By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The man with the most harness racing of names makes a race day comeback at Rangiora on Tuesday. Steve Trotter will drive his own trotter Hoffn It at Rangiora in Race 1, the Cavalier Trotting Products – North Canterbury Trotting Trot (12.07pm). It will be his first drive since the 2014 season. “It’s been a while hasn’t it?” the West Melton-based trainer-driver agrees. Trotter is very much a hobby trainer who mixes training with his day job as a builder and helping out…
Category: Meeting Previews
Same but different in Hawera Cup
By Brigette Solomon At face value Sunday’s Alabar Hawera Cup has a feel of deja vu about it. All but one of the 12-strong field are backing up from Friday’s Stratford Cup where the Matt Purvis trained Smoke On The Water was a dominant winner. However, Sunday’s feature may pan out differently with runners such as Idolou and New York Minute getting another chance after both galloped out of contention on day one, while Smoke On The Water will start off a 20m handicap. Whooshka, trained by David Marshall, also…
Whites chasing more Cups glory at Oamaru
By Jonny Turner Trainers Brent and Tim White won’t be lacking any firepower when they attempt to take the Waikouaiti Cup home on Sunday. The Whites have another grass track feature in their sights with Got You Covered, who ran to an easy victory in the Riverton Cup last week. The big difference this week is that the Whites have brought him back up, with Lone Wolf and Commander Ben also heading south to contest the day’s feature at Oamaru. Got You Covered takes top billing among the White team,…
Hawera set for big day’s racing
By Brigette Solomon Quantity and quality are the order of the day on the grass at Hawera this afternoon. The Hawera Harness Racing Club received strong nominations resulting in 11 races, with the two feature races of the day attracting quality horses with good depth of form. The Taranaki Steelformers Stratford Cup Handicap Pace (Race 10 – 4.49pm) looks very open and features a field of consistent performers, several who already have a country cup or two to their name. From the South Island, trainers Michael House and Matt Purvis,…
The Falcon is back at Addington, and in with a chance
By Michael Guerin Don’t give up on The Falcon just yet. That is the advice from regular driver Gerard O’Reilly as the rugged pacer heads to Addington tonight in what looks an ideal race. The seven-race winner of $165,000 meets a few horses who are well short of those marks in Race 6, the 1980m mobile for intermediate pacers. The best version of The Falcon is better than intermediate, with his strongest form last season very consistent with occasional trips to open class, like when he was seventh in the…
Selections | Hawera
Selections for Hawera today. Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Race Aaron WhiteCommentator Race 112.01pm 13 Keep It Klassy1 Mr Monty3 Lightning McQueen5 That’s Entertainment Race 212.35pm 6 Slainte2 Johnny Who1 Taylad To Use9 Alana Race 31.09pm 7 Sharkntatties8 Lord Delmar5 Savarna2 Shirley Bassey Race 41.45pm 3 Dom Toretto1 Challenger9 Lamarli2 Resurrection Race 52.21pm 8 Micky Wade1 Perun6 Sheza Mermaid4 Morere Race 62.46pm 10 Caulfield2 Avenger3 The Mighty Sully7 Smokinhotcheddar Race 73.18pm 7 Norvic Charlie1 Jazzy Styx8 Messenger Buoy2 Barbarossa Race 83.51pm 11 Santanna Mach2 Uncle Drew5 Bettor…
The Trials ‘Report Card’
We are back at the trials for 2024, so what was worth noting from all over the country for the week ending 31/1/2024? St John Eight (3c Always B Miki – Zenardle) Tr. G & J Dunn Qualified at Rangiora (25/1/24) four 4 secs under time after getting to the front and clearing out by 4 1/2L from three rivals untouched in run home. Bred and still owned by Lew Driver, he is a half to a host of good winners including Elroy Jetson (32 wins + $291k + 1:50),…
Wildwest’s little brother to make debut today
By Jonny Turner Wild Bull has a hard act to follow ahead of his debut at Ascot Park on Thursday. The three-year-old is a full brother to Wildwest (pictured above) who made one of the most impressive debut victories seen in Southland in recent history when he scored by more than 12 lengths in his first outing at Winton in 2019. Like Wildwest, Wild Bull is trained by Lauren Pearson and he will be driven by Brent Barclay. Wildwest was exported to Australia after his first win and has since…
Selections | Invercargil
Jonny Turner’s selections for Invercargill. Race Jonny TurnerRacing Journalist Race 14.43pm 3 Durrant7 Franco Huntington5 Warrior Easton6 Nyla Race 25.08pm 5 American Mac1 Franco Cornel7 Magic Sign3 Eddie James Race 35.34pm 6 Moonlite Dream2 Advance Party5 Woodlea Jewel1 Ideal Double Race 45.59pm 4 Haley Robyn5 Get Kraken1 I’m Watching You6 Superfast Race 56.24pm 3 First Light4 Northview Street7 Sidorova1 Vanessa Marie Race 66.49pm 3 Bill Bootit1 Madison’s Moon4 Jaccka Baylis8 Without Comparison Race 77.14pm 6 Bluto7…
Sacred Mountain “up against it” in today’s Breeders’ Stakes
By Barry Lichter Sacred Mountain might have smashed her rivals at Auckland on Friday night but trainer Nicky Chilcott knows how hard it will be for her to repeat the win in today’s Dunstan Horse Feeds Breeders’ Stakes at Cambridge, especially now that she has been rehandicapped to 40 metres. Sacred Mountain will share the back mark with Resolve in Cambridge’s $40,000 Group 3 race, forced to give away a 10 metre head start to the flying southern mare Sunny’s Sister, fresh from a dominant double at Nelson. “She’s certainly…