Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Auckland
Author: NZHarnessNews
It’s on! Standardbred vs Thoroughbred at Cambridge this Monday
Some real X factor’s been confirmed for Monday’s Cross Code Challenge at Cambridge Raceway. The $40,000 Group 3 Waikato Trotting Breeders Stakes is the day’s feature and in between races the Cross Code Challenge will be held, with Team Standardbred taking on Team Thoroughbred. Included in the schedule is a dual sulky race that will see some great match-ups. Star jockey Opie Bosson and gun driver Zachary Butcher have been paired in one dual sulky, and will take on the likes of the Group 1 winners (jockey) Ryan Elliot and…
Wavewatcher delivers at start 20
By Jonny Turner Eion Latimer was thrilled to see Wavewatcher live up to his potential and finally break maidens at Oamaru yesterday. Despite showing his trainer plenty of promise much earlier in his career, it took until the four-year-old’s 20th start for him to finally deliver on it. Plenty of head-scratching has gone on at Latimer’s Oamaru stable following Wavewatcher’s defeats. But recently, that has all but ended thanks to the help of veterinarian Richard Turner. “I think he will end up being the best horse I have trained, but…
News Briefs – January 24
Jim Geddes 100th training win Jim Geddes posted his 100th training success when Sods Law won at Blenheim on Sunday. Training partner and son James Geddes was also in the sulky to make the milestone win even more special. Jim has been training since 1979 with 29 on his account and 71 in partnership with James. Their most successful seasons wins-wise were the seven they had in 2020, 2018 and 2012. Sods Law has now won 11 races. Debut for young driver at Oamaru Twenty-year-old Brooke Fodie will her first…
Don’t Stop Dreaming sets off on Aussie mission
By Adam Hamilton Mark Purdon has no qualms about throwing stable young gun Don’t Stop Dreaming into the big league. Before then, Purdon will team-up with the four-year-old against some quality open-class opposition in Saturday night’s $50,000 Casey Classic (2240m) at Melton. It’s a pipe-opener to tackling Victoria’s biggest and most famous race, the $450,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup (2760m) a week later. Don’t Stop Dreaming is being flown from Auckland to Melbourne today (Wednesday). Purdon won’t head across himself until Saturday morning to take the reins in the Casey…
Tomlinson with two serious chances at Oamaru
By Jonny Turner Oamaru will be the next stop off as Kerryn Tomlinson takes every opportunity she can in her last season as a junior driver. Tomlinson will combine with two serious winning chances in the junior drivers events on Wednesday’s Forbury Park Trotting Club programme. The reinswoman finished the 2023 racing season with 30 wins and she has big hopes to better that tally this year. Whether it is at her home track at Oamaru or much further afield, Tomlinson will be jumping at any opportunity that comes her…
It’s coming home – to Riverton
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Nearly a quarter of a century after last racing there, the Riverton Trotting Club will return home on Sunday. Forty kilometres from Invercargill, the “Riviera of the South”, as its affectionately known, will host 10 races including the two features, the $20,000 Riverton Rural Transport Riverton Cup and the Neville Cleaver Fishing Handicap Trot, both worth $20,000. “We have been very keen to get back to Riverton and grass track racing,” says Riverton Trotting Club Past President Bruce Stewart, “and we have had…
Lord Forbes making his mark at stud
By Jonny Turner Great results on track are not the only reason cult hero Lord Forbes is proving popular with breeders. Lord Forbes was a fan favourite during his time on the track and moved into a much quieter life off it for his former owner-trainer-driver Gavin Forbes. The stallion retired with 11 wins, 28 placings and $148,707 in stakes earnings. Forbes bred one mare a year to the stallion in his retirement and the results so far have been outstanding. From just two starts, the sire has produced two…
Muscle Bank’s big move up trotters’ leaderboard
A winning double at Blenheim has propelled Muscle Bank up to second in the Seddon Shields Trotters’ Series. The Tom Bamford-trained trotter was in imperious form in Marlborough and now has 22 points in the series, four behind Boyz Invasion who he beat into second place on both days (January 19 and 21) at Waterlea Raceway. Boyz Invasion now has a four point lead on 26. He’s the only trotter who has started in all seven races in the series so far. In its first year, the series, run by…
Trainers to be part of Teal Pants fund-raiser
A new dimension is being added to Harness Racing New Zealand’s Teal Pants campaign this year. For the first time two trainers will be involved. They will be Amber Lethaby in the South Island, and Nicky Chilcott in the North Island. Every time one of their horses win $100 will be donated to the cause by HRNZ. They will join a roster of five drivers or ambassadors. They are: Sarah O’ReillyKerryn TomlinsonKim ButtCrystal HackettNeita Balle The drivers will wear teal pants and teal silks throughout the campaign and will have…