Category: Meeting Previews

Merlin has won this afternoon’s Group 2 NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes, a key lead-up race to the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 12. The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained star began well from his wide draw,  before arch rival Don’t Stop Dreaming went round the field three wide to sit parked before going on to lead. That gave Merlin the perfect trail and he then darted up the passing lane to beat Don’t Stop Dreaming. It was a favourites quinella with Alta Meteor…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Dexter Dunn’s incredible year in North America has just gone next level. The 10-time former Kiwi champion set a new Breeders Crown record at the Meadowlands in New Jersey over the weekend and in the process become the first driver in North America to win more than $15m in 2024.  Over the weekend Dunn was at his best in the Breeders Crown series. There were 12 races at The Big M with Dunn taking out half of them. That beat the previous record…

By Adam Hamilton  Awesome young trotting filly Keayang Zahara overcame a tricky draw to stretch her unbeaten record to 11 wins in Sunday’s $75,000 Group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Derby (2690m). It capped her preparation for a New Zealand trip where the first target will be the inaugural $500,000 The Velocity at Addington Raceway’s Show Day Twilight races on November 15. Five of Keayang Zahara’s wins have been at Group 1 level and she only started racing in April. The daughter of Volstead drew inside the back row, but driver Jason…

By Jonny Turner  Nothing went right for Smoke On The Water in the Tuapeka Lodge Tuapeka Cup except his winning result. The Canterbury pacer made a successful southern raid when digging in bravely to win after sitting parked for much of the Ascot Park feature. Smoke On The Water’s victory was a family affair with Matthew Williamson doing the driving for his brother-in-law Matt Purvis. The pacer is also raced by Williamson’s father-in-law John Purvis, alongside Graeme McMaster and David Lawn. While hopeful he had earned the position of favourite…

By Jonny Turner  Harness racing fans can expect the real Pinseeker to stand up in the Tuapeka Lodge Tuapeka Cup on Sunday. The brilliant pacer comes into the Ascot feature on the back of two disappointing efforts going by the extremely high standards he had set himself in just nine prior starts. He will start a red hot favourite ($2.05FF).  While there may appear to be some doubt as to exactly where Pinseeker is at in his current preparation, trainer-driver Jonny Cox doesn’t share any of those concerns. “He is…