Category: Harness

By Dave Di Somma, Harness Nes Desk   A third Methven Drivers’ Challenge has been confirmed for next month, and this time it is literally the biggest yet. Four teams of three will battle it out over six penalty-free races on April 13, the club’s last meeting at Mt Harding before the winter recess. Sponsored by Jonny Cox and Kimberly Butt’s Roseland Racing, the Challenge will feature 12 drivers, all wearing their own stable’s colours (or colours they are closely associated with them).  The four teams :  Legends – Tony Herlihy, Maurice…

By Adam Hamilton  Dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee banked a $500,000 bonus for connections when he demolished his rivals in last night’s Group 3 Renshaw Cup at Penrith. On the quick back-up after a luckless fourth in the Miracle Mile, Swayzee made it four wins and a close second in the five-race NSW Carnival of Cups when Hart let him show off for the packed crowd and win racing away by 20.6m at Penrith. His blistering 1min54.3sec mile rate for the gruelling 2525m trip took almost a second off Tiger…

By Jonny Turner  Southern reinswomen showed off their skill when sweeping the harness racing programme at Sunday’s dual-code meeting at Wingatui. Harness racing historians were sent scrambling when women drove the winners of each event on the four-race harness racing card. The accomplishment is not thought to have been completed in New Zealand harness racing previously. Kerryn Tomlinson started the reinswomen’s winning run when driving Don’t Look Kobe to victory in Race 1, the Dunedin City Ford Handicap Trot. To notch just the second career victory of her short career,…

By Jonny Turner  A hugely satisfying MLT Wyndham Cup victory is set to be the starting point for a huge week for Craig Ferguson. The trainer-driver produced Wag Star for a well overdue and thoroughly deserved victory in his home track’s big feature. Wag Star has produced many big performances while being handed little racing luck over the past six months. But for just under four minutes on Saturday that changed and it delivered Ferguson a win in a race he’s always wanted to get his hands on, as well…

By Mike Love  The final day of the Team Teal campaign gets underway today at the Banks Peninsula and Wingatui meetings.  Team Teal ambassador Gemma Thornley reflects on what has been a successful campaign.  “It’s been really good. Everyone really supports it and it’s been a lot of fun too doing something for a great cause,” said Thornley.  Thornley heads into today with a book of six drives – and though none are stars, they will be sure to give punters a run for their money at good odds.  In…

By Adam Hamilton  The fascinating juggle for slots and runners in the $1m Race by betcha at Cambridge on Friday, April 4 has taken another twist. Moments after the connections of emerging Kiwi star Tact McLeod last night announced a change of plans and they would bypass the race, negotiations for a replacement sparked into action. In the late hours of last night, a deal was done where the slot owned by Victoria’s Matthews Family (owners of Catch A Wave) would be sold to Michael Brennan Racing. The Matthews Family…

By Michael Guerin On a night when getting back in the field was disastrous at Alexandra Park, young driver Carter Dalgety found the best way to overcome it. He simply decided to let his equine girlfriend Beside Me prove she was the best filly in Friday night’s Caduceus Club Ladyship Stakes and the results were dazzling. The big girl had made quite an impression in the south but fresh up at Alexandra Park can be very testing at Group level, even more so when you are well back with 1400m…

By Jonny Turner  Wag Star fans can keep the faith ahead of the MLT Wyndham Cup on Saturday. The pacer was largely luckless through the spring when clashing New Zealand’s best pacers and little has changed in his two runs back from a spell. In the latest of those at Ascot Park, Wag Star was forced to sit parked when unable to cross to the lead with a horse on his inner racing fiercely. In testing conditions, the pacer fought on for fourth and his effort was enough to get…