Berger hoping for early birthday present at Manawatu

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Mike Berger will be celebrating his 69th birthday on Friday, but he is hoping one of his presents comes early when he heads to Manawatu Raceway on Thursday. The Cambridge trainer will take four runners to the Palmerston North track, including Cos I Can who will contest “The Cobb” Manawatu Cup Mobile Pace (2500m). The three-year-old gelding heads into the meeting’s feature in good form, having placed in his last two starts, including a runner-up effort at Manawatu Raceway on Tuesday behind race rival…

Macandrew Aviator to tune up for Invercargill Cup

By Jonny Turner Macandrew Aviator will take an important step towards the Group 1 Invercargill Cup at Winton on Thursday. Trainer Kirstin Green has the pacer back in his home province after he battled the best of the best pacers throughout the spring. Macandrew Aviator is gearing up for what is set to be a remarkable day in Southland harness racing’s history after a freshen-up following his very unlucky run in the New Zealand Free-For-All. If the horse is going to be a serious Invercargill Cup contender he is going…

Ladies.. it is your time to shine.

The Invercargill Harness Racing Club are holding a Ladies Fashion In The Field Competition in conjunction with their Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup Day on Saturday 17 December at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill. With prizes from McLeay Jewellers, SuperValue Plaza and Craig Heyrick of Harcourts it will be a glamorous addition to a day of prestige with Southland’s first ever Group 1 race on the track. From the initial entries six finalists will be selected and each one will receive a bouquet of flowers donated by SuperValue…

Harness Racing New Zealand – Funding Update

Harness Racing New Zealand – Funding Update Just what the TAB’s proposed reduction in funding will mean for all three codes should be known before Christmas. “We have had a lot of discussions with the TAB since the announcement was made last week and we are continuing to make progress,” says Harness Racing New Zealand Chief Executive Gary Woodham. “We are now in a position to confirm that there will be a reduction of funding of $15m for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, so that takes us to the…

Nominations wanted for NZ Rural Sports Awards

The Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports awards are back in 2023, after a Covid-enforced absence, and the call is out for nominations. Now in their seventh year, the awards have featured previous harness racing-related winners including top junior driver Sarah O’Reilly for outstanding young rural person, Ricky May and his “lifetime legacy” award and Kidz Kartz founders Deneece and Murray Goldsworthy for their outstanding contribution to rural sports. Due to the last ceremony being cancelled all achievements in 2021 and 22 will be considered for next year’s awards. The winners…

Thornley excels in Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship debut

Canterbury-based junior driver Sam Thornley has had the perfect start to the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship in Victoria. The 20-year-old went two from two at Melton last night, winning with hotpot Outlaw Man and then The Falcon Prince to be a clearcut leader on the points table with 32, 18 clear of closest rival Brendon Barnes. “It felt really good to win both heats,” says Thornley, “I’m really happy and thankful for the trainers who put their horses in. They are good horses who got good runs.” The success followed…

The Ingham race preview & best bets | Saturday 10/12/2022

What The Ingham 2022 Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, December 10, 2022 | 4:40pm AEDT | Race 8 Prizemoney $2,000,000 Distance 1600m Status Group 2 Conditions Handicap | 3yo and up 2021 Winner Brutality | T: Joseph Pride | J: Regan Bayliss (53kg) Watch Live Streaming Live at Sportsbet The 2022 edition of The Ingham, formerly known as the Villiers Stakes, is the time-honoured classic Group 2 1600m race at Randwick for a free ticket into 2023 Doncaster Mile. We’ve got a full…

Moonee Valley best bets & quaddie tips | December 9, 2022

What Moonee Valley Races Where Moonee Valley Racing Club – 2 Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 When Friday, December 9, 2022 First Race 6:10pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes As Christmas approaches, racing at Moonee Valley heats up both on the track and off it. An eight-race program is set down for decision on Friday night on a track rated a Good 4, while the rail remains in the true position for the entire circuit. Given what we saw last Friday night, the track should play fairly with no real on-pace…