacer has been the big improver of his age group this spring, going from maiden to being beaten only a head in…
Life on the ‘Edge’
You wouldn’t blame Geoff Collins and partner Rosalyn Hume for being frustrated and a tad uptight with the stop-start career of Razor’s Edge. But no, it’s been quite the contrary. They’ve shown the ‘patience of Job’ with their lightly raced but talent-laden charge, who’ll line up at Sale on Sunday night. The Wattle Flat couple have been in the game too long to lose sight of the ball. And such virtue is now paying dividends. Late last year, Razor’s Edge (May ’17 Cutting Edge x Enjoy) was being set for…
Raw emotion on show during ground-breaking TAB Melbourne Cup telecast
The world’s greatest greyhound race – the $630,000 Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup – was broadcast live on free-to-air TV for the first time in 2020 thanks to ‘Thrill of the Chase’. And what a night it was, with the most talented greyhounds in the land competing for a share in $1 million in prize money across the card, which included seven magnificent feature races on what was the conclusion of the inaugural ‘Metro Festival of Racing’. Viewers not only lapped up the high-class greyhound racing, but also the raw…
Four-year-old Sky Darci to the fore
New Zealand-bred four-year-old Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has proven he’s worthy to mix it with the best in the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Classic Series with a strong win in the Class 1 Chevalier Cup Handicap (1600m), the day’s feature, at Sha Tin on Sunday. Trainer Caspar Fownes was delighted with the win and the gelding’s ability to step up to Class 1 company following two Class 3 successes over 1200m. “He was held up at a crucial stage of the race when everyone else had momentum, it’s tough to…
Warrnambool Cup target for former Kiwi
The former Nigel Tiley-trained stayer Kissinger (NZ) (Tavistock) continues to make positive strides under new trainer Lindsey Smith, winning the Cassign Harry Chauvel BM64 Handicap (2000m) at Warrnambool on Sunday. In doing so, the son of Tavistock advanced his career record to four wins and two placings from eight starts, with Smith excited by the future for the lightly-tried five-year-old. Ridden by apprentice Laura Lafferty, Kissinger overcame the outside barrier and a wide berth early and lumped 61.5kg to victory. “I think it was a better win than the margin…
Benefit race day for Myers
The benefit race day for injured jockey, Rosie Myers, has attracted generous wide-spread support. 17 racing clubs from around the country have donated $1000 each and have been joined by the TAB and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing in a sweepstake competition to be held at New Plymouth on Thursday. Myers has decided to donate all of the money raised in her name to three special causes – The Injured Jockey’s Fund, Westpac Helicopter Trust, and Wellington Free Ambulance. Both the Helicopter Trust and Ambulance Service were vital in keeping Myers…
Revitalised McNab in purple patch
A stint on the sidelines last season appears to have done jockey Michael McNab the world of good. The Waikato-based hoop rode a winning stakes double at Ellerslie on Saturday, bringing his stakes tally for the season to three, equaling his haul from last term. His winning rides came courtesy of the Tony Pike-trained Tellall in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) and the Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-trained Gino Severini in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m). McNab said he was confident with each of his mounts heading…
Elephant building hefty reputation
At home he’s an eccentric whose curling lips make him seem like he’s got a trunk. On the racetrack, though, Elephant (NZ) (Shocking) is one of the more promising gallopers in New Zealand, unbeaten in two starts, the latest of which came in the Rating 65 Stella Artois 1500 Championship Qualifier (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Elephant is prepared by Emma-Lee and David Browne in Cambridge for an ownership group that includes themselves and Elephant’s breeder Andrew Fowler, who gave the horse his pachydermic name. “He said he always wanted…
Shed stocked thanks to ‘Chase for Charity’ windfall
Three wonderful charities are set to share in more than $75,000 after the recent conclusion of greyhound racing’s 2020 ‘Chase for Charity’ promotion. In the first of three post-event presentations over the coming weeks, GRV CEO Alan Clayton (above right) and his pet greyhound Zoe popped into SEN’s studio this morning to present a runner-up cheque for $22,052.50 to the Victorian Men’s Shed Association (VMSA). VMSA President Lindsay Oates and CEO Derek O’Leary were on hand to recive the cheque and explained that the donation would be used to assist…