Category: Harness

By Michael Guerin A change of plans for a key rival and a seemingly perfect barrier draw may have combined to hand Saturday’s $110,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championships at Addington to Muscle Mountain. The wonderful trotter will be long odds-on for the 2600m mobile which he has won in two of the last three years after drawing barrier 1. He won in 2021 and 2023 and was second to Sundees Son in 2022. He has stablemate Midnight Dash alongside at barrier 2 and while there is gate speed…

By Brigette Solomon Cambridge reinsman Todd Mitchell is certainly going to be busy as he returns to Manawatu Raceway today. “It’s been a while since I’ve driven at Manawatu but (local trainer) Stephen Doody asked if I’d consider coming and with close to a full book of drives it’s worth the trip,” says Mitchell. “Most of the horses I’m driving have reasonable form on paper and hopefully we get a bit of luck.” Mitchell’s last winner at Palmerston North was with Our Pegasus Pearl in March 2022. In the feature…

By Jonny Turner The first 50m of the Waimate Cup could tell the story of the race ahead for Mo’unga. The pacer comes into the 3000m grass track staying test after two solid pipe-opening runs on the West Coast for trainer Regan Todd. The last time Mo’unga stepped out over the same distance, things went pear-shaped when the five-year-old racing fiercely in the Methven Cup. Todd hit the reset button on the horse’s campaign and since coming back to the track, Mo’unga has brought his best manners to the races.…

By Jonny Turner The road to the Rowe Cup starts at Addington tonight for defending champion Love N The Port and his best mate Majestic Man. The pair are the best of friends off the track but fierce rivals on it and they set to begin a one-way path to Alexandra Park. Majestic Man (20m) and Love N The Port (10m) make up a powerful trio trainer Phil Williamson brings to race 6 on Friday night, alongside Jimmy Carter (10m). When lining up from a 10m handicap, Love N The…

By Michael Guerin The synergy between two of the emerging stars of New Zealand harness racing is unmistakable. And tonight they could, maybe should, combine to win the $110,000 Pascoes Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park. On one of the strongest nights of black type racing this season it could be All You Need Is Me and her junior driver Carter Dalgety who steal the show with the Canterbury filly drawn to dominate the Oaks. She has barrier 2 and the respect to secure an uncontested lead after two crushing wins…

It’s a big night of racing at Alexandra Park on Friday night so the team at HRNZ have put together a lift-out with all the stories, selections and fields you will need to enjoy the night of racing. View it here

By Brigette Solomon Pukekohe based trainer Andre Poutama is hopeful that with a bit of luck, his team of four runners can make their presence felt at Cambridge Raceway tonight. “We haven’t had any luck with the draws but I think three of the four are capable of a good race” says Poutama. Potter starts in the Race 3, the Watchu Security Mobile Pace for Junior Drivers, with Nathan Delaney driving. Potter has won twice since coming north to the Poutama stable, including a win at the same track two…

Check out this week’s Box Seat with hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin. 

By Jonny Turner Team Dunn only has to hold their form going into Wednesday’s meeting at Addington. The training and driving combination of Robert, Jenna and John Dunn were on fire last week, racking up four wins at Addington, a Wyndham Cup and a further three victories at Motukarara including the Motukarara Stayers Cup. “We had a great week last week, it was a great team effort and they all ran well,” John Dunn said. Charlie Brown made full use of a gem of a Blair Orange drive to win…

By Jonny Turner The MLT Wyndham Cup is far from just another race for two local lads who would love to etch their name in its history books. Trainers Craig Ferguson and Regan Todd will step out two runners in the 3200m feature on the track where their successful careers began. Ferguson made the recent Southland Harness Racing Awards his own thanks to a series of feature race wins. Though the Wyndham Cup doesn’t carry the Group race status that some of his recent success has come in, it rates…