Time is running out for those those wanting to qualify for the lucrative Racing Rewards Showcase at Addington. Sunday’s Cheviot Harness Racing Club meeting will be the last chance for horses to earn enough points to force their way into the series, at Addington the following weekend, on Easter Saturday. The highly popular series, which was last year known as the RATTO Showcase, will feature three pacing and two trotting races over 2600m, each worth $27,000. There will be 16 trotters and 14 pacers in their respective races. To qualify horses…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Addington Weekly : March 29
Here’s Greg O’Connor and Darrin Williams with the latest Addington News.
News Briefs : March 29
Smolenski recovering after mishap Mark Smolenski is on the mend after a track accident at Rangiora earlier this month. The well-known trainer was tipped from his cart, bruising his back and lungs. He then developed pneumonia and had a week in hospital recovering. He is now back home and making good progress though it will be a few weeks before he’s back in the cart. Speedy trotter moving south Current New Zealand record-holder Quik Barbie is heading south. The four-race winner has been transferred from Cambridge trainer Matty White to…
Meet Dan Fogarty – the new voice of racing
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk This country’s newest commentator Dan Fogarty reckons he’s had the racing bug for 15 years. Nothing unusual about that you might think – except that Fogarty has only just turned 20. Based in Christchurch he is now a Trackside regular calling the dogs as well as selected harness meetings, trials and workouts. “It was my dream job since I was five.” “It was the 2008 Melbourne Cup and I was five years old and we had a sweepstake at home.” He drew the…
Top Aussie driver confirmed for Cambridge’s big day
by Adam Hamilton Champion Aussie driver Chris Alford will be at Cambridge on The Grins Night of Champions on April 14. Alford confirmed he’s crossing the ditch to drive star Aussie trotter Aldebaran Zeus in the Group 2 trotting sprint on the night for trainer Brent Lilley. But could Alford also drive in the Race by Grins itself? While nobody would confirm it and maybe no decision has been made, Alford is believed to be the front-runner to drive the Jess Tubbs-trained Triple Eight in the $1mil slot race. Of…
“Fergie” in the House at Manawatu
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Peter Ferguson is in an unusual position at Manawatu this week. He regularly drives for Michael House but usually as part of a powerful line-up that features House’s two go-tos in Blair Orange and Sarah O’Reilly. But today, and then again on Friday, they won’t be there. So Ferguson finds himself driving eight House runners on the nine-race programme. “He’s tried the rest and now he’s come to the best,” quips Ferguson. “I figured Blair wouldn’t be going because there’s a premier meeting…
Selections | Manawatu
Trottech’s selections for Manawatu today. Race TrottechForm Analyst Race 13.40pm 4 Ahwel3 Romeo Foxtrot2 Mocca Francy6 Highview Rockn Roll Race 24.15pm 7 Petronelli Gee8 Love Is Everywhere2 Eagle Hanover5 Littlebitoflove Race 34.50pm 5 Bella Thorne7 Smokin Gun3 Sweet Chevron1 Boris Yeltsin Race 45.25pm 5 Jazzy Styx1 Bell Fire3 Kingswood7 Demi Darling Race 55.52pm 3 Cos I Can8 New York Minute9 Rough And Ready4 Run Mason Run Race 66.22pm 4 Raging On9 Pacing Hope1 Ticking Over8 The Cobbler Race 76.47pm 7 Full Of Desire3…
TAB select Entain as preferred partner
TAB NZ has announced that it has selected Entain as its preferred partner for a 25-year strategic partnering arrangement. The proposed strategic arrangement remains subject to Ministerial approval. The specific terms of the arrangement remain commercially confidential until approval is granted. To view the TAB’s press release click here :
The O’Reillys’ winning run at Waimate
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk And then there were three. When Gerard O’Reilly took out the Waimate Cup with Tom Martin at Oamaru on Sunday he became the third O’Reilly sibling to do so, joining brothers Patrick and Leo. “I wasn’t aware of that,” says Gerard O’Reilly, “but to win any Cup you must be doing well.” His pre-race plan in the Whitestone Livestock Waimate Cup (3000m) was to ensure a decent tempo and make it hard for the backmarkers, and that’s exactly how it worked out. Tom…
Increase in stakes for lower grade races
A funding boost has been announced for 230 races for May, June and July. For those three months races that are currently funded at $8,100 will be increased to $9,000. “The new rate will apply to races, right around the country,” says Harness Racing New Zealand Chair John Coulam, “and we are very pleased that it has come about.” Last year the TAB reduced funding to all three racing codes by a total of $15m. HRNZ was impacted to the tune of $4.4m. In response, it decided to use $2.1m of…