Year: 2025

Santanna Mach’s remarkable racing record right around the country

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk   Santanna Mach is the very essence of the 1980s Tourism New Zealand slogan : “Don’t Leave Home Until You’ve Seen The Country” The grand old campaigner lined up for start number 224 at Westport this evening in the BP2GO Westport Team Teal Pace, finishing seventh with Rapid Response winning for Sam Ottley, her third victory for the day. In doing so he completed a truly remarkable feat. The 11-year-old has now raced at every active harness racing course around the country and…

Saturday’s free horse racing tips & quaddie picks | March 8, 2025

AAP

There are 13 horse racing meetings set for Australia on Saturday, March 8. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Flemington, Randwick, Ellerslie, Murray Bridge, Bunbury & Alice Springs. Saturday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – March 1, 2025 Flemington Racing Tips Randwick Racing Tips Ellerslie Racing Tips Murray Bridge Racing Tips Bunbury Racing Tips Alice Springs Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what…

Kewney Stakes

AAP

Odds Bookmakers News Field Past Winners Kewney Stakes Group Two Betting Guide Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025 Location: Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria Prize Money: $300,000 Distance: 1600m The A.V. Kewney Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-old fillies, run over 1600m under set weights at Flemington by the Victoria Racing Club. First held in 1952, the Kewney Stakes honours Arthur V. Kewney, VRC secretary from 1925 to 1946. Originally contested over 2000m, the Kewney Stakes shifted to 1600m in 1985, 1400m in 2010, and returned to 1600m in…

Major Ouch and Claire Downey’s long-awaited success at HOY

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk   It’s been years in the making and Claire Downey is still in a bit of disbelief that she and her “Mr Reliable” Major Ouch are Horse of the Year winners. Yesterday at equestrian’s biggest event, the Defender Horse of the Year show, the combo were crowned NZ Standardbred Breeders Association Ridden Standardbred of the Year at Hastings. “It was a shock to the system, I can’t really believe it,” says Downey, “but I’m stoked to have won it with him.” Over the…

The 2025 Breeding Season – “we can stabilise and eventually rebuild”

NZHarnessNews

HRNZ Chief Executive Brad Steele says there is still room for optimism despite the fall in breeding numbers for the 2025 season. Latest figures show that a total of 1552 individual mares have been bred to, a drop of 12 per cent on last year. “Breeding numbers have been under pressure over the past two decades,” says Steele, “and it is disappointing to see a double figure decrease. We have to own that but there are encouraging signs that we can stabilize and eventually rebuild.” The total for 2025 is…

Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap

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Odds Bookmakers News Field Past Winners Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap Group Three Betting Guide Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025 Location: Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria Prize Money: $200,000 Distance: 1400m The Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap is a Group 3 race run over 1400m under handicap conditions at Flemington by the Victoria Racing Club. First held in 2001, the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap briefly lost its Group status from 2008 to 2010 but has since regained its place on the autumn calendar. The Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap, worth $200,000 in 2025, has produced a mix…

Guineas a fork in the road for Linebacker

NZRacingDesk

Left with more questions than answers after the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), Linebacker‘s (NZ) (Super Seth) trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton are focusing on the three-year-old’s pleasing work at home as the best guide to his Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) prospects. Following a solid first-up performance in the Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m), Linebacker turned in a head-scratching effort in the Hobartville when he drifted back in the field and never seriously threatened, finishing sixth and more than three lengths from winner Broadsiding. Tom Charlton admits the stable has ben unsure what to make of the run but cannot…

Island Life to add to family’s big week

NZRacingDesk

Promising filly Island Life could cap a big week for one of Pencarrow Stud’s families when she lines up as favourite for the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Island Life is by Vadamos out of the Montjeu mare Lycia, whose half-sister Corinthia is the dam of last Saturday’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) winner Feroce. Pencarrow principal Sir Peter Vela retained Island Life to race in his familiar blue and white hooped colours, and she has been a big mover in Final Field betting…

All eyes on Legarto in Breeders’ Stakes

AAP

Legarto will contest Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) After a pair of fast-finishing seconds on major Ellerslie racedays last season, New Zealand’s highest-rated mare Legarto has the chance to set the record straight on Champions Day. Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) will be the fourth start at Ellerslie for Legarto, who picked up a win and two second placings from her three appearances at the reopened Auckland track last season. Legarto was a winner over…

Dennis hunting Southern Cups Series bonus

AAP

Loftys Gift currently leads the Southern Cups Bonus Series after winning last Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui. Photo: Tayler Strong Sunday’s Wyndham Cup (2000m) at Gore is the penultimate race in the Southern Cups Bonus Series, with Ascot Park trainer Robert Dennis holding pole position at the moment with his mare Loftys Gift. The six-year-old daughter of Ghibellines put herself three points ahead of her nearest rival with victory in last Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui, and she is in line to try and…