By Adam Hamilton Champion pacer Leap To Fame’s roller coaster IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup raid is over. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon ordered one final precautionary blood test before Sunday’s planned flight from Sydney to Auckland and the news was bad. “It’s over,” Leap To Fame’s owner Kevin Seymour said, “just when we thought things were back on track, his blood is out again. It seems every time we work him hard, it flares something up. “It’s devastating. We’ve planned this trip for so long, but the horse has and always…
Category: Punting
Leap To Fame out of NZ Cup
BREAKING NEWS Commanding favourite Leap To Fame is out of Tuesday’s $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway. The champion Australian pacer was due to arrive in Christchurch on Sunday and was at short odds to win the country’s biggest race in four days time. But after returning unsatisfactory blood tests he has now been scratched from the Cup and will not make the trip. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.
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.…
Whale Watch – Oamaru
Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Oamaru today.
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…