Author: NZHarnessNews

Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Nelson today.   

Craig “The Whale” Thompson looks at Cambridge today.      

by Jonny Turner A change of training regime allowed One Two Menny to show his true worth when winning at Winton yesterday. The headstrong trotter delivered a polished front-running performance to win race 6 for trainer Robert Wilson and driver Kirk Larsen. It was his fourth win in 26 starts. One Two Menny is well known as a horse with plenty of power but who can also get very keen in his races. Though he clearly wasn’t too relaxed in the running yesterday, the trotter delighted Wilson with the manners…

By Adam Hamilton  Former exciting Kiwi pacer Cranbourne starts the next chapter of his career in Saturday night’s Group 2 Shepparton Gold Cup. But it’s only a short chapter with caretaker trainer David Aiken confirming the gelding will head to the US in March to continue his career. Aiken may even make the trip across with Cranbourne, at least to settle him. “I’m good friends with Steve Finkelstein. I bought the horse for him,” Aiken said. “We go way back to the early 1990s when he sent me across Ultra…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Auckland horseman Zachary Butcher will take his entire racing team to Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, and he is hoping to go home with a couple of winning cheques. Butcher will do the steering himself behind Call Me Trouble in the Group 3 Les Harrison Transport Cambridge Flying Stakes Mobile Trot (2200m) and he is hopeful of a bold showing in the five-horse field. The seven-year-old gelding was third in the Group 3 Greenlane Cup (2700m) at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve, and Butcher…

Industry update – HRNZ Chief Executive Gary Woodham 2022 was a turbulent year for our sport, and the signs are that 2023 will also have its challenges. Latest figures show that stakes and Gross Betting Revenue improved during 2022 but total turnover was down, albeit marginally. In December the TAB announced it was cutting its funding to harness racing by $4.4m, effective from February 1, 2023. Already HRNZ has announced how it will operate under this new regime. 1. HRNZ will use $2.1m of its reserves to make up the…

The voting is open for the People’s Choice Award – The Best Moment of the Season for 2022 We gathered four of the best moments that you picked on our Facebook Page and have put them together so you can relive each of them and then vote on the moment that you think was the best for the 2022 season.  The finalists are:  John Dickie winning with That’s What We Do just after good friend and owner Richard Bright passed away. Robbie Close winning his first Group 1 race aboard…

Vale Ronald Roach and Graham Hansen Harness Racing New Zealand would like to send its condolences to the families of Ronald Roach and Graham Hansen, who have recently died. Christchurch-based, Ronald Roach was a successful hobby trainer-driver. Associated with the “Stereo” horses, including Stereo Scott (8 wins), Stereo Light (6 wins), and Stereo Lad (4), he had a lot of success in the 1970s. He was successful in business – mainly in the car industry – and was well known for always being immaculately turned out. A keen golfer and…

by Jonny Turner Reinsman Rory McIlwrick is hoping to unleash some McIlwrick magic at Winton on Wednesday. Southland’s most entertaining driver combines with a handy book of drives including the Wayne Adams trained On The Beach. The three-year-old impressed when bolting in in his latest trial by five lengths ahead of his debut in race 10. “He is a wee bit green the big fella,” McIlwrick said. “He has certainly got the motor, but does he have the ringcraft?” “A few runs into racing will certainly sort him out.” “We…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Phil Williamson can’t believe Majestic Man has been handed a second chance at a last hurrah. But first he has to win at Cambridge tomorrow night. The veteran trotter is a multiple Group 1 winner which is no small feat having raced in the same era as Sundees Son, Bolt For Brilliance, Muscle Mountain and Winterfell but his winning strike rate has dropped away in the last 18 months and Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson had resigned himself to the fact his stable star’s travelling days were…