Category: Meeting Previews

By Michael Guerin Reminders don’t come much more timely than what Mark Purdon unleashed at Cambridge on Friday night. Here we were, a week out from the mega money slot races and with the Australian barbarians at the gate and the locals with all sort of issues and question marks. For much of the last decade when he needed a harness racing Superman to restore Kiwi pride he came in a blue cape with silver stars. But there is no hiding from the fact Mark Purdon is kinda semi retired,…

By Jonny Turner  Plenty may have changed for The Big Lebowski but one factor remains the same ahead of his return to southern racing on Macca Lodge Kindergarten Stakes Day at Wyndham on Sunday.  The well-travelled pacer is back in the province where he was bred and raised to restart his career at the Brett Gray stable.  After last starting in the Group 1 Auckland Cup for Ray Green, The Big Lebowski looks well placed in Sunday’s Hunter Family Handicap (4.43pm). But only if he can make a clean beginning.…

By Michael Guerin Reminders don’t come much more timely than what Mark Purdon unleashed at Cambridge on Friday night. Firstly it was Chase A Dream who defied his big price ($24) and poor recent form to take out the Garrards Waikato Pacers Flying Mile and then stablemate Oscar Bonavena completed the double in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waikato Trotters Flying Mile.  There is no hiding from the fact Mark Purdon is semi retired, son and training partner Nathan is in the throes of moving north and what has been our go-to…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  The highly successful team of GP and Mrs N M Hope is officially disbanding. From next Tuesday (April 1), Greg will remain the “frontman” but wife Nina, the country’s most successful female trainer, will be stepping away. In a changing of the guard Ben Hope’s got himself a promotion and will go into partnership with his father. “Mum will be off the papers but she’s been a huge part of what we do and will continue to be,” says Ben, “we couldn’t do…

The two Waikato Flying Miles will highlight tonight’s Cambridge-Addington Friday Night Lights double-header. Merlin and co will battle it out in the Garrards Pacers Flying Mile (8.02pm) a week out from the $1m The Race by betcha as will rising star Bet N Win in the Trotters Mile (8.38pm) before next Friday’s $600,000 TAB Trot.  Meanwhile the country’s top driver Blair Orange looks set to make his presence felt at Addington. Merlin “ready to win” at Cambridge tonight  By Michael Guerin Merlin is ready to put his season back on…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Take After Me showed he can still be more than competitive in his history-making 400th start at Ashburton yesterday. The 14-year-old, affectionately known as ‘Rocky’, became the first ever standardbred to reach the mark and he did it in style with a gutsy third placing in the Matt Smith Construction Trot, just over a length away from the winner. In the words of commentator Andy McCook he “ran an absolute beauty”. For Take After Me’s connections it was a proud moment. “That was…