Author: NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk As long as he negotiates the start without incident, Ventura is the “one to beat” in today’s Fresh Choice Geraldine Handicap Pace, according to driver Craig Thornley. The smart four-year-old resumes on the grass at Orari after an eye catching second at the trials behind five race winner Wheels Of Fortune at Ashburton last Saturday. He’ll start off 10 metres and that Thornley says is the key to his chances. “He can be a quick beginner but we wouldn’t want him standing around…

by Jonny Turner Methven trainer Mike Heenan heads down the road to Geraldine today having done all he can with his four-horse team. It is now up to the weather gods to have the final say on exactly how his quartet are placed. Heenan lines up two grass track specialists in Boyz Invasion and Sisters Delight at today’s Orari meeting. Sister’s Delight starts from barrier 1 in race 9 and she looks a genuine each way chance. Heenan’s only concern heading into the event is how much forecast rain will…

By Michael Guerin Respect could be the biggest weapon on display in the open class group races at Alexandra Park tonight. Many of the elite pacing stars who contested last Friday’s $1million Race by Grins at Cambridge return for the Taylor Mile while the Lyell Creek Trot sees Muscle Mountain come north to take on Australian visitor Aldebaran Zeus, who led most of the way to win the big trot at Cambridge last Friday. Race by Grins winner Copy That has drawn perfectly at barrier 2 in the Taylor Mile,…

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Co-trainer James Dunn knows one thing about The Falcon in tonight’s feature pace at Addington. “We will definitely be going forward, Plan A is to lead is but he doesn’t have to lead,” says Dunn, who trains the Bettor’s Delight five-year-old in partnership with his father Geoff Dunn at West Melton, just outside Christchurch. The Falcon has won many fans for his willingness to inject speed into races, ensuring they are genuinely run. And that doesn’t look like changing tonight. “We certainly want…

By Michael Guerin One of racing’s luckiest owners wasn’t feeling all that lucky for much of last Friday before The Race By Grins gave him a shot at one of the more remarkable doubles in New Zealand racing history. Australian-based owner Merv Butterworth is a regular investor in New Zealand Bloodstock, predominantly in harness racing, having owned 2015 New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Arden Rooney before spreading into thoroughbred ownership around the same time. As hard as winning one NZ Cup is to beat Butterworth has found a way this…

By Adam Hamilton Former Kiwi trainer Brent Lilley capped a big weekend with his two star trotters when Queen Elida won at Melton. It was just a day after stablemate Aldebaran Zeus impressively won his first run of his New Zealand raid at Cambridge last Friday night. And champion driver Chris Alford was aboard both. While Aldebaran Zeus will chase further feature race riches in NZ, Queen Elida will also hit the road. The five-year-old daughter of Love You is NSW bound early next month for the $100,000 Group 1…

by Jonny Turner Bluto continued the outstanding partnership between Graeme Anderson and Brent White when winning the Little Green Jug at Methven on Sunday. The three-year-old made it two wins from two starts with a powerful front-running performance in Methven’s take on the world-renowned Little Brown Jug. Anderson and long-time owner Brian Sceats bought Bluto at the national yearling sales and placed him with the Brent and Tim White stable. Trading horses between their barns is a recipe that has worked extremely well for Anderson and White. Bluto showed his…