Author: NZHarnessNews

The Tuapeka Harness Racing Club bring their annual Cup Day race meeting back to Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill this Sunday, 22 October. This is the third year the club has raced in Invercargill and the meeting has proved very popular with good crowds attending to enjoy a mix of great racing allied with plenty of free activity for the children making it an ideal day out for the entire family. The feature race is the $20,000 Tuapeka Lodge Cup Handicap Pace over 2700m timed to start at 3.45pm. For…

Here’s Greg O’Connor with the latest Addington News. 

How fitting it is that Ian Dobson’s life will be celebrated at the Christian Cullen Lounge at Addington Raceway today. The man, known by all as “Dobbie”, died on his 90th birthday on Monday. At 10.30am his extraordinary life will be celebrated, with the harness racing community expected to turn out in big numbers. Dobson’s death brings to a close one of the most spectacular ownership chapters in harness racing – he won 385 races in New Zealand alone, with 73 individual winners, including 31 at the very highest Group…

By Michael Guerin Fresh from claiming one of our elite juvenile prizes trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan launch another wave at Alexandra Park tonight. The Clevedon barn won the Harness Million juvenile boys pace for the second year on end when Cold Chisel took out the $200,000 final at Addington last Friday, a year after Merlin won the race for the same owner Dean Shannon. “It was a good win because he only had the one lead-up run and while he got the right run I think there isn’t…

Improved stakes will be a feature of the Manawatu Harness Racing Club’s new 2023-24 season that kicks off with a six-race meeting on Labour Day (Monday). In all there will be 12 meetings at the club’s Palmerston North track between now and March 28, 2024. “We sought a lot of feedback, especially from northern trainers, to see what we could do to improve our fields and the recurring theme was to increase stakes – so that’s exactly what we have done,” says Manawatu HRC president Dan Lynch. “With the Entain…

Stable-mate dead heat at Addington It’s believed a piece of history was made at Addington when the Greg and Nina Hope-trained Celtic Spirit and Jack Tar finished first equal on Friday night. Records indicate it was the first ever dead-heat by two stablemates at Addington. Celtic Spirit and Ben Hope looked to have the race won, only for Blair Orange and Jack Tar to make up many lengths in the home straight. The last dead heat at Addington was Lizzie Richter and Zia Bromac on June 30. In all there…

Behind The Breeds is a new series where breeding enthusiast Don Rae takes a deep dive into the pedigree of some of today’s trotters and pacers. In today’s fourth edition he casts his eye on two recent qualifiers, A Reason To Fight and Rakero Ice. By Don Rae A Reason To Fight, 2 B g Father Patrick – Jaw D Nancy, is bred, owned and trained by Michael Howard at Motukarara. Jaw D Nancy is by Angus Hall from Ella Powell by Earl from Eilish Mac by Out To Win…

The HRNZ Annual General Meeting on Saturday 14 October unanimously adopted a resolution to introduce new regional and national consultation forums and a new merit and skills-based appointment’s process for the selection of the HRNZ directors. It was moved by the NZ Standardbred Breeders Association and seconded by Rangiora Harness Racing on behalf the Harness Racing Governance Working Group, a representative group of club leaders who have been working together for the last six months. The changes were put forward after extensive consultation with clubs and kindred bodies across the…

Join hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin for this week’s edition of The Box Seat. 

There has only been a minor reshuffle in this week’s New Zealand Cup and Show Week rankings. Ahead of this country’s greatest trotting race, the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington on Show Day, Friday November 17 Oscar Bonavena (3rd) and Muscle Mountain (4th) have swapped places, as have Bolt For Brilliance (6th) and Majestic Man (5th). Oscar Bonavena rattled home to win the Dancinginthedark Canterbury Park Trotting Cup last Friday, with Muscle Mountain finishing second. Bolt For Brilliance, a $2.30 favourite to win the Dominion, dropped a place after…