By Jonny Turner Kirstin Green is due a change of trotting luck at Winton on Thursday. The trainer-driver links up with Emily in race 6, the Hospitality Options Available 021351499 Handicap Trot, after the mare went to the line hard held in her stable debut after shifting south over the winter. Green’s stable star Fiery Bandito copped even worse luck when wiped out on the first bend in his spring debut at Addington recently. So don’t be surprised if luck is taken out of the equation when Blair Orange takes…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Poutama enjoying success at Cambridge’s Tuesday meetings
Six races at Cambridge tonight will kick start another busy harness racing week. Auckland’s Friday meeting will see the 2YO Pacing Fillies battle it out in the $107,000 Group 1 Caduceus Club Classic and the return of Merlin and co in the $40,000 Spring Cup while the 3YO Trotting Fillies will be in action at Addington in the $60,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique. Big wide open fields will be the order of the day at Motukarara on Sunday – among the highlights will be the $40,000 D G Jones…
Republican Party primed for Sunday’s Hannon Memorial
By Jonny Turner Cran Dalgety wants to see a new version of Republican Party when he returns to the Placemakers Hannon Memorial on Sunday. The five-year-old will be out to go one better in the traditional New Zealand Cup lead up following his gritty second placing in the Group 3 feature last year. The runner-up effort was the first in a string of top-level tilts Republican Party made in what was his first full season of racing New Zealand’s best older pacers. With that year of open class grind behind…
Matt Cross’ selections at Addington tonight
Commentator Matt Cross goes race-by-race at Addington tonight. Race 1 : ITM Canterbury Region race Night 2024 Mobile Pace (5.16pm) The Con Artist may start the night off on the right foot for the All Stars Stable. He was brave here two weeks ago when placed second to Always Be Batman. He did a bit of work early before finding cover behind a horse that took him nowhere on the turn. The way he found the line he’s a big chance tonight and with Blair Orange opting for him over…
“Greenness” only concern ahead of Invercargill debut
By Jonny Turner Measuring up on ability isn’t the main concern Brett Gray has heading into Shezabettorgirl’s debut at Ascot Park on Thursday. Bred on the golden Bettor’s Delight-Christian Cullen cross, the two-year-old brings an incredible form reference to her first start in race 3, the Book Your Marquee for our Christmas Races Mobile Pace. In a recent workout, the filly dead-heated with the well performed Ruby Roe who looks a massive winning threat in a Nevele R Fillies Series heat at Oamaru on Sunday. While she brings all the…
New look to Hannon Memorial field at Oamaru on Sunday
By Jonny Turner A lot can change in the year of harness racing and there is no better example than the 2024 Placemakers Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on Sunday. A fine field has been assembled for the traditional New Zealand Cup lead-up with the line up reflecting this season’s changing of the open class guard. Just three horses that contested last year’s Hannon return this year, with a raft of up and comers getting the chance to put their hand up to become a New Zealand Cup contender, just as…
It’s Electrifying heads Butcher’s drives at Cambridge tonight
By Brigette Solomon Zachary Butcher hopes to be in for a good night with a book of six tidy drives at Cambridge Raceway tonight. With eight races programmed for tonight’s meeting, three of Butcher’s drives are early fixed price favourites with the TAB including Desistella (R6), who he also trains and co-owns, and the first starter Hadmeablast (R3) for the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan stable. “There’s some good form behind a few of them tonight and hopefully we’ll get a bit of luck too,” says Butcher. First up for…
Waldron takes six to Methven
By Mike Love Ashburton trainer Ben Waldron takes a good sized team to the grass at Methven today, with his best chance being Penny Weight ($8.00FF) in Race 6, the Katie Cox Memorial (Fillies and Mares) Mobile Pace. The five-year-old Prodigal Seelster mare will be looking to go back-to-back after an emphatic victory at Ashburton a week ago. “That’s why we’ve persevered with her. We’ve always thought she could win a few but for one reason or another she hasn’t really fired a shot, but she showed what she’s capable…
Methven selections – Marc Cookson
Grass track racing resumes post a winter break, at Methven today. It’s a bumper 12 race programme starting at 11.44am. Trials on the grass last week conducted by the Mt Hutt Trotting Club are a good guide to what is usually a tricky day to find winners. Here’s commentator-Trackside presenter Marc Cookson’s best at Mt Harding. Race 1 Mt Hutt Workouts Mobile Pace 7 Verducci : Lightly raced over winter but when he did race it was in strong fields. Four of his 6 placings so far have been on…
Race to race selections at Addington tonight
Commentator Matt Cross goes race to race at Addington Raceway tonight. Race 1 – Caduceus Club 2YO Fillies Classic Prelude – 5.08pm. Gone Surfin lines up off barrier one, first up since the start of June when she won the G3 Helen Pope Fillies Classic at Ashburton. She’s had two trials, her latest one she was neutral off the gate, worked forward, led, and held on by 2 1/4L with a gap of 6 1/4L back to third. She ran home in 55.8 & 27.7. She looks ready to win…