Author: NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton Top young driver Cam Hart thinks former Kiwi pacer Fire Fox could be a Miracle Mile contender. It was only a support race on Inter Dominion heats night at Geelong, but Fire Fox blazed home in 54.6sec to win the second-last race and showed he was back on song. It was a boost for trainer Jason Grimson, who earlier had his stable star Majestic Cruiser miss qualifying for the Inter Dominion final. Grimson, who won last year’s pacing final with Boncel Benjamin, will still have a runner…

By Adam Hamilton  The one-time Inter Dominion pacing favourite didn’t make the final and the long-time trotting favourite is under an injury cloud. That’s the fallout from a dramatic last round of qualifying heats at Geelong last night. NZ Cup runner-up Majestic Cruiser didn’t make a pacing final field dominated by female trainers, most notably Emma Stewart. And superstar Kiwi trotter Bolt For Brilliance pulled-up lame after running second to Just Believe last night. The uncertainty over Bolt For Brilliance has seen all betting markets on the trotting final suspended.…

by Michael Guerin With today being one of the biggest race days of the year Michael Guerin provides his best five bets, and why. 1: Muscle Mountain (R8, No.1): Only one of trotting’s big three turns up for this Group 1 and he should lead and win. The last time Muscle Mountain was in a sprint field of similar quality (no Sundees Son or Bolt For Brilliance) he cruised away with the Flying Trot at Ashburton in October.Go back further in the year and he led and won a Mile…

In most people’s eyes nothing much separates Akuta and Republican Party in the biggest race of them all on Grand Prix day at Addington on Sunday. But in the 108 years the New Zealand Pacing Derby has been contested there has only ever been one dead heat. That happened in 1954 when the pace-setting Single Medoro, trained and driven by Raymond Kennerley, was reeled in by “The Maestro” Maurice Holmes and Royal Minstrel. Over the last 100 metres Holmes extricated his horse from what at the time was described as…

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk With big money and Group One glory at stake, Paul Nairn is understandably excited about harness racing’s new Grand Prix at Addington on Sunday. The 10-race programme has a big emphasis on the trotting gait and Nairn, who’s known as a master conditioner of the square-gaiters, will line up six horses in four Group 1s, each worth $100,000. “I’m pretty happy generally” he says of his team, “you target a meeting like this for five or six months, ever since the dates came…

By Jonny Turner Sam Thornley hopes his win with I Dream Of Jeannie at Wingatui on Friday is the start of big things to come. Thornley gave the Sam Smolenski trained trotter a sweet trip in midfield before she unleashed a brilliant finish, making light work of the rising Wingatui home straight. And when the mare held out runner-up Tweedledee, she proved all of Thornley’s pre-race calculations were spot on. “I thought the race would come down to the two of them and I thought she might just have too…

By Jonny Turner Corravally Star will be out to turn the tables on Homebush Lad when they go head-to-head again in the Akaroa Cup at Motukarara on Saturday. The pair finished one-two in the Geraldine Cup with Homebush Lad outsprinting his rival to score. The two pacers start on level marks behind the 20m tapes on Saturday, after Homebush Lad got a head-start on Corravally Star at Orari. Corravally Star somewhat negated that advantage by making an electric beginning in his second placing, which trainer Regan Todd would love to…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hey Bartender is proving to be an exciting prospect in the northern pacing ranks and further cemented his claim with victory in the Superior Cabins Franklin Country Cup Handicap Pace (2700m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night. It was the Sweet Lou gelding’s fifth win from nine starts and trainer-driver James Stormont believes the best is still ahead for the exciting pacer. “He has been so immature, so I have taken my time with him,” Stormont said. “The owners have been great. If we…

Trottech’s  selections for Akaroa today   Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Race TrottechForm Analyst Race 112.00pm 2 Baileys Pitch15 Eastwood Dream13 Beaudiene Quick Step3 Watch That Man Race 212.30pm 5 Tu Tangata4 Rakero Warrior6 Izia1 Clover Rose  Race 312.55m 16 Aiming For Glory3 Bettor Be Sharp4 Motor Mouth11 Arizonawildcat Race 41.20pm 2 Choco Lou13 Melton Militant4 Rakero Storm7 Wolf Of Wall Street    Race 51.45pm 1 Jezebel13 Finders Keepers2 Ruby Malone4 Moet Shard  Race 62.14pm 5 Murano10 Navara4 Jesper Fast14 Rachmaninov Race 72.39pm 10 Funny Face7 Royal Del6 Muscle Bank3 Make My…

Harness Racing New Zealand has been made aware of reports that funding is facing a cut for next season. There’s been discussion and speculation today that the TAB will reduce funds for the 2022-23 season for all three codes. HRNZ is aware of some of the details that have been outlined and will be working over the weekend and the early part of next week to work out exactly what the proposals are and what implications they have for the sport. Until then no further comment will be made. Regards…