By Mike Love A breathtaking display by Chase A Dream spearheaded a Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained trifecta in Tuesday’s Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes final at Addington. Heading home We Walk By Faith and Major Hot, Chase A Dream made it his fourth win from six starts in a dazzling performance to secure his first Group One victory. A hot pace early saw the Bettor’s Delight colt stalk the speed with driver Olivia Thornley, before making a move from the 800m. Chase A Dream made up at least a dozen lengths…
Category: Meeting Previews
Aussies upstage trans-Tasman rivals in IRT New Zealand Cup
By Jonny Turner The king’s reign extended to Australasia when Jason Grimson added the name of one-time battler Swayzee into the history books of New Zealand’s most prestigious harness race. Known as King Grimmo to some of his fans, Grimson continued his incredible rise as a trainer with the help of an outstanding tactical driver from his fellow countryman Cam Hart to win the New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday. Thanks to Hart’s brilliant early manoeuvring and Swayzee making a swift beginning, Swayzee left his New Zealand rivals in…
Rowe Cup winner shines on IRT New Zealand Cup day
By Jonny Turner Never doubt the old master. Maybe his hair is a little greyer than it once was. Maybe the same can be said about his renowned moustache. But his ability to produce a trotter to win on the biggest of stages hasn’t changed a bit. With the Group 1 Dominion just three days away, Phil Williamson showed Love N The Port was back to his brilliant best with his front-running win in the Group 3 Worthy Queen Trot. Driver Matthew Williamson paid tribute to his father Phil for his…
Don’t Stop Dreaming in dominant FFA win
By Jonny Turner Don’t Stop Dreaming gave his army of backers a fright before speeding to a sensational win in the Group Three Junior Free-For-All on New Zealand Cup Day. Usually a display of pacing perfection, the Mark and Nathan Purdon went roughly as the mobile left in the first feature event on New Zealand harness racing’s biggest day. But under the cool and calm hands of the master himself, Mark Purdon, the brilliant three-year-old got his gait sorted before going on to an all-of-the-way win. The wash-up in the…
IRT New Zealand Cup Day – Race by Race
IRT New Zealand Cup day at Addington – Race by Race Race 1 : SAUNDERS ROBINSON BROWN HANDICAP TROT The opening race of the day and a trot over 3200m is always a tricky proposition. Masterly started a very warm order ($2.50) but broke at the start and played no significant part, with punters rocked by Cody Banner making a big move at the 600m and going to win by trainer Ricky Allen and driver Matty Williamson. He paid $41.20 and $14.40. Zsa Zoe and Muscle Bank completed a $38,416.80…
Krug and Republican Party ready to rock on big day
By Jonny Turner The work has been done, and now it’s up to Kentuckiana Lodge’s stars, Republican Party and Krug, to give it their all in the IRT New Zealand Cup on Tuesday. Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will head to Addington with the knowledge that their horses are trained to the minute for New Zealand’s greatest harness race. After pleasing in their work leading into the big day, it is now up to the horses to bring their best to the track. “The days leading into big Group One races,…
Aussies talk up Swayzee’s chances
By Adam Hamilton The last Aussie to train and drive a New Zealand Cup winner thinks Swayzee is the right horse to do it again. Champion driver Kerryn Manning became the first female to drive an NZ Cup winner when she teamed with Arden Rooney for a narrow but epic win at Addington in 2015. She became the first Aussie trainer to win the Cup since Jimmy O’Sullivan trained and drove My Lightning Blue to win in 1987. “I like what I’ve seen of Swayzee,” Manning said. “I had a…
Big day in the career of Nathan Purdon
By Jonny Turner Nathan Purdon can make his own mark and add to his family’s incredible harness racing legacy if Akuta can complete a perfect New Zealand Cup preparation at Addington on Tuesday. Purdon is in search of his first win in the country’s greatest harness race, an event his father and training partner Mark has dominated over the past decade. The casual harness racing fan may assume the younger of the Purdon pairing is very much the junior partner in their training partnership, but they might be surprised to…
Welcome to IRT New Zealand Cup day – Akuta is the horse to beat
By Michael Guerin There is a word for what Akuta has going for him in today’s $750,000 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington. That word is: everything. There is also a word for the thing that can undo Akuta in the Cup. That word is: Swayzee. For all the talent of the 15 starters and the people who have honed them for what is still New Zealand harness racing’s Holy Grail, today’s Cup may be just that simple. The Kiwi horse with everything versus the Aussie horse with nothing…
The latest from the trials – November 11
Now that many of the very best horses are coming out to play we are regularly updating what’s happening at the trials right around the country. Here’s the latest installment. Pukekohe Workouts Saturday 11th NovemberWeather Fine Track Fast Lord Popinjay (7g Majestic Son – Petite Sunshine) The Matty White trained trotter started against the maiden pacers in a mob 2050m heat, settled well back in field of seven before improving to take over midrace, kept going strongly to place second behind Fifth And Final, beaten 3/4L. MR:2:05.8, 800m in 60.3,…