The Whale takes us through every race at Addington on Saturday night. Check out the link – https://www.tab.co.nz/punters/trackside/videos/whale-watch-addington-3-april-race-x-race
Month: April 2021
Pembrook Playboy thriving ahead of Easter Cup
By Jonny Turner If anyone else trained Pembrook Playboy more people may have been left wondering just what he doing at the Winton trials just days out from the Easter Cup. But given the way Nathan Williamson has developed the pacer into one of the best four-year-olds in the country and guided him to a recent hat-trick of group-race wins, few would dare question him. And the astute trainer said there was method behind what he calls his “madness”. “There is method to my madness, the horse is just that…
Sword Of State to spell
Group One winning two-year-old Sword Of State (Snitzel) will bypass a trip to Sydney and instead will be sent to the spelling paddock. Te Akau Racing advised on Friday afternoon that the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner would be sent for a spell after missing out on a vital outing at Taupo on Thursday when the trial meeting was called off due to concerns about the track surface. The stable also held concerns about the possibility of striking rain-affected going in Sydney where the Gr.1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) on April…
Rain no barrier for Tiley trio in Group One feature
Trainer Nigel Tiley will take a three-pronged attack into Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni and believes the rain the region has received this week will play in their favour. Tiley’s challenge is headed by last start winners Quicken Away and Lady Maroal, who will be joined by stakes-placed filly Cool Change to give him a strong hand in the event. With the Awapuni track currently rated a Slow8 and variable weather conditions likely in the twenty-four-hour period leading into raceday, Tiley is relishing the…
Babylon Berlin ready for stern test at Ellerslie
Speedy three-year-old Babylon Berlin will line up at Ellerslie for the biggest test of her career when she tackles the older horses over 1200m on Saturday. The daughter of All Too Hard is being set for the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa next month and will use the Ellerslie contest as her main lead-up to that event. The Ben Foote-trained filly goes into the race off the back of a last-start second to quality galloper Need I Say More in the Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m), with Foote…
Catalyst progressing well for spring campaign
Star galloper Catalyst may not have a trainer, but he is in great order as his team looks ahead to spring racing. The outstanding three-year-old male of last season hasn’t raced since pulling up lame at Randwick in the Gr.2 The Shorts (1100m) in September, but he has recovered well, according to Rick Williams, who manages the gelding for owner Dick Karreman of The Oaks Stud. “He’s perfect. He’s never had any surgery or anything,” Williams said. “We’ve just x-ray checked him and everything is as it should be so…
Melody Belle cleared for Tancred
Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) will get one last chance at winning a feature race in Sydney with the 14-time Group 1 winner cleared to take her place in Saturday’s Gr.1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill. The mare’s place in her first ever attempt at a 2400-metre race was in doubt on Wednesday when stewards reported she was tying-up after her track gallop. But Racing NSW confirmed the news she was free to race on Friday morning when blood tests taken from the mare were received by Racing NSW…
New York Minute takes gold
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Consistent pacer New York Minute extended his winning record this season to six when taking out the City of Palmerston North Festival Gold Cup (2500m) at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday night. The Arna Donnelly-trained gelding sat midfield for driver David Butcher for the majority of the race before he was asked to improve three-wide shortly after the bell. He assumed the lead down the back straight and was able to hold off the late challenge of American Me to win by a length, with…
Memphis Tennessee wins Cup
By Michael Guerin Brett Gray is worried he may be training himself out of a job with Memphis Tennessee. The five-year-old pacer, who seems he has been around so much longer than his age would suggest, overcame a 20m handicap to win the $15,000 MLT Wyndham Cup on Thursday as racing returned to Young Quinn Raceway. He did so courtesy of a good beginning and recorded 4:1.9 for the 3200m even though trainer Gray didn’t really think he would relish the extreme distance, the win giving Gray his 200th success…
Persan to chase Easter victory at Caulfield
Persan will attempt to add another string to his bow in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield. (Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Persan has proven his trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace wrong on a number of occasions in the short time they have had the stayer. The four-year-old son of Pierro has been with the team a little over a year, but less than 12 months racing time. Persan has taken the stable on an incredible ride and on Saturday will attempt to add another string to his bow…