Author: NZHarnessNews

The Northern Southland Trotting Club has made picking a winner at their twilight meeting on Friday even easier. Northern Southland TC Form Analysis – Race 1 A tricky race to start the day but the good news is the punting only gets easier from here. Several horses in this race have genuine eachway claims including Cool Phelan. This mare was beaten by two of her rivals in her last start but she impressed when working very hard throughout. Abacardi Hazel is an honest type with good manners and could offer…

By Jonny Turner Craig Ferguson pulled off a trotting masterstroke at Addington last week and he’s looking to do the same again at the Northern Southland twilight meeting on Friday. On the back of producing Smokin Bandar to beat Muscle Mountain and Sundees Son at Addington, the reinsman will attempt to guide home another smart type in a strong field. Ferguson has picked up the drive behind the Phil Williamson trained Majestic Love in the Southland Trotting Oaks. The filly comes into the feature event after going down narrowly to…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Group One performer Hot And Treacherous will begin his path towards the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The 10-win pacer was in outstanding form earlier this year, posting two wins and four placings from nine starts, including victories in the Gr.3 Summer Cup (2200m) and Gr.2 Pacers Flying Mile (1609m), and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Taylor Mile (1609m). Trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes were pleased with their gelding’s sole workout in the lead-up to his first-up…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Brent Mangos couldn’t have been happier with how South Coast Arden’s spring campaign has started until he saw the weather report for Canterbury this week. The Pukekohe trainer is still in the South Island after his stable star caught the eye storming home into fifth in the Canterbury Classic at Addington last Friday in the first start of his new campaign. Going into the race on the back hoof fitness-wise and with his coat still to have fully turn, South Coast Arden pleased Mangos with everything…

Craig “The Whale” Thompson looks at Timaru today.     

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It’s not every day Ricky Allen gets to race for a $20,000 purse with his trotter Cody Banner, but he will get that chance at Timaru on Sunday courtesy of the Spring Rewards initiative. The pacing-bred trotter has been in a purple patch of form, winning two and runner-up in one of his last four starts, and Allen is hoping the Bettor’s Delight gelding can get the lion’s share of the prizemoney on offer in the Canterbury Long Run Roofing Timaru Spring Rewards Handicap…

By Michael Guerin None of the biggest races of the harness racing season are held this weekend but plenty of races which will have an big impact on them, and their markets, are. Here are the five races you shouldn’t miss this weekend: 1: Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic, Addington, 8.41pm Friday: Two things can happen here. One is Self Assured wins, meaning normal transmission resumes and he is back to $2 for the IRT NZ Cup and basically favourite to win everything he contests… or, he gets beaten.If that…

By Adam Hamilton Ray Green’s confidence varies going into a stellar Melton meeting on Saturday night. Green’s three Aussie raiders are all in action, headed by Copy That in the $50,000 Group 2 Smoken Up Sprint (1720m). Simply Sam and Argyle are in heats of the Victoria Derby. Let’s start with the Derby duo first. “I think I might have bitten-off a bit more than a chew there,” Green laughed. “I must admit I didn’t think the three year-olds would be quite as strong as they are over here, the…

By Michael Guerin The opening markets may have suggested New Zealand’s two best harness horses were equal chances of winning their respective comeback races at Addington on Friday night but that is not how their drivers see it. Champion trotter Sundees Son and superstar pacer Self Assured both return in 2600m standing starts at Addington as the intensity of the harness racing season goes up a notch six weeks out from NZ Cup week. They aren’t the only big names returning as Spankem and South Coast Arden also start new…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk This spring is gearing up to be an exciting one for Kyle Marshall. The Cambridge horseman is gearing up for his first campaign down south and will give his key raider Son Of Mac one final hit-out at his home track on Thursday night. Features races in the crosshairs for the colt include the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million C&G (1980m) at Addington Raceway on October 14 and the Group 1 Sires’ Stakes 2YO C&G Final (1980m) at the Christchurch track on Cup Day.…