Author: NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin When you have trained the army of open class trotting stars that Paul Nairn has you don’t get carried away. So the fact Nairn thinks Tectonic can win his way to the big time makes him stand out in The Crossing Line Handicap Trot at Addington on a cold winter’s night. Nairn is widely regarded as the master of New Zealand trotting training even though he rarely has big numbers in work. It is a title that means something considering the trotting deeds over the last 20…

By Brigette Solomon With five drives at tonight’s Cambridge meeting David Butcher thinks most can feature in the top three. “Most of the horses I’m driving tonight have been racing well but they haven’t all drawn ideally to suit their abilities,” says Butcher, “so they’ll need some luck.” Butcher’s first two drives of the night are for Hunterville-based trainer Scott Dickson with Tres Bonne Fille and Ticking Over. Tres Bonne Fille starts in Race 3, the Watchu, Your Security Partner In NZ Mobile Pace over 2200 metres. The maiden three-year-old…

By Michael Guerin The New Zealand Cup may still be almost five months away that doesn’t stop Pukekohe trainer Jeremy Young from thinking about it every day. Young will take three horses to Cambridge tonight and could win two races, having two chances in Race 6, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace, with both Fifth And Final and Mantra drawn to be hard to beat. But Young has a far bigger target later in the season on his mind and he is going to get it his best shot at getting…

By Mike Love After reaching the 300 win milestone at Addington on Friday night Sarah O’Reilly is a good chance to add to that tally at the same course today. “It’s pretty awesome! I never thought I’d be able to achieve that when I first started driving,” said O’Reilly. She brought up the 300th with Tectonic and then got Shards Matrix home for Brent and Tim White. “The highlight so far this season though would have to be winning the Roy Purdon Memorial (listed) at Alexandra Park with American Me.”…

By Jonny Turner Losing one of her best drives may not spoil Kerryn Tomlinson’s day at Ascot Park on Saturday. Tomlinson will be unable to reunite with Dont Ask with the trotter retired and scratched from race 8. The junior driver recently formed a great combination with the mare, trained by Alister Black. “She would be one of the best trotters I have driven regularly down here,” Tomlinson said. “She had great manners and good speed, she was a lovely mare to drive.” Tomlinson isn’t lacking horsepower to work with…

By Michael Guerin John Dunn wants to achieve something that hasn’t been done in modern times, but even if he pulls it off he won’t get his name in the record books. Dunn dreams of winning both the trainers and drivers’ premierships this year, with the harness racing season running from January 1 to December 31. At the half way stage he has a great shot at both, kind of. But there are two small issues: he isn’t actually officially a horse trainer and to win the drivers’ premiership he…

By Michael Guerin Coastal Babe may loosely be on trial for a Queensland campaign when she resumes at Alexandra Park tonight but that doesn’t mean she has to win. The Group 1 winner races for the first time since finishing fourth in All You Need Is Me’s Northern Oaks on March 22, after which she was found to be off colour. Trainer Steven Reid gave her a spell which went a little longer than expected as he see-sawed on whether to aim Coastal Babe at the Queensland winter carnival. “When…

By Mike LoveWaikouaiti trainer Amber Hoffman will make the 300 kilometre trek north to Addington raceway today with a trio of solid chances. Kicking off Hoffman’s chances will be Petite Trixton ($5.50FF) in race 2 the Thank You Sam Taylor Vet trot over 2000 metres. The four year old Trixton mare has had two runs back since a long lay off for two good placings. With her good manners, and a front line draw over the testing 2000 metre distance, Petite Trixton should be in play. A few gear changes…

By Jonny Turner Kirk Larsen is keeping his options open as he chases down a deserved win with Ward Lamon. The pacer has been brilliantly consistent through the autumn and winter, coming into race 7 at Ascot Park on Friday on the back of three second placings. While tactics look obvious for Larsen with Ward Lamon perfectly placed in barrier 3, the trainer-driver has plenty of choices in front of him. “From 3, it would be good if we were able to punch out and lead, but it’s not the…

By Michael Guerin One of the forgotten heroes of New Zealand harness racing is back at work for what his trainer admits could be his last campaign. Wonderful trotter Bolt For Brilliance has ridden a brutal racing rollercoaster since he demolished the likes of Sundees Son in the Rowe Cup two years ago, a victory that put him on the doorstep of greatness. But while the horse they call “Bolt” got that far, the door never opened. The two-time winner of the Harness Jewels, Bolt For Brilliance was at least…