By Jonny Turner Matthew Williamson is itching to get into the harness racing hot seat at Cromwell on Friday. The Oamaru reinsman has received the call-up to drive two strong winning threats on the first of two days of harness racing over the weekend in Eurokash and Homebush Lad. Williamson is no stranger to wearing the Greg and Nina Hope colours but will link up with Eurokash for the first time in the feature trot, the Oakley Plumbing Supplies Handicap Tot (5.08pm) and the driver thinks he can make the…
Category: Harness
Butcher returns after five month absence
By Michael Guerin Benjamin Butcher isn’t sure his return to race driving will bring him a win at Alexandra Park on Friday night but it will sure feel like one. The popular Waikato horsemen hasn’t been seen in a race since a smash at Alexandra Park in August that left him with a shoulder injury and concussion. It was the latter that has caused Butcher the most grief, with anybody who has had concussion knowing the “foggy head feeling” that Butcher had to go through. “It was pretty bad there…
Owners and Breeders of the Month for December and January
Every month Harness Racing New Zealand selects an Owner and Breeder of the Month. It is an entirely random selection though their horse must have won a race during the month. In December 2024 the Breeder of the Month was Anthony Smith after Fredastaire’s win at Manawatu on December 12 and Stonewall Stud syndicate member David Whitburn was Owner of the Month after Caught the Eye’s victory at Ashburton on December 22. In January 2025 the two winners were Phil Sherley (Breeder of the Month) for Eagle Hanover’s win at…
Merlin spearheads Kiwi challenge in Sydney
By Adam Hamilton The Kiwi flavour really ramps up at Menangle on Saturday night. Millionaire pacer Merlin, who races at Its Merlin in Australia, launches his quest to win the Miracle Mile in the Ultra Air free-for-all over 2300m (12.18am). Crucially, the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained star has drawn perfectly in gate one, with Inter Dominion winner Don Hugo drawn next door in barrier two. Purdon and Phelan stable their horses with the Fitzpatrick clan and Gavin Fitzpatrick will take the reins on Its Merlin this week. Its…
Kimberly Butt is all in on Next Gen
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Kimberly Butt can scarcely believe what happened at this week’s NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale in Christchurch. In a bit over two hours she signed off on three yearlings for a combined price tag of $350,000. “It was something you only dream of, it was incredible, a real pinch yourself moment,” says Butt And it all revolves around big spending Australian Joshua Davine and his N40 Racing. He was in direct contact from Sydney at the time. “Kim was getting a bit…
Submissions requested from Clubs on draft 2025/26 Dates Calendar
Harness Racing New Zealand is inviting feedback from clubs and kindred bodies on the first draft of the 2025/26 Dates Calendar. The calendar features a proposed total of 300 meetings, an increase of 11 over the current season, with the upper South Island getting nine new meetings and the North Island two more. The additional dates are not funded at this time. The Code Funding negotiations are underway. The number of meetings in the southern area remains unchanged, though Southern Harness will host 33 Sunday meetings, 13 more than at…
The Box Seat – February 19
Check out this week’s The Box Seat with Matt Cross and Greg O’Connor
News Briefs – February 19
Team Teal goes past $5000, Orange and House lead the premierships, and a job vacancy at Addington all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Team Teal’s big fund-raiser Harness Racing New Zealand’s annual Team Teal fund-raiser has just topped $5000, with the promise of a lot more to come. The campaign started on February 1 and will go through to March 16 with money raised every time a female driver in this country wins a race. That money comes from HRNZ, individual clubs and the drivers’ individual sponsors. So far…
$270,000 sales topper at Yearling Sales in Christchurch
A $270,000 colt was the top seller on day two of the NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale in Christchurch. The two day sale concluded this afternoon with turnover overall at around $13m. A total of 91 yearlings were sold in Auckland ($5.7m) on Saturday while in Christchurch today 139 yearlings were sold ($7.3m). Bought by Cran Dalgety/Kentuckiana Lodge, the highest price today went to Lot 139, a Bettor’s Delight – Imagine Me colt offered by newly crowned Breeder of the Year, Taffy Limited. For Dalgety the colt reminded him of…
Vale John McIntosh
By Michael Guerin Harness racing lost not only a popular owner but one of its oldest ever recently. Northern owner John McIntosh passed away just days after turning 100, reports friend and long-time trainer Derek Balle. McIntosh was a constant in the Alexandra Park stabling clock for decades, racing horses firstly with another old friend the late Roy Purdon when he was training and ending up with Balle as his main trainer over the last 15 years. McIntosh went to the yearling sales and spent up big in 2016 when…