By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Russley trainer Kevin Townley is hoping his trio of runners at Addington Raceway on Friday can replicate their heroics from last weekend. Townley recorded a treble for the weekend courtesy of Fire Fox, Escargo, and Vacation Hill, and he was particularly pleased with the latter’s first-up win against a smart field, including Horse of the Year contender Sundees Son, last Friday. The four-year-old mare was given the perfect trip in the trail and Townley was buoyed by the way she extended towards the line…
Month: September 2021
A G White Socks onto unruly for tonight’s Group Three feature
By Michael Guerin A step backwards for open class pacing star A G’s White Socks may be coming at the right time at Addington tonight because of a change to the way standing starts are conducted at the track. A G’s White Socks continued his hate-hate relationship with standing starts in the first open class pacing race of the season at Addington last Friday, missing away so badly he lost his winning chance, his recovery for fourth suggesting with a safe beginning he would have won. The indiscretion has convinced…
Dunn going for yet another New Brighton Cup
If either of his starters win the Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup at Addington tonight champion trainer Robert Dunn will add to an impressive haul in the Group Three feature. The race, a traditional lead-up race to the New Zealand Cup, has been won by Dunn runners three of the past five years. Tonight the newly minted stable of Robert and Jenna Dunn will start $2.40 favourite and defending champion Classie Brigade and $4.50 third favourite Henry Hubert, who quinellaed the Maurice Holmes Vase last week. A G’s White…
VIDEO: Rich Hill Stud stallion parade
Spring heating up for Icebath
New Zealand-bred mare Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will be out to add to her burgeoning resume when she contests the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday. The daughter of Sacred Falls made a pleasing start to her spring preparation with a first-up third placing in the Gr.3 Show County Quality (1200m) last month and trainer Brad Widdup is looking forward to witnessing her progress this weekend. “She was caught wide and didn’t get a lot of luck. She gave the first couple of horses three and…
Auckland meeting moved to Cambridge
The Auckland Trotting Club meeting scheduled for next week has been moved to Cambridge. HRNZ has decided the Club will still run the meeting on Thursday (Sept 16), with its usual stakes, but it will not be at Alexandra Park. With Auckland at Alert Level Four and the rest of the country at Alert Level 2 HRNZ says it had no option but to move the meeting. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in Auckland and with the Government not giving an update until next week we have to…
Britton rates Ruby his ‘Top Cat’
Boasting two leading contenders in Saturday’s Group 3 Top Cat Video Cup final (725m) at The Meadows, Jeff Britton has labelled rising star Mepunga Ruby as his best chance, ahead of multiple feature race winner Hank The Hustler. TAB agrees with Britton’s assessment, marking Mepunga Ruby (Box 1) as $2.30 favourite ahead of Hank The Hustler (Box 4) at $4. Mepunga Ruby’s recent form over middle and staying distances is almost impossible to fault, with the daughter of Fernando Bale and Mepunga Rosie winning 10 of her last 13 starts,…
Staying targets ideal to Vaughan’s way of thinking
Lisa Vaughan will launch Asathought (So You Think) on a path aimed at emulating her big sister when she tackles the feature race at Wingatui on Friday. The Invercargill trainer is intent on giving So You Think five-year-old Asathought her best opportunity this spring and after contesting Friday’s Forbury Park Race Day 3rd December (1400m) at Wingatui, she’ll trek further north to use Riccarton as a spring base. A winner of three of her nine starts, Asathought was a 9-3/4 length lower grade winner before graduating to an open class…
Registrations open for Forbury Park drop-in sessions
People wanting to learn more about Dunedin’s Forbury Park and have a say on its future are being invited to register to attend one of two community drop-in sessions this month. Harness Racing New Zealand will be hosting the sessions at the Dunedin Rugby Football Club on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 September, and advises that anyone wanting to attend must register via email to ForburyConsultation@hrnz.co.nz. Under Covid-19 level two restrictions, indoor events are limited to 50 people, and the bookings will help ensure numbers are managed so that people can safely…
Entriviere set for belated start to spring
Saturday’s Gr.2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Kembla Grange may not have been the starting point Entriviere’s (NZ) (Tavistock) connections originally had in mind this spring, but the change of plans may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the exciting Kiwi mare. The daughter of Tavistock had previously been entered to kick off in the Gr.3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick on August 21, but a minor foot issue postponed her return to racing by three weeks. Entriviere has made pleasing progress since then, including a trial…