It’s Show time – get excited about IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup week

The NZ Sires’ Stakes Board wishes everyone racing over IRT NZ Trotting Cup Week all the very best of good luck. Because as quick as Chase A Dream’s quarter last year Cup week is here and there is plenty to get excited  about. To find out more about the Sires’ Stakes Cup Week class of 2024 click here  Tuesday and Friday,  Addington’s  two biggest days of the year, will see such feature races as  :   – Woodlands Stud NZ 2YO C and G Final– Nevele R 3YO Fillies Final– Dunstan Horsefeeds…

Lazarus’ little brother wins at Oamaru

By Jonny Turner   The little brother of a New Zealand Cup great scored a timely win as the lead-up to the $1m feature builds to a fever pitch.  Just one day short of eight years since Lazarus delivered his first devastating New Zealand Cup victory, Sinai Sermon delivered a strong front-running win at Oamaru in the Brad Williamson Racing Stables Mobile Pace.  The younger of the two brothers is trained by David Mitchell who races the four-year-old with Donna Williamson and Gavin Chin. Chin is co-breeder of the two-time…

High Step trots straight into $30,000 Seddon Shields Final

The Bob Butt trained and driven High Step has sealed her place in the $30,000 Seddon Shields Trotting Championship Series Final at Addington Raceway in March next year. The Father Patrick three-year-old qualified for the final after winning the opening heat of the Bob Rochford series, the Lobster Inn/Kaikoura Night ‘n Day Handicap Trot, at Kaikoura on Monday. She was three back the fence mid race before getting into the running line and then peeling three wide around the home turn. She charged to the line to win by a…

Alexandra Park and Rangiora in Friday double-header

It’s Friday and there’s a double-header at Auckland and Rangiora.  Two $35,000 Northern Metro Finals will highlight  action at Alexandra Park and there’s a 10 race programme at Rangiora, starting at 1.45pm, where Ben Hope has a “nice book” of drives  Purdon-Phelan team in for a big few days   By Michael Guerin Star harness racing trainer Scott Phelan is only concerned with what he can control. So he isn’t losing any sleep over the constantly changing face of next Tuesday’s $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway.…

The NZ Cup week Trials ‘Report Card’

What was worth noting from all over the country, including the pre Cup trials, for the week ending 7/11/2024 Kevin Kline (2g Always B Miki – Matai Mies) Tr. R Green Pukekohe (31/10/240 In a three horse heat, the Green trained 2YO led from gate rise and did enough to hold Makorori (trail) out with a sharp last 800m.MR:2:02.7, 800m in 57.7, 400m in 28.0. Unplaced in a couple of 2YO races, the last back in August but like many by his sire, should get better with time. Dam was…

Tomlinson the trainer debuts at Oamaru today

By Jonny Turner  Win, lose, or draw Kerryn Tomlinson will notch another milestone in her harness racing career on Thursday. The Oamaru horsewoman will line up her first starter as a trainer at her home track in race 5, the Brad Williamson Racing Stables Mobile pace.  Tomlinson has plenty of experience preparing horses at Brad Williamson’s stable, but at Thursday’s Oamaru meeting she will put her name up in lights for the first time.  “I am looking forward to it, I have got a couple of horses in work and…

Cracking fields confirmed for harness racing’s biggest day

By Michael Guerin Harness racing looks set for a betting bonanza after some stunning fields were drawn for IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington raceway on Tuesday. The Cup is full and fantastic, there are plenty of Australians in the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion and the Sires’ Stakes Final shapes as a classic North versus South contest. Add in a TAB Junior Free-For-All boosted by a Miracle Mile winner in Catch A Wave, Sooner The Better and Cup emergency Aroda from Queensland and this is a Cup day…

THE ASCENT and THE VELOCITY take shape

The final pieces have now been found for the two new $500,000 slot races on Show Day at Addington Raceway. In both the Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT and the Hill Lee and Scott THE VELOCITY 10 trotters and 10 pacers have been nominated, meaning that unless something unexpected happens those horses will contest the two races on Friday, November 18. Most of the horses had already been confirmed. In THE ASCENT Look To Da Stars, trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon, is the 10th and last trotter to…