Author: NZHarnessNews

The Box Seat set to return The Box Seat, the weekly show that is all things harness racing, returns next week after a winter break. Hosted by Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin the show will be on Youtube and the hrnz website from 5pm on Tuesdays and also broadcast on Trackside during the week, including a 9am slot every Wednesday. Blue September kicks off tomorrow The recently retired Folklore will have a new role throughout Blue September, the annual Prostate Cancer Foundation fundraiser. Co-owner Ian Wilson says the seven-year-old Sportswriter…

Since 2008 Derek Jones has been training winners, either on his own account or in partnership with wife Adele. There have been 34 in all (think horses Sunny Kash & Kiss the Girls 6 wins apiece), along with Majestic Lavros (for 2 of his 9 wins) and LuLu Le Mans (for 3 of her 10 wins), but before Sunday he’d never ever trained a quinella. Then at Rangiora Eurostyle and Muscle Sass went one-two in the North Canterbury Trotting Trials at Rangiora Trot. “You can never be confident in a…

By Michael Guerin Two of the hotshots of New Zealand pacing are facing a race against time to be ready for their first assignments of their new campaigns, the Canterbury Classic in exactly a month. And that could leave both Self Assured and Akuta potentially heading to grass track racing to begin their road to the New Zealand Cup. Co-trainer Mark Purdon has had a bigger role to play in his partnership with son Nathan over the last week as Nathan spends a few weeks campaigning horses in Victoria. That…

By Adam Hamilton Classy former Kiwi pacer Spirit Of St Louis showed he was right on target for next week’s $150,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile with an all-the-way Menangle win on Saturday night. The Sweet Lou six-year-old made the most of a gun draw (gate two) where driver Jack Callaghan took him to the front and turned the 2300m race into a dash home. Spirit Of St Louis ran a 1min54.3sec mile rate, but most impressed with closing splits of 54.6 and 26.9sec. It was the gelding’s 27th win…

By Jonny Turner Major Performer will be out to back up her smart debut victory at Ashburton recently when stepping out as part of a strong team Trent Yesberg has entered at Rangiora. The filly charged home from midfield to make an impressive start to her career earlier this month. Major Performer looks capable of stepping up in grade on Sunday and Yesberg is hopeful that’s the case. “She is a lovely filly, she’s very untapped we don’t know how good she is yet,” the trainer said. “She has trained…

By Jonny Turner Ben Hope made his New Zealand Cup dream a reality when Mossdale Ben swooped home to win the Group Three Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington on Friday night. Just five days after taking out the Kurow Cup, the four-year-old claimed the first New Zealand Cup qualifier of the season in his toughest open class test. Like so many young horsepeople, Hope has dreamed of being able to compete in New Zealand’s greatest race. The reinsman won’t have to dream about it anymore with Mossdale Ben gaining automatic…

By Michael Guerin Ben Hope is confident he has returned home at the right time. The 24-year-old harness horseman spent the winter in Victoria gaining experience and while he says it was valuable he also reminded him what a privileged position Canterbury harness racing holds as one of the few regions in Australasia where the code is stronger than thoroughbred racing. Hope is now back driving for his parents Greg and Nina and already won the Kurow Cup last Sunday on Mossdale Ben, who takes his next step down a…