By Jonny Turner A week ago Kerryn Tomlinson wouldn’t have guessed she would be linking up with two of the most talented horses stepping out on Gore Summer Cup Day on Sunday. The Oamaru driver has almost been in a game of musical sulkies this week, but she certainly has no complaints about landing the drives behind Homebush Lad and Jimmy Carter. Homebush Lad will be out to add to his incredible record in grass track features in the Gore Town and Country Club Gore Summer Cup. The veteran pacer…
Category: Harness
Swayzee beaten and Don’t Stop Dreaming dominates across the Tasman
By Adam Hamilton Dual New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee is set to switch course and chase the Miracle Mile after his shock Albury Cup defeat last night. Driver Cam Hart said he struggled to steer Swayzee around the tight Albury track at top speed with classy Victorian pacer Captain Hammerhead smashing the track record time in front. Swayzee was struggling rounding the final bend when Captain Hammerhead pinched a six-metre break, but Swayzee just kept coming and to get within a neck. They broke the track record by five seconds.…
Dunns star with milestone wins at Addington
By Michael Guerin What a night it was for one of harness racing’s great families at Addington last night. Robert Dunn picked up his 2100st training success with Dawn Till Dawn in Race 8, the Studholme Bloodstock “Join Our Winning Tradition” Handicap Pace, and then just three races later grandson Jacob Dunn registered his first driving winner with Sophia Bromac in the Gold Band Taxis Mobile Pace. “I just can’t get the smile off my face,” Jacob said post race. And the win did not come easy. Sophia Bromac was…
Who will top Karaka 2025 today?
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Will a new record be set at the NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales at Auckland today? A total of 130 yearlings will go under the hammer at Karaka, starting at 1pm, before the Sales move to the second day at Christchurch next Tuesday. North Island heavyweights Breckon Farms and Woodlands Stud have the biggest drafts today with 38 and 36 yearlings and among Woodlands’ offerings is Lot 70, a colt by Captaintreacherous out of the champion mare that was Adore Me. He’s Adore…
Dean Shannon’s big week continues, with the NZB Yearling Sales to come
By Michael Guerin New Zealand harness racing’s newly-crowned owner of the year Dean Shannon liked what he saw at Alexandra Park on Friday night. In fact, Shannon has been liking lots of things he has seen in New Zealand harness racing over the last six months. Shannon is these days best known as the boss of Entain Australia, which runs the TAB, but way before that he was Mr Montana, a consistently successful owner and big investor in bloodstock here. He got to enjoy that thrill again with his latest…
Dexter Dunn “jumped at the chance” to be part of the Ultimate Driver Challenge
By Adam Hamilton Dexter Dunn can’t think of a better way to round out his extended two-month stint Down Under. Dunn, who flew from the US back to New Zealand on December 20, is now in Queensland to compete in the innovative and inaugural Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge. The 20-race series will be run across two nights on Friday and Saturday (Feb 21 and 22) at Albion Park. Dunn is one of four internationals in the 10-driver series, joining his great Kiwi mate Carter Dalgety, Yannick Gingras (USA) and Bjorn…
It’s Friday Night Lights at Addington and Alexandra Park
It’s Friday night and that means dual racing under the lights at Addington and Alexandra Park. The return of Wag Star will create a lot of interest in the south while Greased Lightnin aims for a third win in just five career starts at Alexandra Park. Wag Star favoured for winning resumption at Addington By Michael Guerin Wag Star is ready to start making up for his lost summer at Addington tonight. But exactly what his campaign looks like heading forward could be decided by his performance in tonight’s feature…
Don’t Stop Dreaming and Swayzee all the rage across the Tasman tonight
by Adam Hamilton Tonight’s Terang Cup may seem a left-field option for star Kiwi pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming, but not when you take a glance at the race’s Honour Roll. One of the greatest pacer’s the sport has seen, Blacks A Fake, is the biggest name on the list. Trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen used the 2006 Terang Cup win to launch Blacks A Fake towards the first of his four Inter Dominion wins, in Hobart just weeks later. Just days after winning the 2015 Hunter Cup, Kerryn Manning took Arden Rooney…
Harness racing heading to Taupo – “we need to engage with new people”
Harness racing is heading into new territory next year, with the first ever meeting at Taupo on January 26, 2026. “We are all about growing our sport and Taupo as a hugely popular summer destination fits the bill perfectly,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. “We are very keen to engage with new people and we know that there is a real demand for more grass track racing in the North Island.” Peden believes the new initiative will be well supported by trainers, drivers and…
Orange, Ottley and Dalgety make Rural Sports Awards finals
Harness racing will be represented by three finalists at the 2025 Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards in Palmerston North on Friday, March 7. The country’s top driver Blair Orange has made the cut for the PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year, the record-breaking Sam Ottley is a finalist for the RX Plastics New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year and Next Gen driver Carter Dalgety is a finalist for Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year. Orange secured his seventh consecutive Drivers’ Premiership with…