By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The late Murray Edmonds is never far away from Jim Curtin’s thoughts and that’s what made yesterday’s successes at Addington all the more special. Curtin had a driving treble at Addington, with two of the wins coming from two ex-Edmonds horses that he now trains, Izacheapee and Teds Legacy. “I think of him every time I see his horses …it’s terrible what happened.” The double came just weeks after Murray Edmonds died from a brain tumour, aged 62. His death shocked the harness…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Seven hour operation can’t keep Ray Green down
By Barry Lichter Debbie Green always knew her husband Ray was tough. But when the phone rang this morning and it was the hopsital nurse telling her Ray had woken up after a seven hour operation last evening, she was reminded of the resilience of horse people. “I could hear Ray asking for his own phone so he could call the boys at the stable and tell them what to do for the day.” Green, who just two weeks ago was the toast of the harness world after winning back-to-back…
Addington today – first race 3.21pm
The re-scheduled Motukarara meeting will be held at Addington today, starting at 3.21pm. Yesterday’s meeting on the grass was abandoned because of surface flooding on the track by the winning post, after torrential rain hit Christchurch on Friday and Saturday. Today there will be 11 races, finishing at 7.42pm. To view the fields for Monday click here
Allamericanlover leaves rivals with no excuses
By Jonny Turner Allamericanlover left her rivals with no excuses when running to a powerful victory in the Timaru Summer Cup on Saturday. The Steve and Amanda Telfer trained mare gave her opposition a head-start from her 30m back mark before working around the field three-wide and then toughing out an epic victory in the 2600m feature. The grit and determination Allamericanlover showed in her win are the reason she wasn’t seen over the New Zealand Cup Carnival. The mare ran a strong and unlucky fourth in the Kaikoura Cup…
Bolt For Brilliance confirmed for IDs
By Michael Guerin Inter Dominion glory is a possibility for New Zealand again after trotting series favourite Bolt For Brilliance booked his tickets for Victoria with a private workout on Saturday. The Trans Tasman series, one each for pacers and trotters, has long been one of harness racing’s great annual events but has struggled to hold the same allure for Kiwi horses in the last two years because of Covid, reduced stakes compared with other feature races and increased travel. That means Bolt For Brilliance was the only big-name New…
Harry flies Kiwi flag across the Tasman
By Adam Hamilton Exciting young trotter Harry Stamper added the most Kiwi flavour to last night’s stellar Breeders Crown meeting. The former Kiwi gelding was driven aggressively and confidently by former champion Kiwi driver Anthony Butt for an all-the-way win. The key part was the first 150m when Plymouth Chubb blasted out of gate three and looked a chance of crossing Harry Stamper in two, but Butt burrowed through and that proved vital. Once in front, Butt steadied for a 31.6sec split while heavily backed favourite and main danger Cravache…
Stewart-Tonkin dominate Breeders Crown finals
By Adam Hamilton Emerging superstar Captain Ravishing and champion mare Ladies In Red headlined another record-breaking night for the rampaging Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable at the Breeders Crown at Melton, Victoria last night. The power couple of Aussie harness won a staggering six of the 10 finals – five pacing and one trotting – something which has never been done before. But it was firstly Ladies In Red and then Captain Ravishing who left everyone gasping. Ladies In Red reaffirmed her greatness in the most stunning fashion when…
Banks Peninsula meeting moves to Addington
The meeting scheduled for Motukarara today will now be held at Addington tomorrow (Monday). There will be 11 races, with the first going at 3.21pm and the last at 7.42pm. The decision to re-locate was made after Sunday’s meeting on the grass at Motukarara was abandoned because of surface water on the track. The area under water was six metres wide and was right in the middle of the track close to the winning post. “It has been deemed as dangerous and we can’t go ahead today,” Harness Racing New…
No races today at Motukarara
Today’s meeting at Motukarara has been abandoned because of surface water on the track. Harness Racing New Zealand’s track and venue inspector John Denton has been on-site and says the surface water is about six metres wide and is right in the middle of the track close to the winning post. “It has been deemed as dangerous and we can’t go ahead today,” he says. The abandonment follows an inclement few days in and around Christchurch including a deluge overnight on Friday and continuing into Saturday. A total of eleven…
McDermott trio primed for Motukarara
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Prebbleton trainer John McDermott is looking forward to heading to Motukarara Raceway on Sunday where he will line-up three runners on the grass surface. Ruby’s Delight will back-up in the Neville McNee Memorial Mobile Pace (2000m) after her win over 2600m at Rangiora on Wednesday. It was a deserved victory for the daughter of Bettor’s Delight, having posted four successive placings prior to the winning result. McDermott has been pleased with the way she has come through the run and is expecting a similar…