Category: Meeting Previews

By Adam Hamilton Driver Cam Hart was buzzing after New Zealand Cup hero Swayzee opened his Brisbane Inter Dominion campaign with an easy win last night. The five-year-old clocked the slowest of the four 1660m pacing heats on night one, but Hart wasn’t fazed at all. “He looks great and he felt as good as he looks,” he said. “Look at him … he’s put on so much weight. I think we’re in for a great series. “He was pulling away at the finish and felt great after the line.…

By Jonny Turner Homebush Lad heads back to his happy place to start in the Cabins 2U Akaroa Cup on Saturday. After taking on outstanding fields on all weather tracks recently, the veteran pacer will be back on grass in the Motukarara feature. Though he’s been out of the money, Homebush Money hasn’t been disgraced in his recent outings behind Don’t Stop Dreaming, Akuta, and Beach Ball. The pacer’s sectionals alone look enough to suggest he will be highly competitive when dropping back in class and stepping back onto grass…

Every week we look at the trials and workouts from right around the country. Who’s impressing and who looks ready to race? Chertsey trials Tuesday 21st NovemberWeather Fine / Track Fast (Ashburton) Paramount Lady (2f Tactical Landing – Paramount Faith) In the hands of her trainer Mark Jones, the 2yo half sister to Muscle Mountain went solo in this solid effort. MR:2:09.9, 800m in 60.6, 400m in 29.6. She qualified back in August but her three starts to date against the best 2yos have reaped little to date. Her breeding…

By Michael Guerin Northern driver Zachary Butcher faces two very big problems at Addington tonight, both from the same stable. And while he thinks he knows what he has to do to try and counter one, he isn’t so sure about the other. Tonight’s meeting contains many of the age group stars of pacing but the tricky issue for punters, and drivers like Butcher, is there is a much richer race meeting in nine days. That is the Grand Prix at Addington which contains classics like the New Zealand Derby…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Returning to racing in this country for the first time in seven months, High Energy will start a warm favourite in tonight’s $110,000 What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington. Trained by the all-powerful Purdon Racing, the Father Patrick filly has a superb record of eight wins from 11 starts. Tonight she has drawn wide on the front line (8) but is still the top pick at $3.30 FF, ahead of Shez Bella ($5), Aroha Kenny ($5.50), Melsadele ($7) and Walkinonsunshine…

In this latest installment of breeding enthusiast Don Rae’s Behind The Breeds series he focuses on two recent qualifiers, Mantra and Lucky Money. By Don Rae Mantra, a two-year-old colt by Rock N Roll Heaven from the Auckland Reactor mare Tempest Bromac (out of the McArdle mare Tasmcmanian) was bred by I N Behrnes and Mrs A M Behrnes, and qualified at Pukekohe (left-handed) on Saturday, 25 November. Tempest Bromac is only eight years old and Mantra is just her second foal – the first, Storm Watcher, is a three…

By Jonny Turner Sagwitch added to his grand racetrack record when he ran to his 14th career win for trainer Syd Breen at Ascot Park on Wednesday. The nine-year-old relished the sprint conditions of race 9 to score another victory in his eighth season on the track. And the smile on Breen’s face after Sagwitch drove through along the inner to score for driver Mark Hurrell said it all. “I’m as proud as punch, he’s been a good old mate,” Breen said. Sagwitch has been with Breen throughout his 132-start…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Steve Telfer thinks he can still win tonight’s $25,000 Franklin Pacers Country Cup even without his first choice starter. Telfer was to line up Aardie’s Express in the 2700m standing start but after she only travelled home from Christchurch last week he decided to give her more time to recover. “So she will go to a mares race next week and the Queen Of Hearts the following week,” he says of tonight’s key scratching. That still leaves Team Telfer with Fernleigh Cash (20m) and Allamericanlover off…