By Adam Hamilton It was fitting that a former Kiwi star gave Greg Sugars a “welcome home” present at Melton last night. Sugars has spent much of the past month in NZ with Better Eclipse and Triple Eight. Rejuvenated veteran A Gs White Socks was driven with confidence by Sugars and thrashed his rivals in the Golden Reign free-for-all. It was the nine-year-old’s 17th career win and his fourth victory from his past five starts for Jess Tubbs. X X X Australia’s top trotter Just Believe will have his final…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Triple G headlines strong team for Team Dunn
by Jonny Turner Exciting three-year-old Triple G is among an outstanding team Diamond Racing take to Rangiora on Sunday. Triple G goes into the Rangiora Three-Year-Old Stakes after producing three excellent performances this time in. The pacer has won twice, with his only defeat coming in a strong second placing behind star three-year-old Don’t Stop Dreaming. Triple G has been up on the speed in all three runs, but he may not be on Sunday after drawing on the outside of the front line. But driver John Dunn is confident…
Vale Jeff Crouth
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After a harness racing career that spanned nearly 40 years, former Pukekohe-based trainer Jeff Crouth has died in Northland. From 1977 to 2014, Crouth had 232 wins and accrued nearly $3m in stakes, before making a big lifestyle change. “He retired to head up north and go fishing,” says Trish, his wife of 53 years. They settled in the Northland coastal community of One Tree Point. Throughout his decades of training one of Crouth’s main drivers was champion reinsman Maurice McKendry. “Jeff was…
Bargain buy makes it win number seven
By Jonny Turner Bargain buy Boarding Call delivered again at Addington on Friday afternoon when running to a deserved victory. Matthew Williamson found clear air along the passing lane for the mare to take out race 3. The win was Boarding Call’s seventh – she’s gone on to rack up six more victories than Williamson and wife Charlotte had hoped for when they purchased her in a gavelhouse auction. “We got her off Gavelhouse, we were hoping she might win a race because we bought her as a broodmare.” “We…
Star triallist makes race day debut at Ascot Park
By Jonny Turner Outback Man just needs to produce a repeat performance of his debut at Ascot Park on Saturday. The Tony Stratford trained pacer was an outstanding qualifier on the same track earlier this month. Though he didn’t smash the clock, the three-year-old looked well above average when powering to a 10-length trial win, ahead of his first start in race 3. “He has always shown a little bit, we have had him from day dot and we’ve always liked him,” Stratford said. “He is really starting to click…
Tactics key to Self Assured’s Messenger victory
By Michael Guerin Natalie Rasmussen’s pre-race plan for the NZ Messenger went out the window in a matter of seconds at Alexandra Park on Friday night and she loved every minute of it. Rasmussen was initially disappointed when Self Assured drew outside Copy That, expecting the favourite to lead. She was right about that but what few expected was how hard Copy That had to burn to get past Kango early. It wasn’t severe by any means but it was enough. As Blair Orange tried to come up for air…
Training milestone for Team Blanchard at Cambridge
By Michael Guerin Team Blanchard achieved a special family milestone at Cambridge on Thursday and the head of the clan says there is an unheralded member of their success story. Father and son partnership Peter and Vaughan Blanchard trained their 100th winner together when Always B Stunning made a winning debut in race 2 and win No.101 was only an hour away when trotter Majestic Ruby confirmed her promise with a huge win in the night’s main trot. Peter Blanchard has of course trained 100s of winners but says for…
Self Assured at peak for tonight’s Messenger
By Michael Guerin Champion trainer Mark Purdon is adamant Self Assured is in the best form of his career but he isn’t sure that will be enough to win tonight’s $90,000 Dawson Harford Messenger at Alexandra Park. Self Assured has been magnificent all autumn, having a hard run in three consecutive open class features but still winning one and placed in two others, including only just being nosed out by stablemate Akuta in the Taylor Mile last Friday. Akuta isn’t in tonight’s 2700m Messenger so you could make a strong…
Kikorangi Blue’s chances buoyed by return to favourite track
By Jonny Turner Bob Butt is hopeful the real Kikorangi Blue can front up at Addington on Friday afternoon. The mare returns to her favourite track after what looked just a plain last start performance in the Southern Belle Speed Series at Winton. After sitting in the trial, the five-year-old edged up the passing lane to run fifth. Kikorangi Blue was clearly better in her prior two outings, running to second placings behind the talented No Matter Wat. Butt is hopeful the mare can bounce back to that kind of…
Butcher one to follow at Cambridge tonight
By Michael Guerin Punters are used to superstar driver Zachary Butcher being the man to follow in the sulky at Cambridge but that extend to the training ranks tonight. Butcher has his usual handy book of drives but one of the members of his small stable in Sharkies Girl (R4, No.1) also looks hard to beat. She has won on the Waikato track before and has had no luck lately for a variety of reasons, a bad barrier last start, copping early pressure in a hard-run 2200m the start before.…