Category: Harness

Melissa Whyte’s Group 1 Friday at Addington

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  What a Friday night Melissa Whyte is going to have. In the space of just over half an hour two trotters that she bred will race in two $100,000 Group 1s at Addington. Chester Gold (One Over Da Moon – Natives Lasting Love) will line up in Race 1, the IRT – Ace of Clubs 2YO Colts and Geldings Mobile Trot (5.02pm) while Natives Cullerdamoon (One Over Da Moon – Cullermein) is in Race 2, the Ace of Hearts 2YO Fillies (5.38pm). The…

Star filly “as good as ever” ahead of Friday’s NZ Trotting Oaks

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  There are short priced  favourites and then there is Keayang Zahara. The unbeaten Australian filly is at $1.04 to win Friday’s $140,000 Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington Raceway (9.02pm) with Princess Sadie, Empire City and High Step all joint second favourite at $12. That she’s considered unbeatable won’t be a surprise to anyone after her eight length demolition of the field in her New Zealand debut, the Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT on Show Day, November 15. Driver Jason Lee is back in…

Trans-Tasman 2025 Yearling Sale catalogue now available

NZHarnessNews

A high quality 343-lot catalogue has been assembled for NZB Standardbred’s 2025 National Yearling Sale to be held at Karaka and Canterbury Agricultural Park next summer. The refreshed sale format will see selling at Auckland on Saturday, February 15 and in Christchurch, Tuesday February 18. The condensed sale with inspection days between Auckland and Christchurch sessions allows time for travel and inspections. The New Zealand product continues to perform on major race days across Australasia, with NZB Standardbred graduates adding to the blockbuster performances in recent times. Headlined by horses…

Larsen takes two up-and-comers to Invercargill today

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner  One of Kirk Larsen’s winning chances at Ascot Park on Wednesday has plenty of options, while the other doesn’t. Larsen heads to the twilight races with two up-and-coming youngsters, Ward Lamon and Fernco Nel. Ward Lamon impressed in his last Ascot Park outing when sweeping home from off the pace to score. In doing so the pacer sharply improved on his fresh up fifth at Winton. “He is a nice wee horse on his day, he was looking good but I felt he was still a bit…

The NZ Pacing Oaks – 50 Years ago

NZHarnessNews

With the likes of Treacherous Bay and Duchess Megxit squaring off in Friday’s $225,000 Group 1 Tennant Engineering NZ Pacing Oaks for the three-year-old fillies at Addington Raceway why not look back at who won the Oaks half a century ago? 1974 New Zealand Oaks winner – Hurrania By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It was like mother like daughter in the New Zealand Oaks 50 years ago. On February 16, 1974 at Addington Raceway, Hurrania won the New Zealand Oaks, just like her mum Arania had done 15…

Great battles looming at Addington on Friday

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin If you like a multi bet Addington’s stacked feature race programme this Friday could be the night for you. The meeting features six Group 1s, including both the NZ Pacing and Trotting Oaks as well as four “Ace” races for the two-year-old trotters and pacers, split on sex. Along with the Ian Dobson Memorial for three-year-old pacing boys it is one of the biggest nights of age group racing of the season with a mini-Jewels feel to it. But after some standout results at the Cup carnival…

Wide draw for Tact McLeod in opening ID heat

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  Emerging Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod faces a tough start to his NSW Inter Dominion campaign. The lone Kiwi in the series, Tact McLeod will start from outside the front row (gate eight) over 2030m in the opening round of heats at Newcastle on Friday night. On a positive note, the Mark Jones-trained pacer, who was a late entry only last week, looks to have landed in the weakest of the three opening night pacing heats. His major dangers will be Zeuss Bromac (gate one), Blacksadance (two), Cantfindabettorman…

Miki B heading to Addington on Friday after Nursery Stakes win

NZHarnessNews

Friday Night Lights promises to be next level this week. The double-header will see Addington Raceway headline the night’s action with six Group 1s, while at Auckland there’ll be two Northern Metro Finals and two Country Cups. At Addington, Aces and Oaks Race Night will start at 5pm. There’ll be the Group 1 $100,000 Aces of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades for the two-year-old trotters and pacers, of both genders, as well as the $140,000 What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks and the $225,000 Tennant Engineering New Zealand Pacing…

Amalfi with strong credentials at Motukarara

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  Richmond Park trainer Robert Stuart heads to Banks Peninsula today with a strong chance of success with maiden pacer Amalfi. Sam Ottley will reunite with him in Race 2, the NZMTC Supports Grass Racing Mobile Pace. The four-year-old Sweet Lou gelding was huge in his fresh up run at Rangiora on November 8 where he sat parked the trip and only went down a short margin. Stuart believes the gelding will be ready to run another strong race.  “He seems as good as was three weeks ago.…