By Michael Guerin Got The Chocolates joined the rarest of racing clubs at Alexandra Park on Saturday night: horses who won a race they were scratched from. And he beat the budding superstar of New Zealand pacing in Marketplace to do it. The three-year-old pacer was enormous in the Woodlands Stud Northern Derby Prelude at Alexandra Park on Saturday night, sitting parked before holding out the red hot favourite in Marketplace, courtesy of a blazing 26 second last 400m. The irony for punters is Got The Chocolates, who was originally…
Category: Harness
Swift Dream looking to continue good form
By Mike Love South Canterbury trainer Noel Taylor is cautious about the chances of Swift Dream ($5.00FF) in Race 11, the Sheree Tomlinson and Matt Cross Trot at Monday’s Banks Peninsula meeting at Addington Raceway. Although the nine-year-old Superfast Stuart gelding has been trotting in a fine vein of form lately winning two of his last three starts, three of four of Swift Dream’s wins have come on grass. The 12-race programme starts at 11.15am at Addington after being transferred from Motukarara because of bad weather over the past few…
Orange aiming to make his mark at home in WDC
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk New Zealand’s representative Blair Orange reckons home country advantage will be key to his chances of winning this November’s World Driving Championship (WDC). The 10 drivers who will compete in the WDC were announced at a function at Addington Raceway on Saturday night. It was no surprise to anyone that Orange got the nod to wear the silver fern. He has after all won the last seven driving premierships and is well on his way to taking out an eighth in 2025. “To…
Jumal goes two from two at Addington
By Michael Guerin Steven Reid might be wondering whether he should let his partner buy all his horses. Because it seems to have worked with exciting juvenile Jumal, who remained unbeaten in two when thrashing his opponents at Addington on Saturday. The son of Downbytheseaside put six and three-quarter lengths on his rivals even after sitting parked in the $20,000 Breckon Farms Easter Stakes, with a 57.4 second last 400m. Trainer Reid has always thought Jumal was a smart one and the colt has again demonstrated Reid’s eye for a…
Drivers confirmed for World Driving Championship
Blair Orange, the country’s leading driver for the past seven years, will again wear the silver fern at this November’s World Driving Championship (WDC) in New Zealand. To read the release click here
Motukarara’s Monday meeting to be moved to Addington
Following a track inspection this morning it’s been decided that Easter Monday’s meeting at Motukarara will now go ahead at Addington. “We had no option but to make the call, there has been a decent amount of rain in Canterbury already with a lot more forecast,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s Head of Racing and Wagering, Matthew Peden. Today representatives from HRNZ, the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club and a stipendiary steward all inspected the grass track at Motukarara. “The track is in reasonable order considering how much rain we’ve had…
Blair Orange opts for Addington today
By Michael Guerin Our best driver is lamenting not being able to be in two places at once today. Blair Orange has had to forgo his drives at Alexandra Park tonight after that meeting was postponed on Thursday because of the Auckland weather, with Orange having flown to Auckland by the time the announcement was made. He will instead drive at the Addington day meeting today. “There isn’t much you can do about Mother Nature so I went up to Auckland and came back and will drive at Addington on…
Minor changes to Auckland’s weather-delayed meeting tonight
By Michael Guerin The two-day delay to tonight’s Alexandra Park meeting has only brought about only minor changes to the major races. Namely: Arafura out of the Northern Oaks Prelude while Got The Chocolates comes back into the Northern Derby Prelude. The meeting was to have been staged on Thursday night but was postponed because of high winds and constant rain in Auckland, both of which were gone by early Friday. So the meeting moves to tonight, overlapping with the Addington day fixture, with leading driver Blair Orange driving at…
OnTrack looking for new Board members
OnTrack, racing’s mental wellbeing programme, is seeking 2–3 Board Members. These are paid positions and the remuneration is $12K for Directors and $18K for the Chair. If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and Cover Letter to apply@amytea.co.nz before the closing date of 27 April 2025. To find out more click here
Miki’s the real deal in Fillies Classic
By Jonny Turner There’s no disputing that Miki’s Deal’s impressive debut win in the Group 2 Entain Southern Fillies Classic at Winton was a local triumph. The filly made the most of her trip in the one-one for driver Matthew Williamson, charging away from her rivals for an emphatic win. Miki’s Deal was raised by her breeders and owners, Marty and Daphne Fairbairn, who live just minutes from Central Southland Raceway, and she is trained by Winton committee member Brett Gray. The filly had had all of her trial outings…