Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Never doubt the old master. Maybe his hair is a little greyer than it once was. Maybe the same can be said about his renowned moustache. But his ability to produce a trotter to win on the biggest of stages hasn’t changed a bit. With the Group 1 Dominion just three days away, Phil Williamson showed Love N The Port was back to his brilliant best with his front-running win in the Group 3 Worthy Queen Trot. Driver Matthew Williamson paid tribute to his father Phil for his…

By Jonny Turner Don’t Stop Dreaming gave his army of backers a fright before speeding to a sensational win in the Group Three Junior Free-For-All on New Zealand Cup Day. Usually a display of pacing perfection, the Mark and Nathan Purdon went roughly as the mobile left in the first feature event on New Zealand harness racing’s biggest day. But under the cool and calm hands of the master himself, Mark Purdon, the brilliant three-year-old got his gait sorted before going on to an all-of-the-way win. The wash-up in the…

By Jonny Turner The work has been done, and now it’s up to Kentuckiana Lodge’s stars, Republican Party and Krug, to give it their all in the IRT New Zealand Cup on Tuesday. Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will head to Addington with the knowledge that their horses are trained to the minute for New Zealand’s greatest harness race. After pleasing in their work leading into the big day, it is now up to the horses to bring their best to the track. “The days leading into big Group One races,…

By Adam Hamilton The last Aussie to train and drive a New Zealand Cup winner thinks Swayzee is the right horse to do it again. Champion driver Kerryn Manning became the first female to drive an NZ Cup winner when she teamed with Arden Rooney for a narrow but epic win at Addington in 2015. She became the first Aussie trainer to win the Cup since Jimmy O’Sullivan trained and drove My Lightning Blue to win in 1987. “I like what I’ve seen of Swayzee,” Manning said. “I had a…

By Jonny Turner Nathan Purdon can make his own mark and add to his family’s incredible harness racing legacy if Akuta can complete a perfect New Zealand Cup preparation at Addington on Tuesday. Purdon is in search of his first win in the country’s greatest harness race, an event his father and training partner Mark has dominated over the past decade. The casual harness racing fan may assume the younger of the Purdon pairing is very much the junior partner in their training partnership, but they might be surprised to…

Now that many of the very best horses are coming out to play we are regularly updating what’s happening at the trials right around the country. Here’s the latest installment. Pukekohe Workouts Saturday 11th NovemberWeather Fine Track Fast Lord Popinjay (7g Majestic Son – Petite Sunshine) The Matty White trained trotter started against the maiden pacers in a mob 2050m heat, settled well back in field of seven before improving to take over midrace, kept going strongly to place second behind Fifth And Final, beaten 3/4L. MR:2:05.8, 800m in 60.3,…

There have been some big movers for IRT New Zealand Cup Day at Addington, so here’s a race by race rundown of the most heavily supported runners. Race 1: Masterly opened $4.50, into $3.20Race 2: Luvstruck opened $12.00, into $9.00Race 3: Confessional opened $3.80, into $3.30Race 4: Mandalay Bay opened $4.50, into $2.80Race 5: Don’t Stop Dreaming opened $2.80, into $2.20Race 6: Who’s Delight opened $10.00, into 6.00Race 7: Millwood Nike opened $2.00, into 1.55Race 8: I Dream Of Jeannie opened $9.00, into $8.00Race 9: We Walk By Faith opened…