Author: NZHarnessNews

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…

By Mike Love Burnham trainer Andrew Faulks had a day out yesterday when he trained a double at the Oamaru meeting. “It was good! I’m rapt,” said Faulks. The first of the double came with trotter Lucinda Hest who made her customary good beginning from the outside of the front line to lead for driver Blair Orange. She was able to fight off all challengers, winning by one and a quarter lengths from the Amber Hoffman trained Get Along. “It’s been a while coming for her. Her work had been…

Ian Dobson, one of harness racing’s most successful owners of all time, died this morning in Christchurch on his 90th birthday. Dobson, whose name is synonymous with the champion pacer Christian Cullen, started winning races in 1986 but, incredibly, was only now enjoying the best run of his life. To see Barry Lichter’s story on the man they called “Dobbie” click here         

Rangiora racecourse is out of action “until further notice” after gale force winds caused widespread damage over the weekend. Gusts of around 200 kilometres an hour swept acrosss the province, with Rangiora racecourse losing around 600 tons of its racing surface. “The track is down to its base in some parts,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s Track and Venue Inspector John Denton, who was on site first thing this morning. “The worst part is just by the home bend.” A grader will start work today on re-distributing the remaining surface…

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 Friday 13th October Weather Fine Track fastPerun (3g Betting Line – Bianca) Driven by his trainer Brent Mangos, Perun led from the outside gate and kept going too well for rivals MR:2:05.2, 800m in 57.9, 400m in 28.3 Penny Black (3f Sweet Lou – Tessa Rocks) trailed then was denied racing room on straightening, poked through late and…

Bring on the New Zealand Cup. That’s the message from trainer Jason Grimson after his latest stable star Swayzee returned from a break with an arrogant Menangle win last night. As Grimson watched Swayzee’s return win on TV at Melton, he was buzzing with confidence about the upcoming NZ trip. Instead of chasing last night’s Victoria Cup, Grimson opted for a lower key build-up and Swayzee resumed in the 2300m Les Chant free-for-all at Menangle. Despite sitting parked for much of the race, he cruised home by 5.6m in a blistering…

By Adam Hamilton Gifted Aussie pacer Captain Ravishing will target next month’s New Zealand Cup after his shock late scratching from the Victoria Cup. Trainer Ahmed Taiba was forced to withdraw the four-year-old just hours before the Cup with an elevated temperature. Outsider Act Now went to win a star-studded Cup, paying $72 for the win. “It’s nothing serious, but horse welfare has to come first and we didn’t want to take any risk with him at all,” Taiba said. Taiba and his brother, Hass, recently made the late entry…

By Mike Love Weedons trainer James Stormont will be looking for his first taste of Oamaru success as both a trainer and a driver when he lines up two runners on Sunday. “It’s the first time for training with a runner at Oamaru! I’ve been to Ashburton as a trainer, but never further south, so it’s all new to me.” A former Aucklander who’s now based in Canterbury, Stormont has had one drive around Oamaru racetrack when he steered Bold Sharvid into second placing behind Blossom Lady in the 1990…