By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Cambridge trainer-driver Matthew White didn’t have long to wait before bringing up a significant milestone at Hawera this afternoon. In the very first race of the day, the Taranaki Steelformers Handicap Trot (2100m), he got the second favourite Mocca Francy away safely from the 30m mark and then lobbed the one-one before beating Bun In The Oven by a neck. “She has shown a bit of form of late and got a nice trip.” It was White’s 200th driving success in New Zealand.…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Big first day for Team Teal
After only one day Team Teal has already topped the $1000 mark. The annual campaign that raises funds for ovarian cancer research started yesterday and will go through till the middle of March, with money raised every time a female driver wearing the teal pants wins a race. Harness Racing New Zealand and the individual clubs each contribute $100 a win, while extra funds are also provided by individual sponsors. Yesterday at Oamaru Team Teal ambassador Gemma Thornley won with Lizie Richter in the very first race. Her win was…
Major milestones at Oamaru
by Jonny Turner A cool, calm and collected drive behind Lone Wolf saw Sarah O’Reilly reach 200 wins in the sulky at Oamaru on Thursday. Being tucked away four back on the markers for much of race 6 wasn’t a problem for the Brent and Tim White trained pacer, with O’Reilly expertly plotting a passage to win. After being stuck on 199 wins for a couple of weeks, the junior reinswoman was delighted to tick off her 200-win milestone. “It is a bit of a relief.” “(I was stuck on…
Majestic Man’s fourth quest for Great Southern Star
By Adam Hamilton Will it be fourth time lucky for veteran Kiwi star Majestic Man in tonight’s Great Southern Star at Melton? It hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Phil Williamson’s gelding in the past, but despite now being an eight-year-old, this really looks his chance to win Australasia’s biggest trotting race. Majestic Man first tackled the Great Southern Star when it was just a one-off race, but galloped and ran last in 2020. He returned the next year when the format returned to a heat and final on…
Muscle Mountain at short odds at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Ben Hope isn’t where he wants to be tonight and his favourite horse Muscle Mountain isn’t there either. But he expects the outstanding trotter to get a compensation victory in the $27,500 Continental Event Hire Trot at Addington tonight. Currently he’s at $1.20 to win. How different things could have been for the pair as Muscle Mountain was targeting the Great Southern Star at Melton, also run tonight, until a cold set back his preparation and ultimately saw a change of programme. “It was just niggly,” says…
Seamus Quill – “I love it here”
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk A harness racing nomad, Seamus Quill heads to Hawera today for three drives, including two in the Revell Douglas Memorial Series. The Irishman is on his third visit to this country, keen to build on the one win and five placings he’s had from 27 drives since 2018. His sole victory came with the then Steve Telfer-trained Parker at Cambridge in December 2019. “I love it here,” says the 29-year-old, who is working for the Telfer team in South Auckland, “and the grass…
Clubs urged to contribute to Horse Ambulance fund-raiser
The Methven Trotting Club is issuing a challenge to all clubs to contribute to Addington Raceway’s Coast to Coast fundraiser. Club president Carl Markham has pledged $100 to the cause on behalf of the club and would love to see other clubs right around the country get involved and also stump up with some cash. A week today the Addington Raceway team of Chief Executive Brian Thompson, Facilities and Property Manager John Denton and IT Manager Andy Ross will take part in the Coast To Coast as part of a…
Thornley gets Team Teal off to winning start
Team Teal is off the mark for 2023. The annual campaign to raise money for ovarian cancer research started at Oamaru this afternoon and in the very first race first time Team Teal ambassador Gemma Thornley won with hot favourite Lizzie Richter. It was the six-year-old mare’s third win in a row for trainer Mark Jones. Thornley is one of five Team Teal ambassadors involved this year, with the campaign running through to March 15. The other four ambassadors are Sam Ottley, Alicia Harrison, Crystal Hackett and Kirstin Green. In…
Whale Watch – Oamaru – Today
Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Oamaru today.
First race day winner – “I was ecstatic”
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Jordyn Bublitz’s first win in the sulky couldn’t have panned out much better. The 21-year-old was having just her second race day drive when Romeo Foxtrot, trained by her father Andrew, won the Agrowquip Handicap Trot at Cambridge last Thursday (January 26). The Majestic Son six-year-old started off 10 metres and immediately got handy, staying outside the pacemaking Safrakova before going to the line by more than a length. “To sit parked was not part of my plans really, it was plan D…