By Jonny Turner Alabar’s gift that keeps giving delivered again when Franco Indie took out the Akaroa Cup at Motukarara on Saturday. The All Stars pacer justified his hot favouritism when adding his first victory on grass to his impressive résumé. Franco Indie has breeding giants Alabar and Nevele R Stud among its big group of owners. The two studs stand the pacer’s sire Always B Miki, and they backed the stallion by purchasing Franco Indie as a yearling. A standout two and three-year-old, the pacer now looks ready to…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Ohoka Connor ready for Green Mile
By Mike Love Ohoka Connor ($2.50FF) will be looking to add to his outstanding resume today in the Methven 4 Square Supermarket Green Mile at Mt Harding racecourse. The Sunshine Beach three-year-old has been phenomenal in his short career, winning seven from his eights starts. His most recent win came on Show Day at Addington. Co-trainer Steve Telfer reports the gelding is on song going into today’s assignment. “He seems well. He’s come through that run really good,” said Telfer. Having his first start on the grass surface should not…
Group win caps rollercoaster week for Williamsons
By Michael Guerin One of our great trotting trainers has had a week of tragedy and triumph with his trotting fillies. Phil Williamson trained Empire City to win the $64,000 Lone Star Sires’ Stakes Championship at Addington on Friday night just a few days after losing his best young filly Isolate in mysterious circumstances. Williamson was stunned and saddened to lose the Hambletoian winner suddenly on Tuesday and still doesn’t know what caused her death. “She got a temperature for no reason we can work out and it never went…
Swayzee does it easy in opening ID heat
By Adam Hamilton Driver Cam Hart was buzzing after New Zealand Cup hero Swayzee opened his Brisbane Inter Dominion campaign with an easy win last night. The five-year-old clocked the slowest of the four 1660m pacing heats on night one, but Hart wasn’t fazed at all. “He looks great and he felt as good as he looks,” he said. “Look at him … he’s put on so much weight. I think we’re in for a great series. “He was pulling away at the finish and felt great after the line.…
Homebush Lad rated big chance in Akaroa Cup
By Jonny Turner Homebush Lad heads back to his happy place to start in the Cabins 2U Akaroa Cup on Saturday. After taking on outstanding fields on all weather tracks recently, the veteran pacer will be back on grass in the Motukarara feature. Though he’s been out of the money, Homebush Money hasn’t been disgraced in his recent outings behind Don’t Stop Dreaming, Akuta, and Beach Ball. The pacer’s sectionals alone look enough to suggest he will be highly competitive when dropping back in class and stepping back onto grass…
Latest from the trials – December 1
Every week we look at the trials and workouts from right around the country. Who’s impressing and who looks ready to race? Chertsey trials Tuesday 21st NovemberWeather Fine / Track Fast (Ashburton) Paramount Lady (2f Tactical Landing – Paramount Faith) In the hands of her trainer Mark Jones, the 2yo half sister to Muscle Mountain went solo in this solid effort. MR:2:09.9, 800m in 60.6, 400m in 29.6. She qualified back in August but her three starts to date against the best 2yos have reaped little to date. Her breeding…
Butcher’s big decisions at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Northern driver Zachary Butcher faces two very big problems at Addington tonight, both from the same stable. And while he thinks he knows what he has to do to try and counter one, he isn’t so sure about the other. Tonight’s meeting contains many of the age group stars of pacing but the tricky issue for punters, and drivers like Butcher, is there is a much richer race meeting in nine days. That is the Grand Prix at Addington which contains classics like the New Zealand Derby…
Big resumption tipped for High Energy
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Returning to racing in this country for the first time in seven months, High Energy will start a warm favourite in tonight’s $110,000 What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington. Trained by the all-powerful Purdon Racing, the Father Patrick filly has a superb record of eight wins from 11 starts. Tonight she has drawn wide on the front line (8) but is still the top pick at $3.30 FF, ahead of Shez Bella ($5), Aroha Kenny ($5.50), Melsadele ($7) and Walkinonsunshine…
New race added to Invercargill Cup day
The Canada Stakes for three-year-old fillies is a new addition to Invercargill Cup Day on Friday 22nd December at Ascot Park. The Invercargill Harness Racing Club is delighted to host this $25,000 race alongside the $50,000 Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes for trotters and the $110,000 Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup. The inception of the Canada Stakes is the brainchild of Southern Harness Racing General Manager, Jason Broad, who has named the race in honour of his daughter Canada, who is fighting terminal cancer. “Canada…
Behind the Breeds #8
In this latest installment of breeding enthusiast Don Rae’s Behind The Breeds series he focuses on two recent qualifiers, Mantra and Lucky Money. By Don Rae Mantra, a two-year-old colt by Rock N Roll Heaven from the Auckland Reactor mare Tempest Bromac (out of the McArdle mare Tasmcmanian) was bred by I N Behrnes and Mrs A M Behrnes, and qualified at Pukekohe (left-handed) on Saturday, 25 November. Tempest Bromac is only eight years old and Mantra is just her second foal – the first, Storm Watcher, is a three…