Year: 2025

New Year’s Eve sees 2024 out on a high

NZHarnessNews

Harness Racing New Zealand is delighted that 2024 has finished with a flourish, with Auckland’s New Year’s Eve meeting a success both in terms of crowd numbers and turnover. The Auckland Trotting Club’s twilight meeting was popular with racegoers and turnover was up markedly on last year with latest figures showing the 10-race programme amassing $1.4m, compared to $823K in 2023, and $1m for 10 races in 2023. The increase is in line with a 20 per cent increase in harness racing turnovers across the board this year, compared to…

Iowna Merc’s brilliant finish seals Canterbury Sprint victory

AAP

Iowna Merc winnings at Royal Randwick on December 21, 2024 for trainer Bjorn Baker. Photo: Bradley Photos Iowna Merc delivered a dazzling performance to claim the 2025 Canterbury Sprint, securing back-to-back wins and showcasing his sharp turn of foot in the $200,000 Listed event. Starting at $8.90 with the top online bookmakers, the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding stormed home in a tightly contested finish under jockey Ashley Morgan, defeating Pereille by 0.31 lengths, with Brudenell finishing a further 0.59 lengths back in third. The five-year-old, jumping from barrier six, settled mid-pack…

Grand Piero outshines rivals to win 2025 Bagot Handicap

AAP

Grand Pierro after winning the Bagot Handicap at Flemington Racecourse on January 01, 2025 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Grand Piero delivered a determined performance to win the 141st edition of the Listed Bagot Handicap at Flemington, surging to victory under jockey Zac Spain. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Jason Warren, overcame a strong field and tricky conditions over the 2800m journey to claim the prestigious staying race, earning the $105,000 first prize. Settling midfield early, Spain rode Gran Piero patiently, sticking to the pre-race plan of…

Mo’unga and Pinseeker dominate market for Central Otago Cup

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner  Tactics look set to be the key factor as Mo’unga and Pinseeker go head to head in Thursday’s Group 3 Central Otago Trotting Cup at Omakau. The two star pacers head a field of just five runners confirmed for the 2000m feature. While the pair are closely matched on talent, Mo’unga and Pinseeker appear poles apart on the early tactical speed they’ve shown so far. The Regan Todd trained Mo’unga is a noted mobile speedster who can overcome drawing the outside of the front line with a…

Son of Sun Sparkles in Queen Elizabeth

NZRacingDesk

Progressive stayer Son of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright. The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month. His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism for Wednesday’s staying feature. Travelling midfield for much of the journey, Son of…

Bourbon Empress Shows Her Class in Rich Hill Mile

NZRacingDesk

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir) downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory. The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Provence had missed in favour of a start…

Promising Filly Shines in Ellerslie Feature

NZRacingDesk

Promising filly Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repelled their advances to win by…

Flemington success for Dream All Day

NZRacingDesk

Waikato Stud-bred star Atishu has produced some of the highlights of her illustrious career at Flemington, and her promising full-sister Dream All Day won at the same venue in the A$65,000 Henry Byron Moore Handicap (1600m) on New Year’s Day. Dream All Day is by champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy. That same mating produced Atishu, the winner of 11 of her 47 races and more than A$5 million. Her three Group One triumphs include Flemington’s Champions Stakes (2000m) and Empire Rose Stakes…

Willydoit Strikes Again at Ellerslie

NZRacingDesk

Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) firmed up his Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) favouritism when he made it back-to-back wins at Ellerslie in the Horizon By SkyCity 1600 on New Year’s Day. From his outside gate in the eight-horse field, Willydoit settled at the back of the pack for jockey Masa Hashizume before improving to sit three-back on the fence. Turning for home he was stuck behind a wall of horses, but Hashizume kept a cool head and waited for a gap to open. When one presented, the country’s leading jockey…

Bergerson Begins New Year on a Sweet Note

NZRacingDesk

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late support. Rider Michael McNab…