By Adam Hamilton Champion driver Anthony Butt knows better than most how good the best Kiwi pacers are. Butt’s driven so many Kiwi stars to major wins in Australia, but this time he finds himself on the other side of the fence. Butt has picked-up the drive on emerging Aussie star Rock N Roll Doo while trainer Mick Stanley recovers from a back injury. And he takes the reins for the first time in a race for Saturday night’s $150,000 Group 1 Ballarat Cup, due to go at 11.18pm. Rock…
Month: January 2023
Important change for 2YOs to come into effect
Harness Racing New Zealand want to remind trainers of the important new rule change made last October regarding two-year-old pacers and trotters – from February 1, 2023 all two-year-olds must qualify before they race. After consultation with a number of groups, including the New Zealand Trainers and Drivers Association, HRNZ has agreed to the rule change to ensure that all horses, regardless of age, are of a qualified standard when they start their racing careers. In the past 2YOs have been exempt for 2YO races. But with the racing season…
Cole, Petrick win final two heats of Darwin’s Wet Season Series
The qualification process for the Darwin Turf Club’s 2022/23 Lightning Wet Season Series concluded on Saturday following the final two heats at Fannie Bay. Come Australia Day, the $40,000 final (0-70) over 1200m will take place. Victory in Heat 5 went to Kerry Petrick’s New Roman, ridden by Phillip Crich, who made it back-to-back wins in the Top End after leading his rivals a merry dance over 1300m (0-64). For the six-year-old gelding it was his fourth win from 17 starts in Darwin, a venue where he has also finished…
Peak’s breeding blinder at Ashburton
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk One of the stars of Ashburton’s meeting yesterday wasn’t even there. Now based in Australia, Peak (pictured above) sired the winners of all four trotting races on the day, with Peaknmonkey (Peak – Twelve Monkeys) and Aiguille (Peak – Shell Seeker) providing an early double for driver Robbie Close before Maui (Peak – Shezadorabil) and Vertigo (Peak – Shimmie Shook Shook) made it a special day for the McCormick family. Maui was a $30 winner for Tinwald trainer-driver David McCormick with son Lawrence…
Amron Boy’s Thunder scare
Victorian superstar Amron Boy will take aim at his second Group 1 title in Saturday night’s Paws Of Thunder Final (520m) at Wentworth Park, but only after surviving a major heat scare. Amron Boy ventured to Sydney in sensational form for Lara trainers Brooke and Jamie Ennis and stifled betting on the opening Paws heat, starting at $1.18 from box one, a price rarely seen in G1 company. His three previous appearances had resulted in a near-record victory in the G1 Silver Chief at The Meadows (29.45sec), a desperately close…
Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty fill top 10 in World’s Best Racehorse Rankings
Romantic Warrior wins the Hong Kong Cup (Group 1, 2000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse today for trainer Danny Shum and jockey James McDonald. Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty have ranked inside the top 10 in the 2022 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR), released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on Tuesday, 17 January, while 10 of Hong Kong’s elite races featured in the World’s Top 100 G1 Races for the year just ended. Home to 12 Group 1 races, each of Hong Kong’s top-level contests has returned a…
Tommy Berry suspended until 2024
She’s Extreme ridden by Tommy Berry wins the VRC Oaks at Flemington. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Star NSW jockey Tommy Berry has copped a lengthy ban and a licence suspension after being found guilty of accepting considerations from bets placed by a punter. The 34-time Group 1 winner was handed a total disqualification of 11 months and two weeks for “accepting or agreeing to accept considerations” from Zaid Miller, and an additional four-week suspension for having a mobile phone in the jockeys’ room. Berry has already made it clear…
Jamie Richards chases a Rattan Kingdom hat-trick amid hot streak
Jamie Richards has 10 wins this season. Jamie Richards has three wins from the last three race meetings and this Wednesday at Happy Valley the newcomer among Hong Kong’s training ranks is looking to kick on with his stable’s recent run of form. “It’s good to get a bit of momentum up and regular winners, we were kicking stones for a little bit at the beginning of the season but horses are starting to find their form and admittedly, as I have said before, it’s taken a while to understand…
Vincent Ho’s keeping the faith in Golden Sixty ahead of Stewards’ Cup
Golden Sixty heads out to trial under Vincent Ho. Vincent Ho is holding firm in his belief Golden Sixty will be able to bounce back in Sunday week’s HK$12 million Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) when Hong Kong’s champion lines up against both Romantic Warrior and California Spangle. Entries for the Stewards’ Cup indicate the race will be a blockbuster renewal, supported by the likes of Waikuku – last year’s winner – as well as Beauty Joy, Panfield and Russian Emperor, rounding out a tight group of seven expected to…
News Briefs : January 18
Dunns top drivers’ and trainers’ premiership After a huge two days at Nelson, Team Dunn has got off to a flying start in 2023. Currently the training combo of Robert and Jenna Dunn have 13 wins for the season, with Brent and Tim White and Phil Williamson next on 6. The Dunns had six winners at Richmond park on Sunday and three on the first day last Friday. John Dunn, who drove eight of the nine winners, has 13 wins for the season to be a clear six win leader…