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. Invercargill Workouts Friday 29th SeptemberWeather Showery Track Easy Miki Knows (4g Always B Miki – Who Knows) The Douglas trained winner of three (from only 9 starts) raced third of four in indian file mostly but was back to last at the 400m peg when ‘tailender’ Joe’s Rock improved to challenge pacemaker Raklou (2yo filly), came stylishly down outer to…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Gerard O’Reilly nabs double in Timaru
By Jonny Turner It has been a little while since he’d been in the winner’s circle, but Gerard O’Reilly showed he hadn’t lost any of his class with two pinpoint drives to score at Timaru on Sunday. The Ashburton reinsman hadn’t won a race since his winning double on the same track back in May. O’Reilly underwent hip surgery over the winter, ruling him out of his training and driving duties for a good part of the winter. The reinsman returned to the sulky last month racking up placings before…
In-form Hopes take five to Timaru
By Jonny Turner Team Hope will seek more success at Timaru on Sunday following the outstanding win of Muscle Mountain at Addington on Friday night. The star Greg and Nina Hope trained trotter put a surprise fresh up defeat behind him when powering to victory in his second start of the spring. After copping a check that set him a huge task in his first run back, the trotter got a much more suitable trip on Friday night. “He went super fresh up, but copping that check at the start…
Republican Party seals place in the IRT New Zealand Cup
By Michael Guerin Team Dalgety’s dream double at Addington may have left them looking for a New Zealand Cup driver. Husband and wife training team Cran and Chrissie Dalgety combined to win the two pacing features on Friday night with Republican Party downing many of our best pacers in the Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic after Coney Island Lou won the Kennard Bloodstock Lazarus Stakes. Both used the passing lane to beat more favoured rivals who had harder runs but both wins were arrivals in the big time that showed…
The latest from the trials – September 27
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. The Addington Trials Wed 27th SeptemberWeather Raining and cold and windy / Track Easy Patani (2c Father Patrick – Sagan) The Hope trained 2yo trotter trailed before improving to lead 1000m out, extended nicely last 300m and in the end 4 1/2L clear of rivals. MR:2:07.9, 800m in 61.9, 400m in 29.1. Only the two race day starts so far…
Bring On the Muscle flexes on debut
By Jonny Turner Bring On The Muscle has only had one start but he has already formed some great habits. The two-year-old came into race 2 at Gore yesterday having won five out of his five appearances at the trials and workouts. The trotter kept his winning run going in his first attempt at the races, when putting away a field of more seasoned rivals by three lengths. Despite just being a baby in racing terms, the Clark Barron trained Bring On The Muscle raced like a true professional when…
Mantra Blue goes three from three
By Michael Guerin Have we finally found a serious challenger to unbeaten filly Millwood Nike? Mantra Blue’s stunning recovery performance to win the Nevele R 50 Years of Success heat at Cambridge on Thursday night suggests we might have, even if trainer Zachary Butcher is trying to keep a lid on expectations. Having just her third start Mantra Blue not only looked in trouble having to start from the outside of the front line but her winning chances should have ended soon after the start as she was checked, pushed…
Chmiel gets call up to drive B D Joe
By Michael Guerin Don’t let the shock driver change for B D Joe put you off the favourite in Friday’s $60,000 Canterbury Classic at Addington. The 2600m standing start race sees the road to the New Zealand Trotting Cup get far steeper as three of the biggest names in pacing Akuta, Self Assured and Krug resume in a capacity field. While that trio will all improve with their outings any could win without surprising but the fitter stablemates B D Joe and Aardie’s Express have an obvious advantage. That comes…
Akuta and Self Assured headline classy field for Canterbury Classic
By Jonny Turner The two favourites for the New Zealand Cup are set to take the build-up for the great race up a notch at Addington on Friday night. Akuta and Self Assured return to racing for trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon to make up a capacity field for the Group 2 Canterbury Classic. The two superstars have taken exactly the same path back to the races and they head into their resumptions very closely matched. “I think they are very much in the same boat,” Mark Purdon said. “They…
Two classy juvenile trotters set to clash at Cambridge
By Michael Guerin Trainer Derek Balle knows a good trotter when he sits behind one and he thinks juvenile Dreams Pat fits that bill. The two-year-old will be vying for favouritism when he has just his third start in the $20,000 Lone Star Sires’ Stakes Prelude at Cambridge tonight, for which his three-quarter brother Paramount Kiwi is the favourite. The pair met last start at Alexandra Park and Paramount Kiwi was excellent on debut, wearing down favourite The Moonstone in a 58.4 last 800m to rate just a tick over…