Top Kiwi junior Sarah O’Reilly has gone from first equal to second equal after the latest heats in the 1Equine Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships (AYDC) in Queensland. Her best result on night two of the championships at Redcliffe last night was a third in the sixth heat with Connies Spirit to have 45 points overall. That makes her second equal with Joshua Gallagher, who had a good night with two wins, in heats four and six. Angus Garrard won the fifth heat with Gosling In Flight and is a clear…
Category: Meeting Previews
Bad Medicine takes out Cup but many make their mark at Manawatu
By Brigette Solomon Variety was the key at last night’s meeting at Manawatu, with eight different trainers taking out the eight races. That was in big contrast to just two days earlier when the father-son training-driving combo of Michael and Wilson House had dominated with five wins on the eight-race programme. The card opened with the Jay Abernethy-trained Eagle Hanover trotting to a comfortable win in the Doug Bradley Painting Handicap Trot. The three-year-old filly showed good manners and driver Sailesh Abernethy, who scored a driving double, capitalized on the…
Fan favourite back at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Had tonight’s main pace at Addington been a month or two ago young gun driver Carter Dalgety would have viewed it very differently. Because back then he would have wanted one of his favourite horses in Fernetti to win but would have expected stablemate Watermelon Sugar to beat him home.Not any more. Fernetti has become one of the iron horses in the lower grades in Canterbury and has hung tough to be runner-up twice and then a winner on three of Addington’s biggest days. “He has really…
Familiar face returns to Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin Northern harness racing fans will get a preview of the return of the prodigal son tonight. Because while top class horseman Joshua Dickie isn’t returning home for good just yet he is only weeks away. Dickie, the multiple Group 1-winning driver and son of top trainer John Dickie, has been living in Victoria for the last two years training a small team on the property of his partner Samantha Kilgour. But Dickie is set for a permanent return home after being offered a role that includes being…
Butt gunning for the lead in tonight’s Queen Of Hearts
By Michael Guerin Visiting horseman Bob Butt has declared war on red hot favourite Aardie’s Express in the $110,000 Woodlands Stud Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park tonight. Butt admits it is a war he and stable star Manhattan may not win but he’d rather find out than surrender the 2200m mobile Group 1. Manhattan has been a constant force in some of the biggest mare’s races around Australasia but was clearly outpointed by Aardie’s Express and runner-up Lady Of The Light in the Breeders Stakes, the lead-up last Friday…
High five for Williamson at Winton
By Jonny Turner A training masterclass at Winton yesterday propelled Nathan Williamson to what may prove to be an unassailable lead in the Southland trainers premiership. Williamson enjoyed his most successful day as a trainer yet, producing five winners while guiding them all to victory from the sulky, too. “I’ve trained and driven four of my home ones before, but never this many, so it is a real thrill to win this many in one day,” the trainer-driver said. The swag of winners came with a nice bonus, they took…
Can Just Believe be beaten in ID Trotting Final?
By Adam Hamilton Champion driver Chris Alford certainly isn’t conceding this Inter Dominion trotting final to defending champion Just Believe. Alford, who teams up with star Kiwi-owned mare Queen Elida (gate five), remains very positive despite drawing outside Just Believe (four). “He’s been fantastic Just Believe, he’s absolutely flying, and he’ll be hard to beat,” he said. “But all things being equal, I still think I’m a good chance of beating him. “The mare has got better each run through the series and ‘Lil’ (trainer Brent Lilley) says she’s been…
Start key to ID for Leap To Fame
By Adam Hamilton Leap To Fame’s Inter Dominion fate could be decided in the first 200 metres. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon insists his superstar four-year-old is “the best he’s ever been” heading into Saturday’s race at Albion Park in Brisbane, but he’s wary of yet another tricky barrier draw. Leap To Fame has drawn six, but will come into five if emergency Canfindabettorman doesn’t gain a start. The problem is, his two main dangers Swayzee (three) and Nerano (one), have drawn inside him. So, Dixon knows he must have a serious…
Akuta and co heading across the Tasman
By Michael Guerin New Zealand’s best pacer is set to head to Australia for the first time and he could be taking some heavyweight mates with him. Akuta has had a change of plans and will be set for the Ballarat (January 20) and Hunter Cups (February 3) in Victoria after stopping in at Alexandra Park in Auckland for the $60,000 Franklin Cup on December 31. “We looked at the programmes and there isn’t a great deal for him here in January and February and he can make a lot…
Tact McLeod heads Kite’s drives at Winton
By Jonny Turner Oliver Kite will have to take the good with the bad when combining with a quality book of drives at Winton on Thursday. Kite won’t be lacking horsepower when he links up with six chances, headed by the highly talented Tact McLeod. But being handed a series of tough barrier draws means nothing is likely to come easy for the junior driver. Kite will have to negotiate a path from barrier 1 on the second row for Tact McLeod, who returns to racing in race 10 after…