By Brigette Solomon The Group 3 Dunstan Waikato Trotting Breeders Stakes and the first race of the Hygain Revell Douglas Memorial Series for Junior Drivers will highlight today’s action at Cambridge. The Dunstan Waikato Trotting Breeders Stakes looks set to be a hot contest with a capacity field of quality mares featuring recent Group race winning performers Sacred Mountain, Resolve, and Sunnys Sister. Trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn, Sunnys Sister is a winner of her past four starts including the New Zealand Trotting Oaks and Derby. After ticking off…
Category: Harness
Barry Ward gets the job done at Methven
By Mike Love West Melton trainer Barry Ward completed a “special” day at the races with a hat-trick of training wins yesterday at Mt Harding racecourse. Although the feat is not uncommon, the fact that Ward bred all three winners makes it all the rarer. “I’ve had two wins and a second at the races before, and trained a double four times. But definitely the first hat trick for me. It’s a pretty special day,” said Ward. “They all went to Blenheim last week. Mister Blue Sky went okay on…
Bargain buy does it again, at Riverton
By Jonny Turner Sally Lindenny staked her claim as being the bargain buy of the spring and summer with her victory in the feature trot on Riverton Cup Day. Yesterday, the trotter made it win number four for trainer-driver Kirstin Green when bagging yet another win on a grass track. The mare has either been in the first three placings, or she has galloped out of contention in her 15 starts since joining the Green stable in September. Sally Lindenny could have added another mistake to her ledger in the…
Second on Aussie debut for Don’t Stop Dreaming
By Adam Hamilton Exciting young Kiwi pacer Don’t Stop Dreaming looks right on target for the $450,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup. Mark and Nathan Purdon’s emerging open-class star launched his Aussie raid with a close and fantastic second to proven topliner Better Eclipse in last night’s $50,000 Casey Classic at Melton. It was a terrific pointer to the five-year-old prospects in next Saturday night’s Hunter Cup against an even stronger field, headed by Leap To Fame. Don’t Stop Dreaming sat in the one-one trail, launched with a big sprint from…
Got You Covered big chance in Riverton Cup
By Jonny Turner The search for a deserved win takes Got You Covered to the return of harness racing at Riverton on Sunday. The pacer will be among the first fields of horses in almost 24 years to compete on the Riverton grass track when he starts as the favourite in the Riverton Cup. A second in the Group 3 Northern Southland Cup and a fourth in the Group 1 Invercargill Cup look outstanding form references to take to Riverton’s big day. Combine them with the Got You Covered’s outstanding…
Selections | Riverton
Jonny Turner’s selections for Riverton. Race Jonny TurnerRacing Journalist Race 112.20pm 2 California Dreaming5 Robyns Art4 Rotten Rodden1 Mechanical Bull Race 212.46pm 2 Quercus Rubra9 Styrax3 Hail Stone4 Wattle Hill Race 31.21pm 3 Pounamu5 Montage9 Peace Of Heaven1 Rakadeaks Race 41.56pm 2 Blithe7 Night Watch14 Fiery Bandito8 Hot Saucy Betty Race 52.21pm 6 Falcons Watch5 Nyla1 I’m Watching You2 Sly Tricks Race 62.46pm 8 Got You Covered4 Moonlite Dream6 Hacksaw Ridge2 Itoje Race 73.20pm 1 Bridget Louise11 Breeny’s…
Whale Watch – Riverton
Craig “The Whale” Thompson is back with his best for Riverton
Cameron taking winning chances to Methven
By Jonny Turner Kyle Cameron hopes a new formula can be a winning one when Style Council shoots for a deserved victory at Methven on Sunday. Cameron heads to the Methven grass with three of his team, including Style Council who put in two excellent performances at the recent Blenheim meeting. The five-year-old hit the line strongly in both of his starts, running second on Friday and fifth on Sunday. The two good runs have come since Cameron has decided to Style Council with a sit, which isn’t always easy…
Purdon-Phelan dominate Alexandra Park card with five winners
By Michael Guerin Scott Phelan isn’t sure whether he has trained four winners on a night before but he knows he had never trained five. Until last night. Phelan and senior training partner Barry Purdon dominated Friday night’s Alexandra Park card training five winners from six races they had reps in, winning all the pacing races they contested. They also produced two quinellas, with stable star Merlin once again beating Sooner The Better in the main pace even after having to work early. Three-year-olds Better Knuckle Up and Escape Artist…
Allamericanlover and Carter Dalgety share the limelight at Addington
Despite a niggly draw, Allamericanlover was still just too “brave” in winning the Group 2 Garrards’ Premier Mares Championship at Addington last night. The American Ideal six-year-old started from the outside of the front line over 1980m for Team Telfer and top stable driver Tim Williams. They went back to last before making a big move three wide to sit parked, before running down the pace-making Manhattan to win the $60,000 feature by more than a length. Initially, Williams’ plan was to drive her with “a sit”. “But we went…