Author: NZHarnessNews

by Don Rae On Sunday the Methven Trotting Club is proud to welcome the three most successful reinsmen in New Zealand trotting history. They have been fixtures at the top of or near the top of every national drivers’ premiership table since the late 1970s and have won every significant race on the racing calendar one or more times. They are indeed the Three Wise Men of New Zealand harness racing – and Tony Herlihy M.N.Z.M., Maurice McKendry M.N.Z.M. and Ricky May will compete for honours over a 6 race…

by Jonny Turner Jonny Cox hopes Folklore can cash in again while she’s in the form of her life when she starts in the Southern Belle Speed Series Final at Winton on Thursday The gritty mare will attempt to continue her outstanding recent form when taking on a quality field of mares in the feature sprint. Folklore comes into the event on the back on a string of strong performances which started with her outstanding Southern Belle Speed Series heat win at Ascot Park in January. Cox puts the mare’s…

By Michael Guerin Better Eclipse may bring one of the fastest Australian mile times ever to tomorrow’s $1million Race by Grins but he is lacking in that most Australian of qualities: hype. The five-year-old pacer and his stablemate Triple Eight are the two Aussie representatives in tomorrow’s harness slot race at Cambridge, both trained by husband and wife team Greg Sugars and Jess Tubbs. Sugars is one of the most respected harness horsemen in Australia and Triple Eight will be driven by Australia’s most successful ever reinsmen in Chris Alford,…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  While many are focused on Cambridge for their Grins Night of Champions tomorrow, Paul Nairn brings a small but capable team to Addington Raceway for their seven-race programme tonight. And the top trotting trainer reckons he’s some sort of show of taking some of the spoils as well. In race 2, the Lone Star Sires’ Stakes No 39 Prelude Mobil Trot, he’ll drive Confessional, while stablemate Tectonic, who’s gunning for a hat-trick of wins, will again be driven by the country’s top junior…

By Adam Hamilton Champion driver Chris Alford is buzzing about his return to Cambridge for Friday night’s huge Grins Night of Champions. The 54-year-old has the drives on Aussie outsider Triple Eight in the $1m Race by Grins and exciting trotter Aldebaran Zeus in the Group 2 Waikato Flying Mile. He’s driven at Cambridge before though not regularly. “The first was back in 1985 or ’86 as a junior driver, then I went back in 2018 when Wobelee ran in the Harness Jewels.” Wobelee, Australia’s champion young trotter of the…

By Michael Guerin Premiership-winning trainer Steve Telfer is promising the $1million Race by Grins won’t be a simple stroll around Cambridge Raceway for favourite Copy That on Friday night. Two-time New Zealand Cup winner Copy That has opened the $2.20 favourite for the harness slot race and has rarely been beaten in front, especially in New Zealand where his open class form has been incredibly consistent for over two years. But while Copy That seems to have drawn ideally at barrier three in the 2200m mobile pace, trainer Telfer says…

By Michael Guerin Dual New Zealand Cup hero Copy That has been handed the perfect opportunity to put a $1milllion exclamation mark on his career at Cambridge on Friday night. The wonderful pacer is likely to start from the seemingly perfect barrier 3 in The Race by Grins, the $1million slot race which will have eight New Zealand and two Australian visitors for its second running. Copy That drew barrier 4 on Monday night but emergency Smiffys Terror drew barrier two and is unlikely to gain a start so the…

By Adam Hamilton The secret is out of the bag. Now we know why Australia’s top trotter isn’t going to New Zealand next month … he’s going to Sweden instead. Trainer Jess Tubbs confirmed connections had accepted an invite to tackle the world’s best trotters in the iconic Elitlopp at the Solvalla track in Stockholm, Sweden on May 28. Just Believe will become just the seventh Down Under trotter to contest the Elitlopp, four of those have been New Zealanders. The first was Petite Evander (1977 & ’78) then came her…

The live barrier draw for the $1m Race by Grins at Cambridge Raceway on April 14, will be conducted tonight. The draw will be part of a “Trots Talk Special” hosted by Michael Guerin and Greg O’Connor on SENZ radio at 6pm on Easter Monday. It can also be viewed here on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPOAlklZJn8 The head of the Racing Integrity Board Mike Clement will be in the studio to oversee proceedings. Cambridge Raceway will also tweet the barrier draws as they happen. To listen to the broadcast, ensure you have the SENZ…