By Jonny Turner Walkinonsunshine showed why she’s the best three-year-old trotting filly in New Zealand with her victory in the Southland Trotting Oaks. Driver Blair Orange took control of the feature event, utilising his charge’s gate speed to set up a front-running victory at Ascot Park. After bagging her second Oaks title, following her Northern Oaks win earlier this year, Walkinonsunshine is on track for another tilt against the boys for trainer Tom Bagrie. The runner-up in the Group One Northern Trotting Derby will head to the Hambletonian at Ashburton…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Outstanding returns for Bolt For Brilliance and Old Town Road
By Michael Guerin They were two perfect comebacks by two wonderful horses but their connections left Alexandra Park on Friday knowing far greater challenges lie ahead. Old Town Road and Bolt For Brilliance overcame vastly different handicaps after vastly different spells to both win their comeback races on Friday and remind us just how special they are. First up it was Old Town Road in the Kerry Hoggard Memorial – Holmes D G, a race trainer John Dickie was worried his star was going into short of peak fitness. His…
Purdons eyeing up more trans Tasman success
By Adam Hamilton Things are hotting right up at home for Purdon Racing, but they still have some unfinished business in Australia. Their three-horse Victorian team still has four feature races on the agenda, starting with tonight’s (Friday) $50,000 Group 2 Need For Speed Princess final (1720m) at Melton. High Energy will have to overcome a back row draw and star local Rockinwithattutide. “She’s not a filly who can take a lot of work, so she was underdone in the heat, but she’s very close to her top for this…
Walkinonsunshine vs Williamsons in today’s Southland Trotting Oaks
By Jonny Turner Tom Bagrie got a pleasant surprise when his star trotting filly Walkinonsunshine arrived in Invercargill ahead of the Southland Trotting Oaks. The Northern Oaks winner isn’t the best traveller, but that wasn’t evident when she stepped off the float on Thursday afternoon. “She can be a bit of a nervous traveller but she was really settled coming down here,” the trainer said. “I couldn’t have been happier with the way she came off the float, which is a good start.” Walkinonsunshine comes into Friday’s feature after running…
Old Town Road makes eagerly anticipated return at Alexandra Park tonight
By Michael Guerin The spring of the punter’s warnings continues at Alexandra Park tonight and this time the flashing light sits atop of speed sensation Old Town Road. The hype horse of last spring went on to show his open class worth at the New Zealand Cup carnival and finish second on the $1million Race by Grins but hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the Auckland Cup in May. With many of our best pacers returning later in the year because they are now expected to race through until May…
Millwood Nike’s back – and with a new driver
By Michael Guerin A perfect draw may have eased some of the pressure on junior driver Olivia Thornley when she takes the reins behind returning unbeaten pacer Millwood Nike at Addington tonight. The multiple Group 1 winner will be aiming to make it 15 wins without defeat when she contests the Nevele R 50 Years Of Success heat, her first race start since the Sires’ Stakes Championship at Alexandra Park on May 19. Millwood Nike looked ready for her return when beating stablemate Vessem at the trials last week but…
TAB Trot Slot race added to the Grins Night of Champions
Waikato-BOP Harness Racing, Entain Australia and New Zealand (TAB) and Harness Racing New Zealand are excited to announce Australasia’s first slot race for trotters, the TAB Trot Slot (2200m, mobile) worth $655,000. The ground-breaking race will be run alongside The Race by Grins for pacers on the illustrious Night of Champions at Cambridge Raceway on Friday April 12, 2024. “Our vision for the Night of Champions is ambitious,” Cambridge Raceway CEO Dave Branch (pictured) said. “We want to make it the pinnacle night of harness racing in Australasia, more than…
IRT NZ Cup to go on tour
Racegoers will soon have three chances to get up close to harness racing’s greatest prize, and also win tickets to the biggest race day of them all. For the first time the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup will be on show at meetings around the South Island as part of the build-up to the great race at Addington on Tuesday, November 14. “It’s gone on tour before but not to any race meetings so we thought we’d take the Cup to the crowd this time,” says Addington Raceway’s Sponsorship Manager…
News Briefs : October 4
NZ Cup still all go for Spirit Of St Louis Star Aussie pacer Spirit Of St Louis remains on target to tackle the New Zealand Cup. The former Kiwi, who has soared to a $1.2m earner with Team McCarthy, has one final hurdle to clear – Saturday week’s Group 1 Victoria Cup.“If he runs well at Melton, then we’re off to New Zealand,” Luke McCarthy said.Although Spirit Of St Louis has not raced from a standing start in Australia, he has trialled well and he won two standing start races…
Copy That out of New Zealand Cup
Copy That’s bid for a record-equalling third New Zealand Cup is over. It’s been revealed the champion pacer has a knee injury which has him ruled out of the country’s biggest race at Addington on Tuesday, November 14. Copy That has had two runs this campaign, a third and a second at Alexandra Park in September. The winner of 33 races and more than two million dollars in stakes Copy That was vying to be just the fourth horse ever to win three New Zealand Cups in a row, joining…