By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Victories don’t come much more emotional than this. When Lawrence McCormick, wearing a black armband, won with Vertigo at Ashburton on Tuesday afternoon it was a poignant and overwhelming moment for the Mid Canterbury trainer-driver. Moved to tears, McCormick looked to the skies and made a salute, dedicating the victory to three-year-old Effie Hurley, who had died just days earlier. Effie’s parents Shaun and Symone Hurley and their family are close to the McCormicks. “We’d all been camping together at Cromwell over the…
Month: January 2023
Mixed draws for Kiwi stars at Ballarat
By Adam Hamilton The two Kiwi raiders Copy That and Old Town Road had mixed luck in the barrier draw for Saturday night’s Group 1 Ballarat Cup. Dual New Zealand Cup winner Copy That snared gate five, but has lots of speed inside him, most notably former Kiwi pacer Cranbourne (gate three) and Torrid Saint (four). John Dickie’s rising star Old Town Road will need luck from inside the back row (eight). If the emergency Interest Free doesn’t get a run from the pole, Old Town Road will follow out…
Robert & Jenna Dunn take lead in Seddon Trainers’ Championship
Team Dunn’s dominant form at Nelson’s two day meeting has given them a commanding lead in the Public Trainers division of the new Seddon Trainers’ Championship. They have 127 points, fifty clear of previous leader Mark Jones, with Greg and Nina Hope just two behind on 75. The only other trainer within touching distance is Michael House (73). The training partnership of Robert and Jenna Dunn had nine wins over the two days at Richmond Park, highlighted by Mighty Looee’s back-to-back wins. On Sunday they had six wins, exactly half…
Jamie Richards chases a Rattan Kingdom hat-trick
Jamie Richards has three wins from the last three race meetings and this Wednesday (18 January) 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 how it works here, you…
Todd with strong hand in junior drivers’ race
By Jonny Turner Regan Todd admits there is little between his pairing of Baileys Pitch and Theresa Love in today’s junior drivers’ event at Ashburton. The in-form duo have landed in contrasting draws for the 2400m mobile with Baileys Pitch to start from barrier 1, inside Theresa Love who has barrier 7. Race markets suggest Theresa Love ($2.50) has the edge over Baileys Pitch ($5.50) and while Todd agrees in principle, there may be less between the two than those prices suggest. “Going by their work on Saturday, I couldn’t…
Pakenham best bets & quaddie tips | January 19, 2023
What Pakenham Races Where Pakenham Racing Club – 420 Nar Nar Goon–Longwarry Rd, Tynong VIC 3813 When Thursday, January 19, 2023 First Race 5:45pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes Night racing will return to Pakenham Racing Club this Thursday night when its hosts the first night of the Future Stars Maiden Series on a very competitive eight-race program. The track is currently rated a Good 4, and with warm weather forecast for the Wednesday and Thursday, we don’t expect to see a track any softer than a Good 4. The rail will…
Vincent Ho’s keeping the faith in Golden Sixty
Vincent Ho is holding firm in his belief Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro) will be able to bounce back in Sunday week’s (29 January) HK$12 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m). 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 go to post at Sha Tin. Both Romantic Warrior and California Spangle take their places following a pair of…
Emerging Vendors Looking to Make their Mark at Karaka 2023
Karaka 2023 is set to showcase the drafts of a diverse blend of vendors, with the established and respected big names being joined by a number of relative newcomers who are just beginning to make their mark. ADVANTAGEOUS VENTURES Karaka 2023 will be the third yearling sale for Aimee Peterken’s boutique thoroughbred operation Advantageous Ventures, and this year marks her debut in Book 1. Peterken was brought up breeding and riding sport horses, but has only moved into the thoroughbred sphere within the last decade. She made her Karaka debut…
Benner seeks more Karaka Million glory
Te Akau Racing may have been the dominant force in the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) in recent years, but at least one of their rivals knows plenty about winning big races on this day. The Otaki stable of Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard, operating on a much smaller scale, have scored million-dollar triumphs twice at this meeting, with Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City) in the Karaka Million 2YO in 2014 and with Scott Base (NZ) (Dalghar) in the 3YO Classic in 2018. This year they’re back with Dapper…
Lightly tried filly chasing huge payday
A sizeable investment by the connections of Ethereal Star (Snitzel) will be handsomely rewarded if the well-related filly continues her winning form on Saturday. The high-priced daughter of Snitzel won the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m) at her second appearance last time out at Pukekohe and will return there for the DoubleTree By Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m). She is trained by Andrew Forsman, who was also pleased with the trial performances at Tauranga on Tuesday of a number of his other star performers including Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls), Lickety Split…