By Michael Guerin Oscar Bonavena is back and his autumn is about to get a lot busier. The horse once rated New Zealand’s best trotter returns in the $20,000 mobile mile at Addington on Saturday more than a year off the scene. The now five-year-old hasn’t raced since falling flat during an Australian campaign last season after which he was found to have a bone chip in his knee. He has been given plenty of time off since but he trotted his last 800m in 56.8 to beat Cracker Hill,…
Month: March 2021
Carnival delay not ideal for Busuttin-Young pair
Mirage Dancer is down to run in the Tancred Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart Trent Busuttin says it is not ideal having to wait another week for Mirage Dancer and Impecunious to line up in their respective Group 1 races at Rosehill on Saturday. Mirage Dancer is down to run in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) with Impecunious scheduled to compete in the Vinery Stud Stakes. Saturday’s meeting has been delayed a week, with the remainder of the Sydney Autumn Carnival also pushed back a week, due to the weather delay of…
Barrier manners do the trick for Duke Wai in the Sha Tin feature
Duke Wai takes his record to six wins from 20 starts. Paul O’Sullivan’s decision to embark on a remedial course in barrier manners for Duke Wai paid rich dividends when the reformed gelding landed the Class 2 Hoi Ha Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (28 March). Frustrated by the five-year-old’s habit of botching starts, O’Sullivan requested permission to use a blindfold on the chestnut and, with the cooperation of barrier staff and starter Tony Speechley, O’Sullivan’s toil was rewarded in the HK$2.2 million contest. “The problem has been…
New Zealand Junior Driver Championship Dates
Harness Racing NZ are pleased to announce the dates for this year’s McMillan Equine Feeds NZ Junior Driver Championship. The Championship run by HRNZ will take place at Addington Raceway on Thursday 15th July and Sunday 18th July with the intention to hold six races contested by the top six North and top six South Island Junior Drivers (by points). The qualifying points which started on 1st August 2020 will close on 14th June 2021- you can follow the points here. Kerryn Tomlinson won the Championship last year. For any…
Shut Up N Dance retired after just three starts
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The racing career of the unbeaten Shut Up N Dance is over. The four year old mare, sensational in winning three from three, has been one of harness racing’s star performers in recent weeks. And she wasn’t just turning heads by winning she was destroying her opposition. She won her debut by more than 10 lengths, and again toyed with her rivals in her two subsequent starts, the latest at Addington just 10 days ago. But problems with her tendons means she will…
Appointment of GCV Independent Chair
Greyhound Clubs Victoria (GCV) has announced that, following a thorough recruitment process, its delegates have endorsed the Executive’s recommendation that Mr. Greg Davies be appointed as the inaugural GCV Independent Chair. Greg brings vast knowledge and experience in the areas of governance, leading member-based organisations and building strong stakeholder relationships. Greg has had a distinguished career including various roles with Victoria Police, performing the role of Secretary (CEO) of The Police Association and was the inaugural Victorian Victims of Crime Commissioner. Greg will commence in the role on 1 April…
Geall v McCullagh
A number of exciting prospects loom as genuine winning chances in today’s Super VicGreys Final (450m) at Ballarat at 5.22pm. The series is open to greyhounds with 3-6 wins, with the David Geall and Norm McCullagh kennels to have a big say in the race with each having two of the main contenders. Geall’s pair are exceptionally well bred, with Koblenz (won 4 from 8) out of dual G1 winner Up Hill Jill and Massai Mara a litter brother to recent Shepparton Cup winner Ferdinand Boy. Joe Borg also has…
Zed Em gunning for fourth Von Doussa
Kiwi jumper Zed Em (NZ) (Zed) will be out to land a fourth successive Ecycle Solutions Von Doussa Steeplechase (3250m) at Oakbank on Wednesday. The gelding, who flits between New Zealand trainer Kevin Myers and Victorian horseman Patrick Payne, is back in Australia for another jumps season and will be partnered by Kiwi jockey Aaron Kuru on Wednesday, who has relocated across the Tasman to ride for Payne. Zed Em won the Von Doussa in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but with no Oakbank carnival last year due to the Coronavirus…
McDonald verry impressed with Kiwi mare
Jockey James McDonald could not have been more impressed with Verry Elleegant’s (NZ)(Zed) effort to land her eighth Group One victory in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes (2000m). The Sydney-based expat Kiwi said the daughter of Zed is in career best form and thinks she will be hard to beat in three week’s time when she chases her ninth elite victory in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m). “Obviously to come out on top was fantastic,” McDonald told RSN’s Racing Pulse. “She is a mighty mare and she doesn’t know how to…
Southern raider hits Manawatu Classic
Riccarton trainer Andrew Carston is hopeful his improving three-year-old Milford Sound (NZ) (Ocean Park) will be up to the task of taking on the North Island classic generation in the Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni this weekend. Milford Sound only has one victory to his credit, a 1600m maiden at Riccarton on March 11. But he nearly won the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) at his previous start, only going down by a nose, and Carston has a high opinion of him. “He didn’t really want to take…