Lone Wolf delivers polish performance

By Jonny Turner Lone Wolf gave racegoers a glimpse of his true potential when he dashed to victory at Ashburton on Thursday. The pacer had handed out plenty of his headaches leading into his maiden win – to punters, to his owners and to his trainers Brent and Tim White. All signs leading into his victory suggested Lone Wolf was ready to make his amends and he definitely did that when winning for Sarah O’Reilly. “He has hurt us a few times making some bad mistakes, but we made a…

Today’s horse racing tips & best bets | December 24, 2022

Horse Racing on Saturday, December 24 will feature nine meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meetings at Doomben, Moonee Valley, Randwick, Murray Bridge, Ascot & Sha Tin. Saturday Racing Tips – December 24, 2022 Doomben Racing Tips Moonee Valley Racing Tips Randwick Racing Tips Murray Bridge Racing Tips Ascot Racing Tips Sha Tin (HK) Racing Tips As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers…

Otago and Southland premierships on the line

By Jonny Turner Saturday’s Christmas Eve meeting at Winton looms as a key point in what is set to be a nail-biting finish to two provincial trainers’ premiership Brett Gray heads into a nine-race card with a one-win advantage over Nathan Williamson, who has made the Southland trainers’ title his own in recent seasons. Ask either horseman who is going to win and they will suggest the other. And it is easy to see why with both trainers lining up a series of genuine winning chances at both Winton on…

Christmas comes early for Dalgetys

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Christmas came early for the Kentuckiana Lodge team when they picked up a winning double at Addington Raceway on Friday. Stable star Krug went into the Commodore Hotel Free-For-All Mobile Pace (1980m) a $1.10 favourite off the back of his Group 1 Invercargill Cup (3200m) triumph and won accordingly under a patient Carter Dalgety drive. The junior reinsman, who celebrated his first elite-level success behind the Bettor’s Delight entire last start, eased off the gate from his wide barrier and found the one-one behind…

McCaffrey in festive mood

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Christmas has already come early this year for Tamahere trainer Sean McCaffrey, but he is hoping for more pre-Christmas joy when he heads to Cambridge Raceway on Saturday. McCaffrey’s exciting filly Con Grazia Love delivered an early Christmas present when she won the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks (1980m) at Addington Raceway last month, giving him his first elite-level success in several years. “She is the highlight (this season),” McCaffrey said. “She has already been to the top of the mountain and seen…

Chrysaor has all the right attributes for the BJ McLachlan Stakes

James Ormond rides Chrysaor to victory on the Sunshine Coast on November 19. The promising two-year-old is a $12 winning chance for the BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday. Picture: Trackside Photography. Chrysaor has all the attributes of a competitive Magic Millions horse ahead of the BJ McLachlan Stakes at Doomben on Saturday. They are the thoughts of Star Thoroughbreds owner-director Denise Martin, who was impressed with the Chris-Waller-trained colt’s win in his last start also over the 1200m distance on the Sunshine Coast on November 19. In…

Vale Colin Jillings

Revered thoroughbred trainer Colin Jillings has died in Auckland, aged 91. Jillings, who retired from training in 2005, had a lengthy and hugely successful career in racing, initially as a jockey and then as a trainer. He never trained on a large scale, which made winning a premiership an unrealistic target, but from the outset displayed a rare ability to successfully target big races. His ability to set a horse for a feature race and get it to the target in peak form and at the right weight – a…

Kirkland heads to Wingatui in Buoyant mood

Southland trainer Sabin Kirkland is hoping the festivities continue when he heads to Wingatui on Boxing Day with his talented sprinter Buoyant. The four-year-old gelding was in a purple patch of form over spring, winning two and placing in two of his four starts, including winning the Gr.3 Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton last month following his third placing in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) a week prior. He subsequently went for a freshen-up and Kirkland is over the moon with the way the son of Dalghar is tracking ahead…

Kelso trio on song for Christmas carnival features

An outstanding trial gallop from star sprinter Levante has only served to multiply the butterflies in Matamata trainer Ken Kelso’s stomach leading into one of the biggest weeks of his career. Levante prepared for Monday week’s Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Te Rapa with a dashing second to Babylon Berlin in a Group and Listed horse trial at Matamata on Friday. Regular rider Ryan Elliot had a tight grip on the dual Group One winner as she produced a trial which delighted Kelso and his wife and training partner Bev.…

Enright hoping Christmas comes early with Wertheimer

Trainer Matthew Enright his hoping Christmas comes early when he heads to The Valley on Saturday with Wertheimer. The five-year-old son of Tavistock finished fourth behind fellow Kiwi-bred and subsequent Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) placegetter High Emocean in the Gr.3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) in October and pleased with his fresh-up placing in the Werribee Cup (2000m) earlier this month. He will step up to 2500m at The Valley this weekend and Enright is confident of a good showing with leading hoop Jamie Kah aboard. “It (last start) was one of…