Category: Punting

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The country’s biggest punting club is heading into new territory at next month’s Night of Champions at Cambridge, and everyone’s invited. For the first time Boys Get Paid (BGP) will run a Punters Club dedicated only to harness racing. And they are hoping to have some serious cash to throw around. “We would love to get a pool of between $250,000 and $300,000 – that would be a great result,” says BGP’s Dan Rack. “If that happened it would translate to around 4000-7000…

By Michael Guerin The next phase of Hayden Cullen’s training career is building momentum and he hopes that continues at Addington’s twilight meeting today. Cullen and wife Amanda reset their business after leaving the All Stars and then Team Telfer but have good numbers around them now. “When I went out on my own there was a few racehorses but it was mainly breaking in a lot of young horses,” says Cullen. “But we have built up a nice team now of 20 and getting some lovely outside horses and…

By Michael Guerin A change of plans for a key rival and a seemingly perfect barrier draw may have combined to hand Saturday’s $110,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championships at Addington to Muscle Mountain. The wonderful trotter will be long odds-on for the 2600m mobile which he has won in two of the last three years after drawing barrier 1. He won in 2021 and 2023 and was second to Sundees Son in 2022. He has stablemate Midnight Dash alongside at barrier 2 and while there is gate speed…

By Brigette Solomon Cambridge reinsman Todd Mitchell is certainly going to be busy as he returns to Manawatu Raceway today. “It’s been a while since I’ve driven at Manawatu but (local trainer) Stephen Doody asked if I’d consider coming and with close to a full book of drives it’s worth the trip,” says Mitchell. “Most of the horses I’m driving have reasonable form on paper and hopefully we get a bit of luck.” Mitchell’s last winner at Palmerston North was with Our Pegasus Pearl in March 2022. In the feature…

By Jonny Turner The first 50m of the Waimate Cup could tell the story of the race ahead for Mo’unga. The pacer comes into the 3000m grass track staying test after two solid pipe-opening runs on the West Coast for trainer Regan Todd. The last time Mo’unga stepped out over the same distance, things went pear-shaped when the five-year-old racing fiercely in the Methven Cup. Todd hit the reset button on the horse’s campaign and since coming back to the track, Mo’unga has brought his best manners to the races.…

By Jonny Turner The road to the Rowe Cup starts at Addington tonight for defending champion Love N The Port and his best mate Majestic Man. The pair are the best of friends off the track but fierce rivals on it and they set to begin a one-way path to Alexandra Park. Majestic Man (20m) and Love N The Port (10m) make up a powerful trio trainer Phil Williamson brings to race 6 on Friday night, alongside Jimmy Carter (10m). When lining up from a 10m handicap, Love N The…

By Michael Guerin The synergy between two of the emerging stars of New Zealand harness racing is unmistakable. And tonight they could, maybe should, combine to win the $110,000 Pascoes Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park. On one of the strongest nights of black type racing this season it could be All You Need Is Me and her junior driver Carter Dalgety who steal the show with the Canterbury filly drawn to dominate the Oaks. She has barrier 2 and the respect to secure an uncontested lead after two crushing wins…

It’s a big night of racing at Alexandra Park on Friday night so the team at HRNZ have put together a lift-out with all the stories, selections and fields you will need to enjoy the night of racing. View it here

By Brigette Solomon Pukekohe based trainer Andre Poutama is hopeful that with a bit of luck, his team of four runners can make their presence felt at Cambridge Raceway tonight. “We haven’t had any luck with the draws but I think three of the four are capable of a good race” says Poutama. Potter starts in the Race 3, the Watchu Security Mobile Pace for Junior Drivers, with Nathan Delaney driving. Potter has won twice since coming north to the Poutama stable, including a win at the same track two…

Check out this week’s Box Seat with hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin.