Author: NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  The New Zealand Cup build-up extends to Menangle on Saturday night. The second of the Aussie raiders, Majestic Cruiser, kick-starts his preparation for Addington on November 8 in a 2300m free-for-all at Menangle. It will be the Jason Grimson-trained star’s first run since winning the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park in July. Despite drawing the outside barrier, Majestic Cruiser is a firming $2.25 favourite. “He’s fit and raring to go. The 2300m should help overcome the wide draw,” Grimson said. “He’s had a couple…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Ray Green is happy to set Copy That a mission impossible at Alexandra Park tonight for the bigger goal of defending his New Zealand Cup title. So punters shouldn’t be lulled into thinking the exceptional pacer can win tonight’s main pace by the fact champion driver Blair Orange is coming north just to drive him. Copy That will start off a 55m back mark in the 2200m feature pace and while he only has to give the other established open class pacer in the race Hot…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Michael Stanley couldn’t be happier with Australian superstar Rock N Roll Doo heading into his New Zealand debut on Monday but he still warns punters they may not see his best in the NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes.  The Victoria Cup winner adds big-time Trans Tasman rivalry to a Flying Stakes that includes most of the major chances in the IRT New Zealand Cup 15 days later, with the two biggest names not there being Copy That (Alex Park on Thursday) and Majestic Cruiser (Menangle on…

By Jonny Turner The chance for due reward awaits Trixton Time at Oamaru on Sunday. Trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will take five horses south including their consistent squaregaiter. The trips south looks well worthwhile for Trixton Time who has been taking on much harder fields in Canterbury recently. “He has been racing some smart types recently and he slots into this race very nicely,” Cran Dalgety said. “The 30m back mark is never easy but on form, he looks well placed racing the horses in front of him.” “His…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk There just seems to be one chink in Muscle Mountain’s armour – his standing start manners. It has been a mountain trainers Greg and Nina Hope have been trying to conquer and it is one they lost last start when the Muscle Hill five-year-old broke from his back mark, costing him all chance in his 2600m event. However, Greg Hope is confident their charge will step away cleanly in the Gr.3 XCM Sport Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (2600m), and if he does Hope believes…

By Michael Guerin Champion trainer Mark Purdon is confident Akuta can bounce back from being a failure to the punter’s pin up in the $100,000 Airpark Canterbury 3YO  Flying Stakes at Addington tonight. Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features on one of the biggest nights of the harness racing season, albeit with his male juveniles facing a serious northern raider in the unbeaten Merlin in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million. But for all the talent on show tonight, including superstar trotters Muscle Mountain and…

By Jonny Turner Chelsea Faithful has her team ready to secure her a win on her birthday at Wyndham on Thursday but draws aren’t going to make things straight forward. Faithful was looking at starting three of her small stable in the race 9 but the scratching of Vin Scully leaves her with two solid chances in Owes Me Dough and Arnie’s Army. Arnie’s Army is one of two horses Faithful has drawn barrier 1 on the second row, with Tartan Raider in race 7 also lining up from the…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Amongst the young thoroughbred stock being prepared for the yearling sales at Carlaw Park, two standardbreds take pride of place. The farm was founded by Peter and his wife Roslyn, with their daughter Nicole and her fiancé Nick Fairweather operating the main arm of the business – preparing yearling thoroughbreds for the sales. “They have got their business up to a place they are happy with and things are going great,” Peter Brown said. While thoroughbreds take up much of the farm, harness racing…

By Jonny Turner Plenty has changed for Cranbourne ahead of his return to defend his Group Three Methven Cup title on Sunday. But not everything. The pacer will attempt to replicate his 2021 victory in the 3000m New Zealand Cup lead-up when he takes on a capacity field packed full of talented horses. Following an outstanding summer and autumn campaign Cranbourne returns in 2022 as a more established open-class force. But in his first run of the season, the five-year-old showed an old trick that he had previously put behind…

By Michael Guerin Starting a new campaign off a 30m backmark in a fast class race at Alexandra Park is rarely a recipe for success. Unless you are superstar trotter Bolt For Brilliance in the $20,000 Kitchen Things Trot tonight, the second leg of a feature race double which starts with the pacers in the Holmes D G. For all the talents of horses like Hot And Treacherous and Old Town Road in the pacing feature, the star of the night should be Bolt For Brilliance who smashed his opposition,…