By Adam Hamilton Champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame’s chances of being at Addington next month have dramatically improved. The trip across for next month’s iconic $1m IRT NZ Trotting Cup looks in tatters when Leap To Fame was scratched from last Saturday’s Group 1 Victoria Cup with a virus. But a speedy recovery and planned 2300m race at Sydney’s Menangle track on Saturday week look set to revive the five-year-old’s first trip to New Zealand. “It’s not a yes, but we’re in a lot better place than we were…
Category: Punting
The Kiwi Syndicate’s quest for THE ASCENT
THE ASCENT and THE VELOCITY are the brand new $500,000 slot races that will be a big part of the Show Day Twilight race meeting at Addington Raceway on Friday, November 15. The $30,000 slots for the two races for the three-year-old trotters and pacers were snapped up in quick time – so who are the people behind the names? Over the next few weeks we will profile many of the slot holders. Today it’s The Kiwi Syndicate By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk On the face of it…
News Briefs – October 16
A first training win for Jo and Dylan Ferguson, Dexter’s exploits in the USA, a new Sires’ Stakes podcast and a horse calendar all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Mr and Mrs Ferguson have first win The newly minted Mr and Mrs Ferguson had their first training win as a partnership at Cambridge last night when Mike Ross won the Hidden Lake Hotel and Apartments Mobile Pace. Jo and Dylan joined forces as a partnership on September 1 after getting married in August. Paying $15 for the…
Zev Meredith with two point lead in Junior Drivers heading to Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Mark Jones knows how important winning the McMillan Equine Feeds New Zealand Junior Drivers’ Championships is. So the winner of the series way back the year 2000 at the peak of his junior days is happy to be supporting this year’s edition with two trotters in the same heat at Addington tonight. The series moves to Addington for two heats tonight after starting with two at Cambridge last night, won by Olivia Thornley (Benson Dude) and Zed Meredith (Faith In Manchester). Jones has Meandad (R7, No.7) and…
Steve Cornwall’s “satisfying” win with former southerner
By Dave Di Somma Harness News Desk It’s been a decent wait between wins and Auckland trainer Steve Cornwall rates Sassy Star’s victory at Cambridge Raceway as “one of his most satisfying yet.” Sassy Star and James Stormont thwarted So Mystifying by a nose to win the Racing, Resilience and Rural Women 15 October Mobile Trot on October 8. It was her eighth start for Cornwall after she’d been trucked north earlier this year after doing all her early racing, including having four wins, for Ashburton trainers Brent and…
Bet N Win big mover in rankings
Bet N Win’s impressive Group 3 victory last Friday has seen a big shake up in this week’s rankings for the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington Raceway on Friday, November 15. The David and Stacey White-trained four-year-old took out the Dancinginthedark (USA) Canterbury Park Cup in fine style, leaving established stars like Muscle Mountain and Oscar Bonavena in his wake. By being the first three home Bet N Win, Mystic Max and Love N The Port are now guaranteed a start in the Dominion. Bet N Win moves from being 15th…
Extended stints on sidelines for O’Reilly and Butcher
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The news isn’t good for two of the country’s top drivers who are facing longer than expected recoveries after recent setbacks. Sarah O’Reilly won’t be back in the sulky this year after breaking her arm in July while Benjamin Butcher says he’s got weeks of physio on his shoulder before he returns to race day driving. For Butcher though the more pressing concern is fully recovering from what was a serious concussion suffered when he was thrown to the track while driving Iron…
End of the road for top pacer
By Jonny Turner The team behind Old Town Road are certain Australasia never got to see the best of their brilliant pacer. Wear and tear injuries have halted the six-year-old’s pacer spring campaign with the decision being made to retire the outstanding top-level performer. Old Town Road compiled an outstanding resume for trainer and part-owner John Dickie, placing in the biggest of races like the Hunter Cup, The Race by Grins and the New Zealand Free-For-All. Though a Group One win proved elusive, Dickie is certain it was a…
Big week – from Junior Drivers’ Championships to Silk Road and The Dark Horse
The McMillan Equine Feeds New Zealand Junior Drivers Championships, the $30,000 Silk Road Northern Spring Series Final, and the first ever running of the Group 3 The Dark Horse at Invercargill will all feature during another busy harness racing week, between now and Sunday. There are six race meetings in all, starting with the weekly Trot into Tuesday meeting at Cambridge today and finishing at Ascot Park on Sunday. The Junior Drivers’ Championships start at Cambridge today and then move to Addington on Wednesday and Friday. To see the…
Team Hughes heading back to Cambridge on a Tuesday
By Michael Guerin It worked so well last Tuesday that Team Hughes will try to double down on taking juveniles to Cambridge for confidence-boosting wins tonight. Trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes took their stable star Captain Sampson to Cambridge last Tuesday to keep him ticking over for the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes at Addington on Cup Day and he duly won beating older horses. Captain Sampson won’t be returning today as he heads to Alex Park this Friday but co-trainer Gareth Hughes hopes the same recipe works for Crumsy (R3,…